Heat Pump Water Heaters Compared: Rheem, A. O. Smith and Bradford White

A heat pump water heater, often called a hybrid, is an electric tank with a small heat pump on top. The heat pump pulls warmth from the surrounding air and moves it into the water, and two electric elements stand by for heavy demand or cold rooms. Rheem, A. O. Smith and Bradford White each build a residential line: Rheem’s ProTerra, A. O. Smith’s Voltex and Bradford White’s AeroTherm. This comparison uses each manufacturer’s published specifications for its current lineup as of September 2026, plus ENERGY STAR guidance on where these units work well. Model lines change, so read the model numbers as examples of each family.

How we compare brands

We install all of these brands. We recommend by fit: your venting, gas line, space, water quality and budget, not by brand. For a heat pump unit, space means air volume, room temperature and a place for condensate to drain. This page compares published specifications, warranty terms, design features and service considerations only. It contains no test results, ratings or awards, and where a page we opened did not state a value, the tables say so.

Brand logos are trademarks of their respective owners and identify the products compared. No manufacturer sponsors or reviews these comparisons.

Published specifications

Sources: Rheem Professional Prestige ProTerra specification sheet (form HP-400-SO, rev. 1, 11/24); A. O. Smith HPTU-50N and FPTU-80 product pages and Voltex heat pump lineup; Bradford White AeroTherm Series G2 specification sheet. All opened September 2026.

What these numbers mean

UEF is where heat pumps separate from every other electric option. The standard electric tanks from these same makers list 0.91 to 0.93 UEF. The models above list 3.45 to 4.20, and all clear the 3.30 minimum in ENERGY STAR’s key product criteria for integrated heat pump water heaters. Rheem describes its ProTerra as up to four times more efficient than a standard electric water heater. We do not convert that into a dollar figure, because your rate, your usage and the room the unit sits in all move it.

First-hour ratings run from 60 to 88 gallons across the models we reviewed, similar to a standard electric tank of the same size. Within a size class, the three brands are close: 65 to 67 gallons at 50 gallons, and 84 to 88 at 80 gallons. In heat pump only mode the elements are disabled and, in Rheem’s words, the unit prioritizes energy savings over hot water production, so recovery is slower. If you want to live in that mode, consider the next size up.

Modes, features and limits

Sources: Rheem ProTerra specification sheet, ProTerra product page, heat pump page and operating modes article; A. O. Smith HPTU-50N product page; Bradford White AeroTherm G2 specification sheet and heat pump lineup page. All opened September 2026.

The modes are more alike than their names suggest. Each brand offers a heat pump only setting for the lowest energy use, one or two hybrid settings that bring the elements in when demand is high, an electric only setting that runs like a standard electric tank, and a vacation setting. Rheem’s article describes its Heat Pump mode as disabling the elements entirely and its High Demand mode as running the heat pump and elements together. The ambient range matters in unheated spaces: Rheem lists 37 to 145°F for heat pump operation and Bradford White 37 to 120°F.

In Central Ohio, the room decides

ENERGY STAR’s design guidance says basements, including unconditioned ones, are often the best locations for heat pump water heaters in any climate. That suits the many Central Ohio homes with basements. The same guidance notes that manufacturers typically require 450 or 700 cubic feet of free air space, and that intake air below approximately 40°F triggers the electric elements and significantly reduces efficiency. ENERGY STAR’s consumer page is more conservative, suggesting a space that stays between 40 and 90°F year-round with 1,000 cubic feet of air around the heater.

• Cold air. The unit exhausts cooled, dried air. In a finished basement next to a family room, that can be noticeable in winter. In summer, ENERGY STAR notes it helps cool and dehumidify the space.
• Winter water. Our 42°F winter inlet means more heat has to go into every gallon in January. ENERGY STAR notes that with colder incoming water, a heat pump unit may temporarily switch to its electric backup to keep up, which raises energy use in those months.
• Small rooms. Below about 700 cubic feet, or where noise or cold air is a concern, our hybrid ducting kit at $299 moves the exhaust air out of the room.
• Condensate. A heat pump makes water as it cools the air. ENERGY STAR advises that no section of a gravity drain line sit higher than the discharge port. Where no floor drain is in reach, a condensate pump is $229.
• Electrical. These are 240-volt units. ENERGY STAR’s new-construction guidance calls for a 208 or 240-volt circuit and 30-amp service for the heater. If your old tank was gas, a new circuit is needed; a licensed electrician does that work, coordinated by us for $149 plus the electrician’s price.
• Filters and hard water. ENERGY STAR notes heat pump water heaters may need annual maintenance, including air filter cleaning or changes. The tank below the heat pump still needs a yearly flush and an anode check in Central Ohio’s hard water.

Warranty and our pricing

Rheem’s ProTerra spec sheet lists a 10-year limited tank and parts warranty. A. O. Smith publishes both 10-year and 6-year Voltex versions, and Bradford White lists 6 or 10-year AeroTherm G2 versions, so the model number, not the family name, tells you the warranty.

Our hybrid pricing is set by capacity and tier, not by brand. The tier determines the unit class, and every hybrid tier we offer uses the 10-year tank warranty class: Preferred at 50 and 65 gallons, and Authority at 80 gallons. The specific brand depends on availability, and you can request one; if that changes the price, we tell you before ordering.

Estimated installed prices for Central Ohio. Your online estimate is based on the installation details you provide. A technician verifies conditions before work begins, and if anything changes the price we show and explain the difference before proceeding.

If you already have a heat pump unit, labor-only installation starts at $1,549, and we confirm the space, drain and circuit before we install it. See customer-supplied installation. On incentives: the federal 25C tax credit for heat pump water heaters ended after 2025, so do not count on it. Utility programs change; check current AEP Ohio and Columbia Gas programs before you buy.

Choosing by fit

• Tight room, cold-air concerns: plan ducting from the start. Bradford White lists the G2 as duct ready with no kit required, and Rheem lists duct-ready ports.
• Leak protection matters: Rheem’s ProTerra with LeakGuard builds it in. For any brand, our leak sensor with automatic shutoff is an option.
• Noise near living space: Bradford White publishes less than 50 dBA and A. O. Smith 51 dB for the models above; units meeting ENERGY STAR’s Version 5.0 specification emit less than 55 dBA.
• Large household: the 80-gallon models list 84 to 88-gallon first-hour ratings, and the 65 and 66-gallon models sit between 76.6 and 82.

For the full picture on this system type, see the hybrid heat pump water heater page. If you are weighing fuels, read gas vs electric, and use the size calculator or the sizing guide to pick a capacity before you pick a brand.

Price a heat pump water heater for your basement

The quote builder shows hybrid installed starting prices by capacity and tier, with permit and haul-away included. Mention a preferred brand if you have one, or call 844-792-8374, answered 24/7.

Get My Water Heater PriceCall 844-792-8374

OWHA Editorial Team

Guides on this site are written by Ohio Water Heater Authority installers and editors, then technically reviewed before publication. Every guide carries the date it was written, the date it was last reviewed and the date of its next scheduled review, and it cites the manufacturer, code and government sources it relies on. The team covers gas, electric, power-vent, direct-vent, tankless and hybrid heat pump water heaters for Central Ohio homes, from sizing and installation to maintenance, troubleshooting and repair-or-replace decisions. Corrections are welcome through the contact page, and every report is checked against the source material.

See Full Bio