Gas Fired 40 Gallon Water Heater Recommendations

[tb1]

Hi,
My 15 year old (12 year warranty) Whirlpool gas heated 40 gallon water heater needs to be replaced.
I had to replace the heating element a few times. Which make/model
40 gallon gas fired water heater do you recommend? Hopefully, it will have a more dependable heating element. Also, I'm thinking (always a dangerous thing) it might make sense to install a water filter to filter out minerals to the water heater intake.

I considered buying a tankless water heater but I don't have a furnace in the basement and where I live we have some brutal winter.

Thanks.

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

State is a good brand. Rheem Rudd. Any of them at a brick and mortar store. There is 4-5 main manufactures then everybody puts different stickers on their specific heater. But you keep bouncing between gas and element. Gas is gas. An element means your on electric. So unless you got a hybrid I haven’t seen. Don’t confuse the guy at homedepot. Lol a filter would be better served as a whole house not just hot side. Not really sure why a missing furnace will stop you from installing tankless. I recommend tankless. In a residential home.

 

[tb1]

Sorry for the confusion. It's a gas fired water heater that I had to replace the heating unit a few times. Apparently, there was a class action lawsuit because of a defective gas heating unit. The replacement heating unit was not much better. I hope the next gas fired 40 gallon water heater I buy has a more dependable heating unit. If I get a gas fired unit is there a particular style heating unit I should buy or stay away from?

Tankless water heaters:
During the winter we go through some weeks where the temperature reaches below zero or stays in the teens. We've got electric baseboard heat throughout the house, even the basement. I believe the gas fired water heater generates a little bit of heat in the basement. If I got a tankless water heater I'm thinking I might have to use the electric baseboard heat down there more frequently.
Also, my brother's house has a tankless system and seems to take a couple of minutes of running the hot water before the hot water reaches the faucet.
A few years ago, I saw a preheating heating unit that was supposed to get hot water to the faucet quicker. Don't know it works or not.

You believe all 4 - 5 manufacturers offer the same quality water heaters?

Thanks again,

Mike