U.S. heating specialist GE Appliances, a unit of China-based Haier Smart Home Company, which is itself part of Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company Haier Group, has launched a heat pump water heater for residential applications.
The new product will initially be available for sale in the United States and Canada.
“The GE Profile Geospring utilizes advanced heat pump technology to provide up to 4.7 times more energy efficiency than standard electric water heaters and is up to 20% more energy efficient compared to other heat pump water heaters, leading to significant savings on energy bills,” the manufacturer said in a statement, “Tthe FlexCapacity feature, made possible with a patented, electronic integrated mixing valve, can provide up to 60% more hot water.”
The system is available in 240 V and 120 V options and with a capacity ranging from 160 L to 190 L. The 120 V models plug into a standard outlet and can convert to 240 V on a 20 A dedicated circuit, while 240 V models can operate on a 30 A dedicated circuit.
“The 120-volt option also allows it to be plugged into a standard outlet, creating more flexible location opportunities for installation and can be an ideal replacement for owners converting from gas to electric,” the company explained.
The water heater has a weight ranging from 70 kg to 77 kg and utilizes a variable-speed compressor that adjusts its speed based on environmental factors. Noise levels are as low as 41 dBA, according to the company.
The system is equipped with wireless leak detection and smart valve shutoff to prevent potential water damage. “It also includes built-in demand response capabilities to communicate with utility companies and to optimize energy use when rates are lowest, and it acts as a thermal battery, heating water during off-peak hours to save users money,” GE Appliances stated.
GE Appliances was sold by General Electric to Haier in 2016.
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I fitted an air source hot water heater pump as a display model some 15 years ago at a plumbing merchants in Solihull, Birmingham (Gas centre). I don’t think it ever caught on though as it was the only one that I fitted. I guess having exhaust air heat pumps that served hot water and heating were a better option for small dwellings if you needed heating too.
They’re back? That would be great news, if it’s true.
GE exited the HPWH biz in 2016, sold it to Bradford -White. It was unfortunate since GE was driving their unit price down to $1000 MSRP. Pricing went up after GE exited the market, as competitors didn’t have GE to beat.
They already had geospring like a decade ago
Heir is considered an unreliable brand and is Chinese, does using the GE name change that? Is it built in U.S. or China? Are the parts U.S. or China? Are there tariffs on these units that make it uncompetitive (or are there any competitors in U.S. that are exempt from tariffs and thus are competitive- or do the tariffs mean U.S. citizens will have no access to energy saving heat pump water heaters?
How loud is it, the Rheem heat pump water heater is so loud. They removed the decibel rating from their cut sheet. They also have similar literature where they show it installed inside the house in a kitchen pantry with a louvered door. There’s no way it’s so loud you would never live with this inside the house. It has to be in a basement locked away somewhere.
Feels like deja Vu. I have a GE geospring I installed in 2015 and it was shortly discontinued afterwards. That being said, it’s been fantastic