In early February, I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas for the AHR Expo. The  ginormous 53,000-person expo focused primarily on space- and water-heating systems is a Mecca of sorts for a heat-pump dork like me. While there, I stopped by dozens of booths and talked with dozens of manufacturers to see the latest innovations in heat pump water heaters for both residential and commercial buildings. 

Here are four of my top water heater takeaways from a jam-packed two days at the AHR Expo. 

A solid residential HPWH showing 

 Residential HPWH manufacturers were out in full force at AHR. I counted a dozen brands with products on display. GE, Bradford White, LG, Steibel Eltron, Vaughn, Navien, Ariston, Rheem, A. O. Smith, Noritz, Bosch, SanCO2 and Rinnai all had HPWHs proudly displayed.

I talked with many manufacturers and heard that HPWHs are “the future,” and they want this heat pump future. Manufacturers told me, again and again, that they were highly invested in the technology as HPWHs meet so many of their goals: helping the grid, helping lower utility bills, helping the environment and, yes, helping their bottom lines. 

While there weren’t a ton of brand-new HPWH models on display, many new HPWH manufacturers (GE and Navien) had come to market only last year, and others made significant product updates (Ariston, Rheem, Bradford White and LG, which is coming out later this year). 

The two new products on display that I noticed were from Noritz, a tankless water heater manufacturer with a new HPWH, and Navien, with a dual-fuel HPWH with a gas backup. 

Central HPWHs everywhere!

 So much innovation in commercial heat pump water heaters was on display at AHR that I’m sure I missed much of it. Every boiler manufacturer seems to be coming out with a heat pump, which is fantastic news for the climate. There were different central HPWH configurations, refrigerants, sizes and form factors on display, highlighting the many product innovations and options for building types and applications. 

Some of the booths and manufacturers I was able to catch during my two days in Las Vegas were: 

• Eco2Systems is launching a larger central HPWH this year.

• Laars E-Therm is launching a smaller 50 kW version of its central HPWH this year as well. It had launched a larger version of this equipment in 2025. 

• Transom is launching a small commercial HPWH called the Trent.

• Nyle is launching a new, modular HPWH called the Velo that promises to be able to fit through a doorway and not need a swing tank. 

• Colmac launched a new HPWH called the CXA 15. 

• Daikin’s Mega Q cascading central HPWH recently hit the market. 

I’m sure I missed some, so please let me know your insights into other brands if you were able to make it to the show. 

Air-to-water heat pumps are having a moment

One technology that seems to be having a moment, thanks to its prominent presence at AHR, is the air-to-water heat pump for space and water heating. Air-to-water heat pumps or combi space and water heaters can heat (and, in some instances, cool) both a home and its hot water from a single heat pump (check out our factsheet on this topic here). 

There were multiple manufacturers with products on display. Several are already on the market, and the others have plans to launch very soon. 

Among those I was able to catch were:

• Spacepak has been in the market with an air-to-water heat pump for some time with its Solstice model. 

• Mitsubishi’s Ecodan is coming to the U.S. market soon.

• Daikin is launching its Altherma 3 very soon. 

• Samsung is launching its first entry into the market — the EHS — soon. 

• NTI’s new Verta series is coming to market.

• Hitachi’s (Bosch) AirH20 came to market last year. 

Split HPWHs are coming to market

Finally, split HPWHs were another form factor on display and a topic of conversation at AHR. Split HPWHs are water heaters where the compressor is outside and the water tank is inside. Sometimes the connection between the inside and outside units is a refrigeration line, and sometimes it is a water line (in unitary HPWHs, they are all one unit). 

This might be an important type of technology for homes that don’t have the space or air space for a unitary HPWH and so want to locate the part that produces sound and cool air outside. 

Two manufacturers I saw had split HPWHs on display:

• Ariston has a small commercial water heater, the Nuos Extra, which is coming soon. 

• A. O. Smith’s Voltex X will come to market very soon. This HPWH can be used in both residential and commercial settings and will have water lines connecting the indoor and outdoor units. 

All in all, AHR was a bonanza of heat pumps and HPWHs, showcasing a wide variety of form factors, innovations and product options. As heat pumps continue to make inroads on space and water heating in the United States, manufacturers are responding by building many great products to meet our country’s need for clean, affordable heat.