Voltex Electric Water Heaters

One type of water heater that St Paul Pipeworks plumbers prefer is an electric water heater with a heat pump attachment. The heat pump mechanically operates the same way as an air conditioner, it just operates in reverse.

The water heater that St Paul Pipeworks plumbers install is a Voltex, manufactured by A.O. Smith. One advantage of the Voltex model is that in addition to using electricity to heat the water, it also employs a heat pump to heat the water using the ambient room temperature in the area where the heater is located. The process of heating the water starting from room temperature can reduce water heating costs by 73%.

Electric water heaters are becoming more popular because as solar technology has continued to improve, more people are installing solar panels on the roofs of their homes. For a long time, solar panels were not as efficient, sometimes damaged roofs, and were quite expensive. But as the technology has improved and costs have come down, more people are using solar energy for their homes.

Often, when a solar panel system is installed on a house they are creating more energy than the homeowner is actually using for their home. If so, energy companies in the St. Paul and Minneapolis metro areas are required to buy that excess energy back from the homeowner. Many people who install solar panels are not only creating enough electric energy for their own use but are also selling the excess energy back to the energy company thereby reducing their energy bills.

In the past, the electric water heaters were not the best bargain because after hot water was used in the home the electric heaters took longer to regenerate more hot water. Homeowners needed to have a much larger tank than a gas water heater in order to assure enough heated water for their home. Also, in urban areas, the cost of electricity to heat water was two to three times the cost of gas.

Electric water heaters were more often installed in rural areas where it is more difficult or expensive to get gas to their homes or where they have a rural electric co-op that sells electricity to them more cheaply. As gas prices continue to rise, electric water heaters are becoming more popular in urban areas, especially where people have installed their own solar panel systems.

If you are thinking about installing an electric water heater or are just looking for a quality plumber in the St. Paul and Minneapolis metro area, give St Paul Pipeworks a call today.

Yours Truly,

Matthew Dettwiler

Social Media Manager