What is the best value for a 50 gallon natural gas?Rheem, AO smith, or are they all the same now?
What is the best value for a 50 gallon natural gas?Rheem, AO smith, or are they all the same now?
I don't know the answer but I just read this about AO Smith water heaters:
I’ve put many waters heaters in.
Same to me - mine usually live 1 week past the warranty.
In reply to TRoglodyte :
I put an AO Smith in our place in IL. For a family of 6 it was able to keep up with a constant string of shower-after-shower, or even both showers running simultaneously, but not both showers simultaneously shower-after-shower.
I didn’t have any problems with it in the 5+ years we lived there, and the new owners(who are friends of ours) have not had any problems. I did flush it out periodically as recommended.
Find recognizable name, choose the cheapest in the size you want, install. In ratings and reviews, AO takes top spot followed by GE then Rheem, but they're all just big tanks with heaters. They all have plenty of market experience so I wouldn't quibble over any of the top names.
Have you looked at tankless water heaters?
Curtis said:Find recognizable name, choose the cheapest in the size you want, install. In ratings and reviews, AO takes top spot followed by GE then Rheem, but they're all just big tanks with heaters. They all have plenty of market experience so I wouldn't quibble over any of the top names.
I agree! But you have to shop like crazy. Don’t just go to a big box store. Try the smaller places as well. Sometimes the little places can surprise you. I wound up getting mine from the Utility company for $60 less than anyone else. They seemed shocked I would install them myself. I suspect they planned on making up the difference on the installation.
NermalSnert said:Have you looked at tankless water heaters?
If you're house was built around a water heater with a tank, it can be difficult. As tankless water heaters need a much larger gas supply line and venting requirements.
I was looking for a cute print ad that probably ran in the ASHRAE Journal sometime in the 1990's. Pretty sure it was for "State" brand water heaters, but may have been A.O. Smith. The ad copy was something like "only one of these puppies will never take a leak on your floor" and the picture featured a water heater and a bashful-looking puppy. Great ad. Thought I could find it on the inner Nets, but I could not.
When I was a kid, growing up on the farm, a water heater lasted about five years on well water. Grown up in the city, using softened water, mine is at 21 years and counting. I think mineral content etc is the biggest factor.
They seem to me to be a pretty basic thing, so I would feel fine buying based on price.
I’m just looking forward to my landlord installing our new one on Friday. The old one died over a month ago.
Check with your Electrical power supplier too, most of them sell high efficiency water heaters to their customers at prices that the box stores can't touch. I think my last Marathon was under $200 through my CO-OP.
Brian said:I’m just looking forward to my landlord installing our new one on Friday. The old one died over a month ago.
You have had to wait a month for hot water? I would find that highly unacceptable.
D2W said:Brian said:I’m just looking forward to my landlord installing our new one on Friday. The old one died over a month ago.
You have had to wait a month for hot water? I would find that highly unacceptable.
Yeah, getting my landlord to get anything done is a E36 M3 show. Add in the housing disagreements between my wife and I, I may be better off with a divorce.
Where were we? Water heaters?
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