heat pumps

Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is continuing its commitment to support training the workforce of the future by providing strategic in-kind grant funding to the Center for Employment Training (CET), a national nonprofit technical training school. The grant, which stems from Bradford White’s signature charitable giving Read more

Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is continuing its commitment to support training the workforce of the future by providing strategic in-kind grant funding to the Center for Employment Training (CET), a national nonprofit technical training school.
The grant, which stems from Bradford White’s signature charitable giving initiative, Industry Forward®, includes the purchase of nine 50-gallon AeroTherm® heat pump water heaters, which will be used at nine CET training centers across northern and southern California for their training programs.
Additionally, as part of this workforce education grant, Bradford White training experts will lend their expertise throughout the year to CET students by providing in-person and online training to further advance their knowledge and allow them to be prepared for future conversions to this energy-efficient technology in California.
“At Bradford White, we are committed to partnering with organizations that are strengthening our communities and supporting the workforce of the future by helping to create a skilled trades talent pipeline right here in the United States,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager of communications for Bradford White. “Through Industry Forward®, we are providing these heat pump water heaters and offering CET students new opportunities to gain critical skills in heat pump technology and increase their knowledge through hands-on, real-world learning so they are prepared to compete for good-paying jobs.”
This grant will allow CET to expand its training program capacity as it grows programs in high-demand, high-paying careers to provide economic advancement opportunities to populations that have been marginalized and overlooked.
“Thanks to the generosity of Bradford White, we can offer essential training in heat pump technology, which offers incredible promise in the energy efficiency arena,” said Senobio Aguilera Instructional Resource Coordinator and Trainer with CET. “This donation will empower our students to acquire key skills using the latest industry-relevant equipment and enhance their competitiveness in the workforce upon graduation.”
The heat pumps will be placed at nine of CET’s schools in California: Coachella, Colton, El Centro, Oxnard, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Maria, Soledad and Watsonville. At these sites, students will learn safety, basic electricity, equipment and plumbing/HVAC maintenance, repair and more.
Bradford White partners with nonprofit organizations and technical schools to educate individuals and families on the importance of the skilled trades and the role that industry professionals provide in the health, safety, sanitation and infrastructure of their communities through strategic grant funding, which supports workforce development training and education programs and industry career opportunities, events and partnerships.

Greetings everyone out there in Radio-land, and welcome to our show, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Air-To-Water Heat Pumps* (*but were afraid to ask). Our hosts John Barba, Director, Sales Training NA, Taco, and Dave Holdorf, Product & Application Instructor – East, Taco, both of whom have a face for radio, are here Read more

Greetings everyone out there in Radio-land, and welcome to our show, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Air-To-Water Heat Pumps* (*but were afraid to ask).

Our hosts John Barba, Director, Sales Training NA, Taco, and Dave Holdorf, Product & Application Instructor – East, Taco, both of whom have a face for radio, are here to take your questions and, if a miracle occurs, provide you with coherent answers.

And now, here are your hosts, direct via satellite from Cranston, Rhode Island – John and Dave!

John: Thank you everybody, and welcome to our show. I’m John and on the other microphone is Dave. Say hello, Dave.

Dave: Hello Dave.

John: Yep, those 11 semesters at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting are really paying off, aren’t they? Let’s get right to your calls and tackle some questions on Air to Water Heat Pumps. Dave, who’s our first caller?

Dave: First up JB, we have Elliot from Kansas City. Elliot, you’re up. What’s your question?

Caller: Hi, this is Elliot from Kansas City. Am I on?

John: Hi Elliot, you’re live, coast to coast. There are literally tens of people waiting on your question.

Caller: Wow. Tens, huh?

Dave: Okay, maybe dozens. So . . . what’s cookin’ Elliot?

Caller: Well, it’s pretty basic, but – how many BTU’s? What size house can I do with an air to water heat pump?

John: That’s a great question, Elliot. We get more calls about that than anything else. First, understand that any air-based heat pump extracts heat from the air using a refrigeration cycle. And it stands to reason that the colder it gets outside, the less heat there is in the air to, you know, extract.

Dave: That’s correct, JB. So as it gets colder out, the actual output of an air-to-air or an air-to-water heat pump goes down. So when you need more heat, the heat pump is actually producing less heat.

System M output chart:

Taco System M, air to water heat pump, heat pumps, heat pump technology, electrification, heating and cooling, plumbing HVAC

John: As you can see from this output chart for the Taco System M, as the outdoor temperature drops, so does the heat pump’s ability to produce BTUs for heating…

Dave: Uhhh, boss . . .

John: It drops off pretty sharply, as you can clearly see from this chart I’m showing you. When you hit 0o F, the output of the heat pump unit itself is about 21,000 BTUH . . .

Dave: Boss . . .

John: And when it hits its low limit of -7o F, its output is only around 17,000.  It’s right there, plain as day.

Dave: Boss . . .

John: WHAT?!

Dave: It’s radio, they can’t see the chart.

John: Oh, right. Sorry. Anyway, that’s the case with any air-source heat pump. That’s why System M also includes a 6kW immersion heater in the buffer tank in its companion indoor unit, the HydroBox. That heater adds another 20,478 worth of potential output to the unit, for a total of just under 38,000 at -7o F.

And don’t fret about the immersion heater coming on willy-nilly. It’s intelligently controlled.

Dave: Willy-nilly?

John: It’s an industry term. Who’s our next caller?

Dave: We have Kyle on the line from the alliterative metropolis of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Caller: Greetings, eh? It can get pretty frosty up here in Saskatoon. Can we hook up some backup heat for when it hits 40 below?

John: Gotta tell ya, my favorite Guess Who song ever is “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.” I love how it mentions all those great Saskatchewan towns, like Red Deer, Hanna and Medicine Hat.

John Barba

Caller: Uh, those towns’re in Alberta. Maybe I could talk to Dave instead?

Dave: I got ya, Kyle. It’s very easy to incorporate a backup or auxiliary heat source with an air-to-water heat pump. If the heat produced by the 37,000-plus BTUH System M at -7o F isn’t enough to heat the home, you can have the auxiliary heat come on at -8. Or, let’s say the heat pump/immersion heater combo comfortably heats a home at 10oF above with a total output of 46,000 BTUH, but it can’t take care of the load once it gets colder than 10oF. Then you can set up an auxiliary heat source – like a gas-fired mod-con – or, if the area isn’t allowing any new fossil fuel burning equipment, an electric boiler could meet that need. It’s actually a simple, single pole-double throw switch activated by outdoor temperature. It turns the heat pump off and turns the boiler on.

John: Great answer Dave. That’s exactly what I was going to say.

Dave: Yeah, but you were still runnin’ back to Saskatoon like the McKenzie Brothers. Let’s go to our next caller, Eric in Minnesota. Go ahead Eric:

Caller: (silence)

John: Eric, what’s your question?

Caller: (silence)

Dave: Welp, Eric’s not here. Let’s move on to Pete from Colorado. What’s up, Pete?

Caller: Hi guys. Long time listener, first time caller. Simple question: how does an air-to-water heat pump switch from heating to cooling?

John: Excellent question Pete. There are lots of ways to do it, ranging from a manual switch combined with turning a bunch of valves on and off, to a simpler, control-based solution.

Dave: That’s right, Boss. An integrated control, like the one with the Taco’s System M, uses an outdoor sensor. Based on the type of home, the climate and the level of insulation in the house, you can program an outdoor temperature at which the system goes into heating mode. Let’s say it’s 53 degrees. You can also program in the temperature at which the system goes into cooling mode. Let’s say that’s 63 degrees.

John: Remember gang, these are just examples. But Dave, if you go into heating mode at 53 oF and cooling mode at 63 oF, wouldn’t that leave a sizable dead band between the two?

Dave: Right you are, Sunshine. In that dead band, System M doesn’t do anything except maybe make domestic hot water if you need it to. If you need cooling and it’s 62 or 63 degrees, you can cool with the reserve of chilled water in the buffer tank. By the same token, if you need heating when it’s 54 or 55 degrees, you’ll have heated water in the buffer tank.

And if you have a houseful of people over for a spring holiday and you’re in the dead band, you can go into a forced cooling mode if you want to.

John: Awesomeness! We have two callers on the line now Dave, and both have the same question. Drake from Idaho and Tom from New Hampshire both want to know how an air-to-water heat pump can make domestic hot water when the heat pump itself is in cooling mode.

Taco System M, air to water heat pump, heat pumps, heat pump technology, electrification, heating and cooling, plumbing HVACCaller: Yeah, this is Drake. I’m with that Tom guy. It doesn’t make sense that an air-to-water heat pump can make heated water for the indirect hot water tank and chilled water for cooling at the same time.

Dave: Great observations guys, and you’re correct. An air-to-water heat pump can’t make heated and chilled water at the same time.

Caller: Yeah, this is Tom. That Drake fellah is wicked smaht to ask that question. How can you make the watah hawtt when the freakin’ heat pump is making cold?

Dave: That’s where a buffer tank becomes really important. Let’s say the heat pump is in cooling made. With System M you’ll have a 30 gallon buffer tank filled with chilled water. When the indirect domestic water heater calls to make more hot water, the heat pump immediately jumps into heating mode.

Since you want to make hot water as quickly as you can, you can’t really wait for the 30 gallons of chilled water to be used up. And we don’t want the heat pump to turn all that chilled water into hot water. It would take forever and it’s not exactly what you’d call “green.”

John: Right you are, Dave. That’s where the piping in the System M indoor unit – what we lovingly refer to as the “HydroBox” – comes in. The piping arrangement in the HydroBox is called – are you ready? – a dual differential pressureless manifold. Its job is to hydraulically separate the heating and cooling piping circuits from the buffer tank-heat pump piping circuits. In addition, it also isolates the indirect DHW tank piping from both the heating and cooling circuits.

Dave: Exactamundo, my man. So when the indirect calls to make DHW, the heat pump itself goes right into heating mode, and the hot water from the heat pump bypasses the buffer tank altogether and goes direct to the indirect. The cooling circuit, meanwhile, can still run using the 30 gallons of chilled water that’s still in the buffer tank.

Caller: But won’t that water heat up quickly?

John: It’ll heat up over time, which means two things. First, the best applications for air-to-water heat pumps are very well insulated homes (think steroidal insulation) that don’t heat up or cool down quickly. That buys you time.

Dave: Additionally, you can program the unit to regenerate the hot water tank at specific times. Maybe the best time to do it during cooling season is at night when you’re asleep. You’ll be less likely to notice any temperature creep.

John: Wow, will you look at that. The old clock on the wall says time is up for this week’s edition of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Heat Pumps* (*But Were Afraid to Ask). Thanks for being with us.

Dave: And if you enjoyed this show, make sure to join John and myself online during the spring and summer on Taco After Dark, our weekly nighttime program dedicated to all things hydronic, plumbing and heat pumps.

The fun starts once the sun goes down!

Viessmann and Carrier align; Uponor rebuffs Aliaxis. Are we seeing a renewed “trend” toward consolidation in the PHVAC industy? Inflation, fuel prices, war, supply chain, electrification, and economy woes are all factors for potential wholesale changes. Over the past month, there has been heavy movement in the industry to suggest such a thing. In a Read more

Viessmann and Carrier align; Uponor rebuffs Aliaxis.

Are we seeing a renewed “trend” toward consolidation in the PHVAC industy? Inflation, fuel prices, war, supply chain, electrification, and economy woes are all factors for potential wholesale changes. Over the past month, there has been heavy movement in the industry to suggest such a thing. In a week that saw big movement, we learned recently that two major players in the PHVAC industry have been active in talks.

Carrier, Viessmann, Viessmann Climate Solutions, HVAC, boilers, air conditioning, energy efficiency, electrification, heat pumps

The first, just officially confirmed, Carrier will acquire Viessmann Climate Solutions, the largest segment of Viessmann Group, in a cash and stock transaction valued at €12 billion, subject to working capital and other adjustments. According to the release, Viessmann Climate Solutions provides Carrier with an iconic, premium brand in the highest growth segment of the global heat pump and energy transition markets. In addition, Carrier announced plans to exit its Fire & Security and Commercial Refrigeration cabinet businesses.

“The acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions is a game-changing opportunity,” said Carrier Chairman & CEO David Gitlin. “Climate change, sustainability requirements and geopolitical factors are driving an unprecedented energy transition in Europe. Accelerated by government regulations and incentives, the transition creates a significant, long-term growth opportunity.

“Viessmann Climate Solutions is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity with its premier brand, highly differentiated distribution channel and innovative product offerings. With 70% of its business consisting of heat pumps and related accessories, solar PV, batteries and services, Viessmann Climate Solutions is a critical leader in Europe’s energy transition. We look forward to welcoming its 11,000 team members to the Carrier family and Max Viessmann, CEO of Viessmann to the Carrier Board of Directors at closing, which is expected around the end of 2023.

Carrier, Viessmann, Viessmann Climate Solutions, HVAC, boilers, air conditioning, energy efficiency, electrification, heat pumps

But a recent announcement from Viessmann found on LinkedIn read, “the new transatlantic partnership underlines the importance of international, cross-border collaboration in the fight against global climate change. Both companies are fully committed to take more responsibility for a sustainable energy transition in the building sector, focusing on our purposes: Viessmann Group’s purpose is to co-create living spaces for generations to come. Carrier’s vision is to create solutions that matter for people and our planet. We both regard the climate goals in North America and Europe as a once-in-a-century opportunity to make a positive impact, by actively shaping sustainable climate and energy solutions for future generations.

“The Viessmann Group will continue to remain an independent family business in full ownership of the Viessmann entrepreneurial family. Today, the Viessmann Group—excluding its Climate Solutions business area—generates a total revenue of EUR 1 billion in sales—including non-consolidated entities—with around 4,000 employees. Looking ahead, the clear goal and ambition of the Viessmann Group is to grow to a size that is larger than the Climate Solutions business area today, latest by the end of the decade.”

How does this affect contractors? The Hub’s Eric Aune, who is an ardent Viessmann installer, was sent this message: By combining Viessmann Climate Solutions and Carrier, we are co-creating one of the leading climate solutions companies in the world. Through the combination of both companies, we are forming a resilient, fast-growing innovation leader in a highly competitive market environment. All partners and customers of Viessmann Climate Solutions will significantly benefit from this new partnership:

  1. Viessmann Climate Solutions’ premium integrated offering will be complemented by electrified products and services from Carrier and its sub brands (heat pumps, battery storages, cooling and ventilation solutions as well as after-sales-services, digital and value-added solutions). This will lead to a wider product range for you.
  2. Viessmann Climate Solutions will get better access to suppliers via the global network of Carrier, especially its subsidiary Toshiba Carrier Corporation in Asia. This will lead to a faster delivery for you, in the long run. Thereby, you can significantly shorten your time to installation completion—a decisive component for the decarbonization of the building stock both in Europe and beyond.
  3. The iconic brand of Viessmann will be continued. All your respective contact persons at Viessmann will remain in charge. The Climate Solutions Executive Board and leadership team of Viessmann Climate Solutions, led by CEO Thomas Heim will continue to run the business. Viessmann Climate Solutions will become a major driver of Carrier’s growth strategy in Europe. Its headquarters will remain in Allendorf, Germany. The Viessmann Group will become one of the largest shareholders in Carrier. Consequently, Viessmann Group CEO Max Viessmann will become a new member of the Board of Directors of Carrier.

Meanwhile, according to an industry insider close to Mechanical Hub, Putin’s iron grip on the fuel supply in Europe could be a contributing factor to sell now. And, will Viessmann alter its path to market? One observer asked, “Will it be through the DCNE wholesale network?” We will see how things shake out in the next few weeks to months.

PEX Power

On the piping side, there have been tremors of a major shake-up in the PEX world. But all for naught, it turns out. Mechanical Hub has learned that Belgian company Aliaxis, a manufacturer of advanced fluid management solutions—with IPEX already a part of the company—had approached Uponor in its interest to sell. According to information acquired by Mechanical Hub, Aliaxis had announced a non-binding intention to make a tender offer to acquire all shares in Uponor.

Finland’s Uponor said on Wednesday (4/26/23), it rejected an unsolicited offer from Belgian rival Aliaxis, adding that the suggested price of 25 euros per share did not reflect the company’s value and long-term prospects.

According to Reuters and from sources within Uponor, the company’s board unanimously rejected the offer, but said it would consider any further proposals made by Aliaxis or any other party, if it was in the best interest of its shareholders.

Aliaxis last Monday made a $2 billion unsolicited offer to buy Uponor, seeking to form a global water management group, and the following Monday raised its stake in the Finnish company to 10.6%.

Oras Invest, Uponor’s largest shareholder with about 25.7% of the company’s shares, said on the day Aliaxis made its unsolicited offer that it had no intention of accepting it.

Industry experts in decarbonization and electrification weigh in on heat pump technology Danfoss’ EnVisioneering Exchange podcast series, now in its third season, continues to explore the megatrends shaping our future with a lineup of guests from all facets of the HVACR industry. February’s episodes feature discussions on heat pumps, their role in decarbonization and how Read more

Industry experts in decarbonization and electrification weigh in on heat pump technology

Danfoss’ EnVisioneering Exchange podcast series, now in its third season, continues to explore the megatrends shaping our future with a lineup of guests from all facets of the HVACR industry. February’s episodes feature discussions on heat pumps, their role in decarbonization and how the industry and policymakers can encourage their adoption.

In “The Role of Heat Pumps in Decarbonization,” released on February 2, Steve Nadel, executive director of American Council on an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), discusses the barriers to heat pump adoption, particularly in buildings. He emphasizes the importance of educating both consumers and contractors on the value of heat pumps and financial incentives for building owners, as well as the need for new technologies that increase heat pump effectiveness in colder climates.

In “Clearing the Hurdles to Heat Pump Adoption,” released on February 20, Ron Domitrovic, program manager for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), addresses some of the heat pump technologies on the horizon and what policies are needed to increase adoption. He notes that variable-speed heat pumps, powered by variable-speed compressors, have helped make heat pumps more effective and efficient in colder climates, but the technology needs to continue to evolve to make it cost-effective to retrofit existing buildings with heat pump systems. Increasing adoptions also requires educating contractors and suppliers on the benefits of heat pumps and options for installation.

All EnVisioneering Exchange podcasts can be accessed on SoundCloud and Danfoss’ EnVisioneering Solutions blog, and are posted on Danfoss LinkedIn and Twitter.

According to a recent study by Global Market Insights, the air source heat pump market value is projected to cross $77 billion by 2028. Increasing demand from growing real estate sector along with soaring requirement of space heating applications across colder regions will encourage the product deployment. Air to water source heat pumps segment is Read more

According to a recent study by Global Market Insights, the air source heat pump market value is projected to cross $77 billion by 2028. Increasing demand from growing real estate sector along with soaring requirement of space heating applications across colder regions will encourage the product deployment.

Air to water source heat pumps segment is anticipated to witness a noteworthy growth owing to various features including simple design and easy installation, says the report. Rising global temperature and growing green building construction will provide positive drivers for product deployment. Integration with solar heating source and hence low input cost for product across temperate countries will drive the space heating systems demand in the forecast timeline.

electrification, heat pumps, green house gas emission reduction, plumbing, air to water heat pumps, water to water heat pumps, heat pump water heaters

Lochinvar’s air source heat pump water heater

The movement towards electrification—moving away from fossil fuel—seems to be the main driver of the heat pump movement. “I think consumers see an option to add PV, or join a solar garden, to become more energy independent. So having a heating, cooling and DHW option powered by your roof makes some sense. The rise in fossil fuel prices, uncertainty around supply  certainly adds some motivation to look at heat pumps,” says Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr, training manager, Caleffi, and former hydronic contractor of more than 30 years.

Recently, Mechanical Hub spoke with Arthur Smith, Residential Product Manager, A. O. Smith, and Jennifer Russell, Segment Development Manager, Decarbonization, Lochinvar, to get the latest on heat pump technology and heat pumps water heaters.

MH: What are some of the driving forces behind this technology?

Arthur: At A. O. Smith, we’ve seen two major driving factors behind the increasing popularity of residential heat pump water heaters. First, as consumers have begun to see wider availability of this technology, along with its carbon emissions reduction and tremendous cost savings, they’ve pushed to utilize heat pump water heaters in their own homes, further increasing demand. The second driving factor we’ve seen is the evolving regulations around decarbonization. These changes have placed an emphasis on heat pump technology as an excellent option for greenhouse gas reduction.

electrification, heat pumps, green house gas emission reduction, plumbing, air to water heat pumps, water to water heat pumps, heat pump water heaters

A. O. Smith’s CHP-120 heat pump water heater

Jennifer: On the commercial side, greenhouse gas emission reduction is the main driving force behind the increase and development of heat pump technology. However, due to the lack of availability of commercial heat pump technology, we don’t see it utilized in applications as often as the residential sector. In addition to state and local reduction goals, there are also many companies and building owners who are setting their own goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and they’re seeking out heat pump water heaters as a way to meet those goals.

MH: What are the benefits of heat pump technology?

Arthur: The core benefit of heat pump water heaters is the massive jump in efficiency. High efficiencies drive cost savings, which is a huge benefit to homeowners.

Jennifer: One of the main benefits of heat pump technology is that there are zero direct carbon emissions from the unit. For any commercial building looking to decrease its environmental impact footprint, this technology can play a big role in meeting those goals. In addition to the environmental benefits, heat pump technology is also incredibly efficient, providing an average annual efficiency of 200-300%.

MH: Do you see demand for heat pumps more on the residential side than commercial? What is the ratio?

Arthur: Overall, we’ve seen significant interest in both commercial and residential applications.

Jennifer: At Lochinvar, we’ve seen interest in both commercial and residential applications. Interest in ommercial applications for heat pump water heaters has grown significantly in the last couple of years, primarily due to evolving state and local environmental regulations.

Can the grid support a heat pump transition?

Arthur: The grid has been able to support the transition so far, but as heat pump technology continues to increase in popularity, developing the grid will need to be prioritized. It seems that most regulators are aware of this need to develop the grid and are building their regulations accordingly so the grid isn’t overwhelmed.

Jennifer: While the grid may be able to support a heat pump transition eventually, it can’t happen overnight. It’s going to take many years to fully develop a grid that can support a full transition to heat pump technology. In the meantime, we can develop and implement tools, such as demand-response technology, to help support the transition.

electrification, heat pumps, green house gas emission reduction, plumbing, air to water heat pumps, water to water heat pumps, heat pump water heaters

Commercial Heat Pump Water Heater

MH: Is a different skill set required for installation?

Arthur: On the residential side, there isn’t a different skill set required for installation. A. O. Smith designed our residential heat pumps so they can be installed in almost the same way as our standard electric water heaters. There are still some minor considerations, like draining non-acidic condensate produced by heat pumps and differing space requirements, but overall, the installation process is nearly the same as what most contractors are familiar with now.

Jennifer: There isn’t a different skill set required for installation, but there is unique training that can better prepare someone to install or service heat pumps. Heat pump water heaters have features that differ from traditional water heaters and these features require different training. Lochinvar offers training to help educate on the unique application features of heat pump technology.

MH: What is the life expectancy compared to boilers?

Arthur: Our heat pump water heaters are built to the same quality standards as all A. O. Smith products. We put care into developing products that perform well throughout their lifetime. We’re confident in our products and offer a standard 10-year limited warranty on every heat pump we produce.

Jennifer: You’re not going to see any loss of life expectancy with heat pump water heaters. They’re designed to hold up and perform as well as other water heating technology

MH: Do you offer training for these products?

Arthur: Since residential heat pump technology has been around for a bit longer than commercial, we’ve had time to develop training resources that focus on the installation and servicing of these units. A. O. Smith University offers digital live training at www.university.hotwater.com and there are courses available that focus specifically on heat pump technology.

Jennifer: At Lochinvar, we offer training resources to educate sales reps, engineers, contractors and technicians on heat pump technology. At the moment, our heat pump training focuses on topics such as applications for heat pumps, ensuring the correct unit size specification and understanding the technology’s benefits and features.