Our over 19 year old Rheem 81V52DT 50 gallon electric (original unit from when the home was built / bought) is just about done with signs of exterior corrosion at the bottom and while no visible leak, I can see that there are what appears to be a darker, moisture related spot and some rust on the garage floor right next to the unit that appear to have been developing. I'm looking to replace it before it decides to empty its guts all over the interior of the garage. Fortunately it wouldn't really damage much other than some boxes if it did based on where it is installed and the slope of the garage floor, but want to beat it to the punch to avoid the mess. Obviously I'm extremely impressed with the longevity we were able to get out of the Rheem and would certainly consider one of their better new models, but know there are others like AO Smith, etc. as well.

What do the experts and others on the forum that have replaced theirs recently suggest looking at? I don't need it to be an R2 droid unit that will help me pilot an X-Wing, but it would be nice to have some updated features and electronic monitor/control. It probably goes without saying that a unit that is more power efficient would be great too.

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It probably goes without saying that a unit that is more power efficient would be great too.

Well, you should get that in spades replacing a 19 year old unit.

Rheem is still good from my standpoint. Others will have their favorites as well.

RMD

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rduckwor,

I'll fan the flames of Water Heater threads with "have you considered a tankless unit" LOL

If you have NG or LPG then I'd consider a new Tankless water heater, on demand is also never run out hot water supply, takes up a smaller footprint and if you're like most Fl homes it's in the garage, then you will gain some storage space.

When my second 50Gal propane tank went out I replaced it with a 199,999 btu tankless exterior mounted unit, it's worked great, and our gas bill has been cut in half. Regardless of what others say, getting rid of the tank cut our bill significantly.

Electric Tankless units are not as efficient as far as reducing the costs or heating water, they are good as supplemental units, gas or lpg are the way to go.

I purchased a Rinnai RU98EP 9.8 GPM Outdoor Ultra-NOx Condensing Tankless Propane Water Heater off Amazon and installed it myself, easy peasy..... well at least it's running and nothing has edxploded...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks, but electric is the only option for us here and not really looking to get a tankless.

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Originally posted by HRK:
I'll fan the flames of Water Heater threads with "have you considered a tankless unit" LOL

If you have NG or LPG then I'd consider a new Tankless water heater, on demand is also never run out hot water supply, takes up a smaller footprint and if you're like most Fl homes it's in the garage, then you will gain some storage space.

When my second 50Gal propane tank went out I replaced it with a 199,999 btu tankless exterior mounted unit, it's worked great, and our gas bill has been cut in half. Regardless of what others say, getting rid of the tank cut our bill significantly.

Electric Tankless units are not as efficient as far as reducing the costs or heating water, they are good as supplemental units, gas or lpg are the way to go.

I purchased a Rinnai RU98EP 9.8 GPM Outdoor Ultra-NOx Condensing Tankless Propane Water Heater off Amazon and installed it myself, easy peasy..... well at least it's running and nothing has edxploded...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Rinnai on demand (LP) are fantastic. 2 things to think of: 1 is water quality, they can be finicky. ( hard water, high mineral content, calcium, etc). Secondly is where the unit is placed in comparrison to where your shower/sinks are located from the water heater. If there is a long run, you will find your running a bit of water before the hot water arrives. just food for thought!

Electric water heaters are and have always been 100% efficient. The only difference in tanks is the amount of standby loss from tank insulation and thermal siphon.

A heat pump water heater, aka-hybrid water heater, will use less electricity than a standard water heater with elements because it doesn't convert electricity to heat. Instead, it pulls heat out of the air to heat the water in the tank through an exchanger. Generally, they use 1/3 the electricity than a standard water heater for the same volume of water. The downsides are they have moving parts, many more parts, cost 3 to 5 times as much to purchase, and they make noise.

I am in the exact same position with a 17 year old AO Smith electric. Looking to do a pre emptive replacement. I am hesitant to go with the fancy high end electronics. No way they are going to last 17 years, maybe not even past the first thunder storm. Dont need fancy on a water heater IMHO.

Bradford White is the leader in tank water heaters.

New energy efficiency standards for water heaters took effect in April 2015 for units mfg. after that date.

As long as you stay under 55 gallons, size-wise you shouldn't see much difference.

Above 55 gallons is another story.

Another in need of a water heater. Me, I'm looking at a Westinghouse. They have a 316L stainless tank, lifetime warranty on the tank and 6yrs or 9yrs on the rest. Big drawback is $91 plus shipping on an element. If their elements last as well as standard ones that's not bad considering I've only needed to replace one in the 19yrs with the current heater. Possibly never having to replace a water heater again sounds like an OK trade off to me.

I put in a GE from Home depot in around 30 minutes 2 years ago.

The hardest part was draining the 35 year old one with silt in the bottom.

I had to siphon the water out and that took over an hour in itself because the petcock valve was clogged.

Just replaced an old Whirlpool with a Rheem Platinum from Home Depot last month. Happy with it so far, no problems.

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Originally posted by pakrat57:
Another in need of a water heater. Me, I'm looking at a Westinghouse. They have a 316L stainless tank, lifetime warranty on the tank and 6yrs or 9yrs on the rest. Big drawback is $91 plus shipping on an element. If their elements last as well as standard ones that's not bad considering I've only needed to replace one in the 19yrs with the current heater. Possibly never having to replace a water heater again sounds like an OK trade off to me.

Westinghouse is made by HTP. Believe the reviews that say the seal around the elements leak. I didn't happen the first day on mine, or the first week. Two months later, my youngest son woke me up at 5:30am and said he thought he smelled something burning. I smelled it to and after 1/2 hour trying to find out where it was coming from, we realized it was the water heater. The upper element leaked and the water dripped down to the thermostat for the lower element and shorted it out. I sent them pictures and they sent me a complete new water heater.

I bought the stainless 80 gallon Westinghouse at HD a little over a year ago. No problems yet, glad I read this, first I’ve heard of this problem.

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Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

Originally posted by pakrat57:
Another in need of a water heater. Me, I'm looking at a Westinghouse. They have a 316L stainless tank, lifetime warranty on the tank and 6yrs or 9yrs on the rest. Big drawback is $91 plus shipping on an element. If their elements last as well as standard ones that's not bad considering I've only needed to replace one in the 19yrs with the current heater. Possibly never having to replace a water heater again sounds like an OK trade off to me.

Westinghouse is made by HTP. Believe the reviews that say the seal around the elements leak. I didn't happen the first day on mine, or the first week. Two months later, my youngest son woke me up at 5:30am and said he thought he smelled something burning. I smelled it to and after 1/2 hour trying to find out where it was coming from, we realized it was the water heater. The upper element leaked and the water dripped down to the thermostat for the lower element and shorted it out. I sent them pictures and they sent me a complete new water heater.

The only thing I have to add besides that you have gotten way much more out of that one is don't expect to get even half of that life out of a new one.... 8-9 years is good for a newer one.

Even though we sold the house a few years back... I replaced the water heater there and it had lasted over 25 years.. only reason I did was I had semi-stripped one of the bolts that held the top heating element when I replaced it and there was a slight drip... wish I had not and could see how long it actually would last....

I have an electric heat pump water heater. Works great and sees to be inexpensive to operate. My darling wife likes the temp to be set at 135 for her hot baths. my electric bill is not nearly as bad as my neighbors.

It was expensive, but between Menards and Utility company rebates it was about the same as a quality electric.

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Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I had to siphon the water out and that took over an hour in itself because the petcock valve was clogged.

I've kicked more than one water heater drain off of the tank. Usually after that point you're jamming a screwdriver into the outlet through solid crud to get even a piss poor drainage flow.

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Originally posted by straightshooter01:
I am in the exact same position with a 17 year old AO Smith electric. Looking to do a pre emptive replacement. I am hesitant to go with the fancy high end electronics. No way they are going to last 17 years, maybe not even past the first thunder storm. Dont need fancy on a water heater IMHO.

This is my view as well.

Lots of good feedback and glad to see others are making use of it as well. Still checking out some different models and the possibility of having to go from a 25 to 30 amp breaker if I decided to go with a 5500 watt model instead of a 4500 watt unit like I have now. With three ladies in the house, the faster recovery time may be worth it.