What's the best hot water heater? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/20/2026 11:49:25 AM EDT
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My 12 year old is leaking, time to get it replaced. I wish go to Costco and get a Bosch 800 was the right answer, but it's not. My Google fu says Bradford White RG240T6N-264- 264 because we have extremely hard water. I know some of you have replaced yours and we even have some pros. What's the correct answer? TIA |
I'm on break.
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Rinnai tankless https://www.rinnai.us/residential/tankless-water-heaters |
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| I've had very good luck with AO Smith over the years and have one now. Keep the anode rods in good shape by swapping out as needed (which is really easy to do). Bradford White is probably a step up in quality from what I've heard from others and I could be convinced to go with BW on my next replacement. We'll see. I think there are models where the anode rod and dip tube are integrated in one unit and not sure how I feel about that and how easy those are to replace. Our softened water eats anode rods fast, so I put in a new one every 2 years or so. |
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If you didn't have a 50 gallon, try to upgrade, if you have the space. Also, look at the BTU or wattage rating if you want faster heat recovery. Quick Dimension & Power Comparison Model _________________________ Fuel Type______Energy Input____ Warranty Coverage A.O. Smith Signature 500_____ 240V Electric__ 5,500 Watts_ 12-Year Limited Rheem Performance Plus _____240V Electric__ 4,500 Watts _____9-Year Limited American Standard Tall Gas___ Natural Gas__ 40,000 BTU/hr__ 6-Year Limited Reliance Tall Gas______________ Natural Gas___ 40,000 BTU/hr____6-Year Limited install a corrosion-protection sacrificial anode rod, and replace it every few years |
Always blame autocorrect.
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Tankless + install last year cost me less than just the replacement tank heater when my old tank heater started leaking last year. My electric bills also dropped a bit after it was installed. I will never go back to having a tank heater. |
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Originally Posted By CavVet: My 12 year old is leaking, time to get it replaced. I wish go to Costco and get a Bosch 800 was the right answer, but it's not. My Google fu says Bradford White RG240T6N-264- 264 because we have extremely hard water. I know some of you have replaced yours and we even have some pros. What's the correct answer? TIA They are all built the same. A metal tank that must withstand 150psi. Enough insulation to meet DOE regs. From there, the big 3 all bolt on elements or gas valve made by the same parts supplier. Same vendors for drains, TPVs, anode rods etc. They basically make the tank in house and bolt other companies components to it. The factors then are cost, warranty, customer service if needed. And the water heater in a big box store is the same construction as the one from a plumbing store. The difference being warranty, price, and a cheaper gas valve or drain valve may be on the ones at the big box store. The tank, insulation etc is the same |
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Originally Posted By Bubbles: Tankless + install last year cost me less than just the replacement tank heater when my old tank heater started leaking last year. My electric bills also dropped a bit after it was installed. I will never go back to having a tank heater. That surprises me. We were doing some bathroom remodeling in the basement right next to the utility room, so I got a few bids on installing tankless since we were already tearing things up. All the bids I got were over $6k. And that was for what I was told was an easy install. No thanks. I don't have enough time left on this planet to make that math work. I can replace with conventional water heaters for far less the rest of the way. |
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Originally Posted By KodiakZach: Rinnai tankless https://www.rinnai.us/residential/tankless-water-heaters I've been looking at a tankless for our next. We have hard water. Is a softener a must? |
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Originally Posted By tahusker:That surprises me. We were doing some bathroom remodeling in the basement right next to the utility room, so I got a few bids on installing tankless since we were already tearing things up. All the bids I got were over $6k. And that was for what I was told was an easy install. No thanks. I don't have enough time left on this planet to make that math work. I can replace with conventional water heaters for far less the rest of the way. That surprises me too. I currently have a 40 gallon- no need to go bigger, the nest is clearing out. I would love to go thankless. The extra room would be fantastic. |
I'm on break.
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Have a small AO Smith water heater that does well. Btw, if your water is hot why are you heating it? ETA. If you don't have central hot water from your comrades I guess you have a water heater that hangs on the wall that goes faucet to shower? About every 2-3 years replace such. No problem... |
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Originally Posted By KodiakZach: Rinnai tankless https://www.rinnai.us/residential/tankless-water-heaters |
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Originally Posted By CavVet: That surprises me too. I currently have a 40 gallon- no need to go bigger, the nest is clearing out. I would love to go thankless. The extra room would be fantastic. There are only two reasons to go with a tankless water heater over a tank. Never ending hot water and extra space. If you don’t need either, do not go tankless. |
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Originally Posted By Ilikepieman: There are only two reasons to go with a tankless water heater over a tank. Never ending hot water and extra space. If you don’t need either, do not go tankless. I'd probably add a 3rd reason . . . tankless shouldn't fail spectacularly like conventional heaters and flood your house. That's part of the reason I considered tankless with our basement bathroom remodel, but for the cost of the tankless bids I got I can replace a lot of anode rods and buy new conventional models more often for the rest of my life. |
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depends on gas or electric For Gas Bradford white, which requires professional installation for coverage. For electric there is a marathon - rheem - which ditches the big issue with classic metal tank design. MFG website I own the bradford white; anode rod on my really old heater would require a service to access the rod. |
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Originally Posted By blueballs: Why are you heating your hot water? Water only needs to be heated once? Does it stay hot, or do you need to heat hot water to keep it hot? I couldn't resist. Not only have i been a plumber for 36 years, this is one of the oldest internet forum targets. I say water heater, but defend hot water heater. A tankless is a true water heater. A storage tank of hot water is essentially a hot water heater. |
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Originally Posted By boolzi: Water only needs to be heated once? Does it stay hot, or do you need to heat hot water to keep it hot? I couldn't resist. Not only have i been a plumber for 36 years, this is one of the oldest internet forum targets. I say water heater, but defend hot water heater. A tankless is a true water heater. A storage tank of hot water is essentially a hot water heater. Or is it a hot water maintainer? |
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| Not to derail thread, but I have a water heater maintenance question. 12 year old water heater. I flushed it once (about 9 years ago) and have never changed the anode. Is it too late to do either? I heard that if it has been a long time, you probably should leave it alone. |
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Originally Posted By CavVet: My 12 year old is leaking, time to get it replaced. I wish go to Costco and get a Bosch 800 was the right answer, but it's not. My Google fu says Bradford White RG240T6N-264- 264 because we have extremely hard water. I know some of you have replaced yours and we even have some pros. What's the correct answer? TIA I install ao smith because its what my supply house carries. Ive installed Bradford white too, i see no difference. But these are plain old water heaters, not the ones with bs on them like you find in home depot or lowes. Its just a tank, 2 elements and 2 tstats. No reason to anything digital on them. |
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Originally Posted By KodiakZach: Rinnai tankless https://www.rinnai.us/residential/tankless-water-heaters This right here.. I ordered a Rinnai and back flush valves from Amazon and self installed. Very happy. The general consensus is, if you don't have gas or propane, stick with a tanked water heater. The electric tankless water heaters are not worth the hassle. The condensing style tankless heaters are more efficient and you can run the intake and exhaust with PVC because it's cooler. Non-condensing style tankless heaters have much hotter exhaust and need to be plumbed with metal exhaust. They also make outside units that don't need any intake or exhaust plumbing and have a low wattage heater inside to keep them from freezing up. |
There's no way on earth I'm in before the "hot water heater" redundancy phrasing comments  (I call em hot water heaters too)  |
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| Electric Rheem Marathon, my first one developed a small crack in vessel after 20 years, covered under the lifetime vessel warranty. Poly tank so no anode to replace, elements and thermostats are standard replacment, nothing digital. Just drain the crap out of the bottom when your need to and good to go. Insulated like a Yeti cooler so retain heat well. |
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Originally Posted By Bubbles: Tankless + install last year cost me less than just the replacement tank heater when my old tank heater started leaking last year. My electric bills also dropped a bit after it was installed. I will never go back to having a tank heater. |
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Originally Posted By frankiebagadonuts: Not to derail thread, but I have a water heater maintenance question. 12 year old water heater. I flushed it once (about 9 years ago) and have never changed the anode. Is it too late to do either? I heard that if it has been a long time, you probably should leave it alone. |
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Originally Posted By medicmandan: I've been looking at a tankless for our next. We have hard water. Is a softener a must? We have a Rinnai tankless and hard water as well. No softener and no issues in the 16 years we’ve been here. I do the yearly flush maintenance procedure on it myself which is easy to do. |
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Originally Posted By FreefallRet: Leave it alone, but get ready to change it in a few years. Good advice. The calcium and minerals develop like coral after years of not flushing, then if you go to do it they shatter and fall to the bottom and clog up your drain. I wish I had taken a pic of mine. As a bad plumber I don’t flush my water heaters but I had to replace an element and I looked in the tank with a light and saw the coral like structure. When I install a new heater for myself I put a 3/4 ball valve in where the cheap drain is..uno, for the ease of flushing that I don’t do. How I got it drained without busting the limescale baffles me. It’s pretty delicate. But neat looking. |
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Originally Posted By frankiebagadonuts: Not to derail thread, but I have a water heater maintenance question. 12 year old water heater. I flushed it once (about 9 years ago) and have never changed the anode. Is it too late to do either? I heard that if it has been a long time, you probably should leave it alone. If you're gonna be in the house for a long time . . . personally, I'd just look to replace it and then be sure to do annual flushing and as-needed anode rod swap on the new one. 12 years, to me, seems like you're getting well into "old age" for a conventional water heater and probably pushing your luck to let it ride, especially since it hasn't been maintained well. I know guys will post examples of far older water heaters doing fine. But I wouldn't trust it. At a minimum, I'd say you could pull the anode rod and replace if it's gone or nearly gone. But if it's gone . . . your tank might be on more borrowed time than you really want to risk. Non expert opinion. Just paranoid homeowner opinion. Would be curious what the experts here would advise. |
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Originally Posted By Butternut: There's no way on earth I'm in before the "hot water heater" redundancy phrasing comments (I call em hot water heaters too) They are hot water heaters, they heat the water for your home's hot water supply. This is one of the more retarded "internetisms" that keep showing up here. Rheem and Bradford White are the two brands actual plumbers seem to repeatedly recommend, FWIW. |
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My water heater is 39 years old and that is NOT a typo. I know I'm likely on borrowed time but the devil on my shoulder says, “Who knows; it might just run forever. If you replace it now you’ll be replacing it every few years”. |
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Originally Posted By tahusker: That surprises me. We were doing some bathroom remodeling in the basement right next to the utility room, so I got a few bids on installing tankless since we were already tearing things up. All the bids I got were over $6k. And that was for what I was told was an easy install. No thanks. I don't have enough time left on this planet to make that math work. I can replace with conventional water heaters for far less the rest of the way. DH and a buddy did the install so no labor cost. We also got a model that didn't require us to install a second breaker panel for it which is where the difference in price usually comes into play. |
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Originally Posted By CavVet: we we have extremely hard water. |
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Originally Posted By Bubbles: DH and a buddy did the install so no labor cost. We also got a model that didn't require us to install a second breaker panel for it which is where the difference in price usually comes into play. OK, that makes more sense if you and/or someone you know can tackle the install and avoid labor costs. I was shocked at the bids I got. I was thinking maybe $3k all-in in my head. All the guys who came out took a look and said "yeah, this is easy . . . you don't need a larger/separate gas line and we can vent right out your wall there." Then I'd get a quote for $6,500. No thanks. I don't have any connections for expert, labor-free install and that's a project that I just would not be comfortable DIY'ing. So I'll stick with conventional unless something unforeseen happens with pricing at some point. |
| I've had excellent results with AO Smith. I prefer the type with the mechanical T-stats because they're much less susceptible to power surges than the electronic controls. |
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