Patent 7866168 was granted and assigned to Bradford White on January, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A heat pump water heater system including a water storage tank and a heat exchange system. The heat exchange system includes a heat absorber positioned below the water storage tank and a heat rejecter in fluid communication with the heat absorber and positioned within the water storage tank. The heat absorber is configured to transfer heat to fluid in the heat exchange system, and the heat rejecter is configured to transfer heat from fluid in the heat exchange system to the water in the water storage tank.