Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater vs Gas Water Heater

If your home can run on natural gas, you may be wondering which water heater is better: a hybrid heat pump water heater or a gas water heater.

Well, it really depends on what's most important to you: energy efficiency and saving money in the long run? Or comfortable?

If comfort is more important, a gas water heater is your best option because of its higher "recovery rate."

However, if saving money (and energy) is more important to you, a hybrid heat pump may be the best option.

Now let's take a closer look at these two factors.

Gas water heaters provide better comfort

A gas water heater offers greater comfort because it has a faster recovery rate.

The recovery rate of a water heater is the time it takes for a water heater to reheat its entire hot water supply. This is a huge advantage for households that use large and frequent hot water draws.

You see, a water heater's recovery rate is based on its BTU (British Thermal Unit) input. BTU measures the energy required to heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

For comparison, let's look at the average BTU/hour input for both systems:

Hybrid Water Heaters - 6,000 to 8,000 BTU

Gas Water Heaters - 32,000 to 50,000 BTU

The low BTU input of a hybrid heat pump water heater means that if your home is used to pumping a lot of hot water at once (for example, running a dishwasher and washing machine in the shower), it will struggle to keep up.

Let's say your family is drawing hot water from a 40-gallon tank. Once the tank is depleted, you may need to wait up to 8 hours until the tank is restored and full of hot water again.

A gas water heater, on the other hand, can restore a depleted 40-gallon tank in less than an hour. So if you're more concerned with having enough hot water and not running out, you're better off with a gas water heater.

But…Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heaters May Be More Cost-Effective

If you're interested in saving money in the long run, a hybrid heat pump water heater is a better choice.

But why would a heat pump water heater save you more money in the long run?

Well, while heat pump water heaters generally have a higher upfront cost, they provide lower monthly heating costs because they require relatively less energy to operate.

Even though the local gas cost may be lower than the electricity bill, the energy cost of an electric heat pump water heater may be lower than a traditional gas water heater because it is more efficient.

Heat pump water heaters are more energy efficient because they move heat, while gas water heaters generate heat through combustion. Moving heat always requires less energy than producing it.

Note: If you want to keep your monthly heating bills as low as possible, keep your heat pump water heater in "economy mode." This mode prevents the water heater from automatically switching to resistance heating when hot water demand is high.

One final tip: If energy efficiency and saving money are your main concerns, you might also want to look into gas tankless water heaters. These units use only gas to heat the water you need at any given moment.

Final comparison

As you can see, both tank water heaters and hybrid water heaters are energy efficient, cost effective and environmentally conscious. If your water heater is electric only and the space is open, a hybrid might be the best option. However, if you have gas fuel, a small space, and also want to conserve water, a tankless water heater is usually the first choice.

If you're still in doubt about which type of water heater is best for your home, we're here to give you the information you need to make an informed decision. You can contact us via live chat, form submission or by phone.

Need professional advice?

The best way to determine the right water heater system for you is to talk to a professional.

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