We moved in our 1960s house in 1990. We called a young plumber who was just starting out in his own company. This was one of his first water heater installs. He put in an A O Smith. Fast forward 32 years to 2022 and I try to replace a corroded anode bar that was clanging inside the tank but it broke off. So I dig out my paperwork from 1990 and call the same plumber, and now he is an old man and getting ready to retire this year but he will go ahead and install another A O Smith as one of his last projects. Lol.
I have to agree with the many people on this site that they don't make em to last anymore. That's why I'm holding off on replacing it. It still heats water and does not leak. I want to see if the anode can be drilled out and replaced. I know I will never find a tank like this at any price or brand. I also want to credit the longevity of this tank to placing a sediment filter ahead of the water inlet. I only drained it twice in 32 years and each time I did not have any sediment in the bottom. Imagine how much water flowed thru this tank with a wife and 4 daughters lol.
@@edflowers7456 I have had the white water heater for over 3 years and it recentially survived my well pump failure that drained my well and ruined my brand new whole house filter and water heater did not fail . I did not know it happened until I came home from the hospital after my hubby had a heart attack that it happened . There was a short in the wires in the well and it caused the pump to keep running and i guess it all happened after the whole house filter backflushed that morning and it kept running until pump burned out . Filter was brand new and pump was only 6 years old and was a 1 hp pentaire pump in a over 400 foot deep well . Well guys said wiring went bad and they had to replace everything . New filter I had to buy and put in and pressure tank had to be drained 3 times because it was full of silt and new pressure switch , Cost me over almost 4 thousand dollars , but water heater was OK and was checked and it survived . I did turn off all the breaKERS AS SOON AS i SAW i HAD NO WATER . WHITE WATER HEATER WAS FLUSHED AND WORKS GREAT
Yes absolutely. I have Reem electric water heater and working well since last 12 years though the life was supposed to be 6 years. No leaks or rust yet.
I worked for a man that had been a tool and die maker for General Electric and he was in the plumbing business for more than 40 years. I trained under him then bought him out. I learned all of his tricks and he sold Bradford White only and I never had a leaker new water heater. After working for him that was the only water heater I would install. Of the three water heaters you showed you are correct, Bradford White is the best of the best. I have installed the others too and also had leakers. I had to retire from plumbing when I got Leukemia. I am 79 now but wished I would have had another 20 years to work. I have no doubt that I would have still been installing Bradford White water heaters. I still have people call me for advice.
I have a AO Smith 40 gallon electric water heater installed July of 1992! This July 15th it will be 29 years old. I already bought it’s replacement. At 28 I am not waiting for it to leak to replace it. Hello from north east Montana. 10 miles from the Canadian border.
@@darrelfuhrman8217 Though it would be a shame if you cut it open and found out it still looked new inside. Maybe you could stick a borescope camera in it and look at it that way. If it looks alright, maybe you could get another 29 years out of it!!!
Agreed I had an AO select that lasted 21 years ( no maintenance done by me :-) very bad). It finally gave out this year and I replaced it with an A0 platinum 100. hope it lasts as long.
My Rheem Performance Plus is going on 14 years and no problems. Pretty bad when these guys disguise their advice under the deception of promotion of a sponsor
Old Rheem was built better. Trust me I'm a plumber. Bradford White is the best overall, A.O is the best from a box store (have one in my house) Rheem, especially now....well Rheem is shit. I work on more Rheems than ANY other brand COMBINED and by a long shot.
I have lived in my house for almost 35 years. House already had a soft water system installed. I was only getting about 7 years out of each water heater. I think the small amount of sodium in the water from the water conditioner led to lower tank life. My last water is a AO Smith from Ferguson plumbing supply. But I also installed a powered anode which is a permanent replacement for the sacrificial anode. Water heater is now 11 years old and looks brand new. Absolutely no corrosion on any fittings. Powered anode is highly recommended.
I have a (Propane) Rheem that is 15 years old. About 10 years ago I replaced the anode rod with a powered one because the original rod was totally corroded away. Haven't had any issues with it.
One of the main keys to having a water heater last is to have a regular routine of replacing the anode rod, we replace ours every 3 years and our water heater is 25 years old and runs like new, we also flush it once a year. Those warranties on the water heaters are all based on the life of the anode rod(s) because once they go then your water heater is not to far behind
Changing the rod is at the end of my list for extending the life. If you have a water softener, studies have shown that rods are gone in one year. The salt corrodes them out fast. Pressure, temp, hard water, are all more important to focus on.
your water heater lasted that long becuase it was made in a time where water heaters lasted a long time. the annode rod does not stop dirty water from entering the tank, so its not actually doing much for thet tank itself, more so the default quality of water coming out of your appliances. if you bought a heater today wouldn't get it to last 25 years if you tried your very best.
@@brianptomey7366 Those so call studies saying a water softener shortens life is wrong. I just replace a 24 year old water heater only because I went from LP to Natural gas. Anode rod looked like brand knew and I have a water softener. I so drain tank once a year. This remove sediment and if you have a water softener you will have less sediment because it removes minerals in the water. The small amount of salt from a water softener will not corrode will not do what your saying.
Crazy. Had a Rheem for 12 years. Never had an issue. Never been serviced. Never been flushed. Has worked beautifully. Upgrading this week. Going with a Rheem.
@@slowasturtle5704 yeah, a lot of things were good 25 years ago or more. But that’s not the case now. You’ll be lucky to get any of these to last any more than 10 or 12 years with the exception of maybe one or two.
@@jochimbenschneider1915 (Plumbing contractor here) My last Bradford White started leaking about a month after the 6 yr. warranty expired. So... I decided to change out my sacrificial anode regularly....about every 3 years on my 2015 Bradford White. It's on its 3rd one. So far so good.
2 years back I had to replace my water heater, which ran for 16 years never had any issues, until one day it blew up and water leaked all over the place. This was replaced by Rheem from Home Depot, what a mistake! I had such a bad experience with the Rheem water heater, the unit stopped working after 2 weeks and their warranty repair was so poor! For over 2.5 months I had no hot water, after multiple plumbing companies attempting to repair it! They fix it and it will fail within a day or two. Finally Rheem agreed to replace it, which took lot of effort from my side to make it happen. I returned the unit to Home Depot and worked with their professional services to install Brandford White unit. So far this unit has been working fine without any issues.
Back in the 60's, one of my school buddy's dad was a plumber. Billy and I would take turns camping out in each other's back yards on weekends. Occasionally we'd go with his dad to do a quick water heater swap. I remember him telling us how important it was to drain some water out of the tank once a year so "mud" wouldn't build up in the bottom of the tank as that would keep water from being in direct contact with the "glass" tank bottom and then the gas flame would be able to overheat and ruin it. He also said he never replace a rusted out tank that had a good anode rod in it. In the 60+ years since then I've followed his advice and never had to replace a water heater
I bought a Bradford White natural gas 40 gallon shorty online and installed it myself not expecting any warranty and followed all the installation recommendations. Water pressure 60 psi check. Expansion tank installed check. Water quality check. Properly vented 4 inch to 6 inch vent pipe and passed vent hood flame test check. Incoming gas pressure manometer pressure check. Had one of those unreliable Honeywell gas valves with the blinking light from Hell. It quit after 2 years. Bought the updated gas valve with thermostat probe NOT in a plastic shell but naked metal on Amazon about 115 bucks. Still working OK after another 3 years. I don’t see any great improvement of BW over the other heaters in this “comparison”. They are all more the same than different.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Seems like it’s a roll of the dice with any given brand. Gas valve seems to be the weak link with modern gas water heater.
I have worked 18 years full time for a plumbing wholesale supply house and 14 years plumbing in the field full time. Any water heater that is bought from a big box store will have a prorated crappy warranty. Water heaters purchased from a wholesale supply house will have a full true warranty. Not all Rheem water heaters are made in Mexico. Some are made in Montgomery, Alabama. A O smith has had a lot of quality control issues since the early 90's but they do offer more specialty heaters because they are the largest brand. Bradford white heaters were good until 2010 and then they went down hill. Every Bradford white heater that I installed after 2010 has had to be replaced under warranty they simply don't last. There are only 3 water heater manufactures. Bradford white, Rheem, and A O Smith any other name is simply private labeled under Rheem or Ao smith.
You guys are very misleading. This absolutely was not a review. It was a commercial for the BW. Also, you completely lied about the AO Smith being made outside of the USA. I am an employee of AO Smith and we have several water heater manufacturing plants in the USA. We are an international company so we have plants outside the USA, including Mexico. But to say that the only AO Smith water heater you can buy is made outside the USA is a lie. You guys really need to get your facts straight before you “review” anything. For anyone looking for honest reviews about water heaters, go elsewhere. I don’t know any channels that do this, but these guys are gonna mislead you.
Danny Barnhill, thank you so much for your comment! As a single woman who must make these decisions herself, I always appreciate commenters who set the record straight when a video is putting forth misleading info! , Also, I greatly appreciate learning the horrific truth about companies that solicit their services to manufacturers to provide the “service” of padding the reviews on various products with fraudulent “positive“ reviews! That is why we must always read the negative reviews first! Do you know if this is also true on the Better Business Bureau‘s website’s reviews???? Be blessed!
Karyn, to be honest with you, I really don’t know about the reviews on the BBB. I don’t think that the ratings and reviews they have carry the same weight they did 20 years ago because of the internet. But I still wouldn’t hesitate to look there if I were researching something. Have a blessed day.
@@dannybarnhill5704 does A.O. Smith carry a USA-made, short height, Natural Gas, 40 gallon water heater that has a mechanical gas valve, instead of the Honeywell digital board type gas valve? I have not been able to find that specific bit of information on any brand of water heater in the manufacturers’ listed descriptions online. And that detail is very important to me. I would like to get a professional grade/commercial grade model like what could be found at a plumbing supply store such as Ferguson plumbing, not the cheaper models sold at places like Lowe’s. If you carry a model meeting the criteria listed above, would you be so kind as to reply with the model number and full exact series name? I would greatly appreciate any info you could provide. Thank you in advance.
The plant that I work in only makes residential water heaters. However, we do have a plant that makes commercial units. Look up Polaris water heaters. I don’t know anything about those units other than they are all stainless steel. I hope this helps.
I had a GE gas water (tank) heater installed 5-5-2005 ( I put a sticker with the date on it so I would remember when it was installed ) as of this writing the unit is a tad over 17 years old. I never had any maintenance done to it nor have I ever drained it. Once in a blue moon the pilot will go out and need to be re-lit. Two factors I attribute to the longevity, my town has very soft water, so I'm told, and living alone many of those years the unit doesn't need to be refilled too often. When this one goes I will definitely replace it with another GE. I'm not implying GE is superior to the 3 brands reviewed in this video but I would stick to what has worked for me. One more thing I forgot to add, I see the complaints about the digital controls failing and needing to be replaced after a few years, simple is better! My 17 year old unit has nothing more than a manual dial to adjust the water temperature. I'm sure the new GE models are probably digital now also but If I had an option I would opted for manual. Simple and effective.
Just noticing these comments and I don't mean to break your guy's heart but I too have a fifteen-year-old GE that has been flawless for the seven years I've lived here but now it is leaking and I found out Rheem makes GE :(. I also wanted to get another GE so I started shopping and found this out I have the manual dial and all of that. Great hot water no burner issues but now just a dripping tank and now I'm worried about what I'm going to replace it with
I bought and installed a Richmond Essential Power Vent in my home in January, 2016. Richmond is made and warranted by Rheem. Had to replace it in August, 2020. Just last week, I had to replace it again. I haven't had exactly the best of luck with Rheem products, but their warranty and customer service has been top notch. I called Rheem and after a few questions, the representative emailed me a letter, stating that the unit was not repairable. I was instructed to drain the tank, disconnect the unit and take it along with the letter, to Menards for a direct replacement. Both times, I walked out with a brand new unit with a new 6 year warranty, all at no charge. That debunkes the UA-camr's claim that the warranty is pro-rated. Had it not been warranted, I probably would have tried something else, but at least it was an easy swap both times. Admittedly, I never replaced the anode rods or regularly flushed the tank in either unit. I just purchased a Corra-Protec electric anode rod that I'll be installing this weekend. Between that and annual flushing, I'm expecting to have much better results going forward.
I have a Rheem 40 galllon tank and a water softener. I've had it for 39 months. I called a plumber to replace the anode, he pulled the cap on the anode, and felt moisture, he said it the tank is probably already corroding and refused to replace the anode. He wanted to sell me a new water heater. What I've saw in "this old house" is that you should replace the anode after two or three years because it can somehow corrode and be too hard to take out. My plan now is to replace the anode myself, and if I can't get the old one out, or if the new one won't seat without leaks, replace it. I don't think this will be covered by warranty. Update. I replaced the anode myself. It was easy, the old anode was corroded but still had a lot left. I bought the new anode with a socket that fit for $25 on Amazon. The old anode came out easy. In hindsight I think the plumber either was 1) trying to sell me a new set up or was 2) was afraid of taking responsibility for my old one if he worked on it.
Licensed plumber isn't going to come out to do that small of a job. Not worth their time to even get in the truck. Call a handyman if you can't do the job yourself on these small types of home projects.
Perfect example not to believe a plumber they just want to sell you a new water heater you're better off going to the Box Store and buy a Rheem water heater and install it yourself
Years ago I installed a Bradford-White for a lady in the desert, thermostat/gas valve assembly was defective, B/W sent a whole new thermostat/gas valve assembly overnight to customers home, after calling their toll free customer service number! Had the water heater up and running in less than an hour! Lady had hot water 20 minutes later! Bradford-White is the only one I will ever use, great company! Thanks guys for all you do!
I have a BW installed 18 years ago and is now giving me 5 flashes.....I still have hot water but not as recoverable as before, I am not a licensed plumber bur regardless of that have in my house ready to install today another BW that I bought from Ferguson. No hassles ordered over the phone and was ready at "will call" when I arrived. Regardless of the brand it's my opinion that you "throw the dice" regardless of the brand you buy. I hope all goes well after installation....and yes I know what I am doing.
Been in my house since 99 and i have never had a water heater leak, home had an electric that i immediately swapped out for gas from kenmore unit that had nine year warranty then for short money bought a nine year Sears service warranty/program where if i had a problem with anything they would repair or replace under program at no cost to me. ZERO issues until 9 years @ 4 months Sears still replaced it for free but only agreed to a 6 year warranty unit since i was over warranty. Unit operated great until 2021 (@12-13years) when I swapped out for a AO Smith signature series, which has been working flawlessly since install. It has a ceramic coated internal tank to protect from corrosion and tip similar to the Bradford White’s which swirls water to keep sediment from building up. Priced a BW back then but when I compared specs, options vs price i just couldn’t justify spending @ 40% more for the BW.
I have never found much difference between name brands. Just replaced a Bradford with a Rheem. This was an electric. The next day I cut the power while installing a water softener at about 3PM. When I was done, I forgot to switch the water heater back on. Took a shower, did a dishwasher load, went to bed. The next morning, at 9AM, the water was warm, but not hot. I then realized I had forgot to flip the switch. 15 hours of no power and still had warm water
Im a big fan of the Rheem marathon. It is made from plastic it does not rust out like the rest of these tanks. It's crazy I've seen tanks 5 years old rusted . The way the bowl designed at the bottomof the tank allows for super easy flushing of contaminants. They come with a 10-year standard warranty or a lifetime warranty if you register it. A 40-gallon does cost about $1,500 though but it won't rust out and will save you in the long run
Bought a Rheem Performance for $600-ish with the standard 6 year warranty. Broke in 4. Took it back to Home Depot. They give me $500 credit. Bought a Platinum with a 12 year. I’m very happy with Rheem since I can put it in myself. Broke in the morning and had it replaced by the afternoon. My issue was the thermostat. Rheem has a 12 year warranty. Bradford white has a 10. Plus you have to pay $800+ in labor to replace contractor installed ‘ warranty’ work. Do it your self and you can buy 3 Rheems for the cost of a plumber installed BW.
@@ppumpkin3282 Lowe's does similar. The people in the video failed to mention this. With AO Smith, you call them for an RMA, then return it to Lowes for a gift card, then, buy a new one. It sounded like you might be able to return without an RMA, but, they told me to try getting one first.
@@idmhead0160 Thanks. I'll have to check it out. When I had some problems initially and called Rheem, it was a real nightmare. I just changes the anode so I'm hoping I'll get a longer life out of this tank, than I was getting int he past.
That's exactly what I think. These guys are making sound as if you're going to pay just a bit more, with their "recommendation. All they are promoting is, a product & a method that will give THEM the biggest profit.
I personally have a Rheem and never had issues with it but working for a plumbing company I’ve noticed most of our customers do have more issues with Rheem. Usually they stop working within the first couple of years while they are under warranty and they do take a while to send in parts or resolve an issue. By the way thank you guys for very useful information.
My 50 gal Bradford White hydroflush installed in 2000 and just changed 0ct 2021 a few days ago. Never ruptured and corroded out only on the top!!! Before we had a Rheem and it lasted only 4 years. Pays to get the 50 gal as a larger body of water holds heat longer an doesn't run out during a shower on wash days.
I used to be a landlord. I always installed brand X 30 gal gas water heaters. Our area for the most part has excellent public water. I suspect that some tenants raised the heat of water at the valve and used excessive amounts of hot water. When doing a serious re-hab at one rental, I pulled the 30 gal WH and replaced with a 40 gal WH. I used the 30 gal WH from the re-hab and used it in our house for 26 years before it started leaking at the top of the WH. The WH was used a few years when new by a family of 4. The secret to long WH life is keep the water heat low, have good quality (filtered if necessary) water entering the WH. Excessive hot water use will hasten the life of the WH. People, it's your money, choose wisely. As long as it is within my power, I will never pay double for water heater, parts and labor to have someone install a water heater at my place. A friend of mine recently was on vacation. A family member was staying at their home when the water heater started leaking. When the owner of the home got the bill, it was $1,900.00. You will pay a stiff premium to have "a professional" install a water heater for you, so know this well in advance. Most WH installers will do nothing beyond placing a drip pan and it's pipe drain to the floor, so that they really have not done you any great future favor when the WH eventually leaks and drains water on whatever floor happens to receive leaking water from WH. I hope that many read this before these comments are removed by Twin Home Experts.
I have a 7-year old Rheem Premium Plus 50 gallon gas fired tank. I called the 1=866 suppor number yesterday, and today, I've received an email confirmation that says my replacement Thermostat control module is on it's way via FedEx overnight, at no charge to me.
Don't believe all this BS about the bad control on the Rheem unit. EVERY manufacturer uses Honeywell controls-- they are ALL the SAME regardless of who made it.
rheems do have bad controls, but so do ao smiths. bradford whites use the same controls but they don't fail nearly as much. so yes. believe them about the bad controls, but apply them to all the brands as well. i assume bradford whites fail less because the parts that are being controlled in a BW do not require extra compensation from failing parts like rheem and ao smith. i sell heater parts for a living. we keep rheem and ao smith on the shelf. we don't even bother to stock a full line a BW parts. nuff sed..
@@rohanpatel4863 bradford. if i get a customer who just can't afford tankless or maybe is selling the house & wants to get out at bare minimum cost- I insist on bradford
Bought a Rheem Platinum water heater 13 years ago and had a ticketed plumber install it for $400.00 and still runs awesome, bought it from home depot with a 12 year warranty for $800.00, this to me is still worth it as it was $1,200.00 in total and still performing exellent with no problems. The previous one I had was a rental that was old and not efficient at all as we had for 25 years, we added the receipts up $90.00 every 3 months x 4 = 1 year = $360.00 x 25 years = $9000.00 in rental charges and you dont even own it. I will never rent again, what a scam and not to mention a hassle just trying to return the rental one. So if this one blows up I have no problem just buying another one as this would probably be the last one I would need to buy.
I have been in the Construction Business over 40 years. Just inspected an AO Smith that was 41 year old and still going strong. My experience is AO Smith is a very good hot Water Tank My #1 Choice
AFTER watching this video and some comments, i am so happy to have the AO SMITH water tank in my new house. It's been installed since 2014. I hope it will last as long as 32 years as one of the people mentioned in the comment.
Thanks, guys my heater is old, thinking of replacing it. You helped me make up my mind, got an estimate and the Bradford White was by far the most expensive, but you get what you pay for. So we now have four thumbs up.
I just had a 5 year 9 month old bradford white power vent water heater leak out the bottom (Shame on me for never draining sediment). Called my contractor, had a new $1900 dollar water heater installed for free. Only Had to pay 250 in labor. Well worth the investment. Also had in a very dusty area and never caused a problem with gas flame or igniter. Customer service was awesome. My area has bad water. No one has heaters that last more then 6-7 years. But the warranty and the fact they stood by it made me a customer for life.
I have a Rheem self-cleaning WH in my home that I installed in 1998. I flush it (under full pressure) twice a year. Also have the temp set at about 120°. I think the moderate temperature and flush are major contributors to the long life. (Model PG50T9HA) The only thing I wish for is a dial-to specific temperature on the thermostat.
I have a good old GE 40 gallon gas water heater bought 22 years back. It was installed by a licensed plumber - he probably ordered from a plumbing supply store. No leaks the past 22 years just a couple of occasions drips near the tank bottom and stopped quickly. Never figured out what it was. Replaced thermocouple once a few years back. Water comes out nice and hot now. Probably tons of sediments and rust inside tank as I haven't flushed tank since 6 years ago and now toilet bowl turns brown every 2 months and I need to bleach the bowl area regularly. With current high prices and all the failures w Honeywell part in new water heaters etc. there doesn't seem to be a guaranteed success getting a new gas water heater unit. So just keep the old faithful GE gas water heater - flush the tank and replace with new anode, and it can keep going for another 10 years - So I'll have spare time to wait til' water heater price comes down perhaps? Or, anyone knows a place to buy these old style gas water heater from 20 years back with no fancy electronics and non-essential controls - just simple turn knob control to adjust temperature and thermocouple? Fewer parts mean fewer troubles.
Definitely fewer parts mean less trouble later. My entry level Rheem WHs lasted 17 yrs. I recently priced new ones and was shocked at how expensive they are. Dropped in a new 4 gal expansion tank on my 87 gal WH. Old undersized 2 gal unit cracked and rusted through. Emptied the old unit and black particles and black water emerged!
I spoke to a Plumbing company who recommended avoiding the “digital board style gas valves” and said to be sure to only get a water heater with a “mechanical gas valve.” He recommended the following: “40 Gallon Rheem Professional Classic, Natural Gas Heater, model# prog40-38n rh62,” but be sure to call Rheem to verify that this model does indeed have the mechanical gas valve and not the horrible, frequently failing Honeywell digital gas valve. I’ve been doing lots of research on water heaters the last couple of days and have learned so much, but unfortunately in the descriptions of water heaters, I have yet to see one discuss whether or not it has the horrible Honeywell digital gas valve, or the more reliable mechanical gas valve. So I too, will be making a phone call to the different manufacturers to inquire.
I also have a GE gas water heater (made by Rheem) installed in 2009. It just now started to have smelly hot water, so I'm gonna try to get the anode rod out and replace 🤞🤞
I have scrap metal business and I work with over 25 plumbing contractors and they only use Bradford white water heaters...but I junk Thousands of them a year they don't last very long..average about only 4-8 years some go longer but that's very rarely the case.. I think it has alot to do with the Quality of the water. The water is very hard in full minerals here in northeast PA... My current water heater in my house is 12 years old Bradford white but I did have to change both heating elements already.
Would it make sense to visit a scrapyard to pick up a used tank to rebuild? Are there any with fiberglass tanks that could be rebuilt with new controls/anodes/heating elements?
Bradfords are built for longevity. I have a Bradford. I had the same issues with my prior rheem gladiator. On average they last longer 2-3 so around 12 years before having to have them changed out.
I have hard well water (upstate NY). My BW water heater (TTW series, LP gas), installed just over 20 yr ago, has only just failed. And actually it's the blower that failed; the tank and burner are fine (but a replacement blower is very expensive). I do regularly flush the tank.
It should be noted that the AO Smith in the big box store is different than the AO Smith from a reputable supply house. The parts are different and the weight of the tank is heavier at the supply house. Warrantee repair parts are obtained through an 800 number with the big box rendition where the parts are readily available at a reputable supply house for the actual contractor-grade AO Smith.
Isn't "contractor grade" a term used for less expensive items typically installed by contractors in spec houses to save on construction costs and increase profit?
I've had an (lifetime warranty 🤣) electric AO Smith for 19 years. Drained and flushed it 3 times, never had anode rod changed but the control board was changed twice within the first 3 years and they told me they weren't covering it any longer ( so much for lifetime warranty). 16 years later, I get an occasional error code from the control board for a day or two but it continues to function properly. I would like to buy a "dumb" water heater like the old days but can't find one. Todays "lifetime warranty" on any product is worthless and means nothing.
My Dad didn't know what he was doing but 16 years ago he installed a natural gas BW 50 gallon water heater. Worked great for 16 years until it leaked. We never changed the anode rod... who knows how long it would have run if it was properly maintained. The hvac guy my mom called to replace it recommend we install another Bradford White because he claims they are the best. I just put an electric BW water heater in. Hopefully with occasional anode rod changes it will last for 30+ years.
I found the plumbers in my area, I not really interested in replacing anodes. Maybe they would rather just wait for the tank to break and replace it. It's something you need to do yourself.
The water heater is the most and hardest used appliance in any house. It is constantly in use if people are living in the home. Think about that before getting pissed when it goes out.
Just got a replacement ticket for a Reliance water heater [AO SMITH] with a lifetime warranty, I can pick out any water heater I want, anywhere I want to pick it up. Purchased in -1995! Took one call and five minutes! Solved.
I recently had a Rheem 40 gallon replaced with a Bradford White 40 gallon. Durung installation, I noticed the BW was considerably thinner compared to the Rheem. That got me worried that BW might have less insulation. Well I think my concerns were correct. We're wasting more water because it takes so much more longer to get hot water now. It feels like we're waiting a minute or two longer. My mother now turns on the water beforehand, leaves then comes a couple minutes later when the water is hot. The Rheem heater never took this long. To make matters worse, if the hot water isn't used for 10 minutes, you have to wait for hot water again. BW doesn't retain water heat very well. I'm so frustrated. I should have just kept the Rheem. It was only 7 years old but the cost was covered, so I figured might as well get a new top of the line water heater. I regret it now.
@@justauser Not really. The difference in pricing is based on warranty that comes with a heater. Heater capacity affects pricing too but warranty is what you're really paying for.. But as far as performance and features, they're practically the same within each brand. This is what a technician told me.
Live in the Phoenix area. Lived in this home for 17 years. House had A.O. Smith from build date, rusted out after 5 years. Replaced with A.O. Smith 3 MORE times due to rust out in the last 12 years. All had been ProLine/Commercial series 50 gal gas and installed by licensed plumbers from reputable companies. I drain/flush the tanks every spring, usually up to 4-5 reps until the white residue stops flowing. Even still, they sounded like a rain stick when drained and removed-all that damn sediment STILL!!! I had to bite the bullet and go to the Home Depot and ended up with Rheem 9 year Performance Plus series. Hope it lasts! The only other option in my area was a Reliance brand from ACE Hardware. Wasn't going back to A.O Smith who is available at Lowes. I'm thinking of installing an inline sediment pre filter. Can only help.
I've been a licensed union plumber for over 26 years and we all have differences of opinion on things we recommend. I can tell you that I've had issues with all 3 of the water heaters mentioned in this video. Several years ago, Rheem had issues with their baffles that would sound like a bell ringing at the start of a professional fight lol. They have since fixed that. Honestly, I've had more issues with Bradford White water heaters and their gas control valves out of the 3. I will say that BW did have a great customer service department and Ferguson helps with being nationwide in getting parts when needed. I also noticed that there was no "cons" listed about the BW water heater, possibly because they felt that there aren't any. The way I see it, life expectancy on most water heaters are within the same vicinity of each other, so it's going to go with what is the most easily available at the time. Most companies prefer BW because they can't be bought in box stores, but supply houses, such as Ferguson and the rest, have limited hours, where box stores are open later. There are some supply houses that will open up after hours, but that will cost a fee just for them to open the doors and then the cost of the heater and any other parts that may be needed. Hope this helps to shed some light on the subject
Bradford doesn't make gas control valves, they make water heaters. If you are having issues with the Honeywells, then have your supply house to buy them with the old style gas control valves. The honeywells one sux
I'm 30 years into my Rheem, contractor-grade water heater in a new house I purchased. I only cleaned it once in 30 years and never changed to anode rod yet.
Just replaced a Bradford White. It lasted 15 years, but the self cleaning doesn't work as good as people think. Still had a lot of sediment in it even though I drained a little a couple of times a year. Got a Rheem now, hopefully it will hold up. Needed a new water heater on the fly and didn't have time to try and find something better.
had some psychic vibes coming outta the HWH I installed about 10 years ago by yours truly. told wifey it needed replacing , went with Bradford due to this video, well noticed a small leak when retrieving crap the fell behind the dryer last week, new unit installed yesterday. great install. very clean, yeah ! not cheap but well done.
The last time I replaced my 40 gallon water heater was in 2006. I set the thermostat to 115 degrees F rather than leaving it at the 135 degree factory setting. The unit is still working fine. Water at 135 degrees is scalding hot and unnecessary.
Yes, my sister kept turning our water heater up real high. I would turn it back down. The water heater failed after two years. She continued doing that. Failed again after 3. The thermostat on a water heater isn't meant to be moved around like that. I would put it on between A and B which is already pretty hot. She would turn it up further. No idea what the temperature is for those setting, but, you will get scolded if the water isn't mixed with cold.
idmhead0 : By the way, changing the thermostat setting without first turning off power to the water heater is one of the worst thing you can do to the unit.
@@tech-centralusa9671 why is that bad? Please correct me if I'm wrong but I see no evidence to suggest that it would be bad for the water heater. It's a safety concern on electric heaters because there are live 220v wires near the thermostat. They tell you to kill the power so you don't get electrocuted if you make a wrong move or the flathead slips off the screw. On gas heaters you can usually just turn the knob and don't have to turn anything off. Also, most professionals recommend you keep the temp set between 130-140 degrees. Setting the thermostat too high is dangerous for obvious reasons and makes the water heater fail prematurely. Setting it too low can be dangerous as it allows bacteria to grow inside the tank that can cause illnesses such as legionnaire's disease.
@Liam Miller you are absolutely correct. Turning the temp higher does essentially yield more hot water because you use less of it to achieve your desired temperature when showering, washing dishes, etc. Legionnaire's disease is real and it sounds like the plumber is uneducated. I would definitely find another one. 😁
Oh boy, Well as a Journeyman plumber who is the Lowe's (AO Smith), Home Depot ( Honeywell Rheem), and 210 Home warranty (Bradford White/ Ferguson) installer for my entire region, I can tell you that the best traditional gas water tank is the Winnsupply stocked Rheem unit solely because the " Thermostat" that these guys called, which is actually called the ( gas control valve), is not made by Honeywell. Honeywell make the most pathetic gas control valves on the market and it is true that they fail within the first couple of years and is a $400 fix which is ridiculous. Unfortunately, Home Depot have cheap Rheem units that carry the crappy honeywell gas control valve and fall victim to bad reviews because of it. That said, Bradford and White is a good unit and is definitely the easiest to process warranties, and believe me, it's not uncommon to have a gas water tank fail in some way within the first couple of years, it's a dang shame. I've been putting in exclusively Rheem Gas Winnsupply tanks the past 4 years (because it's the only one that doesn't have a honeywell gas control valve) and have NEVER had an issue to this day. *Edit* a year later, Rheem has utterly failed in manufacturing since I originally posted this. Not only are their new water heaters as incompetent as the Honeywell ones, they are 10 times harder to get warrantied out since many suppliers are jumping ship because Rheem has completely lost all tech support and customer service. Never again. From here on out, the only one I would ACTUALLY trust is Bradford and White for the sole purposes of easy swap outs WHEN the dang things fail. In all honesty, get a tankless installed and serviced annually if you're planning on staying in your home for 10 plus years. It's not worth the dang risk. That or switch to electric and get any cheap water heater you want.
Have you tried the Richmond water heaters (I think made by Rheem)? I have an AO smith with a Honeywell valve. That has been fine, but, the tank cracked a couple of times, I think because my sister turned the thermostat too high. I have a Richmond from 2009. Hasn't had any problems, but, the thermostat doesn't seem to kick on very well. I.e. if the tank has been sitting there unused for awhile, the water will be less hot. Then, if you run some hot water, it will kick on and heat the water up. I'm trying to decide whether to get a Richmond or a AO Smith. The AO Smith kicks the thermostat on right away when you run the hot water, which I like. That unit is a lot louder than the Richmond.
@@idmhead0160 the 2000s were decent water heaters. I'm still seeing 2001s in action very commonly. At this point, just put whatever water heater you can get that's cheapest. The market is garbage right now. 40 gallon gas water heaters are 200$ more than they were a year ago, and getting them up to code is another 300$ in parts sometimes. People can't afford this crap right now. Try and skim by until the market corrects itself.
@@jamescarter2212 Thanks for the advice. Probably not a bad idea to wait a little and see if prices come back down again. Wages haven't gone up. So, it will be interesting to see if prices go back down again. Probably, it will take a long time for things to correct. Yeah, I noticed that the prices went up. I got my money back on the AO Smith that broke, but, then, had to pay another $125 anyway due to the price increase. I don't have a pan under my current heater though, which is one of the main reasons I want to get a new one. I don't want to wait until it cracks and floods the basement. I have a pan that I haven't yet installed. Theoretically, I could install it under my existing one, but, it would be a big enough pain that I would rather just install a new heater at that point.
Appreciate that response.Is it true that the same water heater from a big box store and a plumbing supply store are made different? Does the big box heater have lower quality parts?
Lot of good comments here. Let me add..... the point on the Rheem not having a self cleaning dip tube. Frankly, I've lived in a hard-water state and didn't routinely drain and clean my unit. Service life always ended up "as expected" anyway. Now I live in a very soft-water area, so even if this aspect is true as claimed in the video....it is more of a "non" issue than they give it credit for.
Home built in Oct 1998 came with Bradford White water heater, started leaking (slightly) after 17 years. I replaced with an AO Smith in Nov 2015, now that is leaking (badly) after just over 6 years... I'm installing a new Bradford White now! I am a DIY home owner just speaking from my experience. Also, homeowners CAN purchase a Bradford White from online suppliers
Bought a 6 Year warrenty on a Rheem 40 Gallon natural gas water heater, It is approaching 10 years of age, and it has been working without issues ever since it was installed in 2014.
Back in 2017 I bought a Rheem Water Heater with a 9 year warranty from Home Depot. The unit was leaking from the bottom for several days/weeks before I noticed the damage the water had done in the garage. I called up Rheem Friday Afternoon and they approved the model/SN for warranty work because there was an additional 2 years left on the warranty. On Sunday, I took the unit to Home Depot as directed and they gave me a prorated amount for the old water heater to apply to another Water Heater. I had to pay $50 for a new one. The new unit was installed on Sunday with another 9 year warranty. I did not have any original receipts for the water heater.
@@robertwagner8596Home Depot told me if I had the original receipt it would have been free. The store supposedly didn’t have records of receipts that long. I thought I would only be prorated a couple of hundred dollars but was happy with only having to pay $50. You getting a free one is great. Did you have the original receipt?
@@beachliving3127 nope,i had no reciept ,like you they couldnt access their records,i guess i got lucky.i did get rheem to email a letter stating my old one failed under warrenty and to replace it.
@@robertwagner8596 I think the cost of the new water heater in 2024 was more than what I had originally paid back in 2017. If memory is correct, this may be the reason why I had to pay a difference. It's possible that Home Depot had an approximate cost of what this type of unit sold for and that was what was the basis of the exchange. If I had the actual receipt and it was higher than what Home Depot had, it is possible that I could have received the unit without paying anything. However, spending $50 for a brand new unit that has a warranty for another 9 years, I can't complain at all!
I bought a house 17 years ago with A.O Smith heater, never had a problem until just about 4 days ago. I call to check the warranty and found out that thing has been working for 29 years. So yeah, I am buying A.O Smith to replace it.
I have had AO Smith for 20 years, no maintenance at all, no flushing at all, no malfunction. Just had it replaced at 20+ year with what brand...AO Smith.
A box store like Home Depot sells Rheem, but they sell a lower grade Rheem water heater than a plumbing supply does. I've been a plumber for 48 yearsand I've had problems with all three of these water heaters. It's best to buy the higher grade heater from a plumbing supply dealer
Just got a Rheem professional from my propane supplier. Looks like a great heater. The plumbers that came out. Only had great things to say about the heater..
Oh nonsense, and you probably hold to the belief that the DeWalt and Makita and Milwaukee tools that are sold there are a lesser grade than ones you can buy at like a contractor supply place? Guess I lucked out with the Montgomery Ward water heater that came with the house we purchased. It finally gave up the ghost this past Christmas, after faithfully lasting for nearly 30 Years! And yes, it was made by RHEEM!
I just agreed to buy a Bradford White 50 gal water heater for $1300+$500 installation fee... scheduled to install next week. Hopefully it does not disappoint me as I want to buy American made production to support American jobs. My old tank 'GE' but made by Rheem(?) still working after 13 years without a problem but I decide to pro-actively replace it before it went South on me. I hope the new Bradford White will last ten years at least!
Have had a Bradford and White 50gal tank for 11 years and love it. Never any issues and will soon replace it with a new one. This video gave a great explanation of the differences. THANKS
I have rental property. The one Bradford White I bought for my own home broke in about 6 to7 years. The Rheems I buy from Home Depot all lasted a few years longer then my one Bradford White did. I will say 2 of my Rheems tanks did leak which made me have to get new ones. Rheem was ok with me with their pro-rated warranty.
Our propane supplier installed a Bradford-White water heater in 1992. I think it has a stainless steel tank but not sure. The only thing that has ever been done to it is I had to replace, I think, a thermocouple, or something like that, and it was readily available at my local Ace hardware store. I also replaced the safety valve once cause it looked caked up. I've never had a leak, I would definitely buy another one but am hoping this one lasts as long as I do siince I am kinda' old. haha
I always use AO Smith Water Heater. It has a very good warranty policy to cover the tank during warranty. I have heater from AO smith last 20 years still working. It’s made in the USA .
We had terrible luck with BW. The pilot would go out every 2-3 weeks (no drafts, no wind, no reason - it just went out regularly). Called the installing plumbing place and they refused to do anything about it (we've never used them again), then called BW and they were rude and unhelpful. Finally saw online that the honeywell t-stat it used was not very good. The BW lasted almost 8 years then conked out. We replaced it with a tankless which has worked without fail for more than a year now. Really glad to see the old BW gone. Our experience with BW was awful, your mileage may vary.
Our plumber installed a new Bradford White water heater in our new house. Two months later, it started making a very loud buzzing/rattling noise. And then it started spilling water into the tray below, eventually flooding our laundry room. BW replaced the faulty heater, but they refused to pay for the reinstallation. So I ended up paying ~$600 to install the same water heater twice in about 3 months. My understanding is that their competitors have better warranties for when things go wrong. Would *not* recommend buying a BW heater.
They are total garbage, the equivalent of store brand soda compared actual coke. These guys must get a kick back because Bradford white are cheap garbage heaters.
Great video guys! I'm getting ready to replace our 25 year old 50 gal. A.O. Smith power shot gas water heater. After watching this video, I am now considering buying a Bradford-White heater.
These guys aren’t wrong. I’m a hot water professional. And I tell customers BW has the best water heaters. Nothing these guys said is incorrect. I get paid the same regardless of what brand water heater I install and service every and install every brand.
it's no lie. I worked for delta mechanical for 2 years, on the costco water heater program & later- on the HD install team. 1 tankless install every day on Monday thru thursday (4 units) then 3 tank heaters on friday- and 3 on sunday, almost without fail, for 2 years. a couple years before that- i worked as the plumbing pro (licensed plumber position) at HD and oversaw almost EVERY return, monday thru friday for 5 years straight, of all water heaters. all rheem. not an uncommon occurrence to have a 12 year warranty heater come back in 2-4 years- rusted through. the sad part? HD gives them $220 and calls it good... the original purchase price was around $500. ao smith, bradford white & state would have just given them a new heater- but that's a pro supply house for you. they say you can't beat a man at his own game- whoever said that was not wrong. almost impossible to beat companies like hajoca, ferguson, slakey, heich, windustrial, etc. plumbing is THEIR game.
Had a trash experience with a Bradford White warranty claim a while back where my local distributor wouldn't handle my warranty and wanted me to call Bradford directly ( local A.O.sclitz/state and Rheem distributors handle that shit for us all the time with no issue.) Anywho I call Bradford and they tell me I have to handle my claim through our local distributor, who again is refusing to handle the claim, got in to a mad circle jerk about who the fuck is replacing this 300 dollar gas valve under warranty, ended up having to find another distributor in another city who handled the claim without issue, meanwhile the customer got shafted having to wait for their shit. Had another lady years ago who we went to install a Bradford White heater for. Usually don't but we had it in the shop for whatever reason, she had us haul the thing out before even starting to install the thing, after she read reviews on it she didn't want it. There's a lot of A.O. Smith around here, ofc we have more A.O. Smith distributors at 3 than any of the others, just 1 Rheem and just 1 Bradford. Had great luck with them, replace ones that are 20ish years old all the time. Rheem went through their gas valve issues over the last 2 years and I wouldn't touch one if had the choice, we do work for a warranty company who supplies their own heaters and while the bounce around of brands sometimes they've been using Rheems lately, 2-3 month after install they'd have gas valve issues. They have changed their gas valve back an older model so hopefully that's a step in the right direction. Even still A.O. Smith is king here what for availability. #1 AO Smith, #2 Bradford #3 Rheem. Also there is a difference between the box store and the supply house AO Smith heaters, the lowes AO Smith is a rebranded American heater which is junk, they're lesser BTU and parts cannot be gotten through local AO Smith dealers, they're Lowes specific so you'll be waiting for your gas valve and hot water if you have issues. Worst move AO Smith made in my opinion, releasing these box store series heaters, you've had a good name in the buisness for a long time, why go and tarnish it by slapping your name over a shit product, I'm sure they make money on them, but its a stain on the brand if you ask me. The actual REAL AO Smiths we use from our local supplier also have ye ole standard burner as well not that manifold crap and thus no burner issues.
I recently replaced a Rheem for a friend. It was 5 years old with a 6 year warranty. I brought it to Home Depot and they gave me full value towards a new one.
So r u saying/advising every 6 yrs replaced an old one before 6yrs warranty expires, brought it to HD/Lowes and they'll give u full value (old price) towards a new one; i.e. if 6 yrs ago u bought one for $600, say, now before it dies completely, u remove it prematurely then ask big box for full value $600 credit towards a new one, if the new one cost $700, u only pay the price diff = $700-600=$100?! Does that work all the time?
@@alexl932 If the water heater fails within the warrantied period, then yes. Each water heater has a printed manufactured date in the event you don't have a receipt they'll go by that date to start the tolling. This is what is called standing by a product you sell and advertise for a certain thing (lifespan in this case).
I went to Lowe’s today to get a new water heater because I happen to Bradford white the brand and the person In charge of the water heater section said that they don’t make Bradfords anymore. These guys were paid pinches liars. The guy In charge told me to that AO smith Was a pretty good fit. I don’t know about Rheem though the parts are from Mexico 🇲🇽 and waiting could take longer but go with what the professionals are telling you try going to a couple of stores that sell water heater’s do some digging and figure out which is best for you’re situation. Don’t be cheap and buy the cheapest one, you’re safety and others are on you.
I would stay away from Rheem, unless you enjoy ice cold sponge baths. The SIT 650 Delta gas control valve on my 6 month old Rheem tank failed, and their warranty/customer service is a joke, virtually nonexistent. Then just giving up and trying to get a new valve to replace it myself of course brought up the infamous, "part currently unavailable." I found a suitable replacement online, but the bottom line is it's just nonsense to go through for a six month old water tank. My previous Bradford White ran 12 years with no issues.
Great video since I am plumber and in business since 2002 and my first choice is BFW and second is AO Smith because I can get parts right away from my pro plumbing Supply WHCI in four locations in the Bay Area because I don't have to leave my costermers without hot water as for Rheem I don't install unless the Coustermer buys it then only I will install it and charge them for labor only this way it's the Coustermers warranty between where they buy it from and I charge them labour for every time I go back to do a service
I purchased a new build home 4 years ago with a Bradford white water heater and it starting leaking yesterday. A “hired professional” came in and used my warranty to give me another but the bill was $3,500!! I refused to pay and they took my warrantied unit. I wrote to Bradford White about this and they don’t care. The warranty ONLY helps a plumber if they can just charge you any overhead cost. And the customer has no clue the value of the heater. There is no way the warranty helps a customer unless I can redeem the warranty without a third party.
it's possible a '96 ao smith might have slipped through the cracks & been made here in the states. hey- if ain't broke? don't fix it. I get pretty fair luck with ao smith.
@@calissenipkow3766 I only recommend tank water heaters to all electric customers. otherwise- i sell them a navien tankless. of they're on a tight budget- I sell them wai-wela / paloma. the tankless will outlast the tank gas heater 4x over- just keep replacing parts. and navien's parts have been very reasonable. just got a new internal navien recirc pump for a customer through ferguson- $140. (i don't mark up parts- if you're a plumber? then F'n PLUMB! if you're a salesman- go work for tupperware or amway!) old pump got destroyed with hard water after 8 years with no maintenance. 38 grains of hardness!!! otherwise? the heater functions perfectly. weird part was- the 'air relief' on top of the pump had started dripping at some point. that trail of water built up a mound of calcium on the voltage connector to the pump- which shorted it out and burned up the pump. i talked the homeowner into installing a de-scaler.
I am now working on replacing my original Rheem electric water heater 50 gallon tank. The one I currently have is a 1994 model. That's right. It's 27 years old. That's why I am definitely going with Rheem. I am buying a SELF CLEANING smart one for $630 from home depot online and I am sure I will be able able to get another 25 to 30 years off of it.
Lol! No bro! You won’t! Things aren’t made like they were in the 90’s and 80’s. I will bet you that you will be let down when your smart water heater breaks down and will not be covered. I like your optimism but be realistic man
Wow, my water heater went out and being a new widow that knows nothing about these kinds of things, I called a plumbing company that instals Bradford White and since I don't know anything about these brands, I looked it up and found you guys and learned a lot and happy that this company installs Bradford White water heaters. My previous water heater was a Rheem and it did't last very long, that is for sure.
House came with an AO Smith, still was running great after 15 years. Only had to replace the thermostats twice. Replaced it with a Rheem Marathon, which is actually a commercial model. Lifetime warranty and rust-proof (made out of fiberglass).
That's pretty good considering that a water heater usually last about 8 Years and yours is almost doubling that. Thermostats are aren't that hard to replace. Sometimes just need to be cleaned.
Have a AO Smith 50 gallon that after 26 years has finally started 😢o leak around the top at the fittings. Use to flush out the bottom every few years but then the plastic valve broke. So I put on one one those hose connectors that use the quick release hose ends. It prevented it from dropping since I couldn’t turn the valve closed. It was installed from a Plummer so maybe better line than one from box stores.
My Bradford White water heater failed tonight.....installed on April 13, 1999. I live near Atlantic Ocean so even wood rusts here. I'll be buying another BW tomorrow without question.
⛔ Oh, yea! We can tell who these guys work for. These are the plumbers that would take advantage of a homeowner in need. Much rather take a chance at a big box store & install it myself.
From my experience as a home owner and landlord, I would agree with these guys. At the risk of "jinxing" things, I go exclusively with B.W. (from Cal Steam, Ferguson owned). I was taught when I was part of a maintenance department, that one of the major contributors of water heater tank failures is due to tank expansion/contraction when the closed system fills up with cold water and then heats up causing "heat" related expansion. That makes the little "expansion tank" very important. I have been installing one at every location since and replacing them with each new heater. Seems to result in excellent W.H. lifespan with little to no "maintenance" (draining/flushing). Just read the directions to apply the correct amount of air pressure in the expansion tank air bladder.
@@ppumpkin3282 Those reasons would make sense. If, however, you have installed a "pressure regulator" between your house and the well supply, that would eliminate those safeguards since there is a check valve in the PR.
Our A.O. Smith 80 gal just started leaking on the bottom after 20 years. Wish we could have got the same brand but the only 80 gallon tank in the entire state of WA is an HTP brand. I hope it works ok HTP has terrible reviews everywhere but it was our only option that wouldn't take a month to deliver.
My Bradford and white failed in less than five years, and the pilot light blew out nearly every couple of months. I picked up an AO Smith at my local hardware store, I purchased the 6 year warranty heater and when I went to the lot to load it, they were out, so the lot guy gave me the 12 year model for the same price. The guys are correct about burner failure. My burner failed in three years. However I didn’t realize that these were not self cleaning and never drained it in that time . It said right in the owner’s manual that it is a self cleaning water heater so I assumed I didn’t need to drain it annually. I assume the burner failure might have been due to not cleaning it annually. AO Sent me a new burner free of charge. It would shut off and blink error code 6, but shutting the gas valve off for 15 minutes and turning it back on would reset it and it would work, so waiting nearly a week for the part was not an issue. I was very disappointed with BW, especially the pilot going out so often and that it didn’t last me six years. They are also mistaken about the gas control valve. They are the same valves made by the same company. Here is a picture of the burner that went out. i.imgur.com/TjWKDNp.jpg
Thanks for sharing this to everyone. It’s always interesting to see what other experiences out there are. You have to understand; this is what we do for a living, so we deal with a massive amount of volume VS a one off. Glad you were taken care of and best of luck!
Our Rheem is around the same vintage, and it finally failed us! Getting a pro-installed Bradford White this time...sure ain't cheap, so hope this one lasts for a couple decades, too!
Good video guys. Very informative. I would add that I would not purchase an AO Smith or Rheem unit at the big box stores. From what I understand (and I could be wrong), the water heaters sold there are not commercial grade. As an example AO Smith sells their signature series line at Lowe's. This is a different grade unit than the ProLine which would be purchased at a plumbing supply house. I just went through this process as I replaced a 14 year old AO Smith unit (GCV-50) with another AO Smith unit (XCG-50). I don't know if you concur or can offer more information. Thanks for putting this video out there.
We moved in our 1960s house in 1990. We called a young plumber who was just starting out in his own company. This was one of his first water heater installs. He put in an A O Smith. Fast forward 32 years to 2022 and I try to replace a corroded anode bar that was clanging inside the tank but it broke off. So I dig out my paperwork from 1990 and call the same plumber, and now he is an old man and getting ready to retire this year but he will go ahead and install another A O Smith as one of his last projects. Lol.
I think the term is "fast forward" buddy.
32 years that was when thigs were made better . Not the trash they sell today . Lucky you get 10 years out of one these days
Difference is the time frame. So smith was a good heater then.not now
I have to agree with the many people on this site that they don't make em to last anymore. That's why I'm holding off on replacing it. It still heats water and does not leak. I want to see if the anode can be drilled out and replaced. I know I will never find a tank like this at any price or brand. I also want to credit the longevity of this tank to placing a sediment filter ahead of the water inlet. I only drained it twice in 32 years and each time I did not have any sediment in the bottom. Imagine how much water flowed thru this tank with a wife and 4 daughters lol.
@@edflowers7456 I have had the white water heater for over 3 years and it recentially survived my well pump failure that drained my well and ruined my brand new whole house filter and water heater did not fail . I did not know it happened until I came home from the hospital after my hubby had a heart attack that it happened . There was a short in the wires in the well and it caused the pump to keep running and i guess it all happened after the whole house filter backflushed that morning and it kept running until pump burned out . Filter was brand new and pump was only 6 years old and was a 1 hp pentaire pump in a over 400 foot deep well . Well guys said wiring went bad and they had to replace everything . New filter I had to buy and put in and pressure tank had to be drained 3 times because it was full of silt and new pressure switch , Cost me over almost 4 thousand dollars , but water heater was OK and was checked and it survived . I did turn off all the breaKERS AS SOON AS i SAW i HAD NO WATER . WHITE WATER HEATER WAS FLUSHED AND WORKS GREAT
This wasn't a review. It was a Bradford white commercial
Exactly. After watching the video you didn't expect them to say Rheem or AO was going to be the best.
I was thinking the same LOL 😂
Yes absolutely. I have Reem electric water heater and working well since last 12 years though the life was supposed to be 6 years. No leaks or rust yet.
Not really. They just gave their opinions based on their experience. If u prefer a different brand, that’s on you.
L8o
M(I⁸
I worked for a man that had been a tool and die maker for General Electric and he was in the plumbing business for more than 40 years. I trained under him then bought him out. I learned all of his tricks and he sold Bradford White only and I never had a leaker new water heater. After working for him that was the only water heater I would install. Of the three water heaters you showed you are correct, Bradford White is the best of the best. I have installed the others too and also had leakers. I had to retire from plumbing when I got Leukemia. I am 79 now but wished I would have had another 20 years to work. I have no doubt that I would have still been installing Bradford White water heaters. I still have people call me for advice.
Bradford white we have is 10yrs old and leaking now gotta get a new one
I have a AO Smith 40 gallon electric water heater installed July of 1992! This July 15th it will be 29 years old. I already bought it’s replacement. At 28 I am not waiting for it to leak to replace it.
Hello from north east Montana.
10 miles from the Canadian border.
Maybe you should cut the old one open or take out the anode rod if you can break it loose and see what it looks like.
@@idmhead0160 Thank you. I like your idea. I had not thought of that.
@@darrelfuhrman8217 Though it would be a shame if you cut it open and found out it still looked new inside. Maybe you could stick a borescope camera in it and look at it that way. If it looks alright, maybe you could get another 29 years out of it!!!
@@idmhead0160 I never thought of that, thank you.
Hello from north east Montana.
10 miles from the Canadian border.
Agreed I had an AO select that lasted 21 years ( no maintenance done by me :-) very bad). It finally gave out this year and I replaced it with an A0 platinum 100. hope it lasts as long.
This is so obviously a commercial for Ferguson and Bradford White. I’ve had a Rheem for 15 years, never had a problem with it.
Good comment! I just had to replace our ‘Montgomery Ward Platinum Series 2000 water heater that was 32+ years old. YUP, it was made by Rheem. 😊
My Rheem Performance Plus is going on 14 years and no problems. Pretty bad when these guys disguise their advice under the deception of
promotion of a sponsor
@@InCountry6970 Appreciate the comment! Your RHEEM is just getting ‘broken in!’ 😆
Old Rheem was built better. Trust me I'm a plumber. Bradford White is the best overall, A.O is the best from a box store (have one in my house) Rheem, especially now....well Rheem is shit. I work on more Rheems than ANY other brand COMBINED and by a long shot.
Rheem is assembled in Mexico, Its American Company, I had rheem , going on 10 years, the Honeywell Thermostat is state of the Art
I have lived in my house for almost 35 years. House already had a soft water system installed. I was only getting about 7 years out of each water heater. I think the small amount of sodium in the water from the water conditioner led to lower tank life. My last water is a AO Smith from Ferguson plumbing supply. But I also installed a powered anode which is a permanent replacement for the sacrificial anode. Water heater is now 11 years old and looks brand new. Absolutely no corrosion on any fittings. Powered anode is highly recommended.
I have a (Propane) Rheem that is 15 years old. About 10 years ago I replaced the anode rod with a powered one because the original rod was totally corroded away. Haven't had any issues with it.
thats becasue its the old ones is why
Absolutely the sodium from the softener caused those tanks to fail, I've removed dozens that were 22 + years old.
None of them had softeners.
One of the main keys to having a water heater last is to have a regular routine of replacing the anode rod, we replace ours every 3 years and our water heater is 25 years old and runs like new, we also flush it once a year. Those warranties on the water heaters are all based on the life of the anode rod(s) because once they go then your water heater is not to far behind
Changing the rod is at the end of my list for extending the life. If you have a water softener, studies have shown that rods are gone in one year. The salt corrodes them out fast. Pressure, temp, hard water, are all more important to focus on.
your water heater lasted that long becuase it was made in a time where water heaters lasted a long time. the annode rod does not stop dirty water from entering the tank, so its not actually doing much for thet tank itself, more so the default quality of water coming out of your appliances.
if you bought a heater today wouldn't get it to last 25 years if you tried your very best.
@@calissenipkow3766 /
@@brianptomey7366 Those so call studies saying a water softener shortens life is wrong. I just replace a 24 year old water heater only because I went from LP to Natural gas. Anode rod looked like brand knew and I have a water softener. I so drain tank once a year. This remove sediment and if you have a water softener you will have less sediment because it removes minerals in the water. The small amount of salt from a water softener will not corrode will not do what your saying.
Thanks, best information, as I know electronic heater use anode rod, but don’t know a gas tank also use that.
Crazy. Had a Rheem for 12 years. Never had an issue. Never been serviced. Never been flushed. Has worked beautifully. Upgrading this week. Going with a Rheem.
I had one for 3 years and it started leaking I guess you never know what you end up with
They are not that good anymore
Had one for 24 years. No problem
@@slowasturtle5704 yeah, a lot of things were good 25 years ago or more. But that’s not the case now. You’ll be lucky to get any of these to last any more than 10 or 12 years with the exception of maybe one or two.
@@jochimbenschneider1915 (Plumbing contractor here) My last Bradford White started leaking about a month after the 6 yr. warranty expired. So... I decided to change out my sacrificial anode regularly....about every 3 years on my 2015 Bradford White. It's on its 3rd one. So far so good.
2 years back I had to replace my water heater, which ran for 16 years never had any issues, until one day it blew up and water leaked all over the place. This was replaced by Rheem from Home Depot, what a mistake! I had such a bad experience with the Rheem water heater, the unit stopped working after 2 weeks and their warranty repair was so poor! For over 2.5 months I had no hot water, after multiple plumbing companies attempting to repair it! They fix it and it will fail within a day or two. Finally Rheem agreed to replace it, which took lot of effort from my side to make it happen. I returned the unit to Home Depot and worked with their professional services to install Brandford White unit. So far this unit has been working fine without any issues.
Back in the 60's, one of my school buddy's dad was a plumber. Billy and I would take turns camping out in each other's back yards on weekends. Occasionally we'd go with his dad to do a quick water heater swap. I remember him telling us how important it was to drain some water out of the tank once a year so "mud" wouldn't build up in the bottom of the tank as that would keep water from being in direct contact with the "glass" tank bottom and then the gas flame would be able to overheat and ruin it. He also said he never replace a rusted out tank that had a good anode rod in it. In the 60+ years since then I've followed his advice and never had to replace a water heater
I bought a Bradford White natural gas 40 gallon shorty online and installed it myself not expecting any warranty and followed all the installation recommendations. Water pressure 60 psi check. Expansion tank installed check. Water quality check. Properly vented 4 inch to 6 inch vent pipe and passed vent hood flame test check. Incoming gas pressure manometer pressure check. Had one of those unreliable Honeywell gas valves with the blinking light from Hell. It quit after 2 years. Bought the updated gas valve with thermostat probe NOT in a plastic shell but naked metal on Amazon about 115 bucks. Still working OK after another 3 years.
I don’t see any great improvement of BW over the other heaters in this “comparison”. They are all more the same than different.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Seems like it’s a roll of the dice with any given brand. Gas valve seems to be the weak link with modern gas water heater.
Not every Tom, Dick and Jane can service their own water heater..... so it is not an option to to all those swap-outs.
My AO Smith is 20 years old still running strong no issues. 20 yrs for 379.00 is not bad .
Mine is 21 and I am watching these videos because it's leaking. Get ready - I guess
I have worked 18 years full time for a plumbing wholesale supply house and 14 years plumbing in the field full time. Any water heater that is bought from a big box store will have a prorated crappy warranty. Water heaters purchased from a wholesale supply house will have a full true warranty. Not all Rheem water heaters are made in Mexico. Some are made in Montgomery, Alabama. A O smith has had a lot of quality control issues since the early 90's but they do offer more specialty heaters because they are the largest brand. Bradford white heaters were good until 2010 and then they went down hill. Every Bradford white heater that I installed after 2010 has had to be replaced under warranty they simply don't last. There are only 3 water heater manufactures. Bradford white, Rheem, and A O Smith any other name is simply private labeled under Rheem or Ao smith.
I have Ao smith it's good 10years working good
What changed in 2010 with Bradford water heaters?
You guys are very misleading. This absolutely was not a review. It was a commercial for the BW. Also, you completely lied about the AO Smith being made outside of the USA. I am an employee of AO Smith and we have several water heater manufacturing plants in the USA. We are an international company so we have plants outside the USA, including Mexico. But to say that the only AO Smith water heater you can buy is made outside the USA is a lie. You guys really need to get your facts straight before you “review” anything.
For anyone looking for honest reviews about water heaters, go elsewhere. I don’t know any channels that do this, but these guys are gonna mislead you.
Danny Barnhill, thank you so much for your comment! As a single woman who must make these decisions herself, I always appreciate commenters who set the record straight when a video is putting forth misleading info! , Also, I greatly appreciate learning the horrific truth about companies that solicit their services to manufacturers to provide the “service” of padding the reviews on various products with fraudulent “positive“ reviews! That is why we must always read the negative reviews first! Do you know if this is also true on the Better Business Bureau‘s website’s reviews???? Be blessed!
Karyn, to be honest with you, I really don’t know about the reviews on the BBB. I don’t think that the ratings and reviews they have carry the same weight they did 20 years ago because of the internet. But I still wouldn’t hesitate to look there if I were researching something. Have a blessed day.
@@dannybarnhill5704 Thank you for your kind and honest reply.
@@dannybarnhill5704 does A.O. Smith carry a USA-made, short height, Natural Gas, 40 gallon water heater that has a mechanical gas valve, instead of the Honeywell digital board type gas valve? I have not been able to find that specific bit of information on any brand of water heater in the manufacturers’ listed descriptions online. And that detail is very important to me.
I would like to get a professional grade/commercial grade model like what could be found at a plumbing supply store such as Ferguson plumbing, not the cheaper models sold at places like Lowe’s. If you carry a model meeting the criteria listed above, would you be so kind as to reply with the model number and full exact series name? I would greatly appreciate any info you could provide. Thank you in advance.
The plant that I work in only makes residential water heaters. However, we do have a plant that makes commercial units. Look up Polaris water heaters. I don’t know anything about those units other than they are all stainless steel. I hope this helps.
I had a GE gas water (tank) heater installed 5-5-2005 ( I put a sticker with the date on it so I would remember when it was installed ) as of this writing the unit is a tad over 17 years old. I never had any maintenance done to it nor have I ever drained it. Once in a blue moon the pilot will go out and need to be re-lit. Two factors I attribute to the longevity, my town has very soft water, so I'm told, and living alone many of those years the unit doesn't need to be refilled too often. When this one goes I will definitely replace it with another GE. I'm not implying GE is superior to the 3 brands reviewed in this video but I would stick to what has worked for me. One more thing I forgot to add, I see the complaints about the digital controls failing and needing to be replaced after a few years, simple is better! My 17 year old unit has nothing more than a manual dial to adjust the water temperature. I'm sure the new GE models are probably digital now also but If I had an option I would opted for manual. Simple and effective.
you are right i have a GE too mine has been good for 20 yrs good units...
Just noticing these comments and I don't mean to break your guy's heart but I too have a fifteen-year-old GE that has been flawless for the seven years I've lived here but now it is leaking and I found out Rheem makes GE :(.
I also wanted to get another GE so I started shopping and found this out
I have the manual dial and all of that. Great hot water no burner issues but now just a dripping tank and now I'm worried about what I'm going to replace it with
I bought and installed a Richmond Essential Power Vent in my home in January, 2016. Richmond is made and warranted by Rheem. Had to replace it in August, 2020. Just last week, I had to replace it again. I haven't had exactly the best of luck with Rheem products, but their warranty and customer service has been top notch. I called Rheem and after a few questions, the representative emailed me a letter, stating that the unit was not repairable. I was instructed to drain the tank, disconnect the unit and take it along with the letter, to Menards for a direct replacement. Both times, I walked out with a brand new unit with a new 6 year warranty, all at no charge. That debunkes the UA-camr's claim that the warranty is pro-rated.
Had it not been warranted, I probably would have tried something else, but at least it was an easy swap both times. Admittedly, I never replaced the anode rods or regularly flushed the tank in either unit. I just purchased a Corra-Protec electric anode rod that I'll be installing this weekend. Between that and annual flushing, I'm expecting to have much better results going forward.
I have a Rheem 40 galllon tank and a water softener. I've had it for 39 months. I called a plumber to replace the anode, he pulled the cap on the anode, and felt moisture, he said it the tank is probably already corroding and refused to replace the anode. He wanted to sell me a new water heater. What I've saw in "this old house" is that you should replace the anode after two or three years because it can somehow corrode and be too hard to take out. My plan now is to replace the anode myself, and if I can't get the old one out, or if the new one won't seat without leaks, replace it. I don't think this will be covered by warranty.
Update. I replaced the anode myself. It was easy, the old anode was corroded but still had a lot left. I bought the new anode with a socket that fit for $25 on Amazon. The old anode came out easy. In hindsight I think the plumber either was 1) trying to sell me a new set up or was 2) was afraid of taking responsibility for my old one if he worked on it.
Salesman not a plumber
Good Job. RHEEM is da best
Licensed plumber isn't going to come out to do that small of a job. Not worth their time to even get in the truck. Call a handyman if you can't do the job yourself on these small types of home projects.
Perfect example not to believe a plumber they just want to sell you a new water heater you're better off going to the Box Store and buy a Rheem water heater and install it yourself
Years ago I installed a Bradford-White for a lady in the desert, thermostat/gas valve assembly was defective, B/W sent a whole new thermostat/gas valve assembly overnight to customers home, after calling their toll free customer service number! Had the water heater up and running in less than an hour! Lady had hot water 20 minutes later! Bradford-White is the only one I will ever use, great company! Thanks guys for all you do!
This is EXACTLY what we have experienced, this is why we take time out to educate through our 30 years of experience. Thanks for sharing this.
I have a BW installed 18 years ago and is now giving me 5 flashes.....I still have hot water but not as recoverable as before, I am not a licensed plumber bur regardless of that have in my house ready to install today another BW that I bought from Ferguson. No hassles ordered over the phone and was ready at "will call" when I arrived. Regardless of the brand it's my opinion that you "throw the dice" regardless of the brand you buy. I hope all goes well after installation....and yes I know what I am doing.
Been in my house since 99 and i have never had a water heater leak, home had an electric that i immediately swapped out for gas from kenmore unit that had nine year warranty then for short money bought a nine year Sears service warranty/program where if i had a problem with anything they would repair or replace under program at no cost to me. ZERO issues until 9 years @ 4 months Sears still replaced it for free but only agreed to a 6 year warranty unit since i was over warranty. Unit operated great until 2021 (@12-13years) when I swapped out for a AO Smith signature series, which has been working flawlessly since install. It has a ceramic coated internal tank to protect from corrosion and tip similar to the Bradford White’s which swirls water to keep sediment from building up. Priced a BW back then but when I compared specs, options vs price i just couldn’t justify spending @ 40% more for the BW.
I have never found much difference between name brands. Just replaced a Bradford with a Rheem. This was an electric. The next day I cut the power while installing a water softener at about 3PM. When I was done, I forgot to switch the water heater back on. Took a shower, did a dishwasher load, went to bed. The next morning, at 9AM, the water was warm, but not hot. I then realized I had forgot to flip the switch. 15 hours of no power and still had warm water
Im a big fan of the Rheem marathon. It is made from plastic it does not rust out like the rest of these tanks. It's crazy I've seen tanks 5 years old rusted . The way the bowl designed at the bottomof the tank allows for super easy flushing of contaminants. They come with a 10-year standard warranty or a lifetime warranty if you register it. A 40-gallon does cost about $1,500 though but it won't rust out and will save you in the long run
Bought a Rheem Performance for $600-ish with the standard 6 year warranty. Broke in 4. Took it back to Home Depot. They give me $500 credit. Bought a Platinum with a 12 year. I’m very happy with Rheem since I can put it in myself. Broke in the morning and had it replaced by the afternoon. My issue was the thermostat. Rheem has a 12 year warranty. Bradford white has a 10. Plus you have to pay $800+ in labor to replace contractor installed ‘ warranty’ work. Do it your self and you can buy 3 Rheems for the cost of a plumber installed BW.
Wasn't aware Home Depot would give you credit - did they have to verify it wasn't working before they took it back?
@@ppumpkin3282 Lowe's does similar. The people in the video failed to mention this. With AO Smith, you call them for an RMA, then return it to Lowes for a gift card, then, buy a new one. It sounded like you might be able to return without an RMA, but, they told me to try getting one first.
@@idmhead0160 Thanks. I'll have to check it out. When I had some problems initially and called Rheem, it was a real nightmare. I just changes the anode so I'm hoping I'll get a longer life out of this tank, than I was getting int he past.
That's exactly what I think.
These guys are making sound as if you're going to pay just a bit more, with their "recommendation.
All they are promoting is, a product & a method that will give THEM the biggest profit.
People are saying the thermostat was bad.They mean the gas valve ,right?
I personally have a Rheem and never had issues with it but working for a plumbing company I’ve noticed most of our customers do have more issues with Rheem. Usually they stop working within the first couple of years while they are under warranty and they do take a while to send in parts or resolve an issue.
By the way thank you guys for very useful information.
stop working how?
My 50 gal Bradford White hydroflush installed in 2000 and just changed 0ct 2021 a few days ago. Never ruptured and corroded out only on the top!!! Before we had a Rheem and it lasted only 4 years. Pays to get the 50 gal as a larger body of water holds heat longer an doesn't run out during a shower on wash days.
The trouble with BW is the anode rod is part of the hot water outlet so it is very difficult to change out.
I used to be a landlord. I always installed brand X 30 gal gas water heaters. Our area for the most part has excellent public water. I suspect that some tenants raised the heat of water at the valve and used excessive amounts of hot water. When doing a serious re-hab at one rental, I pulled the 30 gal WH and replaced with a 40 gal WH. I used the 30 gal WH from the re-hab and used it in our house for 26 years before it started leaking at the top of the WH. The WH was used a few years when new by a family of 4. The secret to long WH life is keep the water heat low, have good quality (filtered if necessary) water entering the WH. Excessive hot water use will hasten the life of the WH. People, it's your money, choose wisely. As long as it is within my power, I will never pay double for water heater, parts and labor to have someone install a water heater at my place. A friend of mine recently was on vacation. A family member was staying at their home when the water heater started leaking. When the owner of the home got the bill, it was $1,900.00. You will pay a stiff premium to have "a professional" install a water heater for you, so know this well in advance. Most WH installers will do nothing beyond placing a drip pan and it's pipe drain to the floor, so that they really have not done you any great future favor when the WH eventually leaks and drains water on whatever floor happens to receive leaking water from WH. I hope that many read this before these comments are removed by Twin Home Experts.
I have a 7-year old Rheem Premium Plus 50 gallon gas fired tank. I called the 1=866 suppor number yesterday, and today, I've received an email confirmation that says my replacement Thermostat control module is on it's way via FedEx overnight, at no charge to me.
Don't believe all this BS about the bad control on the Rheem unit. EVERY manufacturer uses Honeywell controls-- they are ALL the SAME regardless of who made it.
it's true. they do. rheem's only problem is early rust through.
I think he said the burner, not the control.
rheems do have bad controls, but so do ao smiths. bradford whites use the same controls but they don't fail nearly as much. so yes. believe them about the bad controls, but apply them to all the brands as well.
i assume bradford whites fail less because the parts that are being controlled in a BW do not require extra compensation from failing parts like rheem and ao smith.
i sell heater parts for a living. we keep rheem and ao smith on the shelf. we don't even bother to stock a full line a BW parts.
nuff sed..
@@jaybee3165 WHat brand if best of three? rheem, AO SMith or Bradford white? which one rusts last?
@@rohanpatel4863 bradford. if i get a customer who just can't afford tankless or maybe is selling the house & wants to get out at bare minimum cost- I insist on bradford
Bought a Rheem Platinum water heater 13 years ago and had a ticketed plumber install it for $400.00 and still runs awesome, bought it from home depot with a 12 year warranty for $800.00, this to me is still worth it as it was $1,200.00 in total and still performing exellent with no problems. The previous one I had was a rental that was old and not efficient at all as we had for 25 years, we added the receipts up $90.00 every 3 months x 4 = 1 year = $360.00 x 25 years = $9000.00 in rental charges and you dont even own it. I will never rent again, what a scam and not to mention a hassle just trying to return the rental one. So if this one blows up I have no problem just buying another one as this would probably be the last one I would need to buy.
FUCKIN’ RHEEM Bro!!! 😎
I have been in the Construction Business over 40 years. Just inspected an AO Smith that was 41 year old and still going strong. My experience is AO Smith is a very good hot Water Tank
My #1 Choice
AFTER watching this video and some comments, i am so happy to have the AO SMITH water tank in my new house. It's been installed since 2014. I hope it will last as long as 32 years as one of the people mentioned in the comment.
Thanks, guys my heater is old, thinking of replacing it. You helped me make up my mind, got an estimate and the Bradford White was by far the most expensive, but you get what you pay for. So we now have four thumbs up.
I just had a 5 year 9 month old bradford white power vent water heater leak out the bottom
(Shame on me for never draining sediment). Called my contractor, had a new $1900 dollar water heater installed for free. Only
Had to pay 250 in labor. Well worth the investment. Also had in a very dusty area and never caused a problem with gas flame or igniter.
Customer service was awesome.
My area has bad water. No one has heaters that last more then 6-7 years.
But the warranty and the fact they stood by it made me a customer for life.
I have a Rheem self-cleaning WH in my home that I installed in 1998. I flush it (under full pressure) twice a year. Also have the temp set at about 120°. I think the moderate temperature and flush are major contributors to the long life.
(Model PG50T9HA)
The only thing I wish for is a dial-to specific temperature on the thermostat.
Have you been monitoring/changing anode rods?
@@garymunson2493 Not at all
RHEEM Rocks! 😆
I have a good old GE 40 gallon gas water heater bought 22 years back. It was installed by a licensed plumber - he probably ordered from a plumbing supply store. No leaks the past 22 years just a couple of occasions drips near the tank bottom and stopped quickly. Never figured out what it was. Replaced thermocouple once a few years back. Water comes out nice and hot now. Probably tons of sediments and rust inside tank as I haven't flushed tank since 6 years ago and now toilet bowl turns brown every 2 months and I need to bleach the bowl area regularly.
With current high prices and all the failures w Honeywell part in new water heaters etc. there doesn't seem to be a guaranteed success getting a new gas water heater unit.
So just keep the old faithful GE gas water heater - flush the tank and replace with new anode, and it can keep going for another 10 years - So I'll have spare time to wait til' water heater price comes down perhaps?
Or, anyone knows a place to buy these old style gas water heater from 20 years back with no fancy electronics and non-essential controls - just simple turn knob control to adjust temperature and thermocouple? Fewer parts mean fewer troubles.
Definitely fewer parts mean less trouble later. My entry level Rheem WHs lasted 17 yrs. I recently priced new ones and was shocked at how expensive they are. Dropped in a new 4 gal expansion tank on my 87 gal WH. Old undersized 2 gal unit cracked and rusted through. Emptied the old unit and black particles and black water emerged!
I spoke to a Plumbing company who recommended avoiding the “digital board style gas valves” and said to be sure to only get a water heater with a “mechanical gas valve.” He recommended the following: “40 Gallon Rheem Professional Classic, Natural Gas Heater, model# prog40-38n rh62,” but be sure to call Rheem to verify that this model does indeed have the mechanical gas valve and not the horrible, frequently failing Honeywell digital gas valve. I’ve been doing lots of research on water heaters the last couple of days and have learned so much, but unfortunately in the descriptions of water heaters, I have yet to see one discuss whether or not it has the horrible Honeywell digital gas valve, or the more reliable mechanical gas valve. So I too, will be making a phone call to the different manufacturers to inquire.
I also have a GE gas water heater (made by Rheem) installed in 2009. It just now started to have smelly hot water, so I'm gonna try to get the anode rod out and replace 🤞🤞
I have scrap metal business and I work with over 25 plumbing contractors and they only use Bradford white water heaters...but I junk Thousands of them a year they don't last very long..average about only 4-8 years some go longer but that's very rarely the case.. I think it has alot to do with the Quality of the water. The water is very hard in full minerals here in northeast PA... My current water heater in my house is 12 years old Bradford white but I did have to change both heating elements already.
Would it make sense to visit a scrapyard to pick up a used tank to rebuild? Are there any with fiberglass tanks that could be rebuilt with new controls/anodes/heating elements?
Bradfords are built for longevity. I have a Bradford. I had the same issues with my prior rheem gladiator. On average they last longer 2-3 so around 12 years before having to have them changed out.
I have hard well water (upstate NY). My BW water heater (TTW series, LP gas), installed just over 20 yr ago, has only just failed. And actually it's the blower that failed; the tank and burner are fine (but a replacement blower is very expensive). I do regularly flush the tank.
It should be noted that the AO Smith in the big box store is different than the AO Smith from a reputable supply house. The parts are different and the weight of the tank is heavier at the supply house. Warrantee repair parts are obtained through an 800 number with the big box rendition where the parts are readily available at a reputable supply house for the actual contractor-grade AO Smith.
AO Smith heaters are good ones.
Isn't "contractor grade" a term used for less expensive items typically installed by contractors in spec houses to save on construction costs and increase profit?
@A48L16S091366 I think contractor grade is better than consumer grade. How about they just make a quality product for all of us??
@@Dookie_burner Usually the term is builder grade and it's equivalent to the cheapest thing on the market.
@@A48L16S091366 Actually PRO grade AO Smith is somewhat more expensive that big box one.
I've had an (lifetime warranty 🤣) electric AO Smith for 19 years. Drained and flushed it 3 times, never had anode rod changed but the control board was changed twice within the first 3 years and they told me they weren't covering it any longer ( so much for lifetime warranty). 16 years later, I get an occasional error code from the control board for a day or two but it continues to function properly. I would like to buy a "dumb" water heater like the old days but can't find one. Todays "lifetime warranty" on any product is worthless and means nothing.
My Dad didn't know what he was doing but 16 years ago he installed a natural gas BW 50 gallon water heater. Worked great for 16 years until it leaked. We never changed the anode rod... who knows how long it would have run if it was properly maintained. The hvac guy my mom called to replace it recommend we install another Bradford White because he claims they are the best.
I just put an electric BW water heater in. Hopefully with occasional anode rod changes it will last for 30+ years.
I found the plumbers in my area, I not really interested in replacing anodes. Maybe they would rather just wait for the tank to break and replace it. It's something you need to do yourself.
The water heater is the most and hardest used appliance in any house. It is constantly in use if people are living in the home. Think about that before getting pissed when it goes out.
Just got a replacement ticket for a Reliance water heater [AO SMITH] with a lifetime warranty, I can pick out any water heater I want, anywhere I want to pick it up. Purchased in -1995! Took one call and five minutes! Solved.
I recently had a Rheem 40 gallon replaced with a Bradford White 40 gallon. Durung installation, I noticed the BW was considerably thinner compared to the Rheem. That got me worried that BW might have less insulation. Well I think my concerns were correct. We're wasting more water because it takes so much more longer to get hot water now. It feels like we're waiting a minute or two longer. My mother now turns on the water beforehand, leaves then comes a couple minutes later when the water is hot. The Rheem heater never took this long. To make matters worse, if the hot water isn't used for 10 minutes, you have to wait for hot water again. BW doesn't retain water heat very well. I'm so frustrated. I should have just kept the Rheem. It was only 7 years old but the cost was covered, so I figured might as well get a new top of the line water heater. I regret it now.
Well that's exactly it, there's different models within a brand. There's high end and low end
@@justauser Not really. The difference in pricing is based on warranty that comes with a heater. Heater capacity affects pricing too but warranty is what you're really paying for.. But as far as performance and features, they're practically the same within each brand. This is what a technician told me.
Yup, you should acoulda…. BW is Junk
Live in the Phoenix area. Lived in this home for 17 years. House had A.O. Smith from build date, rusted out after 5 years. Replaced with A.O. Smith 3 MORE times due to rust out in the last 12 years. All had been ProLine/Commercial series 50 gal gas and installed by licensed plumbers from reputable companies. I drain/flush the tanks every spring, usually up to 4-5 reps until the white residue stops flowing. Even still, they sounded like a rain stick when drained and removed-all that damn sediment STILL!!! I had to bite the bullet and go to the Home Depot and ended up with Rheem 9 year Performance Plus series. Hope it lasts! The only other option in my area was a Reliance brand from ACE Hardware. Wasn't going back to A.O Smith who is available at Lowes. I'm thinking of installing an inline sediment pre filter. Can only help.
I've been a licensed union plumber for over 26 years and we all have differences of opinion on things we recommend. I can tell you that I've had issues with all 3 of the water heaters mentioned in this video. Several years ago, Rheem had issues with their baffles that would sound like a bell ringing at the start of a professional fight lol. They have since fixed that. Honestly, I've had more issues with Bradford White water heaters and their gas control valves out of the 3. I will say that BW did have a great customer service department and Ferguson helps with being nationwide in getting parts when needed. I also noticed that there was no "cons" listed about the BW water heater, possibly because they felt that there aren't any. The way I see it, life expectancy on most water heaters are within the same vicinity of each other, so it's going to go with what is the most easily available at the time. Most companies prefer BW because they can't be bought in box stores, but supply houses, such as Ferguson and the rest, have limited hours, where box stores are open later. There are some supply houses that will open up after hours, but that will cost a fee just for them to open the doors and then the cost of the heater and any other parts that may be needed. Hope this helps to shed some light on the subject
Bradford doesn't make gas control valves, they make water heaters. If you are having issues with the Honeywells, then have your supply house to buy them with the old style gas control valves. The honeywells one sux
I'm 30 years into my Rheem, contractor-grade water heater in a new house I purchased. I only cleaned it once in 30 years and never changed to anode rod yet.
Just replaced a Bradford White. It lasted 15 years, but the self cleaning doesn't work as good as people think. Still had a lot of sediment in it even though I drained a little a couple of times a year. Got a Rheem now, hopefully it will hold up. Needed a new water heater on the fly and didn't have time to try and find something better.
I install/repair water heaters weekly. Just my opinion, you already got better with the Rheem LOL. Bradfords of today are junk.
Don't complain. 15 is actually very good
I've spoken to several plumbers and they all said draining the tank is a waste of time.
had some psychic vibes coming outta the HWH I installed about 10 years ago by yours truly. told wifey it needed replacing , went with Bradford due to this video, well noticed a small leak when retrieving crap the fell behind the dryer last week, new unit installed yesterday. great install. very clean, yeah ! not cheap but well done.
The last time I replaced my 40 gallon water heater was in 2006. I set the thermostat to 115 degrees F rather than leaving it at the 135 degree factory setting. The unit is still working fine. Water at 135 degrees is scalding hot and unnecessary.
Yes, my sister kept turning our water heater up real high. I would turn it back down. The water heater failed after two years. She continued doing that. Failed again after 3. The thermostat on a water heater isn't meant to be moved around like that. I would put it on between A and B which is already pretty hot. She would turn it up further. No idea what the temperature is for those setting, but, you will get scolded if the water isn't mixed with cold.
idmhead0 : By the way, changing the thermostat setting without first turning off power to the water heater is one of the worst thing you can do to the unit.
@@tech-centralusa9671 why is that bad? Please correct me if I'm wrong but I see no evidence to suggest that it would be bad for the water heater. It's a safety concern on electric heaters because there are live 220v wires near the thermostat. They tell you to kill the power so you don't get electrocuted if you make a wrong move or the flathead slips off the screw. On gas heaters you can usually just turn the knob and don't have to turn anything off. Also, most professionals recommend you keep the temp set between 130-140 degrees. Setting the thermostat too high is dangerous for obvious reasons and makes the water heater fail prematurely. Setting it too low can be dangerous as it allows bacteria to grow inside the tank that can cause illnesses such as legionnaire's disease.
@idmhead0 I wonder why she need it so hot?
@Liam Miller you are absolutely correct. Turning the temp higher does essentially yield more hot water because you use less of it to achieve your desired temperature when showering, washing dishes, etc. Legionnaire's disease is real and it sounds like the plumber is uneducated. I would definitely find another one. 😁
Oh boy, Well as a Journeyman plumber who is the Lowe's (AO Smith), Home Depot ( Honeywell Rheem), and 210 Home warranty (Bradford White/ Ferguson) installer for my entire region, I can tell you that the best traditional gas water tank is the Winnsupply stocked Rheem unit solely because the " Thermostat" that these guys called, which is actually called the ( gas control valve), is not made by Honeywell. Honeywell make the most pathetic gas control valves on the market and it is true that they fail within the first couple of years and is a $400 fix which is ridiculous. Unfortunately, Home Depot have cheap Rheem units that carry the crappy honeywell gas control valve and fall victim to bad reviews because of it. That said, Bradford and White is a good unit and is definitely the easiest to process warranties, and believe me, it's not uncommon to have a gas water tank fail in some way within the first couple of years, it's a dang shame. I've been putting in exclusively Rheem Gas Winnsupply tanks the past 4 years (because it's the only one that doesn't have a honeywell gas control valve) and have NEVER had an issue to this day.
*Edit* a year later, Rheem has utterly failed in manufacturing since I originally posted this. Not only are their new water heaters as incompetent as the Honeywell ones, they are 10 times harder to get warrantied out since many suppliers are jumping ship because Rheem has completely lost all tech support and customer service. Never again. From here on out, the only one I would ACTUALLY trust is Bradford and White for the sole purposes of easy swap outs WHEN the dang things fail. In all honesty, get a tankless installed and serviced annually if you're planning on staying in your home for 10 plus years. It's not worth the dang risk. That or switch to electric and get any cheap water heater you want.
on electrics, if it fails, it is a $9 part.... KISS. I think we will go with RHEEM
Have you tried the Richmond water heaters (I think made by Rheem)? I have an AO smith with a Honeywell valve. That has been fine, but, the tank cracked a couple of times, I think because my sister turned the thermostat too high. I have a Richmond from 2009. Hasn't had any problems, but, the thermostat doesn't seem to kick on very well. I.e. if the tank has been sitting there unused for awhile, the water will be less hot. Then, if you run some hot water, it will kick on and heat the water up. I'm trying to decide whether to get a Richmond or a AO Smith. The AO Smith kicks the thermostat on right away when you run the hot water, which I like. That unit is a lot louder than the Richmond.
@@idmhead0160 the 2000s were decent water heaters. I'm still seeing 2001s in action very commonly. At this point, just put whatever water heater you can get that's cheapest. The market is garbage right now. 40 gallon gas water heaters are 200$ more than they were a year ago, and getting them up to code is another 300$ in parts sometimes. People can't afford this crap right now. Try and skim by until the market corrects itself.
@@jamescarter2212 Thanks for the advice. Probably not a bad idea to wait a little and see if prices come back down again. Wages haven't gone up. So, it will be interesting to see if prices go back down again. Probably, it will take a long time for things to correct. Yeah, I noticed that the prices went up. I got my money back on the AO Smith that broke, but, then, had to pay another $125 anyway due to the price increase. I don't have a pan under my current heater though, which is one of the main reasons I want to get a new one. I don't want to wait until it cracks and floods the basement. I have a pan that I haven't yet installed. Theoretically, I could install it under my existing one, but, it would be a big enough pain that I would rather just install a new heater at that point.
Appreciate that response.Is it true that the same water heater from a big box store and a plumbing supply store are made different? Does the big box heater have lower quality parts?
Got a GE from local store 15 years ago. Hardest water you can find, I've done 0 maintenance or flushing and have never had a problem.
Lot of good comments here. Let me add..... the point on the Rheem not having a self cleaning dip tube. Frankly, I've lived in a hard-water state and didn't routinely drain and clean my unit. Service life always ended up "as expected" anyway. Now I live in a very soft-water area, so even if this aspect is true as claimed in the video....it is more of a "non" issue than they give it credit for.
Home built in Oct 1998 came with Bradford White water heater, started leaking (slightly) after 17 years. I replaced with an AO Smith in Nov 2015, now that is leaking (badly) after just over 6 years... I'm installing a new Bradford White now!
I am a DIY home owner just speaking from my experience. Also, homeowners CAN purchase a Bradford White from online suppliers
If your in San Diego you can buy them at Hirsch Pipe & Supply.
@@borntwice4724 If my in what?
Bought a 6 Year warrenty on a Rheem 40 Gallon natural gas water heater, It is approaching 10 years of age, and it has been working without issues ever since it was installed in 2014.
Back in 2017 I bought a Rheem Water Heater with a 9 year warranty from Home Depot. The unit was leaking from the bottom for several days/weeks before I noticed the damage the water had done in the garage. I called up Rheem Friday Afternoon and they approved the model/SN for warranty work because there was an additional 2 years left on the warranty. On Sunday, I took the unit to Home Depot as directed and they gave me a prorated amount for the old water heater to apply to another Water Heater. I had to pay $50 for a new one. The new unit was installed on Sunday with another 9 year warranty. I did not have any original receipts for the water heater.
Same thing happened to me a week ago, I only had to pay $138 and I installed it myself.
my new one was free,no prorate,5years old,free exchange from HD
@@robertwagner8596Home Depot told me if I had the original receipt it would have been free. The store supposedly didn’t have records of receipts that long. I thought I would only be prorated a couple of hundred dollars but was happy with only having to pay $50. You getting a free one is great. Did you have the original receipt?
@@beachliving3127 nope,i had no reciept ,like you they couldnt access their records,i guess i got lucky.i did get rheem to email a letter stating my old one failed under warrenty and to replace it.
@@robertwagner8596 I think the cost of the new water heater in 2024 was more than what I had originally paid back in 2017. If memory is correct, this may be the reason why I had to pay a difference. It's possible that Home Depot had an approximate cost of what this type of unit sold for and that was what was the basis of the exchange. If I had the actual receipt and it was higher than what Home Depot had, it is possible that I could have received the unit without paying anything. However, spending $50 for a brand new unit that has a warranty for another 9 years, I can't complain at all!
I bought a house 17 years ago with A.O Smith heater, never had a problem until just about 4 days ago. I call to check the warranty and found out that thing has been working for 29 years. So yeah, I am buying A.O Smith to replace it.
My Raheem water heater (40 gal. Gas) is over 12 years old and has never had a problem! Not one issue.
Raheem!!! What color does it come in?
I have had AO Smith for 20 years, no maintenance at all, no flushing at all, no malfunction. Just had it replaced at 20+ year with what brand...AO Smith.
24years on my reliance which is made by ao smith
A box store like Home Depot sells Rheem, but they sell a lower grade Rheem water heater than a plumbing supply does. I've been a plumber for 48 yearsand I've had problems with all three of these water heaters. It's best to buy the higher grade heater from a plumbing supply dealer
Just got a Rheem professional from my propane supplier. Looks like a great heater. The plumbers that came out. Only had great things to say about the heater..
Oh nonsense, and you probably hold to the belief that the DeWalt and Makita and Milwaukee tools that are sold there are a lesser grade than ones you can buy at like a contractor supply place? Guess I lucked out with the Montgomery Ward water heater that came with the house we purchased. It finally gave up the ghost this past Christmas, after faithfully lasting for nearly 30 Years! And yes, it was made by RHEEM!
Thank you guys!!!! I'm sitting here, no hot water but I'm in Florida so I have time to research. You've enlightened me.
I've changed out plenty of Bradford White water heaters. Electrolysis and hard water causes tank failures. The lining in the tank makes a difference.
I just agreed to buy a Bradford White 50 gal water heater for $1300+$500 installation fee... scheduled to install next week. Hopefully it does not disappoint me as I want to buy American made production to support American jobs. My old tank 'GE' but made by Rheem(?) still working after 13 years without a problem but I decide to pro-actively replace it before it went South on me. I hope the new Bradford White will last ten years at least!
Have had a Bradford and White 50gal tank for 11 years and love it. Never any issues and will soon replace it with a new one. This video gave a great explanation of the differences. THANKS
Bradford/white water heaters were great 10yrs ago. Today's Bradford/white units are completely different from back then & are junk.
Why replace if it's still good?
I have rental property. The one Bradford White I bought for my own home broke in about 6 to7 years. The Rheems I buy from Home Depot all lasted a few years longer then my one Bradford White did. I will say 2 of my Rheems tanks did leak which made me have to get new ones. Rheem was ok with me with their pro-rated warranty.
Our propane supplier installed a Bradford-White water heater in 1992. I think it has a stainless steel tank but not sure. The only thing that has ever been done to it is I had to replace, I think, a thermocouple, or something like that, and it was readily available at my local Ace hardware store. I also replaced the safety valve once cause it looked caked up. I've never had a leak, I would definitely buy another one but am hoping this one lasts as long as I do siince I am kinda' old. haha
I always use AO Smith Water Heater. It has a very good warranty policy to cover the tank during warranty. I have heater from AO smith last 20 years still working. It’s made in the USA .
We had terrible luck with BW. The pilot would go out every 2-3 weeks (no drafts, no wind, no reason - it just went out regularly). Called the installing plumbing place and they refused to do anything about it (we've never used them again), then called BW and they were rude and unhelpful. Finally saw online that the honeywell t-stat it used was not very good. The BW lasted almost 8 years then conked out. We replaced it with a tankless which has worked without fail for more than a year now. Really glad to see the old BW gone. Our experience with BW was awful, your mileage may vary.
Damn. It's like buying a Toyota then getting a a lemon I guess.
My plumber recommended Bradford and I found this video on my own. I like the advice.
Our plumber installed a new Bradford White water heater in our new house. Two months later, it started making a very loud buzzing/rattling noise. And then it started spilling water into the tray below, eventually flooding our laundry room.
BW replaced the faulty heater, but they refused to pay for the reinstallation. So I ended up paying ~$600 to install the same water heater twice in about 3 months.
My understanding is that their competitors have better warranties for when things go wrong. Would *not* recommend buying a BW heater.
They are total garbage, the equivalent of store brand soda compared actual coke. These guys must get a kick back because Bradford white are cheap garbage heaters.
Great video guys! I'm getting ready to replace our 25 year old 50 gal. A.O. Smith power shot gas water heater. After watching this video, I am now considering buying a Bradford-White heater.
Bradford white must have paid these guys. You can always tell when someone has been persuaded.
That would have been awesome if Branford’ white wouid have paid us. This is purely 30 years of what WE like. 😆
These guys aren’t wrong. I’m a hot water professional. And I tell customers BW has the best water heaters. Nothing these guys said is incorrect. I get paid the same regardless of what brand water heater I install and service every and install every brand.
Agree with Chase Brown - this review is really suspicious or just really incompetent.
it's no lie. I worked for delta mechanical for 2 years, on the costco water heater program & later- on the HD install team. 1 tankless install every day on Monday thru thursday (4 units) then 3 tank heaters on friday- and 3 on sunday, almost without fail, for 2 years. a couple years before that- i worked as the plumbing pro (licensed plumber position) at HD and oversaw almost EVERY return, monday thru friday for 5 years straight, of all water heaters. all rheem. not an uncommon occurrence to have a 12 year warranty heater come back in 2-4 years- rusted through. the sad part? HD gives them $220 and calls it good... the original purchase price was around $500. ao smith, bradford white & state would have just given them a new heater- but that's a pro supply house for you. they say you can't beat a man at his own game- whoever said that was not wrong. almost impossible to beat companies like hajoca, ferguson, slakey, heich, windustrial, etc. plumbing is THEIR game.
I think their preference to BW is called "Sentiment Build-Up" (6:57)... 😆
Had a trash experience with a Bradford White warranty claim a while back where my local distributor wouldn't handle my warranty and wanted me to call Bradford directly ( local A.O.sclitz/state and Rheem distributors handle that shit for us all the time with no issue.) Anywho I call Bradford and they tell me I have to handle my claim through our local distributor, who again is refusing to handle the claim, got in to a mad circle jerk about who the fuck is replacing this 300 dollar gas valve under warranty, ended up having to find another distributor in another city who handled the claim without issue, meanwhile the customer got shafted having to wait for their shit. Had another lady years ago who we went to install a Bradford White heater for. Usually don't but we had it in the shop for whatever reason, she had us haul the thing out before even starting to install the thing, after she read reviews on it she didn't want it. There's a lot of A.O. Smith around here, ofc we have more A.O. Smith distributors at 3 than any of the others, just 1 Rheem and just 1 Bradford. Had great luck with them, replace ones that are 20ish years old all the time. Rheem went through their gas valve issues over the last 2 years and I wouldn't touch one if had the choice, we do work for a warranty company who supplies their own heaters and while the bounce around of brands sometimes they've been using Rheems lately, 2-3 month after install they'd have gas valve issues. They have changed their gas valve back an older model so hopefully that's a step in the right direction. Even still A.O. Smith is king here what for availability. #1 AO Smith, #2 Bradford #3 Rheem. Also there is a difference between the box store and the supply house AO Smith heaters, the lowes AO Smith is a rebranded American heater which is junk, they're lesser BTU and parts cannot be gotten through local AO Smith dealers, they're Lowes specific so you'll be waiting for your gas valve and hot water if you have issues. Worst move AO Smith made in my opinion, releasing these box store series heaters, you've had a good name in the buisness for a long time, why go and tarnish it by slapping your name over a shit product, I'm sure they make money on them, but its a stain on the brand if you ask me. The actual REAL AO Smiths we use from our local supplier also have ye ole standard burner as well not that manifold crap and thus no burner issues.
I recently replaced a Rheem for a friend. It was 5 years old with a 6 year warranty. I brought it to Home Depot and they gave me full value towards a new one.
So r u saying/advising every 6 yrs replaced an old one before 6yrs warranty expires, brought it to HD/Lowes and they'll give u full value (old price) towards a new one; i.e. if 6 yrs ago u bought one for $600, say, now before it dies completely, u remove it prematurely then ask big box for full value $600 credit towards a new one, if the new one cost $700, u only pay the price diff = $700-600=$100?! Does that work all the time?
@@alexl932 If the water heater fails within the warrantied period, then yes. Each water heater has a printed manufactured date in the event you don't have a receipt they'll go by that date to start the tolling. This is what is called standing by a product you sell and advertise for a certain thing (lifespan in this case).
I went to Lowe’s today to get a new water heater because I happen to Bradford white the brand and the person In charge of the water heater section said that they don’t make Bradfords anymore. These guys were paid pinches liars. The guy In charge told me to that AO smith Was a pretty good fit. I don’t know about Rheem though the parts are from Mexico 🇲🇽 and waiting could take longer but go with what the professionals are telling you try going to a couple of stores that sell water heater’s do some digging and figure out which is best for you’re situation. Don’t be cheap and buy the cheapest one, you’re safety and others are on you.
I would stay away from Rheem, unless you enjoy ice cold sponge baths. The SIT 650 Delta gas control valve on my 6 month old Rheem tank failed, and their warranty/customer service is a joke, virtually nonexistent. Then just giving up and trying to get a new valve to replace it myself of course brought up the infamous, "part currently unavailable." I found a suitable replacement online, but the bottom line is it's just nonsense to go through for a six month old water tank. My previous Bradford White ran 12 years with no issues.
Great video since I am plumber and in business since 2002 and my first choice is BFW and second is AO Smith because I can get parts right away from my pro plumbing Supply WHCI in four locations in the Bay Area because I don't have to leave my costermers without hot water as for Rheem I don't install unless the Coustermer buys it then only I will install it and charge them for labor only this way it's the Coustermers warranty between where they buy it from and I charge them labour for every time I go back to do a service
can you even imagine after 20 year old tank fails you need to check your water pressure really
I purchased a new build home 4 years ago with a Bradford white water heater and it starting leaking yesterday. A “hired professional” came in and used my warranty to give me another but the bill was $3,500!! I refused to pay and they took my warrantied unit. I wrote to Bradford White about this and they don’t care. The warranty ONLY helps a plumber if they can just charge you any overhead cost. And the customer has no clue the value of the heater. There is no way the warranty helps a customer unless I can redeem the warranty without a third party.
I have had the same AO Smith since 1996 I flush it every year.
I think that's been a good water heater and will purchase another
it's possible a '96 ao smith might have slipped through the cracks & been made here in the states. hey- if ain't broke? don't fix it. I get pretty fair luck with ao smith.
@@jaybee3165 ao smith is the only brand with active recalls. i have to print new warranty paperwork every week.
@@calissenipkow3766 I only recommend tank water heaters to all electric customers. otherwise- i sell them a navien tankless. of they're on a tight budget- I sell them wai-wela / paloma. the tankless will outlast the tank gas heater 4x over- just keep replacing parts. and navien's parts have been very reasonable. just got a new internal navien recirc pump for a customer through ferguson- $140.
(i don't mark up parts- if you're a plumber? then F'n PLUMB! if you're a salesman- go work for tupperware or amway!)
old pump got destroyed with hard water after 8 years with no maintenance. 38 grains of hardness!!! otherwise? the heater functions perfectly. weird part was- the 'air relief' on top of the pump had started dripping at some point. that trail of water built up a mound of calcium on the voltage connector to the pump- which shorted it out and burned up the pump. i talked the homeowner into installing a de-scaler.
@@jaybee3165 I learn so much from your comments! Thank you!
Another satisfied customer of the University of UA-cam. Wish I had seen this a couple of years ago. Next time I'll know what to do.
You guys just made me have peace of mind. I just had a Bradford White installed in my house. Great videos.
We’ve had a Bradford white hot water heater for 31 years. We are now replacing it, but it still works great. We have never had a problem with it.
I am now working on replacing my original Rheem electric water heater 50 gallon tank. The one I currently have is a 1994 model. That's right. It's 27 years old.
That's why I am definitely going with Rheem. I am buying a SELF CLEANING smart one for $630 from home depot online and I am sure I will be able able to get another 25 to 30 years off of it.
Lol! No bro! You won’t! Things aren’t made like they were in the 90’s and 80’s. I will bet you that you will be let down when your smart water heater breaks down and will not be covered. I like your optimism but be realistic man
Isn’t that a shame. Over time many factors still charge a pretty penny but they don’t give a damm about the consumer. Nothing lasts period.
Wow, my water heater went out and being a new widow that knows nothing about these kinds of things, I called a plumbing company that instals Bradford White and since I don't know anything about these brands, I looked it up and found you guys and learned a lot and happy that this company installs Bradford White water heaters. My previous water heater was a Rheem and it did't last very long, that is for sure.
House came with an AO Smith, still was running great after 15 years. Only had to replace the thermostats twice. Replaced it with a Rheem Marathon, which is actually a commercial model. Lifetime warranty and rust-proof (made out of fiberglass).
Two thermostats in 15 years? Doesn't seem great
That's pretty good considering that a water heater usually last about 8 Years and yours is almost doubling that. Thermostats are aren't that hard to replace. Sometimes just need to be cleaned.
My Bradford White is more than 20 years. Going to replace it soon with another one.
Have a AO Smith 50 gallon that after 26 years has finally started 😢o leak around the top at the fittings. Use to flush out the bottom every few years but then the plastic valve broke. So I put on one one those hose connectors that use the quick release hose ends. It prevented it from dropping since I couldn’t turn the valve closed.
It was installed from a Plummer so maybe better line than one from box stores.
My Bradford White water heater failed tonight.....installed on April 13, 1999. I live near Atlantic Ocean so even wood rusts here. I'll be buying another BW tomorrow without question.
⛔ Oh, yea! We can tell who these guys work for.
These are the plumbers that would take advantage of a homeowner in need.
Much rather take a chance at a big box store & install it myself.
From my experience as a home owner and landlord, I would agree with these guys. At the risk of "jinxing" things, I go exclusively with B.W. (from Cal Steam, Ferguson owned). I was taught when I was part of a maintenance department, that one of the major contributors of water heater tank failures is due to tank expansion/contraction when the closed system fills up with cold water and then heats up causing "heat" related expansion. That makes the little "expansion tank" very important. I have been installing one at every location since and replacing them with each new heater. Seems to result in excellent W.H. lifespan with little to no "maintenance" (draining/flushing). Just read the directions to apply the correct amount of air pressure in the expansion tank air bladder.
Thank you Pappa Bob. Great critical tips here that you share. 👏
I've read that expansion tanks are not need on a well system, because the water can always backflow to the well or well expansion tank.
@@ppumpkin3282
Those reasons would make sense. If, however, you have installed a "pressure regulator" between your house and the well supply, that would eliminate those safeguards since there is a check valve in the PR.
Our A.O. Smith 80 gal just started leaking on the bottom after 20 years. Wish we could have got the same brand but the only 80 gallon tank in the entire state of WA is an HTP brand. I hope it works ok HTP has terrible reviews everywhere but it was our only option that wouldn't take a month to deliver.
My Bradford and white failed in less than five years, and the pilot light blew out nearly every couple of months. I picked up an AO Smith at my local hardware store, I purchased the 6 year warranty heater and when I went to the lot to load it, they were out, so the lot guy gave me the 12 year model for the same price. The guys are correct about burner failure. My burner failed in three years. However I didn’t realize that these were not self cleaning and never drained it in that time . It said right in the owner’s manual that it is a self cleaning water heater so I assumed I didn’t need to drain it annually. I assume the burner failure might have been due to not cleaning it annually. AO Sent me a new burner free of charge. It would shut off and blink error code 6, but shutting the gas valve off for 15 minutes and turning it back on would reset it and it would work, so waiting nearly a week for the part was not an issue. I was very disappointed with BW, especially the pilot going out so often and that it didn’t last me six years. They are also mistaken about the gas control valve. They are the same valves made by the same company. Here is a picture of the burner that went out. i.imgur.com/TjWKDNp.jpg
Thanks for sharing this to everyone. It’s always interesting to see what other experiences out there are.
You have to understand; this is what we do for a living, so we deal with a massive amount of volume VS a one off.
Glad you were taken care of and best of luck!
I have a Rheem that is 23 years old and still running like a champ. One of these days, im gonna step into a cold shower.
On a holiday, of course.
@@ronk9830 It’s the last 23 year water heater you’ll ever have. That’s for sure.
My Bradford White just failed all over my basement - less than 7yrs old
@@robertmccuaig5935 oh no! How did the warranty work out, if you don't mind me asking?
Our Rheem is around the same vintage, and it finally failed us! Getting a pro-installed Bradford White this time...sure ain't cheap, so hope this one lasts for a couple decades, too!
I have 3 boilers 3 water heaters not a single expansion tank in my home. Never had an issue out of the ordinary in 40 years
You didn't let Scott talk much. I thought he was the expert.
Wasn't even mic'd up either.
Indeed! He was almost MUTE
You guys what a great video been plumbing for 25 years and still learning sure do like your videos
I just installed the 9 year warranty Rheem for my daughter. It has the self clean feature. I added an expansion tank too.
Cost of a expansion tank these days? & is it worth it?
Can you help here... I think our system needs some attention.
We just replaced our old Rheem with a Bradford White under our home warranty with no deductible. I’m glad to hear that we have a highly-rated unit.
Good video guys. Very informative. I would add that I would not purchase an AO Smith or Rheem unit at the big box stores. From what I understand (and I could be wrong), the water heaters sold there are not commercial grade. As an example AO Smith sells their signature series line at Lowe's. This is a different grade unit than the ProLine which would be purchased at a plumbing supply house. I just went through this process as I replaced a 14 year old AO Smith unit (GCV-50) with another AO Smith unit (XCG-50). I don't know if you concur or can offer more information. Thanks for putting this video out there.
I got a 50-gallon Bradford White in 2010. Twelve years and going strong. )I flush it every year but had no idea about the anode tube!)
Since they forgot to mention. This video is sponsored by Bradford White…
I bought a Rheem water heater & 2015 already had a leak.I went and bought another one!!