after a previous post, I have decided to plumb my two water heaters, seperated by 100 pipe feet and on opposite sides of the house, in series. The "main" heater will be a 50 gallon hybrid from GE (sadly discontinued) and directly feed the kitchen, guest, and half baths. It will also feed the "master" heater that will supply the master bath and its 110 gallon soaker tub.

The "master" heater will also be 50 gallon, but given that its basically going to be a storing tank, having already been supplied hot water from the main heater, I question the need for it to be a hybrid. It wont be working very hard so I think the energy savings will be minimal with a hybrid. I live in a warm climate and will also blanket the master heater.

am I out of line here? to be clear, I just want to know whether I am safe to skip the second hybrid for the msater. My thinking is that the upfront cost will not be justified by the savings.



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any rebates for hybrid water heaters in your area?
around here mass save is giving 750 dollar rebates for hybrids. this brings the cost about equal to a regular tank with extended warrantee.

There are very specific requirements for the space where a hybrid is installed, and the second heater's area probably will NO conform them.

i believe the room they are installed in must be a minimum 10 x 10.
one good point.. they are wonderful dehumidifiers in the humid weather.
one bad point.. when they need replacing it is very expensive because a licensed AC person must evacuate the refrigerant as well as the whole heater can not just be thrown into a dumpster..

I probably agree with your assessment. If you did install a second hybrid would it be occupying the same space as the first? NJ is NOT a warm climate and if left in heat pump mode for the winter, you'll quickly find out.

Haha.... I have an address for forwarding in NJ... but I live in Bermuda. It's very humid and 60s even in the winter. The space where I am installing it is a little on the small side but big enough. It will be a damp basement used for storage where the dehumidifying will be much appreciated. The "master" location that I'm not sure about is in an outside vented shed. Better for efficiency but wasted dehumidifying.

I get no rebates here, unless you count that I only pay 10% duty instead of 25% when I import it.

So..... two hybrids or just one? I have an old 50 that works just fine for free or 1500 for a hybrid once I get it to Bermuda. Our energy costs are many many times that of the us though, so the savings there adds up.

I was just wondering to myself........Why in the world, doesn't he take advantage of solar?

I'm going with two hybrids. Your electrical savings will pay for the second hybrid soon enough at the rates you're paying.

Solar is coming, but thats down the road and will be electric, not water.

I suppose two hybrids makes sense and would allow me the flexibility to run them independantly if need be. It's just a lot of up front expenditure. I'm also concerned that GE has discontinued them. Not because they were poorly made, just the average consumer didnt know, understand, or care about their advantages.

inside hybrid...
outside regular...