Considering hybrid electric hot water heater in line with current gas

[Donald]

I am considering getting an 80 gal hybrid hot water heater and installing it before my current propane 50 gal hot water heater. The current 50 gal is working fine but is around 10 years old. The current problem is not enough hot water to fill the Jacuzzi. And water temp is turned up to max.

So I am planning on a 80 gal hybrid 120V model. It would not be hard to push the new one next to the current gas one. Re-do the water inlet to feed through the hybrid water heater. Plug it into outlet and enjoy the extra hot water.

When the current gas one goes I remove it and push the hybrid over a few feet.

I read you only get about 75% of the water heater tank capacity as the hot & cold start to mix in that last 25%.

 

[mk378]

This is about the third thread on this and I haven't read much of the other ones, but I would say that continuous flow is good for filling a bathtub that is larger than a tank heater.

Tank type water heaters leak energy 24/7, especially conventional gas ones as the heat exchanger is open to the flue all the time. Larger tank or more tanks mean more energy loss.

 

[Donald]

This is about the third thread on this and I haven't read much of the other ones, but I would say that continuous flow is good for filling a bathtub that is larger than a tank heater.

Tank type water heaters leak energy 24/7, especially conventional gas ones as the heat exchanger is open to the flue all the time. Larger tank or more tanks mean more energy loss.

Well the heat pump is efficient enough that any standby losses should be negligible.

While I agree there are standby losses with the current gas water heater it's there now, so the choice would be to go to just the hybrid or both at least until the gas one starts to leak.

 

[Rand]

Well the heat pump is efficient enough that any standby losses should be negligible.

While I agree there are standby losses with the current gas water heater it's there now, so the choice would be to go to just the hybrid or both at least until the gas one starts to leak.

you would likely save alot of propane. I'm not sure if anyone plans to do that but since you already have the propane.. seems do-able.

 

[UncleDave]

Sure ok. Should work. The guy needing hot after the jacuzzi fill is going to be waiting.

Seems like a tankless with a recirculator would be about the same money and take up half the space.

You'd basically get instant unlimited hot water and the ability to stop all standby losses at any time.