# Best electric water heater



## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Need a new water heater, there seem to be several brands available from Home Depot, Lowes, Canadian Tire etc like Reem Whirlpool Giant etc. Does anyone have an idea which is best from the standpoint of value for money reliability and long life?


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

We rented a HWH for years and later bought it from Reliance. It has performed very well. No problems at all. I recall when looking into how much we should pay for the used heater, that it was made by Giant. A Canadian company. I suspect that Reliance wouldn't want to rent poor quality units and then be faced with maintaining them. This is what a search found:

http://reliancesuperior.ca/rent-a-water-heater-giant-electric.cfm. I suspect they will cost more than the budget price units at HD etc.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I rented from Reliance before, never again. It was a nightmare. My heating man suggested Reliance, I told him I won't do business with him, and he said he knows a lot of people who have had trouble with them.

It's cheaper to just buy a water heater.


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## STech (Jun 7, 2016)

If I were going with the hardware store water heaters, I'd seriously consider the Rheem Marathon. Yeah it's more expensive than the regular stuff on sale, but the fiberglass will never leak and flood your basement. 

I had a water heater leak once, but very luckily I caught it when it was still a small drip and only pooled in the utility room. I'd hate for a big leak to ruin the basement. My problem was the previous owner did 0 maintenance on the old water heater, absolutely 0, and it was a top ranked, made the US water heater. I repurchased the same brand, and I do all the maintenance, and so far it's been great for 4 years, and it's expected to last 20 years. Time will tell, but I'd be happy with 15 or so.


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## Emjay85 (Nov 9, 2014)

I had a John Wood installed last year. Canadian made. Seems like a good product so far.

There isn't much to electric water heaters so I would concentrate on tank materials like mentioned above. The other components will more than likely be the same or very similar.


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

If you are considering renting, I strongly advise you to do the math. It’s a very expensive option, unless your local water has issues. You don’t say where you are located. 

In areas where the water has no issues, I recommend buying a heater and you should expect 15 to 20 years of trouble free service. 

Rheem make a very good quality product when it comes to water heaters and their Raypack pool heaters and boilers are great too.

If at all possible, try buying through a plumbing wholesaler, like Emco. Many won’t do business with non-trade (the general public), but some will. They can likely suggest an installer as well.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

just had mine replced last month ...again..
they go like clockwork around here...start to rust or leak a month or two after the warranty is up...
i ve had several brands over the years..... plumbers say there all about the same and all made by a couple of manufactures...
had to go down & check, the one just installed is a Giant brand


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

Do you really mean electric water heater? If you have gas available go with it. Electric is way too expensive.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

^ I don't think converting to gas is any cheaper. Over the long run, of course.


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## STech (Jun 7, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> just had mine replced last month ...again..
> they go like clockwork around here...start to rust or leak a month or two after the warranty is up...
> i ve had several brands over the years..... plumbers say there all about the same and all made by a couple of manufactures...
> had to go down & check, the one just installed is a Giant brand



Do you do any regular maintenance on them? You can treat your water to make it less acidic, but you really should consider a non metallic tank. It's the same deal with metal oil tanks. At some point they'll leak and cause major headaches. The fiberglass tanks are expensive, but a million times cheaper than a leaky tank. 

When we go away on vacation, I turn off my well pump, and drain all the water tanks. Little effort, for major insurance against a possible flood.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

The water heater is for a rental house. The old one, gas, is only 8 years old. To replace it would cost $2500. I can buy an electric and install it myself for $500. Tenant pays utilities. I see no reason to pay out an extra $2000 so the tenant can save $100 a year. But I don't want to put in a cheap water heater and have trouble again in a few years. On the other hand I am thinking of selling the house. So, it is hard to know what to do.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

go cheap....and sell...:tongue:


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> I rented from Reliance before, never again. It was a nightmare. My heating man suggested Reliance, I told him I won't do business with him, and he said he knows a lot of people who have had trouble with them.
> 
> It's cheaper to just buy a water heater.


I wasn't suggesting to rent from Reliance or anyone. Just pointing out that the Giant heaters they use are a lot better quality than those you can buy at most big box stores.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

STech said:


> Do you do any regular maintenance on them? You can treat your water to make it less acidic, but you really should consider a non metallic tank. It's the same deal with metal oil tanks. At some point they'll leak and cause major headaches. The fiberglass tanks are expensive, but a million times cheaper than a leaky tank.
> 
> When we go away on vacation, I turn off my well pump, and drain all the water tanks. Little effort, for major insurance against a possible flood.


Quality metal hot water tanks are usually glass lined. They also have a magnesium anode and other features to reduce possibilty of electrolytic corrosion if lining is compromised. Wonder how many owners even know they have a magnesium anode that should be inspected from time to time. Those who experience short HWH life and have poor quality water might consider checking their anodes. This might help: https://www.familyhandyman.com/plum...r-heater-by-replacing-the-anode-rod/view-all/

By the way, we use Lake Ontario water and also drain our HWH while we are away in winter. Never any sign of rust in the water and we have had that heater for a very long time. Don't have records with me, but likely well over 20 years.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Manufacturing water heaters is a mature business, and fairly competitive, so I don't think you will find any one "brand" particularly better than another. Within each major brand you will find they sell models with different warranty periods. The differences are usually in the corrosion resistance of the tanks (such as glass lining), and possibly the life span of the sacrificial anode. So look for warranty period, & corrosion resistance. Otherwise shop by price. Similar types all have to meet similar energy efficiency standards now, so unless you are comparing gas to electric, there's not much difference in efficiency between any electric models.


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

I know if I was renting and having to pay either for electric or gas water heating I would go for the gas option. Especially in ON.


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## Mortgage u/w (Feb 6, 2014)

I can comment on Giant - its the most common used in my area, seeing that the company is locally based in Montreal.

Giant, like many others I would assume, offer several tanks at different price options. For Giant, the differences are minor, such as top feed vs bottom feed, extra insulation, copper vs plastic drain valve or 2 vs 3 elements. The higher the grade, the longer the warranty - and price too. 

What I discovered is the glass tank itself is the same across all their lines - so if its gonna leak, it don't matter which grade you chose. For that reason, I always stick to the cheapest option. All tanks are made to last 10-15 years. If you surpass 10 years, you keep in mind that you are on borrowed time.

For my tenants, I take no chance and replace every 10 years, 12 max. A 40 gallon, base model, Giant retails for $300 in big box store. They regularly go on sale or the store offers 15-20% off so you get to save at least the taxes. I always install a pan at the base of every tank and warn the tenants to call me should they ever see water in the pan.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

Mortgage u/w said:


> What I discovered is the glass tank itself is the same across all their lines - so if its gonna leak, it don't matter which grade you chose. For that reason, I always stick to the cheapest option. All tanks are made to last 10-15 years. If you surpass 10 years, you keep in mind that you are on borrowed time.


Yeah, very good, common sense post.

I usually go to Home Depot about every 12 years and get their cheapest $300 water heater and install it myself in about 15 minutes. Many years ago I installed the flexible water lines, so it takes only minutes to unscrew and attach the lines to a new tank. Then just hook up the electrical and that's it for another 12 years.

ltr


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Mortgage u/w said:


> For my tenants, I take no chance and replace every 10 years, 12 max. I always install a pan at the base of every tank and warn the tenants to call me should they ever see water in the pan.


It could be that electric HWHs last longer? I have seen figures of 15 yrs quoted. Certainly not many things to go wrong. And when an element or thermostat fails, it is a low cost repair that many home owners can do themselves.

Our HWH was originally rented from Reliance (we later bought it). Reliance probably use a high quality unit. They don't want failures! 

When we moved into our house 41 years ago, there was an existing Reliance rental that was anything but new! At some point, we must have had something go wrong and they came and replaced it. I guessed earlier at 20 years, but that was more likely 25-30 yrs ago! I must check that when we get back home! Heater is a Giant. It still looks and works well with no sign of rust when we drain it annually. Water is lake water with no chlorine. Maybe that helps? In past 5 years or so, we have had heater on a timer. It is also well insulated. Not sure it helps that much, but was done as part of energy audit.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

like_to_retire said:


> Yeah, very good, common sense post.
> 
> I usually go to Home Depot about every 12 years and get their cheapest $300 water heater and install it myself in about 15 minutes. Many years ago I installed the flexible water lines, so it takes only minutes to unscrew and attach the lines to a new tank. Then just hook up the electrical and that's it for another 12 years.
> 
> ltr


I recently installed a $398 Rheem tank in 20 minutes. I had originally bought a Pex crimper and fittings but instead used SharkBite fittings and then returned the unopened crimper.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

This link provides an inside view of a HWH (happens to be gas, but many of same things apply). The videos are worth watching. For example, shows how to replace an anode. If you have poor water and have premature failures, changing anode regularly (every 5 yrs he says) and flushing water out once a year may help:

https://www.alsplumbing.com/water-heater-made-fail-extend-life/


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

agent99 said:


> For example, shows how to replace an anode. If you have poor water and have premature failures, changing anode regularly (every 5 yrs he says) and flushing water out once a year may help


Yea basic maintenance seems to be something most people aren't aware of. And plumbers aren't much help because they probably have more incentive to sell new tanks anyways.


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## Mortgage u/w (Feb 6, 2014)

like_to_retire said:


> Yeah, very good, common sense post.
> 
> I usually go to Home Depot about every 12 years and get their cheapest $300 water heater and install it myself in about 15 minutes. Many years ago I installed the flexible water lines, so it takes only minutes to unscrew and attach the lines to a new tank. Then just hook up the electrical and that's it for another 12 years.
> 
> ltr


Just be careful with the flexible water lines. Where I'm from, the plumbing code requires the first 18 inches from the water tank to be in copper. After that it can switch to pex. Most people will install a water valve at the junction. Insurance companies love finding reasons not to pay water damage so this is one of those reasons that can be easily avoided.




agent99 said:


> It could be that electric HWHs last longer? I have seen figures of 15 yrs quoted. Certainly not many things to go wrong. And when an element or thermostat fails, it is a low cost repair that many home owners can do themselves.
> 
> Our HWH was originally rented from Reliance (we later bought it). Reliance probably use a high quality unit. They don't want failures!
> 
> When we moved into our house 41 years ago, there was an existing Reliance rental that was anything but new! At some point, we must have had something go wrong and they came and replaced it. I guessed earlier at 20 years, but that was more likely 25-30 yrs ago! I must check that when we get back home! Heater is a Giant. It still looks and works well with no sign of rust when we drain it annually. Water is lake water with no chlorine. Maybe that helps? In past 5 years or so, we have had heater on a timer. It is also well insulated. Not sure it helps that much, but was done as part of energy audit.


If a tank is well taken care of, it could last many years. As long as the inner tank doesn't crack, all other parts are replaceable. Most tanks being thrown out probably only have a burnt element that can be changed for $20. I've seen 30 year old tanks still running - but how long would you really want to take a chance? Although, if the tank is located in an unfinished space like a garage, then go ahead and keep it until it leaks. But for what it costs, probably not worth riding it out that long.

I also believe, like appliances, that the quality is not what it used to be. If you have seen tanks quoted at 15 years longevity, just take a look at their warranty - that should give you a good indication as to how long it _should _last.


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

Mine is 18 years old and still working fine but we do shut off the water when we go on vacation and I’m planning on replacing it this spring. I have a Baxi on demand unit at vacation home that not only heats household water but also the radiant floor heat for a 3,300 sf bungalow. Amazing little unit, very efficient and almost silent.


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## bonicurtis (Jun 2, 2021)

I recommend Stiebel Eltron DHC-E 12, this device is very easy to set up; easy to operate. If you turn it on with low water volume, you can feel the machine start to warm for about 5-10 seconds, and the water gradually warm until hot water from the water heater runs down.


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