I like the idea but I can't find a brand that I'd trust in this day and age. Whiteware goods used to last 20yrs, or people expected them to. Nowadays 5yrs warranty seems to be the timeline they're expecting people to accept.
Heatpump water heater will save energy, but more parts to break. I'm sure it can be engineered to be reliable, just not sure by whom...
I know this is not a concept people are used to, but I’m really in to the idea of open source appliances. In that case there’d be one centralized (and forkable) project where skilled engineers from around the world could design a suitable machine. I’d love to see companies pop up to manufacture those designs the same way 3D printer companies have done.
Open source firmware works great for several devices that I use daily.
My router- I'm using an Asus NT-16[1] with EasyTomato for several years, and it's working flawlessly. I know others are using Pfsense also, which seems to work great for geeks.
I have an old iPod 5.5 gen running rockbox, an open source firmware.
I also use OpenVix[2] firmware, flashed onto a set-top box capable of DVB-T2, DVB-S and more (this model[3]) which also works great. The interface is similar to Sky commercial STBs, and there are ways to reorder and group TV stations with external editors. Therefore, its UI is on a par with commercial providers, and it's extensibility and flexibility is way ahead.
My experience with open source firmware is great, it's stable, secure, you potentially avoid unnecessary e-waste, and you're not locked into a manufacturer that might discontinue support for the device, so it would be very exciting to see this extended to white-goods appliances also.
How does liability work for open source appliances? That’s the first thing that comes to mind when doing business in the US, especially with a product that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or fires.
IANAL. I imagine a manufacturer would assume liability for an appliance based on an open source design, assuming the design uses a typical open source license that disclaims liability. I'm not aware of a reason why an open source design for a physical product would be different from open source code in this respect. If the manufacturer paid to get the designs reviewed by an engineering firm, maybe they could pass the liability off to the firm for a design defect, depending on their contract?
A lawyer told me once that open source code used in a nuclear project could maintain liability for the original author, but I can't find any evidence to support that. The Paris Convention seems to place strict liability on the nuclear operator with no mention of such an exception.
I don’t see why an open source design manufactured by a competent manufacturer would be any different from a proprietary design. It would need to pass certifications and the regulator may require a version freeze, but it seems like it could be done.
There’s also countries all over the world who don’t have these regulations, and would appreciate good quality plans for useful appliances.
Well I try to encourage bored engineers to work on open source hardware projects. Finding a funding stream is difficult but finding engineers who want to improve their skills and contribute to society is pretty doable. I spend half of my working time on unpaid open source work that is self directed and primarily chosen based on what is fun and enriching. I have a YouTube channel where I am slowly trying to get the message out, though it’s hard to put all my theory in to words and shoot videos for it. I seem to prefer doing engineering over writing scripts, though writing scripts has its place.
Well recently I designed a nice 3D printable pair of headphones that I will be publishing in the next month or two. For $50 they sound as good as the $200 headphones my roommates have (halfway decent drivers make the difference).
My big open source work has to do with 3D printed robotics and computer vision. I designed this robot which is CC0 open source. I am using it for computer vision research:
Wow I love that robot! I’ve actually been wanting to get into robotics and computer vision myself. Drop me an email if you want to chat robots sometime.
They do have more parts, but these units are basically a heat pump mounted on top of a water heater. It's more complex but not absurdly so.
There are only four manufacturers who sell hybrid heat pump / electric water heaters in the US. Other brands are rebadged.
Namely:
Rheem, AO Smith, Bradford White, and Stiebel Eltron
All four brands offer 10 year warranties.
Heat pump water heaters have very slow recovery rates compared to gas, so I would buy the largest unit you can fit. That's usually 80 gallons, but they are very tall (due to the heat pump) so it depends on the space.
UEF varies from 3.3 to 3.7, and prices range from $1700 to $2400. The lowest TCO is a Rheem unit at an estimated $3310 over 10 years (purchase price + electricity).
Rheem is currently ahead of the others on efficiency and Stiebel Eltron is probably going to be difficult to find service for in the US. The other two are middle of the pack.
Appliance manufacturers aren't hiring dumb engineers. The same engineers they already employ could design appliances to last 20 years, 50 years, or 100 years.
There were more robust consumer appliances on the market, and they were mostly pushed out of the mainstream as consumers greatly preferred to buy value engineered products at a fraction of the price. You still can buy more robust products, but they don't exist at the value-engineered prices people now expect.
Look up the prices of mid-century appliances and adjust for inflation. Let's use a simple toaster for example, because they haven't changed much in design or function:
But nobody buys these for home use because the ROI will never pay off. A series of $20 toasters over a lifetime will never catch up to the initial investment of a more robust toaster. Plus, people like having new stylish appliances as trends change.
TL;DR: people say they want reliable appliances, but they actually don't.
Heatpump water heater will save energy, but more parts to break. I'm sure it can be engineered to be reliable, just not sure by whom...