[nugentoffer]

Hello,

I'm currently in a very small home (with one other occupant), and thinking about replacing my very old water heater. Our water usage is very little, but the existing water heater can't even deliver one full shower's worth of hot water :mad:. It also takes a very long time to actually have hot water come out. I've attached some pictures from the existing electric water heater below...

I think I will try to install the water heater myself... but I'm kind of clueless as to what kind of brands were popular and high quality that I should invest in. I think a 20-30 gallon tank should be more then sufficient for our small home. I don't think I want to go tankless...

1. I noticed that my local home depot and lowe's only carried GE and Whirlpool brands. Are these any good compared to Rheem?
2. Is there a top 5 list of water heater brands?
3. Do I need to have a plumbing license to buy them (Rheem?)

[Milo Dolezal]

Home Depot used to carry Rheem as well. Unfortunatelly, all heaters are now very expensive. They all appear to be the same in performance to me. You are looking at at least $450.00 for 40gln heater purchased from Home Depot. Price difference bet. 30 and 40 gln is literally only few dollars. Go 40 gln. As far as elec. Heater goes, you will not find energy efficiency unit. It needs the element to heat up water and they all use the same amount of energy. If you get lower wattage element than it may take you longer to heat up the tank. So, you compromise: energy vs time. You can get heater with single element but it works harder to heat up water. I think 2 elements, same as you have now, should be your choice. So I would look at good warranty and R - rating. I think GE goes all the way to 12 years with their warranty and R-16 insulation. Therefore, I would suggest to go with GE.

Also, some people swear by Sears products. They sell Kenmore heaters. Good units, too. I believe they offer 12 year warranty as well. You could consider Sears / Kenmore heater as well. However, I always tell my customers: go with regular 5 year heater. They usually last lot longer. In some instances, they work for 20-25 years.

My very "frugal" customers call our company 4 1/2 years after the heater was installed and claim it is underperforming. Then, they get new unit from the manufacturer under the warranty but they pay us for the installation. They end up with brand new heater.

[retiredmanvan]

Before yopu replace your water heater you need to check with your power company because they may have a water heater program that will not only save you money on your electric bill monthly the power companies offer replacement water heaters with a warranty they also have full maintenance on them as well so you are worry free about the water heater.
The water heater program consist of the power turning off the water heaters during peak load hours to save energy. We have been on such a program for many years and we have never been with out hot water when ever we needed it.

I wish you well,

Van

[letmetellu]

I have to congratulate you for all of the good information that you send for us to make a decesion on.

Now I have to ask you why you are thinking about changing your water heater. I know it is 15 years old but in lots of the US water heaters will last for 25 years or more.

If it is just because you are not getting enough hot water then I have a sugestion for you. Instead of ghanging your heater right now just change the heating elements or at least the lower one. I have an idea that the lower element on your heater is burned out and so you are only getting hot water from the upper element, which would be less than half of the total 50 gallons that you should get.

I also would get an element that is rated to heat even when not covered with water, one brand is a Sandhog". Also if you do change make sure you use 4500 watt elements.

You could called your electric company and find out how much they charge for a kilowatt hour, this would give you an idea of what it would cost to run your heater for an hour.

Now about brands of water heaters, Rheem sold by a plumbing wholesale house would be warrantied by them. The water heaters sold by Home Depot and such have an 800 phone number for you to call and the warranty will have to be verified by on of their people, or at least that is how it is here.

There are not many manafactures of water heaters. A. O. Smith makes water heaters for several different companies, such as Sears. Rheem makes for many also.

[hkstroud]

Here is my philosophy.

They are all the same.

There is only about three manufacturers in the U.S. A. O. Smith, Rheem/Rudd and one other which I cannot recall. Therefore all water heaters are made by one of these three manufacturers, regardless of brand.

A story related by my neighbor, a plumber. Many years ago, he along with other plumbers was invited by a manufacturer, I believe A. O. Smith, to visit the factory. The first thing that he relates is that the assembly line was all robotic. The heater is untouched by humans until the last step, which is slipping on the outer jacket or lining.

During a presentation after touring the assembly line, a question was ask. "Which ones were you making, the 5 year warenty ones or the 7 year?" The answer was "Yes".

It was then explained that they are all the same heater. They just put different labels on them. They know that after a certain number of years a certain small percentage will develop a leak at a weld. It's always at a weld. Even though the welding is done by a robot using an inert gas as a shield. They don't know why, but it happens and it happens to predictable percentage no matter what they do.
Therefore, when you buy the 7 year, or whatever number of years they are using now a days, over the 5 year model, you are only buying a warranty. Usually at twice the price. You are getting the same appliance and one is not likely to outlast the other.
Note that the warranty is for leakage of the tank only after usually ninety days. Of course what else is there to go wrong, the heating elements and thermostats are not expensive or difficult to replace.

No, you do not a license to purchase one. If you are mechanically competent enough to feel that you can install one, you should be able to diagnose and repair the one you have.

From what little you have said, I suspect that you probably only need to replace a heating element.

[hkstroud]

letmetellu,
How did you get 15 years old. Are you decoding the serial number or am I missing something?

[Milo Dolezal]

I think the 1194***** on the label refers to Eleventh Week of 1994

[hkstroud]

Thanks Milo

[hvac1000]

Just bought a water heater at Home depot for 268.00 and it is a 50 gallon electric.

020352489612 is there stock register number.

SKU 487776 4500 watt both elements

GE part number GE50M06AAG Made in the USA

This is by far the best price on a 50 gallon electric heater and it was not on sale at the time.

[Milo Dolezal]

Indeed, I checked HD web site. They have that one there for around $300.00 / 5 year warranty.

Thanks HVAC1000 for pointing it out to us !

Interestingly enough, we just purchased 20 gln low boy electric heater last week and paid $373.00 for it. Contractors' price, too. That was the cheapest unit available :-D . Here you have it...

[hvac1000]

As a retired contractor I hate it when HD or Lowe's beats the supply house price but this has been going on for years now. During my contracting years ending back in the 80's I tried to be loyal to my trade supply houses since there was a benefit to dealing with them. Now days it seems a lot of this has changed and truthfully I feel not for the better.

[mygirlsdad77]

You are one hundred percent correct HVAC1000.. We cannot purchase many products from our supply houses for less than you can buy them retail at the box stores, and as far as I'm concerned, it's a load of sh!t.

[letmetellu]

I think the 1194***** on the label refers to Eleventh Week of 1994

On the Rheem water heater the 1194 at the beginning of the serial number stands for
The 11 month of 1994