I need some help with a Brand of Electric Water Heater replacement:

[SactoTeddyBear]

Hey! Club Friends and Non-Members, I'm helping a Friend of mine in a search for a couple of replacement Electric Water Heaters. He owns both sides of a Duplex and needs to replace both Water Heaters. He lives in an area Outskirts of Sacramento, that is all Electric, so he can't change over to a Gas Water Heater.

I've checked on On-Line, both Home Depot and Lowe's, but I just got somewhat confused with what they have available. I did see the Brands of GE, Whirlpool and Rheem, of which I would personally go with the Rheem or Whirlpool Brand, because basically I don't like the newer GE Appliances, especially their Washers and Dryers.

I would gratefully appreciate any and all suggestions. "BTW" I don't know for sure as of yet if my Friends Water Heaters are in the Garage's or in a Cabinet, so I'm not too sure about the Capacity Size that he is able to look into, beyond whatever is there already.

I had to replace my Water Heater in September 1995 and I bought the new one at Home Depot. At that time they had a Sta-Kleen Gas Self-Cleaning Water Heater Brand and it was $218.00 plus tax and so far, it is still working great.

Peace and Kind Regards, Steve
SactoTeddyBear0503...

 

[xraytech]

My suggestion for a new electric hot water heater is Bradford-White, off hand not sure where they are sold, but that is all we have had and they are great, but I would think the Rheem ones at home depot should be good

 

[appnut]

Well, ya can't judge a water heater by the brand name mate of a waher and dryer. they're sourced from a reputable WH firm just like Whirlpool sources theirs from some firm.

 

[markk290]

My suggestion would be State. I bought a gas GE from Home Depot a few years back and am not pleased. It cannot keep up with me. My parents have had States and never run out of hot water. GE is also a rebagged Rheem.

 

[panthera]

It is true

that the GE laundry division has gone to hell on roller-skates.

That does not necessarily mean that their water heaters are also trash.

Electric water heaters are not as complicated as are gas, the major problem with them is corrosion, followed by failure of one of the two elements, followed by the thermostat.

Since corrosion is directly related to anode life and quality of glass, it makes sense to buy a heater with the longest warranty. The other two problems are fixable by any reasonably handy handy-man.

Rheem is not as good as Bradford-White, I'd do some research and see just what a professional install would cost. With the economy the way it is, you just might find plumbers less arrogant than they were just two years ago.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Hi Steve.

First it needs to determined if there are 20a circuits or 30a circuits. If there are 30a circuits, your friend is better off making sure his new HWH-ers are the ones designed for 30a circuits (5,500w?). Electric hot water heaters have a much slower recovery time than gas ones do, and one doesn't want one slower than it has to be!

If his lines are 20a circuits, he will have to choose a less powerful /slower unit designed for 20a. (I think these are roughly 3,800w to 4400w).

Also important is to be sure which is the voltage available-- meaning 208v versus 220v and get a heater that is rated for either both or the proper voltage. Without getting too technical, most home voltages (in this country) should be 220v to 240v. The 208v designation is used to denote "220v" from a 3-phase system (mostly found in ommerical / indutrial uses, applications and areas or homes that border these areas.

Also to be considered is whether the water heater has two separate power cables feeding it power from a special electrical meter. Often some areas requre that the HWH-ers be turned off during peak electricty-use hours and reward you for this with lower off-peak rates. The special meter does this automatically. In this case you will need a heater that is wired to do this.

A friend of mone bought a HWH from Sears that was convertible form 20a to 30a and was wired for such off-peak usage. Off-peak usage HWH-ers are normally much larger (capacity and physical size) than ordinary ones).

Here is my advice:

Buy the most powerful ones that the circuits alllow, that have the same dimensions as the current hot-water heaters, and that which has the longest warranty/guaranty. The more anode rods it has usually is related to its longevity.

Whirlpool and GE are lovely badges but are made by more tradtional water-heater manufacturers. It is lovely to think GE is not a good brand because you don't like their W&D-ers, but since the GE badge is thrown on somebody else's hot-water heater, you can see that this logic probably doesn't apply here! GE is a fine HWH-er brand!

The trick is to get the best "bang for the buck" balancing quality, speed, size (capacity), dimensions, warranty etc.

Good luck in your quest, and please let me know if I can clarify the above-given information, opinions!

Thanks!

 

[toggleswitch2]

oh and for heaven's sake be sure to get one with
TWO heating elements; an upper and a lower.

Only the trashiest or smallest ones have only one element.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Thanks to everyone:

I really appreciate all of your suggestions. I would certainly also appreciate any more info that others might have to share.

After reading these, I've realized more that I wasn't thinking about, of several things of difference that
you would need to look out for, between Electric and Gas
Water Heater Systems.

I'm ever so grateful to have everyone as Club Friends and with knowledge of helpful suggestions to get us through our Repair/Replacement needs of Appliances, etc.

Peace and Kind Regards, Steve
SactoTeddyBear0503...

 

[48bencix]

Roto Swirl

Steve,

I put in a Sears Power Miser 12, 50 Gallon Electric unit in 2003, cost at the time was $290.00. It is a very well insulated unit, no need to wrap it. It seems to function well. I wonder if the roto swirl water inlet dilutes the hot water. It does seem to cool down fairly quickly for a 50 gallon unit. Reviewing my records, I did install it with the lower element converted to 5500 watts, because my wiring and circuit breakers were sized for that. My previous unit was a Sears Gas Heater made in 1959 and it was still working when I pulled it out. That's 44 years of service. Model was a Silver something.

Martin

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

"BTW" Speaking about Water Heaters:

My Parent's bought the house that I live in now, that I Inherited, after their Passings. It was built in 1953 and they bought it in April 1957 {I was almost 7-years old then}, from a Family that the Husband was having a Job Transfer from Sacramento, to San Francisco. and almost every house in our Neighborhood had Faulty Gas Water Heaters Installed. My Parent's bought a Montgomery Wards Signature Gas 30-Gallon Water Heater and it had a 20-year Warrantee. That Water Heater lasted for 35-years, without any problems. At that time, we also had the Galvanized Water Pipes, so my Father would every once in a while open the Faucet on the lower front of the Water Heater and take out any Sediment that was in there, besides some small amounts of Rust that came out no doubt from the Galvanized Pipes.

Peace and Kind Regards, Steve
SactoTeddyBear0503...

 

[toggleswitch2]

~Reviewing my records, I did install it with the lower element converted to 5,500 watts, because my wiring and circuit breakers were sized for that.

Was the wring WITHIN the HWH properly sized for that?