Need Advice on Heat Pump Water Heater

[Charlie123]

Hello, hoping I can get some advice here.
I want to replace my aqua booster with a HPWH, but I'm having trouble finding someone experienced with these.
Does anyone have any thoughts/recommendations for someone in the Miller Place area (anywhere?) who can do this work, or maybe a particular brand to recommend?
I understand that they're relatively new, but it seems the bugs have been largely worked out by now.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Phog]

The installation is fairly straightforward, and any reputable HVAC contractor should be both familiar with these units & capable of the install. However, be aware that you need a nearby condensate drain and also adequate room square footage. If you don't have these already available you might find yourself getting into a pricey install for the installation of the drain & the required ducting for proper heat pump air flow. You already have a pretty nice system with long lifespan & low operating cost (I assume it runs off either a tankless coil or a boiler). So out of curiosity I'm just wondering why you might be thinking of changing it out? Worried about the availability of natural gas in the future? (I've heard about the pipeline issues in your area)

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Charlie123]

Thanks for the reply.
There's no gas in the area, and my boiler is 30 years old, not sure how old the aqua booster is.
The room is large enough, I have a septic trap 6 feet away that I can use, and the electrical panel is nearby.

I'm thinking of possibly going over to a mini-split, so the 1st order of business would be to get the hot water taken care of, this way I'm not dependent on oil for hot water. The house is 918 sq ft.

 

[Phog]

Ahh, ok, makes sense. The install is simple, basically the same as a traditional electric tank, with the extra condensate line as the only twist. Observe overhead & side space clearances as stated in the manual for proper air circulation, make sure the condensate drain line has a little slope, that's about all there is to it. I know that doesn't help you find someone local but hopefully it puts your mind at ease a bit if you end up going with someone who's never installed one before. The Rheem HPWH line has received several positive mentions on these forums, however that is purely anecdotal. By the way there is typically an air filter on these units that needs to be cleaned or replaced every so often, so they do require a minimum amount of maintenance that a traditional tank does not.

 

[Charlie123]

I was referred to the Rheem Performance Platinum, so nice to see another Rheen referral: apparently they're decent and readily available here.
As far as a plumber, I just got a strong referral for someone from 2 coworkers who are both selective and mechanically-inclined, so that sounds promising.