HEAT pump water heaters tend to be the forgotten heroes in the battle for household energy-efficiency
Solar may be the poster boy for free hot water, but when the sun goes behind the clouds heat pumps come into their own.
Rheem Australia general manager marketing and public affairs Gareth Jennings said a heat pump water heater had an insulated storage tank and a heating module.
"A heat pump works to heat water by transferring the intensified warmth from the air around it into the water, stored in the tank, via a heat exchange system that works in a similar way to an air conditioner.
"When emptied, it takes time to reheat to have you back in hot water.
"Heat pumps draw less electricity than a traditional electric storage water heater, and in doing so, are more energy efficient.
"They do take longer to heat water, so consider a larger tank capacity to ensure you have enough hot water when you need it.
"Heat pumps are an ideal replacement option for an electric water heater as they will often use existing plumbing; or as an alternative to solar where unshaded north facing or limited roof space is a problem as they don't require the installation of roof mounted solar collectors."
Details: rheem.com.au.