Installing an AO Smith Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater

Check another thing off the list of things I've never done before. Today I installed this hybrid electric heat pump water heater from AO Smith that we bought at Lowes. It wasn't as difficult as I expected and AO Smith even provides a toll free tech support line if you have any questions during install. This unit is super efficient, has a 10 year warranty and should be just the ticket for our hot water needs at the new homestead.
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Established in 2015 and now nestled in the foothills of North Carolina, Guildbrook Farm is a modern mountain homestead in pursuit of developing a more self sustainable way of life. From planting, growing, canning and preserving our own food to managing our forests and land resources, our life long journey demonstrates preparedness, DIY projects, strategies and ideas that you can practice to help increase your own self sufficiency and balance with the land. Follow along as we continue to develop a little homestead in the mountains of Appalachia.

[@janrogers8352]

Very neat set up. You may have already considered doing this, but if it were me, I'd add a hook on the board next to the water filter to hang that filter wrench on, it will keep it handy and hopefully it won't get broken, as it will be out of the way.

[@stan3198]

Amazing plumbing technology !!! I grew up doing copper/solder for most of my working years.

[@tiffanyhaberacker]

My husband and I changed our old water heater when it died ourselves & we have to replace some of the pipe bits. We used those shark bite bits and I absolutely love them! A bit more expensive, but so easy and quick.

[@sandyjacobs6202]

I'm always impressed with your know how on all of this stuff which turns out to be big stuff and having the right tools makes it a sweeter job well done and that wasn't a small job well done

[@sovereigns1grace]

Ooooo! A new tech for me to research. Didn't know about these. You provide services to this community you're not even aware of! Getting itchy for the move in!

[@pekulike]

One is None, Two is One, a great Quote that should be put into practice for many things one does

[@av1204]

put your inverter and batteries in the same room as hot water heater and the heat they produces will get absorbed by heat pump and then the heat pump will cool your inverter batteries. That is what I did in my utility room in basement. Works fantastic.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

That’s a good idea 👍🏻😉

[@BumbleBeeJunction]

We have had our heat pump water heater for about 5 years now and it has saved us a ton (it heats 80 gal for less than our old 50 gal...)... We protected ours as well with a sediment, then whole house, then softener, before going into the heater... We also put cut outs so we could bypass any stage with shut offs if any stage went down... You will love it... The noise is a easy trade off for the cool air it produces... ahahaha

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Awesome 👍

[@kngpin48]

My man is installing heaters wit the heater on him!

[@anthonykuhn621]

Always Be Ready

[@gina50gina]

I know you said that you are not a plumber, but you have the knowledge of a plumber, the tools of a plumber, and did an amazing job like a plumber... so in my world, you are a plumber. ;-)

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Thanks 👍

[@mmadden6145]

Thank you for saving me $400 that I was quoted for installation of this AO Smith hybrid. You made it so simple that I can install myself.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Awesome 👍🏻 that’s why I made the video. Glad it helped.

[@wd9dau]

Another benefit of the water heater is that it will help dehumidify the basement.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Correct

[@jeffvanstrien3069]

@@Guildbrookfarm Not sure if you have spec'ed out your HVAC system yet, but I would consider adding a de-humidifier especially for an ICF house. Probably save money in the long run by reducing the run time on the HVAC unit.

[@ericfox9648]

Thank you I had no idea such a thing existed and I absolutely love it.. Nice clean install Accolades only

[@mattbrew11]

I own a large solar company. We’ve had great success with locating a hot water panel on the roof ahead of a heat pump water heater in places that freeze a lot. Still get warm enough water to wash hands when its 10* outside during the day. Similar principle but more efficient as a “dump load”

[@jph77]

Had mine for 2 years. Works perfectly! A lot has to do with the installation and maintenance.

[@WendyK656]

Good job Jeremy! What a neat set up and the saving the money will be great.

[@remushaynes2693]

greetings mr. jeremy; i am glad to see your choice of water heater. in my opinion you will enjoy it..................g

[@ericrider9718]

Nice installation video Jeremy! I need to research more about this hybrid system, never seen one before! Keep it up! Maybe get in before snow is too deep!

[@Beecozz7]

You make it look easy! TY Jeremy going to awesome!

[@carlpjohnson7714]

Generally whenever you plumb in an in-line water filter it might be prudent to simultaneously plumb in a bypass loop. It requires additional ball valves but allows you to bypass the filter should the need arise.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

If I did that it would give me an excuse to be lazy if there is a problem with the filter... rather than just fix the filter. 😂

[@robertwalter2841]

Very nice ! straightforwardly done

[@hollywhite6506]

One step closer! I didn't understand a thing you did🤪 but I know it was necessary.

[@volvo09]

I love my hybrid. I keep it in efficiency mode and it has never ran out of water for me (2 people). It barely even runs, my old oil fired heater ran quite often and was a huge waste of money.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Same

[@GrandsonofKong]

Cool set-up! We're going to look at one of these Hybrid Water Heaters, when our current Water Heater needs to be replaced. Observation: Our Building Codes would require the Water Heater to be strapped to a solid wall (earthquake land out here) and also we could not place Romex Cable inside a conduit like you did. But each county has it's own rules.

[@MrXcc4u]

Hey Jeremy, a couple things of interest, to me anyway, the hybrid water heater cools the space it is in, to what degree depends on the size of the space and how long the compressor runs and the space heat load. my concern would be in the winter time. the basement will be a cold space unless it's heated. the warmer the basement is the better the water heater will heat the water within. but the discharge of the cool air coming off of the water heater will cause the heat in the space to run longer. if the basement is not heated it may cool down below the working temp that the manufacture recommends and will cause the water heater to run longer. suggest that you raise the hybrid water heater up on a platform near the ceiling and add a donor older good non-leaking water heater tank on the floor and pipe it into the new one using thermosiphon design. that way the hot water from the donor tank will rise up into the hybrid tank on its own without pumping it. the cooler water from the hybrid tank will fall into the donor tank. on sunny days extra wattage not needed for the house will DUMP to the donor tank, it will be heated by solar and the hot water then will fill the hybrid tank and at times may not run the hybrid compressor. i wish i could do all that you guys are doing, but i am too old to change. keep up the great work on the house.... jim in central florida

[@stephenkosacz1893]

Actually if the basement walls, outside entries, and cellar windows are all very well insulated, the basement will be a very comfortable and dry living space and with this Heat Pump Hot water heater, there will be NO humidity year round that will ruin your tools and won't need a (costly to operate) de-humidifier.

[@PaulyOutdoors]

Great setup Jeremy!

[@chelemichele1524]

Nice setup.. Have a good evening 🌻🌻🌻

[@kathyriggs2628]

Is you outside with the stucco and the roofing and railings on your porch completed yet? I also wanted to let you and Jamie know that I have thoroughly enjoyed your entire videos on building your home. I'm always looking to see if there's another Guildbrook Farm video waiting for me every morning before I head out the door. Please stay safe and healthy and God Bless you both.

[@flyingjeff1984]

You don't need the bucket. The tube just keeps the pop off/scalding water away from personnel. I've never one pop. Ever.

[@smoochmcguire5291]

Great video thanks

[@hangingwiththewolfmanwolfm7737]

Looking good

[@JBEAS1980]

Your basement is going to be super cold. I have the state version of that in our garage and it’s great in the summer not so much in the winter. Nice job with the plumbing.

[@PBS-nm1uu]

not bad, thanks

[@Peteslife]

I have one of those heat pump hot water units. (Still watching the video) Make sure you pipe the water that it generates outside. It makes a lot of water in winter, about a bucket full every few days. Much less in summer when I need it for plants.. haha.. Mine is outside under a lean to verandah .. Here in Australia (state of victoria) they were giving us free units to cut down the amount of power everyone uses. (This I assume is cheaper than building a new power plant.

[@jeffvanstrien3069]

Great job, thanks for sharing.... would it be better to put the sediment filter prior to the well tanks?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

No you generally don’t want any type of filter that could clog your lines between the pump and pressure switch.

[@thelostarchivesserialvault5353]

You should also note what day you installed the inline filter.

[@PaullaWells]

That is awesome progress! Definitely another major jump forward to getting into the house. How is school going for Jamie?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Going well! Super busy!

[@michiganengineer8621]

Why not put a "T" fitting coming off the pressure tank so you get unfiltered water to the outside hose bibs, save the filter for internal use? I don't remember, are you going completely off grid for power once the build is finished? Even if the local utility only pays pennies it seems you could "sell back" the excess generated from your array, although using the extra power as a water "pre-heater" definitely makes sense too.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

We’ll have a hybrid solar setup with our system running critical loads.

[@adelacoburn1396]

Nice..

[@chewpaeng12]

So plex piping are good for hot water line?

[@benitocarlos7240]

Thank you very much for your video ! I’m going to replace just one like this only lasted for 2 years. My question is? Why you didn’t install a thermal expansion tank ? Anyway again thank you.

[@gomezadams9900]

You're probably aware that BX wire is also available for exposed wiring projects, but I don't know if the option you chose is cheaper. Did you research both options?

[@jamest5149]

Are you not paneling out your equipment room, it’s not just for looks but also fire safety?

[@shouldibehere]

Vice did a hit piece video on the prepper community and included you in it.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Saw it

[@pnwester2697]

Not familiar with putting the end of the TPR valve pipe in a bucket except when opening the valve to test. Otherwise I thought it could be left to hang free 6" or less from the floor. What's the consensus?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

It’s not necessary. The bucket is more for the filter when changing it.

[@robertwalter2841]

Bucket will keep any output from the TPR contained. If floor drain was "right there" TPR pipe could go into pan and send the pan drain to the floor drain.

[@thudang3039]

Would love to see the follow-up video! =)

[@markwood5382]

Good luck with hybrid water heater. My son went thru two of them and finally called it quits and went to a gas water heater and this was in less that three years. His water heaters were not AO Smith but another supposedly quality brand. Manufacturer did stand by their warranty and replaced the first one and I think refunded his money on the second.

[@Channel-gz9hm]

Well hate to just say "works on my machine" but one person going through two of them when I've never heard of anyone having an issue across 7 installs I know of brings it more like to a "your son" issue and not a product issue. But anything's possible

[@dockilljoy9017]

Just me But I’d want a secondary electrical disconnect in-line both feeds right there.

[@Miguel195211]

Can you put a garbage disposal when you have a septic tank?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Yes

[@taylorbespoke]

Are you going to have to drywall the ICF walls for fire code? I was under the impression that you can not leave bare exposed foam in the basement, it needs some minimal fire protection (like 5/8” type-x drywall)

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Not required here

[@EastLondonKiwi]

Hi you are absolutely right to be hooking at least one water cylinder up as a dump load to your solar (its basically a water battery at that point). There other thing to consider is a smart meter on any cylinders connected to the grid. You can get meters now that only use grid power for water heating at night when the cost of power is much cheaper and in some cases you get paid to use it, as a grid levelling fee. Re your wall behind all this kit you are putting in, its not finished? and this kit once in and running is hard to turn off and move out of the way, should you not be finishing at least the sections the tanks and water cylinder are sitting against before you put these items into production?

[@chetmyers7041]

In the winter months, what is the source of heat for the basement area? The heat pump is heating the water and COOLING the basement at the same time. Maybe you heat the main level with a wood stove.

[@thenexthobby]

The water heater doesn’t need an explicit heat source. It just needs to be above 45 F, which shouldn’t be a problem usually.

[@CorwynGC]

An unheated basement will maintain the temperature of the ground, which for most situations is the average yearly temperature. There is a vast amount of thermal mass at the temperature, so it should be too much of an issue. Details matter, so if your situation is unusual, check with a professional.

[@jcardwell3rd]

Condense-IT, I may sneak that pronunciation in every once in a while. I didn't even know this type of water heater was a thing, thanks for showing it! I like the side exits, don't have to worry about the dip tube. where is the sacrificial anode?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

In the bottom.

[@Albanianguy9]

I didn’t relize you could hook up 2 pressure tanks for the house. How does that setup work for you? Any drawbacks?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

No problems. Works perfectly.

[@tmcdgreen]

How are you guys feeling with the inside progress before this winter? On track or are there any worries?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Looking good as long as we can keep getting materials.

[@richardburguillos3118]

Looks really nice! Like the heat pump water heater. A friend of mine installed one and he said a side benefit is that it acts like an air conditioner cooling the area it’s in headline heating the water. Question, did you install a check valve if you tapped into the AC condense line? Maybe two so neither system can back flow into the other and water can only go one way. Maybe that doesn’t work in non pressurized lines? Or would there be pressure due to pumps?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

I didn't touch the AC lines. Major code violation to plumb the two together. Each system has it's own pump and lines.

[@richardburguillos3118]

@@Guildbrookfarm ahh my bad. Just for that I should watch it again 😉. Really nice enjoy watching the build. Excited for your family. May the gods of construction watch over your build and offer no unexpected excitement other tham an earlier than expected move in date 🙏

[@UnitedPropertiesWM]

Does this unit have an Anode rod that needs to be removed if you have softened water?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Like most water heaters it does have a sacrificial rod. Unsure about having to remove it.

[@886jules1]

Would insulating the cold water pipes as well as the hot ones protect your home water from freezing in cold weather? p.s. Love watching you create your home

[@joequixotic3039]

I have trouble wrapping my head around how a heat pump generates more heat per watt of electricity than plain resistive heaters. Maybe ill figure it out some day. Being in a desert, most of my showers are going to be on the cool side of lukewarm so it's kind of a tough pill to swallow having a big tank of hot water sitting there, constantly dumping energy in to it 24-7. If I did laundry more than 1-2 times a week or I liked long hot showers, I might feel differently but I'll be trying to conserve water too. On the other hand, with solar the possibility of an all electric house with no power bill is very tempting. I'm even thinking of moving my cooking to outside with an in-ground pit bar-b-que, a brick pizza oven and probably some type of griddle bar-b-que for searing, all powered from local mesquite wood. Buying an extra tank of gas to go out in the desert looking for dead mesquite seems like a better use of money than filling up propane tanks and it cooks better too. Any way, I hope your water heater works out well for you and saves money.

[@wzDH106]

The answer is hidden in your first paragraph. A heat pump doesn't "generate" heat. It moves heat from one location to another. The energy in the heat, that is being moved, was already there. Where a resistive element must generate the heat from electricity.

[@wzDH106]

We have our heat pump water heater installed in the garage. It does a good job cooling the garage in the summer, moving the heat into the water (essentially an Air conditioner). The winter here is mild, with lows slightly below freezing. But out garage will retain enough heat for adequate heat transfer into the water heater. Hybrid mode ( using the resistive elements ) will step in to fill in the gaps. We also charge two electric vehicles, run a chest freezer, a washer and dryer (dryer is a ventless heat pump), all of which generates waste heat that can later be absorbed by the water heater..... assuming the garage door is closed.

[@BobHannent]

Another way to think about a heatpump is that it concentrates heat, it takes the heat from the room which doesn't have to be higher than your target temperature and then 'compresses' it into a higher temperature to heat the water.

[@katherineyanagihara2909]

Aloha!

[@dillonblack]

Anymore info on the condensate pump? That was I was watching 😂 I want to replace mine with one of these in my garage but I don’t know where to run the condensation drain. The current heater is next to an interior wall. Was just wondering where your running the condensation drain. Thanks- great video!

[@Guildbrookfarm]

The drain tube goes outside through a hole in the wall.

[@wancx1]

Thanks for your video. What breaker and cable do you use? 30A breaker with 8/3 cable or 25A breaker with 10/3 cable? Thanks

[@Guildbrookfarm]

It has 2 (upper and lower) electric backup heating elements so ran 10/3 to a 30A but they’ve never kicked on.

[@craigs5212]

Nice job, getting so close. Do you need a "disconnect means" for the water heater's 240V input near the water heater?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Nope

[@jwdeff]

Typically you need a disconnect by the water heater or a lock on the breaker in the panel.

[@GS-mx6ls]

Great video as always, these water heaters are the future. My only question in your situation; does it get enough and I mean continues (warm) air supply. With the insulation in the basement. Will it be like running an ac unit in a insulated foam box where the split system is also inside the insulation? As it takes the heat from the room, the room cools. As your basement is super insulated (which is obviously fantastic) does it get enough “fresh” air to take the heat from.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

I thought so too but I have a friend with an ICF house who did it this way and it seems to work great.

[@GS-mx6ls]

Fantastic thanks for your reply! 👍👍👍👍 Looking forward to your experiences and such machines will help save you $$$ and are better for the environment so win win 🏆

[@FJB2020]

They are the future if you don't have gas.. Nothing beats an on demand high efficency gas water heater..

[@GS-mx6ls]

Gas is 99% not renewable/aids in the destruction of the way we humans like it here on earth. And will get more expensive when it will run out eventually. So yes not future proof. And not to mention no chance of gas leaks and house blowing up with electric. If you say on demand electric I see your point but then one needs a huge battery setup or mains connection.

[@FJB2020]

@@GS-mx6ls gas isn't going anywhere for a very, very long time..

[@mike97525]

Hot water line?

[@55sargeshotrods]

If you have heat in your floor. Good luck my friend has this in his 40x60 building. It will only heat the building to 60 degrees

[@BobHannent]

You're not supposed to use them for space heating, they are for hot water for the kitchen/bathrooms/etc.

[@anthonykuhn621]

Would have nice to see if powered up though and running noise wise etc

[@Guildbrookfarm]

I just powered it up this week so I'll do an update

[@richardgreen5602]

Does the water filtration system take out iron bacteria...I have a lot of rust color accumlation in and on my fixtures

[@Guildbrookfarm]

This one only filters sediment as we have granite dust from the well drilling process. We had a softener in our previous house that was made to remove iron so they do have solutions for that.

[@douglaswindsor120]

Is this unit able to run on 110 volts I'm looking at going low budget solar I've already checked out Rheem and unless I can afford 10 grand or 200 dollars per month to run it neither of these I can afford or are willing to pay to go green

[@SpencerLAPower]

Just wondering how the heat pump hot water heater is working for you

[@Guildbrookfarm]

So far it’s fantastic. I definitely recommend it. Our total power usage is about $2 per day for the whole house.

[@FuriouslyFurious]

Hi. I have a quote from a plumber to install a new gas Viessman gas boiler with a 50 gallon indirect tank. I mentioned an AO Smith hybrid heat pump and they are trying to steer me towards the indirect tank. Any idea which would make more sense? Thanks.

[@tgriffin6938]

@@FuriouslyFurious AO Smith hybrid water heaters is the best way to go. A gas boiler is going to cost you a lot in gas over the years time compared to this type of heater. The company that quoted you is probably a dealer for that brand heater and get kickbacks that's why they are recommending it to you.

[@ailindelvalle7483]

hello!!.. my hybrid Heather is only 3 years old is leaking a little water from the hole that is close to the condensed drain line.. (they comes with 3 holes there and 1 is leaking now a little bit water) could you tell me what is happening?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

I think that’s an overflow outlet. Something might be clogged with mineral buildup.

[@billhawkins6959]

Is it 115v or 220?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

220

[@richardburguillos3118]

Was also wondering… I’m guessing you do t have to strap it to the wall? Since I’m living in earthquake country, I was just wondering.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

No strap required here.

[@richardburguillos3118]

@@Guildbrookfarm Ok, Strapless it is… wait…. That didn’t sound right 🙃

[@timvandentoorn8053]

Does this require 220?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Yes

[@lausy3]

Did you use 10 gauge wire? I see that this requires a 220/240V 30A circuit.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Yes

[@garyjones6843]

I don't see an expansion tank, auto shut off or a drain

[@JL-hn6hi]

I’d love to hear how noisy it is when running.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Me too. Guess we'll all find out together.

[@beaverfamily9302]

Hey there, we are looking to get a new water heater and are definitely interested in a hybrid, the reviews however are not great. I wanted to know how yours has stood the test of time?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

So far it has been perfect. I have no complaints. It makes hot water and my power bill has never been lower.

[@beaverfamily9302]

@@Guildbrookfarm appreciate your response. We were curious as there are many negative reviews that talk about an ECC code. Glad to hear you are not having that issue.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

No codes so far. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Jgib321]

I just replaced mine under warranty. Kept getting ECC and ECL errors even after replacing lower element. I’ve only had it for 2 years. Distributors said they always see people come back with problems with hybrids.

[@beaverfamily9302]

@@Jgib321 thanks for the update. We ended up going the way of an electric water heater. Hybrid seemed ify

[@MegaWilliam2003]

Why do you not have permanent power yet ?

[@Guildbrookfarm]

They require a COA

[@ohske]

👍👍👍👌

[@thelostarchivesserialvault5353]

Just out of curiosity, why did you not just use a tankless wall mount? It is utterly silent and way more efficient than a tank water heater.

[@Channel-gz9hm]

The newest hybrid water tanks are actually cheaper to operate than tankless. I think you're confusing what he's installing with an old style electric heater that's been the same thing for the last 75 years. Tankless also requires a natural gas line to get anywhere near a good operational cost and they obviously don't have a natural gas line to their home where they are.

[@RichardColwell1]

Vice sent me here, got themselves an unfollow, and gave you guys a follow! Keep up the great content.

[@sminer8257]

Why don't you give a tour of your current house you're living at? :))

[@Guildbrookfarm]

We did that like 4 years ago

[@biointheknow]

FYI, you shouldn't use a garbage disposal on a septic system.

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Not true

[@biointheknow]

@@Guildbrookfarm your gonna have to add enzymes monthly to reduce solids; why not bail on the disposal and feed scraps to the chickens

[@stephenkosacz1893]

@@biointheknow if you don't have chickens or hogs, start a compost pile and since I don't eat meat there aren't any animal scraps

[@Maisysmumma]

But how do you change the anode rod…. Stinky water!!!

[@Guildbrookfarm]

Same way as a normal water heater.

[@davidwilken3584]

Did you misstate the two two ball valves directions. Normally the handle is in line with the flow so it would be opposite of what you stated.

[@stephenkosacz1893]

yes he did misstate that; i picked up on that as well

[@wallaceloper637]

Well, that was the first one, being installed. just saying

[@dannygoin6552]

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👀👀👋👋👋☕️☕️☕️

[@IsmailNuzaifKokky]

.