Time for a new water heater (electric)

[Fanatical Meat]

Two people in the house, I currently have a 50 gallon tank I'll probably stay at 50 gallons. Gas or propane is not an option.
Suggestions? I'm more concerned with reliability than efficiency since we have solar and our electric bill is negative.

Current heater is a GE(?) it's 13 years old and rusted. Pressure valve trips occasionally
I've recently added a hot water expansion tank.

 

[Meghan54]

Personally, look for a heater with the longest warranty. Usually, although not always, the WH's with the longer warranties tend to have larger elements and thicker insulation.

Also pay attention to the drain valve....some are plastic (not my choice) and some are brass (IMO, worth the extra cost.)

For brands, can't suggest any except I'd be leery of Sears' Kenmore stuff these days. If Sears goes OOB, who'll honor the warranty?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Personally, look for a heater with the longest warranty. Usually, although not always, the WH's with the longer warranties tend to have larger elements and thicker insulation.

Also pay attention to the drain valve....some are plastic (not my choice) and some are brass (IMO, worth the extra cost.)

For brands, can't suggest any except I'd be leery of Sears' Kenmore stuff these days. If Sears goes OOB, who'll honor the warranty?

Good tip on Sears

What I don't understand are the high end ones with LCD displays for temperature(?) and app controls
I get it that it appears smart home ish but why does a water heater need an LCD and will the app that senses leaks be compatible with the mobile device I'm using in 2030?
Seems like added complexity with more stuff to break.

 

[Greenman]

Good tip on Sears

What I don't understand are the high end ones with LCD displays for temperature(?) and app controls
I get it that it appears smart home ish but why does a water heater need an LCD and will the app that senses leaks be compatible with the mobile device I'm using in 2030?
Seems like added complexity with more stuff to break.

Don't get sucked into the foolish gadgetry. 90% of it has no benefit and is just one more thing to break. It's nothing more than marketing, flashing lights and ringing bells.

 

[NetWareHead]

If electric is your only choice you may want to look into those hybrid water heaters that use a built in heat pump to draw heat from the surrounding air and use that to heat the water with the electric circuit serving as backup. They even qualify for green credits. I have nat gas so no experience with them but have heard decent things about them.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

If electric is your only choice you may want to look into those hybrid water heaters that use a built in heat pump to draw heat from the surrounding air and use that to heat the water with the electric circuit serving as backup. They even qualify for green credits. I have nat gas so no experience with them but have heard decent things about them.

Good tip however my area only qualifies for a $150 rebate on a 50 Gallon model and the prices seem to start at $1000. I'm not too concerned about electric usage because of our solar.

 

[Meghan54]

We looked into a hybrid......a few things to remember about them:

They don’t work well in very cold spaces and need to be placed in an area that stays 40 to 90 degrees.

The heat pump is on top, so a hybrid water heater will need as much as 7-feet clearance from floor to ceiling.

You'll also need up to 1,000 cubic feet of uncooled space to capture enough heat from the air as well as a nearby drain to discharge the condensate.

A few tidbits about them that made us just get a standard one and forget about it.