Meet Pam.
Pam, her husband and their six-year-old daughter love the home they own in the hills outside of Corvallis. But Pam just discovered that their water heater needs to be replaced.
Pam likes to be energy efficient and she loves saving money, so she was interested when her plumber, Max, mentioned the benefits of a heat pump water heater over a standard electric model.
“How does that type of water heater work?” Pam asked Max as they stood in the garage near the broken appliance.
“Heat pump water heaters use less than half the energy of a standard electric model to heat the same amount of water,” answered Max. “Using proven heat pump technology, they transfer heat instead of creating it, which reduces energy consumption by up to 60% compared to standard electric water heaters.”
“That sounds interesting…and expensive,” said Pam apprehensively.
“It does cost a little more to install a heat pump water heater, but you should be able to make up the difference after about 3 years,” said Max, handing Pam a flyer. He pointed to some details. “According to HotWaterSolutionsNW.org, a 50 gallon heat pump water heater will cost just $142 per year to operate, compared to $359 for a standard electric model. Over 10 years, that adds up to more than $2,000 saved,” said Max.
“I like the sound of that, but I’m just not sure we can afford to spend more upfront right now,” said Pam, thinking about the family budget and the unexpected timing of this purchase.
“Who is your electric utility?” asked Max.
“We have Consumers Power,” Pam answered.
“That’s great!” said Max. “The heat pump water heaters we install will qualify you for a $600 rebate from Consumers Power and rebates are available to customers of other electric utilities, too.”
With her efficiency questions answered and feeling pleasantly surprised by the cost, Pam turned her attention to reliability as her daughter peeked through the partially open door from the laundry room. “I was doing some online research this morning, and I saw that most electric water heaters have a 6 year warranty. How do heat pump water heaters compare?” she asked.
“Better, actually,” said Max. “The tank and parts have a 10 year warranty, and at Stutzman Services, we guarantee our installation labor for a year.”
Pam’s little girl walked silently in circles around her as Max summarized a few final benefits of heat pump water heaters, including how this specific model can be controlled via smartphone app.
Pam loved the idea of saving over $2,000 while conserving energy and not worrying about a water heater until her daughter is a teenager. “Let’s do this,” she said with a smile.
If you find yourself in circumstances like Pam's, and you live in the Albany, Corvallis or Lebanon areas, give us a call at (541) 928-8942 or complete this form. We’d be happy to send a plumber your way, free of charge, to help determine whether a heat pump water heater is the right choice for you.
