Bradford White makes American-made, high-quality water heaters that are built to be the best. AO Smith delivers high-efficiency water heaters with options ranging from gas, electric, or tankless water heaters. Rheem provides high-efficiency and sustainable water heaters with options ranging from tankless, gas, or hybrid electric water heaters.

If you’re looking for a reliable water heater that is reasonably priced, durable, and comes with a warranty, you should choose a Rheem water heater. The water heater that is right for you is the Rheem Performance Platinum 50 Gallon Tall 12 Year 40,000 BTU Natural Gas Tank Water Heater.

When you’re in the market for a new water heater, it’s important to know key features, common problems, and prices when making the right choice. In addition to these factors, purchasing a long-lasting water heater will help save your family not only time but a lot of money down the road.

Why Should I Choose Bradford White Water Heaters? (AKA Pros)

Bradford White is known for their high-quality water heaters that have top-of-the-line features. Providing their customers with these sought-after features improves their safety ratings, reliability, and performance.

Some of their features include the HydroJet Total Performance System, Vitraglas Tank Lining, Gas Control Technology, Defender Safety System, and Steadiset Technology.

You should choose Bradford White water heaters because they pride themselves on delivering high-quality products to their customers. Their water heaters are designed for an impeccable performance that you can be confident will last. Bradford White also delivers on efficiency to lower the amount of energy you use in your home.

Bradford White has over sixty water heaters with a 60 Energy Star Rating that will help you put more money into your pockets. In addition to quality, performance, and efficiency, they deliver American-made products throughout the United States to further aid in keeping a great economy.

Bradford White Water Heater Problems

Some known problems with Bradford White water heaters have been the pilot not lighting, the pilot won’t stay lit once the button is released, or there’s not enough hot water. If you run into any of these problems with your Bradford White water heater, you may try to troubleshoot to solve the problem.

If your pilot is not lighting, this could mean you don’t have any gas or your pressure is too low. It also may be due to your control knob being in the wrong position. If your pilot won’t stay lit once the button is released, this could be due to a faulty thermocouple connection.

Lastly, if you’re having problems with your Bradford White water heat, it could be because you don’t have enough hot water. This could be because you have your thermostat or gas valve set too low. This may also be due to too much cold water getting into your heater, in which case you’d need to temper the water supply.

Bradford White Prices

How Long Do Bradford White Water Heaters Last?

Your Bradford White water heater can last up to 10 years if you have properly followed a few of these tips. The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your water heater is installed by a professional. The last thing you need is a water heater that’s not installed correctly.

Second, you’ll want to make sure that you are keeping your Bradford White water heater properly maintained. This can be done by having proper maintenance completed by a Bradford White technician. Lastly, you’ll want to keep your water heater in the same location as it was first installed. 

To ensure the health of your Bradford White water heater and lengthen its life expectancy, you should pay attention to its appearance, temperature, noise, and age. Most of these areas can be completed with light maintenance, but others may require a professional.

Why Should I Choose AO Smith Water Heaters?

AO Smith delivers high-efficiency water heaters that have options ranging from gas, electric, or tankless water heaters. AO Smith supplies water heaters with features that have a tank guard, leak watch, leak shield, iComm Smart Technology, and are energy star certified. AO Smith is one of the leading companies supplying high-efficient water heaters.

You should choose AO Smith water heaters because they are very durable, reliable, and are tested in labs to make sure they are long-lasting.

They provide a wide selection of water heaters and are backed by tank and part warranties. AO Smith offers installations from their top professionals that are trained in proper venting techniques and can protect your home plumbing system.

You should also choose AO Smith water heaters because they have a glass lining that will help protect your water heater from corrosion. They have a self-cleaning system that will help prolong the life of your water heater. In addition, their ProLine products can’t be found in big stores, making them a one-of-a-kind find!

AO Smith Common Problems

Some known problems with AO Smith water heaters have been no hot water, not enough hot water or recovery, the temperature being too high, or drippage from the relief valve. First, your water heater may have no hot water due to no electrical power or your heating element is getting burnt out. 

Second, you may not have enough hot water due to setting your thermostat too low, you have a small water capacity, or you could have a defective valve. To check this, you’ll want to make sure you have your thermostat set on the hot settings. A third common problem with AO Smith water heaters is that your temperature may be too high.

This happens sometimes if you have your thermostats set too high which would give you excessive hot water. You also might receive excessive hot water if your thermostat isn’t snug against the tank. Lastly, a common problem you may encounter is drippage from your relief valve.

You may experience drippage from your relief valve if you have too much water pressure. Other times, you could experience drippage from dirt or other debris getting stuck inside your relief valve.

AO Smith Prices

How Long Do AO Smith Water Heaters Last?

AO Smith prides itself on providing and building water heaters for its customers that last. Most AO Smith water heaters have a limited warranty that is good and lasts between 6 to 10 years. Even with this limited warranty, you’ll find that most of their water heaters can last for more than a decade.

To ensure your AO Smith lasts more than a decade, you’ll want to make sure it is properly installed by a professional. In addition to proper installation, routine maintenance and good water quality and pressure are needed to keep your water heater running in great condition. 

Why Should I Choose Rheem Water Heaters?

Rheem delivers high-efficiency water heaters with features such as leak guard, leak sense, Econet Smart Monitoring, and Integrated BMS Connectivity. With their water heaters, having built-in smart monitoring and accurate leak identification, customers will have the chance to detect problems before they even happen.

You should choose Rheem water heaters because of their unique leakguard feature. With leaks becoming a common problem among water heaters, this feature is a key component to avoiding headaches later down the road. Their leak detection and system prevention have an auto-shutoff valve that will limit leaks to no more than twenty-four ounces of water.

In addition to their leak guard feature, their leak sense feature is a perfect pairing when it comes to Rheem water heaters.

The leak sense feature is a detection system that will give you notifications whenever your water heater is nearing failure. Some customers say this is a non-negotiable feature to have when choosing the right water heater for their home.

Rheem Water Heaters Common Problems (Cons)

Some common problems with Rheem water heaters are strange noises, brownish water occurring, foul odor, leaking tank, water being too hot, not enough hot water, or the water is not hot.

The reason your water heater may not be working could be due to any of the problems above. Even the most high-efficient water heaters encounter problems, so before you call in a professional, you can take a look at the problem on your own.

If you come across strange noises with your water heater, you may have sediment in your tank. If you come across brownish water, this could be an indicator that corrosion has already taken place. Foul odors within water heaters could mean that you have bacteria growth within your tank.

A leaking tank could mean several things such as supply line issues, water nipple problems, or problems with the drain lines.

If your water heater temperature is too hot, you may just need to adjust the temperature on the thermostat. If you don’t have enough hot water, this could mean that your water heater is too small for the size of your home.

Lastly, if you don’t have hot water, this could mean your power may have tripped. For this, you can call a professional to check your circuit breaker to see why it tripped and to replace the heating element.

Rheem Prices

How Long Do Rheem Water Heaters Last?

Rheem water heaters can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years depending on your water conditions and how well you have kept up with maintenance.

If you have your water heater serviced every 5 years, you can extend the life of your water heater. When servicing your water heater, they’ll check your electrical wiring, valves, and the sacrificial anode.

Which One Should I Choose?

Based on pricing, you should choose the AO Smith Signature 100 50 Gallon Short 6-year Limited Warranty 4500-Watt Double Element Electric Water Heater for $539.00.

Out of all the water heaters, this water heater has the most capacity and is the cheapest. When sized appropriately, this water heater can serve a household of 2-3 people.

This model is an energy-efficient model that will save you both money and energy in your home. Based on reliability, the Rheem Performance Platinum 50 Gallon Tall 12 Year 40,000 BTU Natural Gas Tank Water Heater will last you the longest.

This water heater will provide water for homes that are sized for 3 to 5 people. It also has a 12-year warranty for parts and your tank.

The Rheem water heater is priced at $889.00 and is the better choice, even though it’s a little more in price. It will serve more people in your home and it’s maintenance-free, as there is no filter to clean or replace. Based on customer reviews, the Rheem model is the best bang for your buck.

The water heater runs silent, has a great performance, and is reasonably priced. Many customers have said they needed to turn the temperature all the way down because the hot water works so well with this water heater!

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the right water heater for your home, we recommend choosing the Rheem water heater. Rheem water heaters are long-lasting, have great reviews, and serve the average-sized family.

Most of their water heaters also come with a sought-after warranty, leaving you stress-free if any problems should occur.

The average lifespan of your Rheem water heater will be anywhere from 8 to 12 years, making this another reason it’s a great choice for your home. When choosing Rheem, you will be provided with an affordable installation, long-term energy savings, and reliability that you and your family can count on!

Ruben Marziano

Ruben has a diverse background in the home services industry, with experience running a construction company, a kitchen and bath showroom, and a moving and relocation company. This breadth of experience has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various areas of home improvement in general and specifically in the heating and plumbing niche.