Does anyone want to recommend a good electric water heater?

[ricklearned]

Mikefamig,
Yes, they are not for every one. A lot of factors to consider, including rates per kWh. It is nice to have choices and hopefully this thread will help others make better informed choices.

 

[Desert_AIP]

The kicker for me:
Avoid placing HPWHs in garages where the temperature can be consistently in the freezing range.

My HVAC system is a heat pump augmented with a fireplace insert in winter (heat pump emergency heat is electric resistance heat strips).

The newer hybrid heat pump units have traditional resistance heat inserts to augment performance in colder temps.

 

[Desert_AIP]

If you perform proper maintenance, drain regularly and check/replace the anodes as needed, an electric water heater will last a very long time.

 

[sda]

Why would you want to remove the heat traps?

 
The stock heat traps are those little flapper thingys, a piece of rubber with some pie slice slits.  I suppose they work reasonably well for trapping the heated water, but just look at them and you can see why they might impede water flow.
 
A loop heat trap works much better because it doesn't impede water flow (as much).  I put in a loop trap anyway.  I'll try and post a picture of the piping next week. 

 

[mikefamig]

If you perform proper maintenance, drain regularly and check/replace the anodes as needed, an electric water heater will last a very long time.

That's a very good point. I haven't serviced my hot water heater in all of it's 14 years. It might be interesting to remove the anodes and see what's left to them. Maybe I should just service the thing and wait for it to leak before replacing it.
 
Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

Mikefamig, Yes, they are not for every one. A lot of factors to consider, including rates per kWh. It is nice to have choices and hopefully this thread will help others make better informed choices.

Yep ya gotta love the internet.
 
Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

The kicker for me:
Avoid placing HPWHs in garages where the temperature can be consistently in the freezing range.

My HVAC system is a heat pump augmented with a fireplace insert in winter (heat pump emergency heat is electric resistance heat strips).

The newer hybrid heat pump units have traditional resistance heat inserts to augment performance in colder temps.

When I bought our house in 1996 it had a 1970's vintage heat pump with electric backup. I thought that upgrading (and I use the wod loosely) to an oil burner would save me money but the fuel cost was very nearly the same as the heat pump/electric bill. In hindsight I wish that I had just replaced the heat pump system with a newer more efficient unit.
 
Mike.

 

[Desert_AIP]

That's a very good point. I haven't serviced my hot water heater in all of it's 14 years. It might be interesting to remove the anodes and see what's left to them. Maybe I should just service the thing and wait for it to leak before replacing it.
 
Mike.

I drain mine annually and pull the anode to check it.

I bought a house with very hard water in 2008 that had a brand new water heater installed in 2006.
After we took possession I went around doing some preventative maintenance.
I hooked up a hose to the water heater and opened the valve.
A trickle of whitish water came out and then it stopped.
After a lot of messing about I removed the hose and the drain valve and still nothing came out.
I ended up using a coat hanger to pull out a bunch of calcium deposits and then the tank finally drained.
I flushed it throughly.

Then I removed the anode.
And all I took off was a nut with a thin piece of wire attached.

In just two years the anode degraded completely and the bottom half of the tank filled with mineral deposits.

I replaced the anode (and installed a water softener) and the tank hasn't leakd in 6 years (draining annually) but I'm sure some life expectancy was cut off from the damage.

 

[mikefamig]

I drain mine annually and pull the anode to check it.

I bought a house with very hard water in 2008 that had a brand new water heater installed in 2006.
After we took possession I went around doing some preventative maintenance.
I hooked up a hose to the water heater and opened the valve.
A trickle of whitish water came out and then it stopped.
After a lot of messing about I removed the hose and the drain valve and still nothing came out.
I ended up using a coat hanger to pull out a bunch of calcium deposits and then the tank finally drained.
I flushed it throughly.

Then I removed the anode.
And all I took off was a nut with a thin piece of wire attached.

In just two years the anode degraded completely and the bottom half of the tank filled with mineral deposits.

I replaced the anode (and installed a water softener) and the tank hasn't leakd in 6 years (draining annually) but I'm sure some life expectancy was cut off from the damage.

I do flush the tank annually but have never looked at the anodes and my Bradford White heater has survived fourteen years.
 
Mike.

 

[darryl]

I never replaced the anode in my tank in 8 years. I'm pretty sure when it corroded away my water started smelling better. Probably not the best way to have a long lasting hot water tank.

 

[RAL]

I never replaced the anode in my tank in 8 years. I'm pretty sure when it corroded away my water started smelling better. Probably not the best way to have a long lasting hot water tank.

 
Yes, anode rods can cause a rotten egg smell in the hot water, and when the rod is gone, the water does smell better.  But it also means your tank is left unprotected.
 
There are different types of anode rods, and replacing the original with a different type can get rid of the smell. There are also electronic, active anode rods which don't cause any smell and also don't need to be replaced because nothing corrodes away.
 
A good site for more information is WaterHeaterRescue.com

 

[mikefamig]

Yes, anode rods can cause a rotten egg smell in the hot water, and when the rod is gone, the water does smell better.  But it also means your tank is left unprotected.
 
There are different types of anode rods, and replacing the original with a different type can get rid of the smell. There are also electronic, active anode rods which don't cause any smell and also don't need to be replaced because nothing corrodes away.
 
A good site for more information is WaterHeaterRescue.com

 
I've been reading and I'm liking the Rheem Marathon because of the light weight, availability at HD and absence or anode rods. I have no exterior access to my basement and have to get this heater through the family room and down a flight of stairs to get into there so light weight is good and the lack of anodes means that maintenance consists of just draining the tank once in a while. It uses about 4700 kwh/year which is as good as most standard electric heaters and 400 less than what I have installed now.
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Marathon-50-Gal-Tall-4500-Watt-Lifetime-Electric-Water-Heater-MR50245/100209103#specifications
 
or the Rheem Performance Platinum
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Platinum-50-gal-Medium-12-Year-5500-5500-Watt-Elements-Electric-Water-Heater-with-LCD-Display-XE50M12EC55U0/204318353
 
Comments?
 
Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

This is also an option too but it looks like Rheem wins given what is available nearby.
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Plus-50-gal-Medium-9-Year-5500-5500-Watt-Elements-Electric-Water-Heater-with-LED-Indicator-XE50M09EL55U0/204697980
 
Lowes has Whirlpool which I have lost respect for through the years and it's just too hard to deal with shipping if the thing arrives to me damaged. I would ship online from a company that does business locally because I could deal with their store if I have problems but not otherwise.
 
Mike.

 

[Desert_AIP]

The Marathon heaters have better (more complete) insulation as well due to the method of construction, increasing overall efficiency/performance.

 

[mikefamig]

The Marathon heaters have better (more complete) insulation as well due to the method of construction, increasing overall efficiency/performance.

Rheem rates them to burn very nearly the same amount of electricity as their other models. $561/yr at $0.12/kwh against $567/year at $0.12/kwh
 
Mike.