The AirGenerate A7 AirTap Heat Pump is a retrofit heat pump that will fit any existing gas or electric tank type water heater from 30 to 80 gallons in size. Heat Pumps are actually only moving heat from one area to another not generating heat so they are highly efficient. The heat is moved using a refrigeration process that is running in reverse pulling heat out of the ambient air in the room where it is located and pumping the heat into the water heater where it is dispersed heating the water. The AirGenerate A7 AirTap Heat Pump draws only 720 Watts of power while it is running compared to 4500 Watts used by most common electric water heater elements. This wattage use by the A7 AirTap is approximately 1/6th of the power used by the conventional water heater element. The AirGenerate A7 AirTap has a MSRP of $699.
Energy Star estimates that a heat pump water heater could save a 2.6 person household $290 per year on their water heating costs. This savings could be almost ½ of your water heating costs for the year. Actual performance of the heat pump is dependant on the ambient heat where it is installed. Using the heat pump in the southern tier states where the temperatures are higher the heat pump will be more economical 90 – 100% of the year vs. 60 % in the center tier states and 50% in the northern tier states. The heat pump water heater also offers fringe benefits. Removing the heat from the ambient air translates to cooling and with the cooling comes dehumidification. While saving money on heating your water you will also save on cooling and dehumidification costs.
AirGenerate when they designed the A7 AirTap designed a direct transfer system where there are no pumps involved lowering running costs and increasing reliability. Using the A7 AirTap kit that comes with everything you need for the installation except the tools, which are a 14” pipe wrench, a 12” adjustable wrench, and a level. The installation is relatively easy and will only take about an hour. The A7 Air Tap was rolled out in January 2008 and by December 2008 over 1,000 A7 AirTap Heat Pumps had been installed in 45 states. The A7 AirTap operates on 120-Volt AC 60HZ power and uses 12 amps. to start and 6 amps. to run. Operating the A7 AirTap at an ambient temperature of 68 Degrees F. it has an energy factor of 2.11, with an output of 7,000 BTU’s, with a first hour recovery rate of 43 gallons, with a water temperature of 135 Degrees F. and a 10 degree differential and has a noise level of 50db. The A7 AirTap weighs 48 Lbs. and measures 18” X 14” X 13” high. The AirGenerate A7 AirTap comes with a 3 year Limited Warranty upon purchase. The 1st Year of the Warranty includes Parts and Labor, while the 2nd and 3rd Year Warranty is Parts only.
The AirGenerate A7 Heat Pump retrofit kit is an excellent choice for people that have recently had a gas or, electric water heater installed and would like to upgrade the system to higher efficiency. To install the A7 AirTap the water heater and associated pipes should be in good condition.