Rheem Water Heating recently launched a special spring and summer sales promotion to encourage HVAC/plumbing contractors to buy and install the new Rheem or Ruud HP series of hybrid electric water heaters with energy-saving heat pump technology.

A mailing was sent to Rheem and Ruud installers nationwide, detailing the two-part special offer:

By showing the original mailer to a participating distributor (no photocopies will be accepted), a contractor can receive a one-time $25 discount on any Rheem or Ruud HP Series hybrid water heater purchased between May 1 and September 15, 2010.

Plumbing contractors — or HVAC contractors who also perform plumbing — can receive a free Rheem or Ruud HP Series water heater by purchasing and installing 10 of these models between May 1 and September 15, 2010. Copies of distributor invoices and installation invoices, including serial numbers and installation addresses, must be submitted by September 30 of this year. Once a submission has been qualified, Rheem will send the participating contractor a special certificate for a free HP hybrid water heater.

Free Online Training. Contractors can learn how easy it is to install Rheem hybrid technology by attending a free online webinar at: https://rheemtraining.webex.com. No password is required. Visitors to the site simply click on "Recorded Sessions" on the left side of the screen where they will see "Heat Pump Water Heater (Hybrid) Installation & Troubleshooting" in the list of training topics available 24 hours a day. Contractors can also attend a live webinar to ask questions by clicking on the "upcoming" tab to view a list of scheduled educational events.

Rheem sources report it recently became the first manufacturer to deliver a fully integrated, high-efficiency heat pump water heater to the plumbing and HVAC/plumbing wholesale channel. Like the 50-gallon model unveiled last year, the new HP-40 heat pump water heater offers an energy factor (EF) of 2.0, or more than twice the energy efficiency of a standard electric storage water heater.

For additional information, visit rheemhpwh.com