Favorite Gas Water Heater?

rhinoguy

What do you folks like to install when someone's old State water heater dies? I'm interested in a 50 gallon now, usually need 40's. The gas line is there (3/8")and the sweat fittings are easy to get to.
What's the most reliable and easy to repair when it gets old? Opinions of course.

mdshunk

A.O. Smith

rhinoguy

“A.O. Smith,” “Reliance,” “Apollo,” “State,” or “Maytag”
Ummmm?
This doesn't relate exactly to what I have in mind but: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06002.html
Are the various brand names like Ford, Mercury, Lincoln? All the same company but better products as you spend more?

Ron The Plumber

Bradford White

TurdMaster

State, Rheem, Bradford White, there all the same. I can tell you for sure, G.E. is junk! Stay away from them as I have done 4 in the last 6 months that were less than a year old.

Squench

rhino, you want opinions I got 'em!

I am fairly positive, (someone correct me if I'm wrong) GE has the "bulb" safety device, that when shattered, gives way to a spring loaded plate that blocks the oxygen supply. The federal mandate on the sealed combustion chamber has spurned a few different designs, but all subject to failure due to oxygen deprivation, given the right circumstance. I think Rheem, has the perforated sides. When in a laundry room, they will suck up lint and are difficult, if not impossible to clean out. At least Bradford White has a removable screen that will catch all the dust but... I went to service a new Rheem heater that would burn the pilot, but only flame up for a second or two..then extinguish itself. Pilot would almost always burn, but you had to wait a minute or two for it to relight, then poof. Gas supply was fine. Old heater worked 20 years until leakage. Located in laundry room, lint everywhere.
State comes with nipples that are too short, and the plastic "escutcheon" is often raised to the point where you are grabbing threads with the pipe wrench, and the AWC Premier Plus, they go berserk with the spray expandofoam insulation, often to the point where it obstructs the threaded insert. I have to take a knife to them.
Whirlpool stupid left hand thread thermocouple and ANY heater that has a plastic boiler drain! Talk about JUNK!!

gee whiz I went into a rant! sorry about that

I guess what I'm saying is A.O Smith Bradford White