Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
With all due respect, I don't understand your reasoning. You can buy a Rheem water heater with a 6-year warranty for a retail price of $449 or a Rheem water heater with a 12-year warranty for $649. The labor to install it is not covered by the warranty. What is wrong with a 6-year warranty for an item that costs less than $500? My car cost $35K and it only had a 3-year warranty. Also, if your 12-year warranty water heater fails at 10 years, how long is it going to take to contact Rheem and enforce the warranty to save $249, while you are out of hot water? If your 6-year warranty water heater fails at 10 years, a plumber will replace it the same day. To me, it is a no brainer that the water heater with a 6-year warranty is a better deal.
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The main reason is the anode rod in the 12 year tank will be thicker than the 6 year tank. They list this in their specifications. The performance of the anode rod will determine the longevity of the tank. Remember, the anode rod is a sacrifical rod that protects the tank from corrosion.
The other option if you are handy is to get the 6 year tank and purchase an electronic anode rod. You can get these on Amazon. Then at installation have the tech remove the anode rod and install the electronic rod. You will void the warranty but from what everyone has indicated the warrany is not worth much anyway. With the electronic rod the tank should last a very long time.