Ah, but appears there is an income limit...from Consumer Reports article on inflation reduction act:
We are over that limit. So looks like we would not be covered.
Fascinating thread. I've been consuming a lot of this type of info since our water heater has a date of 1996 on it. I know it's just a matter of time. 
I have pretty much decided on just replacing the gas-fired tank with another gas-fired tank. I'm handy enough to do all the plumbing and electrical for a tankless, but in the rare occasions we need it, it's nice to have hot water if/when the power goes out. That's not unheard of during Michigan winters, even in the suburbs.
Of course in the case of a power outage, I could go with a heat pump or tankless and focus on power generation, which would solve the problem of heating as well... 
Whatever the case, we love our recirculation pump that pushes hot water to our second floor on motion in the bathroom. Unfortunately for me, I burned a little WAF capital and unplugged it to use the shop vac by the furnace the other day and was reminded the next time my wife took a shower that I forgot to plug it back in. Oops!
3D print one 
So easy to spend.
So freakin' hard to earn.
The ability to use this really depends on where you live. Basically, if you're in a high median income state, the odds of being able to use it are substantially higher.
Yes, there are income limits for the REBATES, but not for the TAX CREDITS. For some it is worth it to look up your state median income. I was shocked at how high it was for my state.
Some HP water heaters have apps, and some integrate them into HE so you can get infinite control. Exampe:
For the tax credits, you can get a credit for up to 30% of the cost of electric panel or circuit upgrades for new electrical equipment, with max $600/year credit. So if the cost of electrical upgrades is $1k, you get $300 back.
In addition, you can get a tax credit of 30% of the cost (materials + labor) of the heat pump water heater itself, up to $2k/year tax credit.
which is referenced by:
Tax credits apply to everyone.
Rebates may depend on where you live.
This was my thinking also, so I installed a non-powered gas WH. Yes, if the power goes out for greater than 48 hours, I will have hot water. I guess that is useful, but I regret the decision.
If the outage is less than 48 hours, I would have hot water even with a HP tank, because it stays hot in the tank for a long time.
A powered anode rod is supposidly the way to go. I'm not an expert on the subject and the primary reason for changing my magnesium anode to a powered anode was to eliminate the sulfer smell. However, I of course didn't want to introduce problems by doing that and so I did my due diligence.
Acording to this site (which may be associated with Coro-Protec in some way), a powered anode is better at protecting your tank than magnesium or aluminum anodes and is maintinance free. They're not the only manufacturer however, A.O. Smith also sells them for residential water heaters, so it's not like this is some kind of scam. Rheem support was also aware of their effectivness when I asked about substituting them for the magnesium rod. Their response that it would not void the warranty speak volumes about the effectiveness of powered anodes.
Seems like they are generally better, but because of the cost (and probably also due to the longer periods between new water heaters and support for all the related industries that are involved in flood repair and removal/installation), water heater manufactuers don't include powered anode rods with their water heaters.
Another point of reference I remember looking at before purchasing is here.
They are at least as effective as magnesium/aluminum anodes. The issue that I used to have with them was one of cost.
Powered anodes cost about $100. There was a time when metal anode rods were about $10-15. So changing rods every 5 years would cost about $50 in the span of 20 years, which is the life-span of a powered anode.
Now, metal anodes are about $30-40. So 3 changes would cost more than what a powered anode costs. So it makes sense to go with a powered anode.
Thanks for noting this...on my list!!
FYI - best time to install one of this these is during installation of your water heater.
Here’s a link:
https://www.amazon.com/Corro-ProtecTM-Eliminates-Corrosion-Limescale-Electrical/dp/B01H459TAK/
With one of these, all you’ll need is an annual flush, which takes less than 10 minutes.
Thanks, great minds. Yeah, I was just checking and they don't have any in stock and are mid-way through the install, so it will have to be a retro-fit at some point, unfortunately.
@danabw .....Just a suggestion.....you might want to let your plumbers know that you may replace the anode rod sometime in the future so please plumb it up to allow easy replacement. My heater is in a closet off the garage where there is little headroom. I don't have the space to remove the anode rod if I wanted to. I would have to drain the heater, disconnect the piping, and put the heater on its side....and there is no way I am ever going to do that. 
Also, if the heater comes with a cheap plastic drain valve, which some of them do, I would ask them to replace it with a good brass ball valve with hose connection to allow you to easily flush/drain the heater. Those cheap plastic drain valves can leak after a few times opening/closing.
Rock solid advice.
Btw, don’t know how much head room you have, but I have removed anode rods with about 15-20” of head room. Once you pull it out, you use a metal saw and a clamp to remove it bit by bit. Only took 2 cuts as I remember. And they make these “flexible” sausage-link replacement rods for installations like that.
Install is done - nice guys, as far as I could tell they did a good job.
We did discuss that and there is headroom above the water heater to remove the rod, luckily. [phew] It's in the garage and so the ceiling is open up to the rafters.
Also it does have a nice brass drain valve. And - (tah dah) it's in a drain pan, which the previous water heater wasn't, so that's a great improvement. I have two leak sensors in the drain pan, so if there is a leak I have backup to send me a notification and shut off the water cop valve that controls water into the water heater/house.
Hot water is again flowing, wife is happy (= I'm happy). 
Well done!
Thanks. I definitely had to take the quick chicken route (simple replacement), but based on the situation it was the right choice this time.
I really appreciate all the help and advice here, and you can bet I've bookmarked this thread for future perusal.
Solid advice. Since it’s installed already, it’s still a wise choice not to wait too long to install a powered anode. Granted, mine was almost 10 years old, but it required a pneumatic impact wrench to remove. If you replace it before the corrosion and lime scale locks it in place, you can just use a regular breaker bar and impact socket.
In our garage we had a gas heater. I believe the underground gas line is 1/2" maybe 5/8" to the garage. I took a gamble and simply installed tankless water heater and it worked perfectly.
I did take advice that I found online and used 3/4" flex line for about 20 feet to the tankless. The advice was to increase the volume of gas in the line before the tankless.
I also have a UPS connected which will allow operation during a power outage.
Download the Hubitat app
