At a Glance
- Type: Replace gas water heater with HPWH
- Location: San Rafael, CA
- Components: Heat pump water heater
- Project Lead: ReadySetReplace™
- Key Electrification Steps: 1) Evaluate space, ventilation, and electrical system for suitability for a HPWH, 2) remove gas water heater, 3) install HPWH
The Project
In this Greenwork project spotlight, we look at the process of swapping out a gas water heater from a 1960s ranch home and installing a heat pump water heater! ReadySetReplace managed the project for climate activist Anne-Christine Strugnell. The company worked with Anne-Christine to replace her gas water heater with highly efficient and carbon-free heat pump technology.
Anne-Christine is climate leader in many other ways already; she’s involved in several local nonprofits focused on climate. She swapped out her gas-powered furnace for a heat pump HVAC system five years ago, added solar panels to her house, and installed a level 2 car charger to support the family’s Tesla and Bolt. Her gas water heater was her main remaining source of carbon emissions and she was eager to have it off her climate conscience!
When Anne-Christine reached out to ReadySetReplace she thought that her water heater was still too new to justify replacement, so her aim was to get ready so that when it broke she wouldn’t feel pressure to take the easy route and replace it with a gas heater, which would lock in emissions for the rest of its working life. That had happened before when her older gas water heater had broken, and this time she wanted to be prepared to swap over to heat pump technology.
ReadySetReplace reviewed her energy bills and her gas water heater and calculated her costs to replace and how much carbon emissions she could avoid by switching to a heat pump water heater.
When Anne-Christine saw the numbers she decided she didn’t want to wait until the older water heater failed. She was ready to replace (and take advantage of gas-to-electric rebates) right away, and offered to be a proof-of-concept first customer for ReadySetReplace.
ReadySetReplace partnered with top local electricians and plumbers to measure her garage space and evaluate its electrical infrastructure and venting options. Because she’d upgraded her electrical service when she’d added her solar panels, all she needed was a new outlet near the old gas water heater to swap it out with an electric, super-efficient Heat Pump Water Heater (“HPWH”).
The Project Team
ReadySetReplace works with contractors to map out projects, pull permits, procure equipment, qualify the replacement for various local rebates, and ultimately pull out the old gas heater and plumb in, power up, and safety-strap a new HPWH in its place.
To streamline the often complex process of evaluating sites and getting them ready for installation of electric HPWHs, ReadySetReplace has created special partnerships with a number of respected contractors who have experience with heat pump water heaters in the Bay Area and beyond.
In this case, SunWork, a non-profit based in Milpitas, California worked with ReadySetReplace on the installation. SunWork trains volunteers to help with typically solar but also HPWH installations, and the ReadySetReplace Founder and CEO Susan Gladwin wanted hands-on experience, which she got by cutting, crimping, and insulating the piping for Anne-Christine’s HPWH.
Equipment Installed
- Ruud Ultra PROUH65 T2 RU375–15 Heat Pump Water Heater
A Strategy for Saving Money — and Emissions
Anne-Christine paid $1,148 net of rebates to install her heat pump water heater. With her rooftop solar and enrollment in the Pacific Gas and Electric Watter Saver program, she projects she’ll save $99 a year in operating costs. Over the working life of the HPWH, these savings are likely to exceed the cost of buying and installing the new HPWH.
About ReadySetReplace
ReadySetReplace is a trusted partner for homeowners who want to make the best decisions for the climate, starting with how they heat their water. They make sure homeowners and the towns they live in are ready for electrification, so that when the time comes to get rid of gas equipment, replacements are easy and economical. Please say hello at support@readysetreplace.com.
