GEH50DEEDSR
4.8
5
103
103
Great value and easy to install and use
Our water heater was still working, but it was more than 20 years old, and we decided to replace it.
After a lot of online research, I narrowed down to a few choices, one of which was the GeoSpring. Not only did it have more features than comparable regular heaters, with all of the rebates that were available right now it actually would end up being the least expensive by a wide margin!
For a number of reasons I decided to install it myself. I have never installed a water heater before but have some experience with minor home repair. I reviewed the GE video and installation guide. There were a few things that I was still uncertain about, such as the size of the connector for the pressure relief valve, but a trip to the store and look at the demo unit solved that.
The total time for installation for a beginner like me was less than 3 hours. The longest part for me was constructing the pressure relief line, which was soldered copper, which I have never done before. Next longest was the condensate line, which was PVC. Unpacking the heater, checking the instructions, placing the heater, level it, and connecting the water and electric lines took less than an hour.
Once hooked up, filled, and turned on, within a few hours we had hot water, and it has been working perfectly since.
I like the expected energy savings, the appearance, the flexible operating modes, and ease of use. I doesn't hurt that it was a killer deal!
We have the unit in the basement, where the fan noise does not bother us at all. It sounds similar to a window-mount air conditioner when it is in heat pump mode, which could be annoying to some people if it were in a living area.
May 15, 2013
Impressive
We recently purchased our first house. Like most of the appliances, they were all outdated. We replaced our oil burner with a heat pump and decided to get rid of our old 50 gallon electric water heater and replace with this one. At initial setup, I put the heater in electric only for initial heating of the cold water. Ever since it has been in heat pump only mode. Our house has a dedicated meter for our hot water heater and we are seeing $25-$28 per month saving over our old water heater in the 6 months it has been installed. With the sale price of $900, $300 electric company rebate, and the tax credit, this unit should pay for itself in just over 2 years.
May 14, 2013
Very Pleased
Quiet operation. Easy instalation. Very pleased with purchase.
May 13, 2013
Great Water Heater
We bought this water heater to replace one that was about 12 years old and starting to leak. Wow! What a difference this one makes! It has an amazing "brain" that has an incredible amount of money saving features. We also ended up with a wonderful byproduct of the heat pump feature: it produces very cool and very dry air, therefore cooling and lowering the humidity in our laundry room. Highly recommend this product.
May 13, 2013
Energy Efficient
I bought this to replace an old heater that had gone bad. I wanted one that was energy efficient and this one pays off. My electric bill is less than before and nothing here changed as far as usage aside from my installation of the hybrid heater. It was very easy to install and is very easy to program. Some speak of noise from the heat pump mechanism, but I find it no noisier than a dehumidifier, in fact it sounds just like one. Since it is in my basement I really don't hear it at all when I am upstairs. I could not be happier with the purchase and believe it will ultimately pay for itself.
May 11, 2013
Best for new construction
Here are a few points to consider. Overall the equipment is good, just there are some overall installation concepts to think about.
The WA utilities give a $500 for a 50 gal heat pump hot water heater. With a $300 tax credit it worked out to be the purchase price at Lowes.
This hot water heater is really best for new construction. Since then you can place it for best advantage. The heater needs a drain for the condensate. It also needs to be located in an area with about 700 sf of space. The heat pump will lower the ambient temperature. So if the heater is in the house, it is kind of like a little AC unit that runs from time to time. With the condensate drain, a person can expect an increase in humidity since a few times a day water is draining. A person would really have to look at the space for an apartment or condo installation. I am told most people install this in a garage. I am told there is a vent kit that can be used if necessary.
Noise. The pump does make noise, but I don't think it is a problem. Our heater is installed in the basement and we cannot hear it upstairs. I cannot hear it unless I go into the utility room.
Installation cost. The rebate from PSE (power company) seemed to really want a contractor install the heater to get the rebate. So I had a plumber install it. My county is permit happy so it takes a mechanical and L&I (electrical) permit. They ended up putting in a flood sensor and electric water cutoff also, along with all the stuff for code. I have no doubt a person could DIY home install the heater, but you probably wouldn't get the utility rebate. A person should figure at least on $300 for materials and permits depending, if you do it yourself. Figure over $1200 minimum to have an installation depending on what is needed.
Capacity. So far it works fine on heat pump mode for two showers. For a larger family, a person may want to consider a 80 gallon heater.
Maintenance. I haven't had it long enough to get into the maintenance cycle. The manual for the heater has air filter cleaning, lift relief valve, drain and inspection of the anode. The installer I hired is supposed to come out once a year for inspection.
ACM. The heater has a port for a module to talk to the utility. The idea is to operate when the rates are the cheapest. I haven't installed the module. I don't think my utility supports the module at present.
May 11, 2013
Unit failed after 10 days -
and after 3 repair attemts over 3 week, GE techncian have been unable to repair the unit to proper working status. It make hot water, but the hybrid function - the energy savings value of the system does not work.
My request for a new unit from GE was denied.
May 10, 2013
Made in the USA / Excellent value and performance / We got ours free from Lowe's
We received a flyer in the mail from our electric company (Puget Sound Energy) about their rebate program for the GE GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater. First off, the water heater was on sale at Lowe's for $799. After a federal tax credit of $300 and a $500 rebate from our electric company, the tank ended up being "free". I couldn't pass this up. So, we purchased and installed it a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it so far.
As water heaters go, the appearance is wonderful. Most are so ugly. The control panel is digital and located on the outside of the tank instead of behind an access panel that requires tools to remove.
I will be watching over the next few months to compare last years energy usage to current usage. I am confident that we will be saving at least $25 bucks a month or $300 a year, maybe more!
If you need a new water heater I'd definitely consider this one as an option!
May 9, 2013
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