I've been looking at Heat Pump hot water heaters for a few years now but couldn't see spending the money to swap out our gas water heater. Well that was taken care of for us when it decided to fail in a spectacular fashion. The plastic drain valve failed, shot across the room, and the water heater sprayed gross water full of mineral deposits all over my BMW. (It took 3 washes with the last using a diluted vinegar to get the deposits off the bike)
So this weekend I spent our anniversary swapping out a water heater. The hardest part was finding fittings that would work for the condensation drain.
The new Rheem Protera 50 gallon water heater will work out to be $700 after incentives. ($1700 - $700 from electric utility - $300 Federal tax credit. The energy star label says it will use $117 of electricity a year vs the $330 a year on the label for the old water heater. (We actually spend $209 a year for natural gas)
Failed plastic drain:
My motorcycle after the rupture:
New water heater:
