Which brand ?

[Ludington]

Opinions on what brand water heater to buy. I've read good and bad about most all. Some people love rheem others ao smith. Also have read there is difference between big box and if you buy at a supply house like Ferguson. It's enough to make you go crazy trying figure out what to buy. And I see smart water heaters that have leak detection.. is that a gimmick or worth having, or maybe just another failure point.
Any pointers from the experts would be great ! Talking about standard electric, not gas.

 

[sarg]

I buy the base line Rheem in 40 gallon with 4500 elements. I maintain the heater semi-annually ... changing the elements - vacuuming out the sediment and checking the anode. I do not see an advantage to all the extras. I'm in the northeast and my primary goal is to avoid any issues during the "winter" months.
And just to mention ... most of my lessons have been learned the hard way and on a new unit I would install / replace the drain valve to a 3/4 ball valve designed for flushing and also would uninstall and then reinstall the anode to make life much easier when it needs replacing. The replacement drain valve reduces the "actual drain time" by 2/3rds at least. The factory drains will not pass sediment.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The cheapest one you can buy with a 6 yr warranty.

 

[Ludington]

I was wondering about the warranty , you would think the longer warranty would be built better, but they come with all, the smart crap. (A water leak sensor would be nice , but just can be another point of failure.

 

[Ludington]

I buy the base line Rheem in 40 gallon with 4500 elements. I maintain the heater semi-annually ... changing the elements - vacuuming out the sediment and checking the anode. I do not see an advantage to all the extras. I'm in the northeast and my primary goal is to avoid any issues during the "winter" months.
And just to mention ... most of my lessons have been learned the hard way and on a new unit I would install / replace the drain valve to a 3/4 ball valve designed for flushing and also would uninstall and then reinstall the anode to make life much easier when it needs replacing. The replacement drain valve reduces the "actual drain time" by 2/3rds at least. The factory drains will not pass sediment.


View attachment 40742

Didn't know they made one specifically for flushing...

 

[Twowaxhack]

I was wondering about the warranty , you would think the longer warranty would be built better, but they come with all, the smart crap. (A water leak sensor would be nice , but just can be another point of failure.

Some of the high end units are built with better parts.

But the tank is basically the same.

 

[sarg]

I was wondering about the warranty , you would think the longer warranty would be built better, but they come with all, the smart crap. (A water leak sensor would be nice , but just can be another point of failure.

I was told by an employee of a store that sold Rheem heaters he attended a Rheem sales seminar and that they were advised that the difference between a 6 year warranty and the "others" was the unit price ....... period.

 

[Ludington]

I guess gone are the days when you can buy one that will last 20 years. So buy a cheap one, and a water sensor to go in the pan underneath.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I guess gone are the days when you can buy one that will last 20 years. So buy a cheap one, and a water sensor to go in the pan underneath.

The water quality, installation conditions, maintenance and proper water heater sizing/customer usage also can factor into how long a water heater lasts.

 

[sarg]

Didn't know they made one specifically for flushing...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XZG7SQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A year ago they were under 25 dollars.
And I don't use it for flushing especially ... because I manually clean the tank through the bottom element hole ... but the rapid draining is preferred.

 

[Ludington]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XZG7SQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A year ago they were under 25 dollars.

I guess the factory installed one just spins out. I've never tried removing one.
But that is a good idea.

 

[Ludington]

So as far as the rheems go, not a real difference in there performance, plus, platinum, or gladiator models.. just added stuff. What about what there calling self Cleaning... what is that?

 

[sarg]

Post # 3

From the Rheem site
Self-cleaning water heaters differ from regular water heaters in that they have a curved dip tube that swirls the water to agitate the sediment and prevent it from settling in the tank. The sediment then flows out of the tank via the hot water supply pipe when you use hot water.

Sounds like you'd have to clean your faucet aerators regularly.

 

[Ludington]

Post # 3

From the Rheem site
Self-cleaning water heaters differ from regular water heaters in that they have a curved dip tube that swirls the water to agitate the sediment and prevent it from settling in the tank. The sediment then flows out of the tank via the hot water supply pipe when you use hot water.

Sounds like you'd have to clean your faucet aerators regularly.

Doesn't sound like something I would want... thanks

 

[TomFOhio]

You would be smart to buy just a regular electric water heater with two elements and two thermostats. That way down
road if you have a problem it is easier to fix and get you going for some more years. Its like anything else all those bell
and whistles will eventually get you in trouble. I like your thinking on getting a water leak sensor that goes to the floor.

 

[Ludington]

You would be smart to buy just a regular electric water heater with two elements and two thermostats. That way down
road if you have a problem it is easier to fix and get you going for some more years. Its like anything else all those bell
and whistles will eventually get you in trouble. I like your thinking on getting a water leak sensor that goes to the floor.

Yes, I have one on my condensation pump, in case it fails. It has saved me a couple times. Goes off kind of like a smoke detector, plus sends me an email , on a leak and weak battery.
I just wonder for sure if the only real difference is the bells and whistles, and the innards are really the same.

 

[Ludington]

Plus those warrentys arnt worth much if you do a self install. They are all pretty much void if you DIY it.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Plus those warrentys arnt worth much if you do a self install. They are all pretty much void if you DIY it.

That’s not true.

 

[DaveT]

Right after the Fed energy standards changed, I bought a Rheem gas water heater with an auto flue damper from Home Depot and had them arrange the install. 38 gallons with very fast recovery. I drain a gallon out and operate the pressure valve every 3 months. What’s interesting is I called Rheem to order a replacement anode and the sent it to me at no charge. Figure that in this day & age!