water heaters

[ZippyDan]

I need to buy a new water heater.

Tankless is not an option.

Right now I can only choose a Propane water heater.

I'm looking at a 40 gallon water heater from GE that costs $540 (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-40-Ga...opane-Gas-Water-Heater-GP40T06AVR10/202020643) and
a 40 gallon that costs $950 (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-40-Ga...Water-Heater-Energy-Star-GP40T06PVT/202536957).

Both have a 6 year warranty on the tank.

I am wonder what accounts for the huge price difference between these two. What features should I be looking for or comparing in a propane water heater? What am I missing here?

 

[IronWing]

The more expensive one costs an estimated $62/year less to operate and is 36,000 BTU vs 32,000 BTU for the cheaper one and so should heat water faster.

 

[Kaido]

http://www.amazon.com/Rheem-MTS10520.../dp/B006T09F3I

 

[BoomerD]

Gas water heaters (natural or propane) will always cost a bit more than electric. You MIGHT be able to get a good natural gas model for less than the propane model...and make the conversion.

http://www.rheem.com/docs/FetchDocument.aspx?ID=1c3868ba-1cdc-4e3f-8aec-b7c7a4a1d137

 

[ZippyDan]

The more expensive one costs an estimated $62/year less to operate and is 36,000 BTU vs 32,000 BTU for the cheaper one and so should heat water faster.

Thanks so much for the quick and simple reply. I see where the more expensive one is energy star compliant, but I don't know how you came up with the $62 figure from my links. Can you give me a clue so I can learn?

 

[IronWing]

Thanks so much for the quick and simple reply. I see where the more expensive one is energy star compliant, but I don't know how you came up with the $62 figure from my links. Can you give me a clue so I can learn?

On the Home Depot page click on "Energy Guide" next to Product Overview. That link shows the energy label for each appliance.

 

[ZippyDan]

On the Home Depot page click on "Energy Guide" next to Product Overview. That link shows the energy label for each appliance.

ooooo Thanks so much

 

[Kaido]

Gas water heaters (natural or propane) will always cost a bit more than electric. You MIGHT be able to get a good natural gas model for less than the propane model...and make the conversion.

http://www.rheem.com/docs/FetchDocument.aspx?ID=1c3868ba-1cdc-4e3f-8aec-b7c7a4a1d137

On the plus side, you get hot water even in a power outage. We lost power for 2 weeks with the last big storm, and even though our electricity was out, we still had hot water because ours was gas-heated. That made the outage MUCH more bearable at home.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Wait....why is tankless not an option?

If you're already doing gas, I'd go tankless. $300 tax credit this year....8gpm units from Rinnai are amazing and you can get remote thermostats to change the temp to make them even more efficient. I run mine at 110 degrees and don't mix cold water in the shower....no more scalds when someone runs cold water in the house...just a slight decrease in water pressure.

 

[BoomerD]

Fuck that. You'll not likely ever talk me into a tankless unit.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...eaters/overview/tankless-water-heaters-ov.htm

 

[mrrman]

I've have a tankless system in my 4000 sq FT home...my gas bill went down to $45/month from $170...we have 3 showers/bathrooms....love it

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Efficient storage models are pricey
We also tested the $1,400 Vertex, a high-efficiency storage water heater by A.O. Smith. The manufacturer claims its installation costs are similar to a regular storage model. But its high cost offsets much of the roughly $70 per year the Vertex will save you. Instead, we recommend buying a conventional storage water heater with a 9- or 12-year warranty. In previous tests, we found that those models generally had thicker insulation, bigger burners or larger heating elements, and better corrosion-fighting metal rods called anodes.

 

[Eug]

I've have a tankless system in my 4000 sq FT home...my gas bill went down to $45/month from $170...we have 3 showers/bathrooms....love it

Then there's something wrong with the way you were using your tank before.

The savings from a tankless running natural gas vs a 50-gallon tank running natural gas might be around $10 per month in an average large home, but often much less. Your suggestion of a savings of $125 in a month extrapolated over a year would mean $1500 gas savings per year, which is utter nonsense.

Most studies suggest that in North America the cost difference for tankless vs tanks vs. yearly savings would mean a pay off time off greater than 20 years. Basically that means in North America, gas savings should NOT be a factor when choosing tankless vs tanks.

And I say that as a tankless owner. And yes I like it too. However, I bought it because a 50-gallon tank is insufficient, and I didn't have enough room for a 75-gallon tank (which are expensive anyway). Tankless offers me endless hot water, esp. useful for my soaker tub, in a smaller space.

However, I actually added a small tank (6-gallon) to my tankless to eliminate the hot water delay and the cold water sandwich.

 

[squirrel dog]

Home depot 02/14/2011
GE 50 gal. Tall 12 Year 40,000 BTU Natural Gas Water Heater
Model # SG50T12AVG top rated by consumer reports.org
Store SKU # 185191
Store SO SKU # 607988

Average Customer Rating

4.7/5

Reviews (35)
Write a Review
Reviews
$579.00 /EA-Each

Top rated in 2011 . 12 year warranty

 

[The_Dude8]

how often should we drain the water heater? one a year?

 

[Dr. Zaus]

how often should we drain the water heater? one a year?

Draining your water heater is not part of routine maintenance; just make sure you replace the sacrificial rod every 6-ish years and you'll be solid.

 

[Mixolydian]

You never need to drain your water heater.

Not entirely true. If you live in an area with hard water, the heater should be flushed out periodically to help remove mineral build-up.

 

[richardycc]

I need to buy a new water heater.

Tankless is not an option.

Right now I can only choose a Propane water heater.

I'm looking at a 40 gallon water heater from GE that costs $540 (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-40-Ga...opane-Gas-Water-Heater-GP40T06AVR10/202020643) and
a 40 gallon that costs $950 (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-40-Ga...Water-Heater-Energy-Star-GP40T06PVT/202536957).

Both have a 6 year warranty on the tank.

I am wonder what accounts for the huge price difference between these two. What features should I be looking for or comparing in a propane water heater? What am I missing here?

no one has pointed out one is regular chimney vent, the other one is power vent?

 

[The_Dude8]

Draining your water heater is not part of routine maintenance; just make sure you replace the sacrificial rod every 6-ish years and you'll be solid.

how hard is it for non-DIY to replace the sacrificial rod?

 

[Eug]

how hard is it for non-DIY to replace the sacrificial rod?

On some it would be a major pain, because the vent motor (if it has one) is in the way.

 

[RossMAN]

Home depot 02/14/2011
GE 50 gal. Tall 12 Year 40,000 BTU Natural Gas Water Heater
Model # SG50T12AVG top rated by consumer reports.org
Store SKU # 185191
Store SO SKU # 607988

Average Customer Rating

4.7/5

Reviews (35)
Write a Review
Reviews
$579.00 /EA-Each

Top rated in 2011 . 12 year warranty

Thanks for the info, here's a link.

Reviews seem mostly positive.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I just installed this one in my house and love it. Qualifies for a tax credit too. Expensive as hell, but I'm almost completely off oil now and it looks like I might spend ~$200/year for heating water with this unit instead of the $700 I spent last year heating water with oil.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stiebel-...lera-300/203899071?N=86cZ1z11pjs#.UgB0ipLCZcY

 

[Craig234]

FYI, Costco has water heaters with a 15 year warranty.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Tankless is great for the south, but anywhere else where the water is just a few degrees above freezing, tankless just can't heat it hot enough, unless you have two inline.

The nice thing with a tank is if the power goes out you have a reserve, or in the case of a non power vent it will work even without power.

I'm not a big fan of the way tank water heaters are designed though, they rely on indoor air for combustion, which means cold air has to be sucked into the house at some point or the other. Not sure why they can't design them the same way as a high efficiency furnace, where it has an intake and exhaust.

I just installed this one in my house and love it. Qualifies for a tax credit too. Expensive as hell, but I'm almost completely off oil now and it looks like I might spend ~$200/year for heating water with this unit instead of the $700 I spent last year heating water with oil.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stiebel-...lera-300/203899071?N=86cZ1z11pjs#.UgB0ipLCZcY

That is interesting... funny since I was thinking it would be cool to use the water heater as an air conditioner in summer, by using the cold water to cool air before it goes in. Not exactly same concept, but similar idea.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Tankless is great for the south, but anywhere else where the water is just a few degrees above freezing, tankless just can't heat it hot enough, unless you have two inline.

The nice thing with a tank is if the power goes out you have a reserve, or in the case of a non power vent it will work even without power.

I'm not a big fan of the way tank water heaters are designed though, they rely on indoor air for combustion, which means cold air has to be sucked into the house at some point or the other. Not sure why they can't design them the same way as a high efficiency furnace, where it has an intake and exhaust. I'm sure they do make them, but they're not standard and probably cost a lot more.

I just installed this one in my house and love it. Qualifies for a tax credit too. Expensive as hell, but I'm almost completely off oil now and it looks like I might spend ~$200/year for heating water with this unit instead of the $700 I spent last year heating water with oil.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stiebel-...lera-300/203899071?N=86cZ1z11pjs#.UgB0ipLCZcY

That is interesting... funny since I was thinking it would be cool to use the water heater as an air conditioner in summer, by using the cold water to cool air before it goes in. Not exactly same concept, but similar idea.