# GE Geospring to Boneyard



## 760GWS (Mar 16, 2015)

We pulled a 50 gallon GE Geospring hybrid electric water heater with heat pump this weekend. It was still under warranty. Homeowner said it's been repaired 4 or 5 times since purchase. Installed a standard variety instead. Here's pics of the heat pump guts.


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## 760GWS (Mar 16, 2015)

A few more pics


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

I can see the argument for a wall hung heater, but the same size unit with all that crap inside..NOT... as compared to a standard electric or gas unit at a fraction of the cost im sure... well you have enough scrap metal in that for a good lunch and then some...


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> I can see the argument for a wall hung heater, but the same size unit with all that crap inside..NOT... as compared to a standard electric or gas unit at a fraction of the cost im sure... well you have enough scrap metal in that for a good lunch and then some...



Hybrid electric tanks definitely have problems but I would still take that over a wall hung electric. 

It's tempting to consider them for some situations. The energy cost for an electric water heater is $555 per year, compared to $192 on an AO Hybrid. If the tank lasted, you could save $5,000 over the life of the tank. 


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

plumberkc said:


> Hybrid electric tanks definitely have problems but I would still take that over a wall hung electric.
> 
> It's tempting to consider them for some situations. The energy cost for an electric water heater is $555 per year, compared to $192 on an AO Hybrid. If the tank lasted, you could save $5,000 over the life of the tank.
> 
> ...


whats the average cost of just the hybird electric water heater? and their expected life expectancy ?


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> whats the average cost of just the hybird electric water heater? and their expected life expectancy ?


 aren't they $999.00 at the box store? The concept of this technology is really neat to me but it needs more time before I really commit.


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## 760GWS (Mar 16, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> whats the average cost of just the hybird electric water heater? and their expected life expectancy ?


Last year a customer supplied a GE electric hybrid from Blowes and bragged he got such a great deal: discounted, energy star utility rebate, and 2015 tax credit. He estimated his final unit price at some ridiculous low number. Sounded like a great deal at the time, but I told him flat out that I wouldn't be able to touch it for repairs in the future. This customer wasn't the one for whom we just removed the hybrid unit.

Looks like Blowes is selling for $999 currently. Hmmm... over a thousand reviews. You don't have to dig too deep to find the 1-star reviews lol!


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

http://m.lowes.com/pd/GE-GeoSpring-...-Water-Heater-with-Hybrid-Heat-Pump/50335967=


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

plungerboy said:


> http://m.lowes.com/pd/GE-GeoSpring-...-Water-Heater-with-Hybrid-Heat-Pump/50335967=


looks like quite a bit of 1 star reviews....sorta wishful thinking, till they get the kinks or better quality units..then the price wont be $999.00 any more, more like $1999.00...then will there still be savings over a standard heater..if it works and for how long...sorta like buying a harbor freight drain cleaner and saying you got a good deal.till it falls apart on your first drain clean job...


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

I've installed quite a few american hybrid electrics. My customers love them so far. Between national grid and the tax rebate they get almost a 1000.00 back right off the top. The warranty is for 10 years. Between the rebates, energy savings, and the dehumidification there pretty much selling themselves.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

paultheplumber1 said:


> I've installed quite a few american hybrid electrics. My customers love them so far. Between national grid and the tax rebate they get almost a 1000.00 back right off the top. The warranty is for 10 years. Between the rebates, energy savings, and the dehumidification there pretty much selling themselves.


What region are you in? From my understanding they work better in warmer climates.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

plumberkc said:


> What region are you in? From my understanding they work better in warmer climates.


with the unit installed inside, I dont think it would make a difference what climate. as long as the basement isnt freezing..


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> with the unit installed inside, I dont think it would make a difference what climate. as long as the basement isnt freezing..


I was told that they pull heat from the air. So if you live in a cold climate your furnace may have to work a little harder.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

plumberkc said:


> I was told that they pull heat from the air. So if you live in a cold climate your furnace may have to work a little harder.


In my area, most houses with basements are part finished with heat, real estate is so expensive, people use every inch of their houses for living space, its not the cold unheated farm house basement...LOL


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## Workhorseplmg (Apr 10, 2013)

I've put in one a year or so for 5-6 years and no issue so far, but I live in Arkansas so the weather is generally good for a heat pump to work. They work in an area smaller than required if there's make up air piped in.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Yep heat pumps in general pull heat out the air and release with the compression of gases in the condensing coil.

Like a reverse AC unit, which the direction of flow can be reversed in the winter for whole house systems.

They don't work well in the midwest, the colder the climate the worse they work. They can't keep up and you start kicking 5 and 10 KW electric heat on colder days.

That said the evaporation or compression of the gases inside a basement will have some effect on the conditioned space, which will affect how you home HVAC system works, less energy for water more for whole house HAVC to some extent.

Like some self contained coolers where the condensation coil is inside, throws all the extra heat into the interior then your AC unit fights it.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> In my area, most houses with basements are part finished with heat, real estate is so expensive, people use every inch of their houses for living space, its not the cold unheated farm house basement...LOL




If your furnace is running more to maintain the basement temperature then you're not saving as much. 


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

plumberkc said:


> If your furnace is running more to maintain the basement temperature then you're not saving as much.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


also in my area 99% of all hot water heaters and boilers run on natural gas or oil..very little electric anything...its interesting to see how regional so many things are...


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

I work mostly in RI. Very humid summers. Cold winters. All the installs are in basements. Mostly unfinished and not heated. There is no nat gas in the area I work most. There are alot of electric heaters in this area. Most of the installs are replacing either old plugged up tankless coils or failed standard electric heaters. Alot of people here also have wood stoves that do most of there heating work. I wouldn't recommend them to a full house of people. Mostly install the 50 gallon. Perfect for an older couple who's kids are moved out and once the weather breaks they can shut off there oil furnace for the warmer months.


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

The ones I have installed have 4 settings on them. 1 electric 2 hybrid 3 efficiency 4 vacation. Mostly we set them to hybrid, when the heat pump can't do it all on its own the elements automatically kick in. We put one in my father's house and he set it to strictly efficiency mode. It's just him and his girlfriend and they haven't had any trouble in the 4 years since we installed it.


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