I'm having problems deciding what to buy myself. Plumbers will tell you that 6 year warranties are the same as 12 year ones but I tend to doubt that. If you look at every single brand, you will find massive complaints about every single manufacturer so it's luck of the draw..but I'm sticking with a 12-year warranty water heater. Most likely the less bells-and-whistles the better. JUST PRAY!

But I'd get a water heater with the longest warranty possible. I do think they are better built.



On Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 7:27:40 PM UTC-4, Peter Werner wrote:
The water heater in my house is 20+ years old and no longer heats
water efficiently. I want to pick up a new one, but good advice on
what to pick up is in short supply. Consumer Reports apparantly hasn't
rated water heaters in over 15 years, Productopia doesn't rate them
either, and waterheaterrescue.com gives fairly cryptic advice.

(Waterheaterrescue.com advises looking for a water heater that has "an
exposed, hex-head, magnesium anode installed in it" with "a
full-length outlet rod in the hot port", an insulation rating of R-16
or better, and as good of a recovery rate as possible. Any idea where
I can find this kind of cryptic information about a product?)

First, I'm wondering about the issue of 6-year vs 9- and 12-year water
heaters. Are the latter really better? I am willing to spend the extra
money on quality if there really is a difference. On the other hand, a
couple of people (including the plumber who I'm going to have do the
installation) tell me that there really is no important difference and
to just go for the 6-year model. Any advice?

I was also wondering about brands, basically Bradford-White (which my
plumber wants to sell me) vs Rheem vs AO Smith. Any one of these
better than the other in comparable models? Any advantage for buying
these under a "band name" like GE or Whirlpool?

Peter

You're responding to a 15 year old post?


wrote:

I'm having problems deciding what to buy myself. Plumbers will tell you tha=
t 6 year warranties are the same as 12 year ones but I tend to doubt that. =
If you look at every single brand, you will find massive complaints about e=
very single manufacturer so it's luck of the draw..but I'm sticking with a =
12-year warranty water heater. Most likely the less bells-and-whistles the =
better. JUST PRAY!

But I'd get a water heater with the longest warranty possible. I do think t=
hey are better built.=20



On Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 7:27:40 PM UTC-4, Peter Werner wrote:
The water heater in my house is 20+ years old and no longer heats
water efficiently. I want to pick up a new one, but good advice on
what to pick up is in short supply. Consumer Reports apparantly hasn't
rated water heaters in over 15 years, Productopia doesn't rate them
either, and waterheaterrescue.com gives fairly cryptic advice.
=20
(Waterheaterrescue.com advises looking for a water heater that has "an
exposed, hex-head, magnesium anode installed in it" with "a
full-length outlet rod in the hot port", an insulation rating of R-16
or better, and as good of a recovery rate as possible. Any idea where
I can find this kind of cryptic information about a product?)
=20
First, I'm wondering about the issue of 6-year vs 9- and 12-year water
heaters. Are the latter really better? I am willing to spend the extra
money on quality if there really is a difference. On the other hand, a
couple of people (including the plumber who I'm going to have do the
installation) tell me that there really is no important difference and
to just go for the 6-year model. Any advice?
=20
I was also wondering about brands, basically Bradford-White (which my
plumber wants to sell me) vs Rheem vs AO Smith. Any one of these
better than the other in comparable models? Any advantage for buying
these under a "band name" like GE or Whirlpool?
=20
Peter