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Bradford White vs Rheem Water Heaters

So you think all water heaters are the exact same, the only reason that water heaters even vary in price has to do with marketing and distribution. When you shop around for a water heater you would be a sucker not to buy the cheapest one, right?


Some of the water heaters made in the 50’s are still working today. It’s because they lines the inside of the tank with copper. There are only a few parts to a water heater, repairs can always be made unless the tank ruptures and starts leaking.

Water heaters today are made with a very thin layer of steel and then lined on the inside with glass. That’s why many water heater fail after only a few short years.

Water Heaters today are simply not lasting as long as they used to. I’m not going to bash one or two of the worst water heater manufacturers out there, I’ll just leave it at most water heaters are made cheaper than now than they used to be. Of course you can say that about almost all of your household appliances. When’s the last time you had an appliance breakdown, tried to call a repairman all to be told that the repair cost would be more than what the appliance is worth.

Old appliance were just built a lot better than the new ones. I have friends that have refrigerators that were built back in the 50’s and are still running strong. Heck, I have seen water heaters that are over 30 years old.

In today’s market, the average water heater that is sold at the home improvement stores may only last for 5-8 years. In fact some of the cheapest water heaters only come with a 3 year warranty. The warranty offered by most water heater manufacturers is only going to cover a tank failure. The more common repairs such as a burner, gas valve, or t&p will not be covered by the warranty. Plus you will be stuck paying the plumber labor is the repair.

This is a video of two water heaters that held up for almost 20 years in Kansas City home. If you need a water heater installation specialist call KC Plumber Pro today.