Hybrid, or heat pump, water heaters are gaining popularity in Texas and across the South. This type of water heater combines the best aspects of conventional tank water heaters with the benefits of tankless water heaters. They offer cost savings through energy efficiency, but you never have to worry about running out of hot water! One of the downsides of a hybrid water heater is their upfront cost – both the unit and installation is going to run you more than a conventional tank style heater.
The master plumbers at Reliant Plumbing have put together this page to help you understand the costs involved if you choose to hire a licensed plumber for your project. All pricing on this page is based on average prices we see around Austin, Texas. Your costs could vary depending on the price of plumbing labor and supplies in your local area.
Cost to Install a Hybrid Water Heater
The average cost to have a licensed plumber install a hybrid water heater is about $5,550 – based on current prices in the Austin, Texas area. See the table below for the breakdown:
Hybrid models are only electric. If your existing water heater setup is designed for gas, you may incur some additional costs to transfer it over to electric. You’ll need to cap off existing gas lines and hire an electrician to be sure your breaker is property sized & set up for a hybrid water heater.
The other thing that can really impact the price of install on a hybrid water heater is its location in the house. Hybrids are often installed in a garage or attic. It can be expensive to move the location of you water heater & run new water lines from the water heater to the fixtures in your house.
Cost to Replace a Hybrid Water Heater
It is much less expensive to replace a hybrid water heater since your location has already been configured properly for a hybrid. However, these water heaters should last 13+ years without needing to be replaced. If your hybrid water isn’t that old yet, you should probably contact a licensed plumber to diagnose the reason why it isn’t properly working. Often, you can replace parts or repair leaks in supply lines without needing to replace the entire water heater unit.
The average cost to have a licensed plumber install a hybrid water heater is about $5,5000 – based on current prices in the Austin, Texas area. See the table below for the breakdown:
How to Get an Estimate
It’s difficult to guess the price of plumbing projects because every home varies so much. Often, we get on a job and find the existing plumbing needs to be brought up to code before we can even get started. You should always discuss pricing with your plumber up front. They should come visit your house to evaluate your project & provide an estimate. Don’t expect this to be free though! It takes time for a plumber to come out to your house and they often need to do some diagnostics before getting to your price.
If a plumber is not able to provide you with an upfront estimate, you should still discuss pricing. Do they charge for labor hourly or use flat rate pricing? If they charge hourly, you might want to call a few different plumbers to compare rates.
If you’re in the Austin area, we’d love to help you with your tank style water heater install! Give our office a call to discuss your project.