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Our friend Doug recently purchased a heat pump water heater and decided to save a lot of money by installing it himself. We helped him install it and were surprised at how relatively easy it was. By installing heat pump water heaters (HPWH) yourself, this breakthrough decarbonization technology could become accessible to many more people.
Heat pump water heaters are powerful but still largely underestimated climate heroes. In each year of operation, they save 1 ton of CO2 emissions compared to gas water heaters and $400 to $500 in energy costs compared to electric water heaters. That's enough electricity savings to power an electric car! And the best part: the savings are already built in. Turn off your water heater and voilà, suddenly you're a climate champion every time you take a hot shower.
While the heat pump water heater market has grown 15-20% since ENERGY STAR certification in 2009, heat pumps accounted for only 2% of all water heater sales in 2022. Due to low market penetration, it can be difficult to find a plumber to install them. This also means that the plumbers who install them may raise their prices due to a lack of competition or the perceived risk of an unknown technology. Installation prices are high in most markets in the U.S., and only in a few mature markets (Maine and the Northwest) are installation costs lower, more accurately reflecting the actual time and cost involved.
Given this fact, DIY installation of a heat pump water heater is a cost-effective and viable alternative. DIY installation of your HPWH can save thousands of dollars and only takes a couple of hours. In leading HPWH markets like the Northwest, up to 53% of HPWHs are self-installed, meaning many people are already quietly doing it. DIY makes HPWHs more affordable by eliminating the hassle of finding a plumber and the current high cost of installation.
Join Electrify Now for a free webinar in October showing live DIY HPWH installation with a plumber who can answer all your questions.
Doug buys a water heater
Our family has proudly installed four HPWHs (one in our Portland home, one in an attached apartment, and two in a duplex in Cleveland). For all of them, we hired contractors because we weren't comfortable installing the lines ourselves. Still, we had to thoroughly research the process and explain it to any installers who weren't familiar with the technology.
Enter our friend and neighbor Doug with a 12-year-old water heater (find out how old your water heater is) who saw a great deal on a heat pump: $600 for door-to-door delivery (check out the many rebates available nationwide). Rather than wait for an emergency, Doug proactively decided to replace his old water heater.
He called a few installers and got a quote for $2500, which isn't bad compared to the other astronomical prices we've seen around the country. But Doug is reasonably handy and thought he could do the installation himself and save a few thousand dollars. He did a little research, borrowed a PEX expander tool, and set aside a Sunday to do the installation. Joe came along to record the adventure and lend a hand.
Preparatory work
Doug disconnects, drains, and removes his old water heater.
First, Doug had to learn a few things about his existing water heater. Since it didn't have a burner or a vent, he assumed it was an electrical resistance type, like half of the water heaters nationwide. These are easier to replace because they don't require a capped gas line or a new 240-volt electrical cord (although there are now HPWHs that plug into a standard 120-volt outlet, making gas replacement easier).
Through a little online research (Doug's favorite site was Hot Water Solutions), he made a list of the materials and tools he would need: 1. PEX pipe and fittings, 2. PEX cutting tool, 3. Base and drain pan for the HPWH, 4. Braided fittings for the water heater, 5. Pipe for the condensate drain, 6. Condensate pump, 7. Foam pipe insulation, and 8. Pipe and water heater straps. He already had the necessary wrenches and borrowed a PEX expander from a friend. The materials for the job cost about $150.
On the day of the installation, Doug shut off the power to his current water heater (at the electrical box) and turned off the water supply to the house (using a water shutoff handle in his basement). Then he drained the water from the water heater (lesson learned: plan on spending a few hours doing this). Next, he disconnected the pipes and electrical lines, and the old, inefficient water heater was towed to the side of the road to be picked up by a metal recycler.
Installation of the new water heater for decarbonization
Doug laid down an insulation pad and a drip pan to keep the water heater from sitting on the concrete floor and rusting from moisture. Doug and Joe then moved the new heat pump water heater into place – a tough job best done by two people!
Next came the installation, the most nerve-wracking part. Doug cut the existing PEX pipe and added a connector using the PEX expander (see middle picture below). This was our first time doing this, but we were amazed at how easy it was to use PEX pipe. After he put the connector in place, Doug inserted a new PEX pipe, a 90 degree elbow, and another piece of PEX that connected to the braided connector on the water heater. For us as inexperienced plumbers, this wasn't very difficult and went surprisingly smoothly.
Doug set up a drip pan, extended the PEX pipe, and added an elbow and other fittings.
Moment of truth: After Doug installed new pipes on the hot and cold water inlets, he turned the water back on and the water heater began to fill. There were no leaks!
The final steps were attaching a condensate line and pipe to the pressure relief valve (we reused the one from the old water heater) and connecting the electrical wiring. Doug turned on the circuit breaker at the electrical box and within a minute his shiny new HPWH was humming along happily producing hot water in heat pump only mode (the most efficient mode of operation). Later, Doug added earthquake bolts and a small condensate pump and insulated and supported the pipes.
Doug connected both water lines and the power cable and then turned on his HPWH.
In total, he spent about 3 hours researching, 4 hours installing, and a few more hours later in the week putting the finishing touches on it. The fully installed water heater looks like this.
It's been running smoothly for several months now, and Doug has even noticed that the water is warmer than before. Most importantly, his electricity usage has dropped by 30%! He's saving about 250 kWh per month and $300-400 per year.
This HPWH adventure has proven that a reasonably handy person can install a heat pump water heater in 7-10 hours and potentially save thousands of dollars in installation costs. With a little knowledge, research, and the help of a friend, DIYers can bring game-changing heat pump water heaters within reach of the average homeowner, helping to decarbonize our homes and our lives.
Our young trainees helped with the construction.
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