2015 Water Heater Efficiency Standards

Enacted in 1975, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) creates uniform efficiency standards for household appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers and water heaters.

Residential water heaters manufactured after April 16, 2015 must meet the minimum efficiency standards mandated by NAECA. This will result in $63 billion in energy savings over the next 30 years and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 172.5 million metric tons – that's equal to taking 33.8 million automobiles off our streets!

In order to achieve these new higher standards, manufacturers must increase the amount of insulation in the water heater. This means that newer models are much larger and substantially more expensive. They are also more expensive to ship and, in some cases, additional installers may be required.

In some cases, manufacturers have reduced the number of gallons, in order to accommodate replacement applications where the consumer does not have the additional space required by a larger unit.

Electric water heater larger than 55 gallons must now be of the Hybrid Electric heat pump water heater type design and, which are also much larger, and they will require a condensation drain. This eliminates the 65, 80, and 120 gallon models.

If you need a new water heater, you can count on Professional Plumbing & Design for knowledgeable advice and expert installation and service.