The hole on the burner is to prevent condensation from accumulating on top the burner and snuffing out the flame when the burner is on in a cold tank. It also prevents rust on the burner.
I didn't think an hour long video on plumbing would be as informative as this turned out to be. Great work guys. This is going to save a lot of people money and time if they pay attention. Tldr: dont buy box store water heaters.
Good info. But for the life of me, I can’t understand why every maker of RUclips videos feels we must have mindless, repetitive “music” overtop of the narration. It serves no purpose, and gets to be very annoying after a few minutes. I guess everyone thinks it sounds more “professional.” At a minimum, it shouldn’t be as loud, imo.
Yes, but the clincher for me was convenience. When my water heater started leaking on me, I needed to get back to normal in a hurry, and it was after the close of business on Friday. That means Big Box, or turn off the hot water entirely until Monday. The decision made itself.
Very detailed and informative! I appreciate your effort. Probably explains why my Proline Plus Nautilus by American Water Heaters installed in 1992 is still working!!!
@@weingHow hot do you have the temp set if I might ask. My water heater is from 1991 and still kicking. But I have the temp set just hot enough for me to get a warm shower.
As a 69 year old retired Plumbing contractor, it was great to see the things I learned about box store crap -tested and explained. Faucets, fixtures ,everything at the box stores is made to a price point. Back in the day I could dismantle 2 identical Delta 100 kitchen faucets-same part number, same packaging, and the internal components would differ a lot. Plastic control ball/valve vs stainless steel, stainless liners vs none where the packing/seals traveled, rubber composition of those seals different,etc. It's deceptive at best. Like you ,I did not wish to waste time replacing inferior parts. You get what you pay for.
How is that possible with the same part number? Years after purchase if you go back to the manufacturer, you give them part number and maybe serial number for later replacement parts and whatnot....how will they keep it straight?
Just replaced a water heater recently. I could not find any one selling pro ao smith so I went Rheem. I was always told by a plumber to never buy from big box and never questioned his reasoning. This video gives me proof now thanks.
@@SmedleyPlumbing yeah dude that’s so awesome. I know it was probably expensive to make the video. Totally respect you guys. i watched a few commercials on purpose so hopefully it helps recoup some of your funds. I’ve recently started listening to The Void podcast as well. You guys have great advice, very entertaining, and it’s definitely helped me as an employee of a company producing more sales.
This is one of the best videos on the internet. Thank you. Every one should watch this. Should have a million views. Every home owner should have this knowledge.
I needed a new 50gal tank and my plumber said he uses the pro grade A.O.Smith but if I wanted I could go to Lowes and buy one of there (Rheem, store brand , etc.) units and he would charge me the labor. I opted for the pro grade because if something went wrong under warranty I would have to handle it with Lowes but if it went wrong with the unit he put in, he would take care of it. Made it a very easy decision, Excellent installation.
A pro installed a water heater in my parents house. Two years latter the overpressure valve flooded the basement. He didn't hook up the overpressure to the line running outside. They did install a free overpressure valve but a lot of stuff in the basement was a mess.
If you are talking about the relief valve ,it's against the plumbing code to pipe it outside, it's supposed to terminate 6" above the floor,preferably in a water heater pan,which can be pipe ed outside.
@@knilsen1501 the water heater is in a basement so following code floods the basement. Absolutely asinine to follow new code which offers danger with no gain.. The flood can snuff out the water heater and gas furnace burners.
2006 AO Smith Commercial water heater owner checking in here 😄. I've had it in the budget for the last 5 years to replace it, but the damn thing just won't die. I only had to replace the burner about 5 years ago (which is what made me start thinking I needed a replacement). I've also never drained the thing and it still pumps out some scalding hot water. I'm scared to replace it at this point because I KNOW I'll never get 18 years out of whatever I replace it with 😆. Thanks for the great video!
What an awesome video! What product comparison box vs. pro grade is next? Thanks so much for your support of the Spirit of Opportunity and your local supply house at Kansas City Winnelson!
Bought a GE 30 gal electric from Home Depot 20 years ago, and the thermostat just failed this week. I figure 20 years was great service and it's time to retire the entire unit. I can do the job in an hour, milking it. Sadly, Home Depot no longer carries GE, so I'm gonna go with the AO Smith from Lowes this time. I was worried about the quality, but your video just convinced me that it would do the job just fine. Nothing personal, and I know everybody's gotta eat, but a licensed plumber would want $1500+ to do that job for me. Great video, and I thank you, even if it probably had the opposite effect you were hoping for. $900 per hour is more than anyone "needs" to make.
@@joeyyc8515, Hey I get it...but I can do the work myself so paying anything seems silly to me. Others aren't as fortunate and for them, I would recommend a good plumber for many reasons. So glad I didn't toss the old GE after all that though.....turns out the circuit breaker had an intermittent failure and once I replaced it......nice hot water. 😁 Tank looks good enough to go another 10 years easy and now I have an extra thermo. It may outlive me 🤣
I've got a 20 year old GE WATER Heater that I bought from Home Depot in 2004. It's electric and is still working just fine without any problems. It was made by Rheem.
If you keep the anode in good enough shape to prevent too much corrosion, either by adding a powered anode or replacing the disposable one every few years, a tank can go almost indefinitely aside from an occasional cheap element or thermostat replacement. You could likely replace the thermostat yourself for under $100. I replaced one of the elements and the anode on my now 25 year old water heater last year and plan on replacing the drain valve next time I flush it.
Thanks for this video. I myself have had debates with people over the difference in quality between box stores and supply houses. However, the biggest issue for the home owner is not the couple of hundred dollar difference between the two. It's the 100 % markup in price that a plumber charges the homeowner. This doubles the price to the homeowner.
@@SmedleyPlumbing just because someone is a “professional” doesn’t mean they do good work. My old water heater was installed by a “professional” (tag on the unit) and it was a hack job. I’m nervous about working on gas lines so when I remodeled my kitchen I had a plumber move my gas line and saw all my plumbing work under the sink and said my work was great and moving the gas line was easier then what I had done and I could have done it just fine.
I experienced a box store vs. buying from a local shop when buying my lawn tractor. I bought a Husqvarna lawn tractor from Home Depot. It has had nothing but issues, and it only has 17 hours on it. I took it in for service to a Husqvarna dealer, and he was showing me major differences between his that he sold and the one I bought from Home Depot. Same models. So I sold the one I bought from Home Depot and paid the additional 280 dollar differences, and I'm telling you there are no comparisons between the 2 Lawn tractors..
Agreed, but if you know anything about small engines, stick to Scag/Kubota/Exmark, etc. You rarely see landscapers use any of the junk Craftsman, Husqvarna, even Toro, they all use the same low quality parts and transmission.
The John Deere mowers from home Depot are crap. 2 years the transmission failed 5 years the motor failed. The John Deere store said the home Depot ones are crap.
The Plant in Johnson City manufactured most of the retail product uses pre-cut and pre-cleaned steel. They had a better glass lining process so they could use thinner steel. Each plant has different tooling, there are lots of differences in the product from one plant to the other, like the watts vs. cash acme vendor. I worked as a sales manager in wholesale for A.O.Smith/State for 20 years.
And I have no doubt that you know that their intentionally selecting cheaper materials to use on the box store models. Which would be why we as professional plumbers see box store heaters failing much faster and much more often than any professionally purchased heater.
@@SmedleyPlumbing I work at the Johnson City factory. The steel is (mostly) the same regardless of which factory is using it now. Rare differences in thickness, where they exist between comparable models (pro or retail), are less than a hundredth of an inch. What major differences do currently exist are mostly to do with what kind of weld is on the long seam. The pro model used submerged arc welding for that seam. Your pro model was also most likely a few years old. Since COVID all the metal has gotten thinner, and all of it is being standardized across the board. They may not be exactly the same buying them right now due to old stock shuffling out, but they will soon be near carbon copies of eachother.
Thanks! I have a bunch of rentals that have gas water heaters. Coming up on 60 year old houses. I thought it was just Lowes. I bought a Kenmore heater and it's still in service. Not a moment's trouble. I bought a Lowes and I almost knew the repairman by his first name. Lots of trouble with the gas burner, control, and pressure valve. I bought a Home Depot unit for another house and it's also still in service. While it has never had a service call, it's tough to get it to fire up. I'll have to look up how long they've been in service. One I think is at 15 years. Probably time. I have a supply house near me. Great guys.
Finally someone proving what I have been saying I only buy from supply houses Its a big investment an extra 100 150 10 yrs or 20 years Aggravation and cost every 10 or 20 I'll take a little more for a lot more years EVERY TIME Thanks for this video
The video may be some half a year old, but all the information is valuable. I was a plumber for a some time in my life, but did not have the exposure or experience to see a lot of these clear differences. Was mostly a, "Please clear the line" guy. Thank you are your team for the breakdown and information!
My supply house sent us to the AO Smith / State water heater manufacturing facility outside of Nashville. Which is massive. AO Smith / State owns the company that makes ALL the components for their water heaters. I asked this very question " what is the difference between pro and box store?" answer; The box store units are made in a different facility, in a different state with out sourced parts. They also have a different glass liners. Drop the Mic!
A hardware store here has a display. They've got two Weber grills side by side. One they went and bought at Walmart, The other is the grade they sell. They've done the same thing you did. The first thing is how different the thickness of the sheet metal is. The one they sell weighs around 7 lb more if I remember correctly. Thicker steel on the side sticker burner heavier frame the works.
@@SmedleyPlumbing great video. What is the warranty on the pro model? At the box store I can get a 6y 9y 12y or a lifetime warranty. Is it possible that the pro model is the same as the box store 9y or 12y?
@@SmedleyPlumbing thanks. That was all I wasn't clear on. The tank on my 30 year old Montgomery ward 300 started leaking 2 weeks ago. They used to last forever.
Your video showed up on my feed and was of interest to me as I just had a 5 year old Rheem water heater spring a leak. Damn plastic drain valve gave up the ghost. When it's time to replace, I will only go with a pro grade replacement. Your video taught me the difference between the two as I leaned toward made on the same line with different stickers. Thank you so much. Oh, and paying my plumber for his expertise saved me more as I would have replaced the drain valve with another plastic valve, and he instead put in a brass ball valve. Home owners don't know what they don't know. Smiles.
I have always heard they were the same too. All the water heaters I have replaced (not a plumber) and I always bought the box store version thinking I was getting the best bang for my buck. Thanks for this video! Very informative and I know to go pro grade next time.
Fabulous video. We replaced our water heater four years ago. Our plummer only uses the AO Smith commercial unit. Seeing this video makes me feel good about our purchase.
I have been a general contractor for 33 years. I have only installed 3 tank water heaters in the last 20 years on my projects. Have installed over 100 Noritz tankless units. We had one heat exchanger leak in that time period. We had a replacement part from Noritz in 48 hours. (Was still under warranty)
Having a tank water heater in your home gives you access to 50 gallons or more of potable water in case of an emergency. Unless you're short on space, most plumbers I know prefer a tank unit.
@@giovannicampos7462 If you need an emergency water supply it's less expensive to install a"tempering" tank and a smaller high efficiency demand heater. Cheaper still is a supply of 1 gallon water jugs. Plumbers get paid by the hour. They make more money from servicing and replacing tank units than from less frequent work on higher quality, more expensive and durable demand units. Auto mechanics and dealers have similar attitudes about preferring ICE cars that have more mechanical maintenance needs ta BEVs. The newer tech has different support needs.
I live in a hard water area. A tankless heater requires servicing annually to prevent lime blockage. The cost of this removes any financial advantage in using tankless.
@@67daltonknox Yeah we never pushed tankless for a financial advantage. Yeah they save a little bit of energy but they're added initial upfront cost in their added maintenance costs offset any energy savings. So literally the only reason we ever push tankless is for people that need endless hot water.
My control valve failed just as you described. Plastic cracked leaking water into control valve. Valve never turned off burner. Water turned to steam. Relief valve never opened. Luckily that was the worse of it. Great video.
There are differences as you have shown. With that said, I have a 32 year old water heater from Lowe's. Water quality and maintenance have more to do with long-term use.
My box store heater had a control box fail so I called the 800 number and got the run around for 1-3/4 hours. Finley I hung up and called the manufacturer and ask for the COO with in 5 minutes I was told I would have my part with in 24 hours delivered next day air.
Things that would be interesting to know: 1. Manufacturing date? 2. Factory? 3. actual part number? Running changes in production. Different factories can produce differently, but most of all box stores are going to have a margin percentage requirement from their suppliers. So, vendors can find ways to save $ on the build to meet the margin % requirement of the buyer. I’m suspecting the model number is very close, but diff enough to be the lesser quality parts to meet the margin requirement. This is my suspicion, but the first two are still possible
Rheem has two lines of gas tank water heaters, Performance which can be purchased at HD and like the one we have, a Professional model that was installed by a HVAC/Plumbing company. Also in the USA (not the world) there are other water heater manufactures like Haier who makes GE, Bosch, Rinnai (Japanese brand) plant in Georgia. Thanks for the comparison. You learn something everyday.
@@SmedleyPlumbing I’d like to see the Rheem line. After watching your video, I researched the box store 50 gallon Rheem electric I bought at Home Depot. It does have a brass drain valve and magnesium anode rod, but I’m guessing they’ve cut some corners somewhere, and I’d like to know where. I’m just a homeowner and didn’t realize the quality would be different based on where I bought until watching your video. I hope this one lasts, but now I know for the future.
@@GraingerProductions we considered that. But Rheem changes the name of their pro line to Ruud. So people works likely think they are two different heaters. That's why we did the AO vs. AO.
YES YES. My ex son-in-law told me the same things you are saying here. He is a plumber. He said these things after he visually seen my water heater. Like you said, he just looked at it and could tell right away it was box store!.
Great video. I’m a 71 year old retired plumber and would only suggest a little more personal protection when pumping up those lines at high pressure. When I was starting as a teen with my dad, construction plumbers were still using flares for sealing gas leaks in newly finished buildings. Very dangerous as there were plumbers that were injured doing so.
@@SmedleyPlumbingYou were the one that said “I’m nervous, I don’t know what it’s going to do”. Good reasoning. I’ve done hydrostatic testing on most of the high rises, hospitals, and other commercial sites that required it. Never used anything over 150psi. Why? Because most fittings and valves are rated at 150psi, including, it appears, the iron ones you used on your test lines. The union based school I went to in the early 70’s had videos sponsored by American Water Heater showing units blowing up prior to the use of T&P valves, and yes, lives lost. Great job at showing the general public what they are getting from box stores as opposed to the ones plumbers buy and the time and money you spent to do so. Stay safe out there.
What has failed in 10 years ? Seems rather short. My water heater is 17 years old, and it just started heating a reduced amount of water, not full 50 gal
Thanks for this analysis! I wish I had seen this before I purchased a box store Rheem. Seemed to be a great deal. After it failed prematurely. Rheem honored the warranty. The part was only manufactured for the box store. It would have been weeks before receiving the replacement part from Rheem. Weeks without hot water. Never again.
Sure, the pro grade should be better, but as long as your relief valve is working properly, it'll never see that kind of pressure. I also notice Lowe's sells different AO Smith 40 gal tanks with 6, 9, or 12 year warranties. I wonder if the 12 year Lowe's heater is the same as the pro grade.
Relief valves fail closed all the time. It's a very common issue we see. Also, the thinner metal shows wear and stress much sooner. That's why we see so many box store tanks fail within a few years.
Around 1990 the company I worked for asked Bradford White the difference between water heaters with different warranty lengths, their answer was the price difference represented the increased cost of the longer warranty. No difference in construction. This was done to answer a customer question.
Hello from the other side of the State... 14 years so far. This one was bought and installed by a local True Value hardware store. I have no idea the brand because I wrapped a WH blanket around it 14 years ago, and can't remember and can't find the receipt, lol! House was built in '55 and they didn't build the typical middle class ranch houses back then with heating, cooling or ventilation in mind for the basement. Can you say cold in the winter! Hence, the extra blanket. Enjoyed the video! Thanks...
@@SmedleyPlumbing Maybe I should have bought a spare water heater back then, lol. I'm sure this water heater is approaching it's last days. I'll be suggesting a pro grade to the plumber next time around.
Its all about the point of use! Box store is plenty for a home! Pro grade is more Comercial use!! As long as you maintain your water heater it will last you 25 years.
My water heater is a Reliance brand (AO Smith made) from get this 1991. This was before the expansion tank was mandated. I put this water heater in when I was in my 20's. I worked at a box store back then. I'm now a Plumber (started apprenticeship in 98).. There was a time I actually drained sediment out of it. I'm a single guy and the temperature is set at just hot enough to have a warm shower. That I'm guessing explains the way above average life expectancy. Thanks for the video.
31:08 Great video, but I do have to give you a little bit of a hard time. The reason the socket got stuck was because it was a non impact rated socket and a 12 point. 🤠👍 Oh yeah, Texas BBQ.... 💯 😁
Thanks for the info. I tried to buy a Bradford White and was told they only sold to licensed contractors. I thought that carried over to the AO Smith pro models.
Fabulous video, but I can not believe that you ran the pressure test with the tanks right next to the pickup truck. I understand they had water in them, but still you were using a gas to pressurize them. One of the reasons the pro one might have failed first is if there was some leak in the box store version. Even though they were fed by the same pipe, resistance in the pipe might have resulted in a lower effective pressure in the box store tank, especially with all the distortion in the pipes you observed.
I have replaced a number of water heaters and have had nothing but issues with the Rheem water heaters from Home Depot. Their thermo couples keep failing. On one water heater, it failed twice before the warranty expired. The Rheem company would send out another kit, but the tenant would be without hot water for several days. I gave up on the warranties and just purchased a thermocouple from a supplier. This has occurred to a second water heater with the same issue. On another newer Rheem water heater still under warranty , the thermostat would not work properly and would cause the PT valve to start leaking. I first thought the issue was with a faulty PT valve. Replaced it and had the same issue. Instead of replacing the thermostat, I replaced the water heater.
Realized after watching a video on Anode Rod’s and the need to replace them 3-5 years. I had never replaced my water heater rod and so did some more research and ended up going with an electric protection anode rod. I have replaced it already however what is your take on these type of anode rod replacements? Even one plumber store talked to using this type of anode rode if they did the project. I did replace the anode rod myself and from various video’s, I used a 1/2 inch impact socket and impact wrench. Purchased a Ryobi 1/2 inch impact wrench and sockets on sale and it worked like a charm. The anode rod was on very tight over the 10+ years not replaced. Took a few attempts with the impact wrench but it broke it loose and I had may be 6-8 inches left (wish I could attach a photo), it did its job for sacrificing but was due for replacement. Now I used the impact wrench so I didn’t mess up the water lines or twist the water tank by using a breaker bar, definitely the impact wrench was a good choice. Nice video produced!!
Nice video and presentation. Magnificent. I can see the tank cap distorted from flat and bow like the top of a donut and not in bow shape is because we have a flu tube there to hold the center height in dimension from becoming a dome. As the nipple were mounted less than half radius from the center it will follow the donut and lean inward.
I wanted to replace my Rheem from HD with a bradford white or similar from the plumbing supply store, but they were either too tall or too wide for my space. The only thing that would fit was the exact same model Rheem 50 gallon. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the old plastic valve on the old Rheem was now a brass valve on the new one.
I have a lot issue with comments that they are not from the same assembly line. I think those people are not familiar woth factory operations. Both water heaters are likely from the same assembly line but are assembled using different components. It would not make a lot of sense to have an extra assembly line to build a mere identical water heater unless you needed a sexond or third line to meet capacity. Very likely no difference in tooling would be needed building both 40 gal water heaters. Using the same assembly line they could possibly build 40, 50, 60 gal water heaters on the same line, needing only various different tooling. The video proves that different components are utilized in pro vs box store water heaters, but this hardly proves they are using different assembly lines. As a analogy if you buy a car.. call its a Chevy Cruise, GM would not have different assembly lines for each trim level. Rather the components to be assembled would vary depending on which particular trim, car, color they would be building at a time. If one looks at videos online, a car manufacturer may build a $20k base model and next on the the might be $40k top of the line trim. All the same assembly line, but just various models or trims. I expect AO Smith to be doing exactly the same.
@@SmedleyPlumbingA.O. Smith owns a few water heater factories. You can look up where each is made on the paperwork (sometimes the stickers will say, too).
We were trying to get a particular Bradford White heater. None available, as they only produced that model twice a year, next time about 4 months away. We found a similar Rheem unit we could actually get.
Interesting video. My water heater went out, and the plumber wanted to sell me an expensive water heater with his markups, which was obviously added. I bought one from Home Depot, 12 year warranty and got a 10% Veterans discount. I saved a bundle, and it will probably last just as long. Plus, Home Depot stands behind their products better than the local fly by night plumbers. Location: Las Vegas June 2024. 🙂
One thing I have stumbled across is they only make water heaters in small batches for High Altitude Cities like in Colorado. I was trying to order something specific for a customer in Colorado and I was told it couldn't be done because they only make High Altitude water's from time to time. Only a small market needs High Altitude water heaters.
As a DIYer you have me looking for an upgrade kit for my box store water heater - so far I’ve sourced a better brass release valve and anode rod and I’ll probably just strap a bunch of hose clamps around the tank to keep it from puffing out. 😮😊
This video is really excellent. It is the video I was looking for with a detailed comparison. I’m a quality engineer married to a general contractor and evaluating our cost of materials. I wanted to understand if we are really getting better quality components at plumbing supply stores. Thanks so much!! Subscribing!
Bought my house in July 2021. Water heater was original. Last year, I replaced it with a Lowes AO smith 50gal (old one was bradford 40gal). I did replace the plastic drain valve with a brass ball valve. Right away I was impressed with the water temperature. I have had no issues with my 50gal Lowes AO Smith water heater since I installed it over a year ago. I do want to drain it and replace the anode rod though in the next month or so.
It's just like tires. The same exact model at WM has less plys than at a tire shop. If you look close, long number for the model is different but the big text is the same.
Nice interesting video. Thanks. I am no fan of some box store poor quality products, but went through 2 pro-plumbing grade 80 gallon Bradford Whites in the last 20 years (each lasted about 10 years), just moved into home with 12 year old Whirlpool 80 gallon bought at Lowes. It looks and works great. Obviously this is anecdotal. Installation probably matters more than the heater itself. Seeing so many ruptured top pipes in "the wild", are no expansion tanks being used in KC? People who buy heaters from LOWES and HD are more likely to install themselves resulting in more problems I think.
Great video thank you for taking the time to make it. Not trying to bash you or anyone else but alot of supply houses won't sell to the general public or if they do it's not at a pro plumbers price ( which I totally understand) The average joes price is going to be way more than the price that the pros get. Where I live in CT you have to have an account or license to get your price. I have a friend who called me a couple of weeks ago. He got a quote for a 40 gallon gas fired water heater install and taking away the old water heater for $4,000 ouch
Yoo Sir! Last night, I was just looking for videos to understand why my water heater was leaking underneath where the mounts were. (its toast) By accident, i just saw this video, and why not, i clicked in it. I honestly feel educated now! Thank You Sir! I have a trailer home, so my tank is a bit different, but im assuming the principle is the same. Thumbs Up From Iowa Sir 👍 Thank You!
I think you should have weighed the tanks at the end without any insulation on them. Just to give an example of the thickness of the metal or how many pounds of that difference was the actual tank/glass thickness. Overall great video. Lots of good information. Get the camera, man a gimbal.
Great video, I would have liked to seen more about the difference in the insulation and differences in the efficiency of the heaters. I would guess a lot of the weight difference came from that as well.
Interesting review, I literally just purchased and installed this very same heater from the big box store. Thank you for this informative and educational review 👍
Also, I noticed that the energy efficient is different from one heater to the other one was 300 and another one was 200. I noticed that right off the bat when you talk about the heaters.
@@SmedleyPlumbing I thought those numbers were "normalized" ??? Otherwise, they would be useless? I agree with the OP that those look like subtly different water heaters! I would be curious to see a close-up of both stickers?
I'm still running my Lowe's bought Whirlpool heater installed in 2003. Drain it every year to remove build up. Never replaced the anode either. I know I'm on borrowed time.
There are more than three companies that make tank hot water heaters. GSW is a big name in Canada. Located in Fergus, Ontario. Been in business for 150 years
Interesing thanks. Small point though; When Water filled vessels fail under pressure there is No dramatic explosion . Water simply pisses out.. not an explosion as typical from compressed gas.
Great video. It put to bed a lot of myths about what you get. The sad part is the DIYer who did one water heater in his life will tell you they are still the same. Just like the sales person at the box store. Keep making the videos but we know some folks will still deny the facts to hold to their errant opinion. A certain comedian hit it on the head when he said “you can’t fix stupid”
The tank by itself are the same. The weight difference between the two stripped is the sheet metal outer case. The difference between the two is the quality of the components. The internal tank is the same across the line. A box store AO Smith comes in 3 models, 100, 300, 500. The tanks are all the same. What you are paying extra for is the warranty.
Yep, if it's made by AO SMITH, all the tanks are identical! I went through AO SMITH’s three-day school (5 years ago) and the factory in Tennessee. I can personally verify that if it's different, it's in the controls, drain valve, and stickers. You should see how those tanks are handled after coming out of the “glass lining process”. It is amazing how much rough handling they take. I questioned the engineer about it, he said you can bounce the tank and still not crack that lining it's that tough. I never worried about dropping one off the tailgate again. Oh yeah, change the anode rod every year!
I do general home improvement and repairs, including water heaters and I get them from the big box stores. I haven't had any problems with them, but I still totally believe what he is saying about these things. My 1999 home still has the original gas water heater and it still works just fine, i have had a new one sitting right next to it for when it fails and it's been sitting there ready to go for well over 10 years. I think I'll wait a bit longer...
I hate to burst anyone's bubble on pro grade or Lowe's grade water heaters. I have now had 3, yes 3 so-called pro grade water heaters in a rental I own. The first one cost me over $2381.00. Why? Well, the plumber said he needed to completely replace all the old lines and install a $ 258.00 expansion tank. I discovered he never pulled a permit that the city requires. That cost me another $ 321.00 above the original cost. One year and a few weeks after the first pro-grade water heater it started leaking from the bottom. I called him out to replace it. Low and behold, yeah its done. Labor to replace said water heater with a 15 year warranty was $ 938.00. 341 days later the new one was leaking. Called Mr. Yoyo again. Yep water is leaking. He said he would only charge me for his time to get a new one. The bill was only $ 692.00. Guess what, the new one after 6 months is leaking again. I called Home Depot this time. Replacement was $ 1081.53 including labor and a 25 year warranty on the tank. Oh, the so called pro grade water heater. According to the manufacturer is no different from the home depot model except the warranty...
Sounds like your previous plumbing was missing some water pressure issues causing premature tank failure. Excessive water pressure will shorten the life of any tank.
It's on the building/home owner to pull the permits and the expansion tank is required now and no water heater will have a 15 year or 25 year warranty..
I’ve had two Pro Grade AOSmith gas water heaters fail on me in six years. Both failed around that 6 year mark. Both failures were a massive leak that poured water out of the bottom and flooded my basement. Second one at least had a catch pan and pipe going to the floor drain since the concrete floor was brilliantly sloped away from the floor drain, but the leak was so bad it couldn’t keep up. Seemed like the failure was maybe up top somewhere, possibly at the nipple connection because the leak stopped quickly when the water was shut off. I am making sure an expansion tank is installed this time. Hopefully I can get more than 5-6 years out of the next one.
@@SmedleyPlumbing that’s why I’m being sure to get one installed this time. Last time I was out of state and it was a warranty replacement so they just left it as is aside from adding the pan I requested. And I didn’t know enough about expansion tanks at the time so I didn’t think that the people who built my house would have cut such a cheap corner if it was needed, naively. I’m guessing it was metal fatigue from the constant pressure changes.
The expansion tank is only really needed if the supply has a backflow preventer. If one is turning off the water supply, a faucet hot water valve can be opened to prevent positive or negative pressure in the water tank. Commercial properties are more likely to have a backflow preventer on the building supply, but irrigation water generally needs a backflow preventer valve. More jurisdictions are adding requirements for backflow preventers for residential properties, and they definitely need an expansion tank. But, not everyone needs one.
@SmedleyPlumbing not true at all. Not all codes are the same. I'm on a well and don't need one. And I would fire any plumber that tried to sell me one.
@@SmedleyPlumbing Code only requires it on closed systems. The EPA has required water systems protect from backflow contamination. My city only requires backflow prevention on commercial/industrial buildings, and residential irrigation systems, not on the residential supply. Hose bibs must have anti siphon devices. To assume all water systems are closed is just putting additional expenses to avoid the need to determine if it is a closed system. Perhaps the AHJs in areas you serve require that expansion tank everywhere, maybe they plan to require new backflow preventers, but those would be an expense which the homeowners would need to pay. In northern climates, it would make more sense to put the backflow preventer indoors for easy servicing. In areas with no frost line, they can be put slightly underground in an irrigation box. In either case, it's relatively easy to determine if one exists.
@@homesteadhaven2010 It is true. The code requires a thermal expansion tank when the conditions for thermal expansion are present. With you being on a well then you are not required to have a thermal expansion tank because your well bladder tank serves as a thermal expansion tank as well.
That was really a great Demo....! What I really want to know is why does the MFG charge as much or more for a 6 Gallon W/H as they do for a 40 Gallon W/H......????
After being a truckdriver gor over 40 years and being in many factories in U.S and I have hauled REEM which came out of Mexico,All companies have a cheaper Grade,Tires,Auto parts,Clothes,Even food, WALMART got Caught putting 12o/o SawDust in their GV Grated Parmesan Cheese when they Legally are only allowed 7o/o!!! As young man I Worked in a Tomato canning Factory we bottle ketchup,I will not tell you what makes into the cheaper brand!!!
Just gotta say this video got me to get my new AO Smith proline water heater from a plumber supplier instead of the cheaper AO Smith signature 100 at Lowes or Rheem at Home Depot. You better watch your back there coming for ya!
My State gas water heater was installed in ‘98 and I bought it from a plumbing supply company. A year ago I found the booklet that came with it along with my notation of the installation date. I shudder to think of the condition of the anode rod, if it still exists.
If I've learned nothing else from this video. It's that the profit margin on these must be insane. There is no way you can convince me it takes more than 250 -350 dollars of parts and labor to make one of these things!
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The hole on the burner is to prevent condensation from accumulating on top the burner and snuffing out the flame when the burner is on in a cold tank. It also prevents rust on the burner.
Best explanation I've heard so far!
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing. Now I have a strong selling point for pro grade tanks.
Love to hear it!
I didn't think an hour long video on plumbing would be as informative as this turned out to be. Great work guys. This is going to save a lot of people money and time if they pay attention.
Tldr: dont buy box store water heaters.
Thank you!
Good info. But for the life of me, I can’t understand why every maker of RUclips videos feels we must have mindless, repetitive “music” overtop of the narration. It serves no purpose, and gets to be very annoying after a few minutes. I guess everyone thinks it sounds more “professional.” At a minimum, it shouldn’t be as loud, imo.
Also those of us with hearing issues have problem separating the narrative from the music backround.
Yes, but the clincher for me was convenience. When my water heater started leaking on me, I needed to get back to normal in a hurry, and it was after the close of business on Friday. That means Big Box, or turn off the hot water entirely until Monday. The decision made itself.
@@johnlandacre767 Yeah, it ruined the video.
Very detailed and informative! I appreciate your effort. Probably explains why my Proline Plus Nautilus by American Water Heaters installed in 1992 is still working!!!
Exactly!
Good to hear. The proline plus Nautilus installed when I bought my house in '93 crapped out all over my laundry room floor after seven years.
@@weing :( I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I just got lucky with this. Not sure.
Haha I just looked at my water heater and it's marked 1991.. Reliance brand made by AO Smith for the box stores.
@@weingHow hot do you have the temp set if I might ask. My water heater is from 1991 and still kicking. But I have the temp set just hot enough for me to get a warm shower.
As a 69 year old retired Plumbing contractor, it was great to see the things I learned about box store crap -tested and explained. Faucets, fixtures ,everything at the box stores is made to a price point. Back in the day I could dismantle 2 identical Delta 100 kitchen faucets-same part number, same packaging, and the internal components would differ a lot. Plastic control ball/valve vs stainless steel, stainless liners vs none where the packing/seals traveled, rubber composition of those seals different,etc. It's deceptive at best. Like you ,I did not wish to waste time replacing inferior parts. You get what you pay for.
Yes you do!
What is the reason for the background music. It’s so annoying trying to listen to you on a professional level.
When I buy them at the Big box store I go ahead and buy the brass drain and install it and throw the plastic one away
Recently watched a video comparing kitchen faucets. The big box were exactly the same as the 50% pro faucets.
How is that possible with the same part number? Years after purchase if you go back to the manufacturer, you give them part number and maybe serial number for later replacement parts and whatnot....how will they keep it straight?
This a great video from a retired plumber thanks for doing it safe travels
Glad you enjoyed it
Just replaced a water heater recently. I could not find any one selling pro ao smith so I went Rheem. I was always told by a plumber to never buy from big box and never questioned his reasoning. This video gives me proof now thanks.
Love it!
home depot sells Rheem now
AO Smith and State are the same manufacture.
@@MVRWC yes they are.
Some guys are just like that especially when they know that they know what they are talking about. It's take it or leave it man.
dude this video totally helped the plumbing community
That's why we do it!
@@SmedleyPlumbing yeah dude that’s so awesome. I know it was probably expensive to make the video. Totally respect you guys. i watched a few commercials on purpose so hopefully it helps recoup some of your funds. I’ve recently started listening to The Void podcast as well. You guys have great advice, very entertaining, and it’s definitely helped me as an employee of a company producing more sales.
@@robertburns236 thanks man!
FANTASTIC job. That took a lot of hard work. Thank you.
Thank you very much!
This is one of the best videos on the internet. Thank you. Every one should watch this. Should have a million views. Every home owner should have this knowledge.
We agree!
I needed a new 50gal tank and my plumber said he uses the pro grade A.O.Smith but if I wanted I could go to Lowes and buy one of there (Rheem, store brand , etc.) units and he would charge me the labor. I opted for the pro grade because if something went wrong under warranty I would have to handle it with Lowes but if it went wrong with the unit he put in, he would take care of it. Made it a very easy decision, Excellent installation.
Love it!
Lows has the AO smith, homedepo has rheem
A pro installed a water heater in my parents house. Two years latter the overpressure valve flooded the basement. He didn't hook up the overpressure to the line running outside. They did install a free overpressure valve but a lot of stuff in the basement was a mess.
If you are talking about the relief valve ,it's against the plumbing code to pipe it outside, it's supposed to terminate 6" above the floor,preferably in a water heater pan,which can be pipe ed outside.
@@knilsen1501 the water heater is in a basement so following code floods the basement. Absolutely asinine to follow new code which offers danger with no gain.. The flood can snuff out the water heater and gas furnace burners.
2006 AO Smith Commercial water heater owner checking in here 😄. I've had it in the budget for the last 5 years to replace it, but the damn thing just won't die. I only had to replace the burner about 5 years ago (which is what made me start thinking I needed a replacement). I've also never drained the thing and it still pumps out some scalding hot water. I'm scared to replace it at this point because I KNOW I'll never get 18 years out of whatever I replace it with 😆. Thanks for the great video!
This!!
What an awesome video! What product comparison box vs. pro grade is next?
Thanks so much for your support of the Spirit of Opportunity and your local supply house at Kansas City Winnelson!
Who knows what we'll test next!
Great video! I am stoked to bring some light to my customers about our units vs box store units 🤙
That is awesome!
Bought a GE 30 gal electric from Home Depot 20 years ago, and the thermostat just failed this week. I figure 20 years was great service and it's time to retire the entire unit. I can do the job in an hour, milking it. Sadly, Home Depot no longer carries GE, so I'm gonna go with the AO Smith from Lowes this time. I was worried about the quality, but your video just convinced me that it would do the job just fine. Nothing personal, and I know everybody's gotta eat, but a licensed plumber would want $1500+ to do that job for me. Great video, and I thank you, even if it probably had the opposite effect you were hoping for. $900 per hour is more than anyone "needs" to make.
Gotta do what you gotta do!
I usually charge pretty high, but $1,500 isn't bad for a 30 gal
@@joeyyc8515, Hey I get it...but I can do the work myself so paying anything seems silly to me. Others aren't as fortunate and for them, I would recommend a good plumber for many reasons. So glad I didn't toss the old GE after all that though.....turns out the circuit breaker had an intermittent failure and once I replaced it......nice hot water. 😁 Tank looks good enough to go another 10 years easy and now I have an extra thermo. It may outlive me 🤣
I've got a 20 year old GE WATER Heater that I bought from Home Depot in 2004. It's electric and is still working just fine without any problems. It was made by Rheem.
If you keep the anode in good enough shape to prevent too much corrosion, either by adding a powered anode or replacing the disposable one every few years, a tank can go almost indefinitely aside from an occasional cheap element or thermostat replacement. You could likely replace the thermostat yourself for under $100. I replaced one of the elements and the anode on my now 25 year old water heater last year and plan on replacing the drain valve next time I flush it.
Thanks for this video. I myself have had debates with people over the difference in quality between box stores and supply houses. However, the biggest issue for the home owner is not the couple of hundred dollar difference between the two. It's the 100 % markup in price that a plumber charges the homeowner. This doubles the price to the homeowner.
Good work isn't cheap. Cheap work isn't good.
@@SmedleyPlumbing just because someone is a “professional” doesn’t mean they do good work. My old water heater was installed by a “professional” (tag on the unit) and it was a hack job. I’m nervous about working on gas lines so when I remodeled my kitchen I had a plumber move my gas line and saw all my plumbing work under the sink and said my work was great and moving the gas line was easier then what I had done and I could have done it just fine.
@@TheOriginalLugnuts some people are definitely more capable than others that's for sure.
A homeowner can certainly go to your local plumbing store and buy a pro grade unit and install it yourself.
@jayabraham4377 maybe. Some of them are trade only. Around home for me, they all are.
I experienced a box store vs. buying from a local shop when buying my lawn tractor. I bought a Husqvarna lawn tractor from Home Depot. It has had nothing but issues, and it only has 17 hours on it. I took it in for service to a Husqvarna dealer, and he was showing me major differences between his that he sold and the one I bought from Home Depot. Same models. So I sold the one I bought from Home Depot and paid the additional 280 dollar differences, and I'm telling you there are no comparisons between the 2 Lawn tractors..
Yep!
How major were the differences ?
Agreed, but if you know anything about small engines, stick to Scag/Kubota/Exmark, etc. You rarely see landscapers use any of the junk Craftsman, Husqvarna, even Toro, they all use the same low quality parts and transmission.
The John Deere mowers from home Depot are crap. 2 years the transmission failed 5 years the motor failed. The John Deere store said the home Depot ones are crap.
@@--harry_ yep!
The Plant in Johnson City manufactured most of the retail product uses pre-cut and pre-cleaned steel. They had a better glass lining process so they could use thinner steel. Each plant has different tooling, there are lots of differences in the product from one plant to the other, like the watts vs. cash acme vendor. I worked as a sales manager in wholesale for A.O.Smith/State for 20 years.
And I have no doubt that you know that their intentionally selecting cheaper materials to use on the box store models. Which would be why we as professional plumbers see box store heaters failing much faster and much more often than any professionally purchased heater.
@@SmedleyPlumbing I work at the Johnson City factory. The steel is (mostly) the same regardless of which factory is using it now. Rare differences in thickness, where they exist between comparable models (pro or retail), are less than a hundredth of an inch. What major differences do currently exist are mostly to do with what kind of weld is on the long seam. The pro model used submerged arc welding for that seam. Your pro model was also most likely a few years old. Since COVID all the metal has gotten thinner, and all of it is being standardized across the board. They may not be exactly the same buying them right now due to old stock shuffling out, but they will soon be near carbon copies of eachother.
Thanks! I have a bunch of rentals that have gas water heaters. Coming up on 60 year old houses. I thought it was just Lowes. I bought a Kenmore heater and it's still in service. Not a moment's trouble. I bought a Lowes and I almost knew the repairman by his first name. Lots of trouble with the gas burner, control, and pressure valve. I bought a Home Depot unit for another house and it's also still in service. While it has never had a service call, it's tough to get it to fire up. I'll have to look up how long they've been in service. One I think is at 15 years. Probably time. I have a supply house near me. Great guys.
Thanks!
Finally someone proving what I have been saying
I only buy from supply houses
Its a big investment an extra 100 150
10 yrs or 20 years
Aggravation and cost every 10 or 20
I'll take a little more for a lot more years
EVERY TIME
Thanks for this video
Good stuff!
The video may be some half a year old, but all the information is valuable. I was a plumber for a some time in my life, but did not have the exposure or experience to see a lot of these clear differences. Was mostly a, "Please clear the line" guy. Thank you are your team for the breakdown and information!
Glad it helped!
My supply house sent us to the AO Smith / State water heater manufacturing facility outside of Nashville. Which is massive. AO Smith / State owns the company that makes ALL the components for their water heaters. I asked this very question " what is the difference between pro and box store?" answer; The box store units are made in a different facility, in a different state with out sourced parts. They also have a different glass liners. Drop the Mic!
Yep!
A hardware store here has a display. They've got two Weber grills side by side. One they went and bought at Walmart, The other is the grade they sell. They've done the same thing you did. The first thing is how different the thickness of the sheet metal is. The one they sell weighs around 7 lb more if I remember correctly. Thicker steel on the side sticker burner heavier frame the works.
@@SmedleyPlumbing great video. What is the warranty on the pro model? At the box store I can get a 6y 9y 12y or a lifetime warranty. Is it possible that the pro model is the same as the box store 9y or 12y?
@@FPSG pro models only have a 6 year warranty. But they're likely to make it there too.
@@SmedleyPlumbing thanks. That was all I wasn't clear on. The tank on my 30 year old Montgomery ward 300 started leaking 2 weeks ago. They used to last forever.
Your video showed up on my feed and was of interest to me as I just had a 5 year old Rheem water heater spring a leak. Damn plastic drain valve gave up the ghost. When it's time to replace, I will only go with a pro grade replacement. Your video taught me the difference between the two as I leaned toward made on the same line with different stickers. Thank you so much. Oh, and paying my plumber for his expertise saved me more as I would have replaced the drain valve with another plastic valve, and he instead put in a brass ball valve. Home owners don't know what they don't know. Smiles.
Thanks!
I have always heard they were the same too. All the water heaters I have replaced (not a plumber) and I always bought the box store version thinking I was getting the best bang for my buck. Thanks for this video! Very informative and I know to go pro grade next time.
You're very welcome!
Fabulous video. We replaced our water heater four years ago. Our plummer only uses the AO Smith commercial unit. Seeing this video makes me feel good about our purchase.
Yep!
You guys put awesome effort into this. Love it
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have been a general contractor for 33 years. I have only installed 3 tank water heaters in the last 20 years on my projects. Have installed over 100 Noritz tankless units. We had one heat exchanger leak in that time period. We had a replacement part from Noritz in 48 hours. (Was still under warranty)
Installed properly, and tankless units are pretty awesome.
Having a tank water heater in your home gives you access to 50 gallons or more of potable water in case of an emergency. Unless you're short on space, most plumbers I know prefer a tank unit.
@@giovannicampos7462 If you need an emergency water supply it's less expensive to install a"tempering" tank and a smaller high efficiency demand heater. Cheaper still is a supply of 1 gallon water jugs. Plumbers get paid by the hour. They make more money from servicing and replacing tank units than from less frequent work on higher quality, more expensive and durable demand units. Auto mechanics and dealers have similar attitudes about preferring ICE cars that have more mechanical maintenance needs ta BEVs. The newer tech has different support needs.
I live in a hard water area. A tankless heater requires servicing annually to prevent lime blockage. The cost of this removes any financial advantage in using tankless.
@@67daltonknox Yeah we never pushed tankless for a financial advantage. Yeah they save a little bit of energy but they're added initial upfront cost in their added maintenance costs offset any energy savings. So literally the only reason we ever push tankless is for people that need endless hot water.
My control valve failed just as you described. Plastic cracked leaking water into control valve. Valve never turned off burner. Water turned to steam. Relief valve never opened. Luckily that was the worse of it. Great video.
Thanks for sharing!
There are differences as you have shown. With that said, I have a 32 year old water heater from Lowe's. Water quality and maintenance have more to do with long-term use.
You probably have lower water pressure as well.
My box store heater had a control box fail so I called the 800 number and got the run around for 1-3/4 hours. Finley I hung up and called the manufacturer and ask for the COO with in 5 minutes I was told I would have my part with in 24 hours delivered next day air.
We hear that all the time.
What is coo 🤔
@@jcaleca60 Maybe "Chief Operating Officer"?
Lol sure you did. Like they'd patch you through to a C-suite exec
Things that would be interesting to know: 1. Manufacturing date? 2. Factory? 3. actual part number? Running changes in production. Different factories can produce differently, but most of all box stores are going to have a margin percentage requirement from their suppliers. So, vendors can find ways to save $ on the build to meet the margin % requirement of the buyer. I’m suspecting the model number is very close, but diff enough to be the lesser quality parts to meet the margin requirement. This is my suspicion, but the first two are still possible
Most people think that if they're built on the same line, they are the same heaters.
Rheem has two lines of gas tank water heaters, Performance which can be purchased at HD and like the one we have, a Professional model that was installed by a HVAC/Plumbing company. Also in the USA (not the world) there are other water heater manufactures like Haier who makes GE, Bosch, Rinnai (Japanese brand) plant in Georgia. Thanks for the comparison. You learn something everyday.
Yes we might do the Rheem line next!
@@SmedleyPlumbing I’d like to see the Rheem line. After watching your video, I researched the box store 50 gallon Rheem electric I bought at Home Depot. It does have a brass drain valve and magnesium anode rod, but I’m guessing they’ve cut some corners somewhere, and I’d like to know where.
I’m just a homeowner and didn’t realize the quality would be different based on where I bought until watching your video. I hope this one lasts, but now I know for the future.
@@GraingerProductions we considered that. But Rheem changes the name of their pro line to Ruud. So people works likely think they are two different heaters. That's why we did the AO vs. AO.
There is is also HTP as well
YES YES. My ex son-in-law told me the same things you are saying here. He is a plumber. He said these things after he visually seen my water heater. Like you said, he just looked at it and could tell right away it was box store!.
Yep!
Great video. I’m a 71 year old retired plumber and would only suggest a little more personal protection when pumping up those lines at high pressure. When I was starting as a teen with my dad, construction plumbers were still using flares for sealing gas leaks in newly finished buildings. Very dangerous as there were plumbers that were injured doing so.
Hydro testing is actually very safe as long as steam is not involved.
@@SmedleyPlumbingYou were the one that said “I’m nervous, I don’t know what it’s going to do”. Good reasoning. I’ve done hydrostatic testing on most of the high rises, hospitals, and other commercial sites that required it. Never used anything over 150psi. Why? Because most fittings and valves are rated at 150psi, including, it appears, the iron ones you used on your test lines. The union based school I went to in the early 70’s had videos sponsored by American Water Heater showing units blowing up prior to the use of T&P valves, and yes, lives lost. Great job at showing the general public what they are getting from box stores as opposed to the ones plumbers buy and the time and money you spent to do so. Stay safe out there.
My 50gal rheem from H depo lasted 20 years trouble free until it started leaking. I am very surprised and pleased with that!
It's highly possible they were the aw heaters 20 years ago. They definitely are not today.
Great video. Now let's have an evaluation of the three pro grade tank water heater manufacturers. 🦾
It's not off the table!
Hands-down one of the best comparison videos I've ever seen! This is great info!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great timing. I’m a home handyman and planning on replacing my 10 years old 50 gal tank. Thanks for the info
Glad to help!
What has failed in 10 years ? Seems rather short. My water heater is 17 years old, and it just started heating a reduced amount of water, not full 50 gal
Thanks for this analysis!
I wish I had seen this before I purchased a box store Rheem. Seemed to be a great deal. After it failed prematurely. Rheem honored the warranty. The part was only manufactured for the box store. It would have been weeks before receiving the replacement part from Rheem. Weeks without hot water.
Never again.
Sadly we hear of this all the time
Phenomenal video!! Thanks for taking all of that time to produce it. Extremely helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Sure, the pro grade should be better, but as long as your relief valve is working properly, it'll never see that kind of pressure. I also notice Lowe's sells different AO Smith 40 gal tanks with 6, 9, or 12 year warranties. I wonder if the 12 year Lowe's heater is the same as the pro grade.
Relief valves fail closed all the time. It's a very common issue we see. Also, the thinner metal shows wear and stress much sooner. That's why we see so many box store tanks fail within a few years.
Around 1990 the company I worked for asked Bradford White the difference between water heaters with different warranty lengths, their answer was the price difference represented the increased cost of the longer warranty. No difference in construction. This was done to answer a customer question.
Pro grade is simply advertising logo for the wholesale house.
Thanks for doing this test! Kinda worries me that the T and P valve didn't release the pressure as thats it only reason for existence lol
We plugged the T&P port on both to focus the test on the tank only.
@SmedleyPlumbing ohh ok. Sorry I must have fast forwarded that part.
You like to live dangerously haha
@@fortunatedad7695 there's an element of safety that comes with compressed water versus compressed air.
Outstanding info! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks!
One of the best educational videos on RUclips. Earned a sub. Look forward to learning more.
Welcome aboard!
Agreed!
Hello from the other side of the State...
14 years so far. This one was bought and installed by a local True Value hardware store. I have no idea the brand because I wrapped a WH blanket around it 14 years ago, and can't remember and can't find the receipt, lol! House was built in '55 and they didn't build the typical middle class ranch houses back then with heating, cooling or ventilation in mind for the basement. Can you say cold in the winter! Hence, the extra blanket. Enjoyed the video! Thanks...
So most of these changes have occurred in the last 10 years.
@@SmedleyPlumbing
Maybe I should have bought a spare water heater back then, lol. I'm sure this water heater is approaching it's last days. I'll be suggesting a pro grade to the plumber next time around.
I wanted to see the inside of the tank and see what the steel gauge was.
We talked about why we didn't do that towards the end.
Still wanted to see it. I wanted to see the internal build too. @SmedleyPlumbing
@@TractorWrangler01 gives us something to do in a future video!
Wow that cleared up what i suspected ,especially the anode rod.And the tank weight .
Yep!
Mitch getting shocked deserves a like and subscribe for sure
Little booger caught me by surprise! Lol
Pro plumbing supply stores are hands down better. The service and quality of their products speaks for itself.
Agreed
Now if only the supply house would sell to the end consumer.
@steveb6371 most do!
@@steveb6371 they do in my zip code.
Its all about the point of use! Box store is plenty for a home! Pro grade is more Comercial use!! As long as you maintain your water heater it will last you 25 years.
My water heater is a Reliance brand (AO Smith made) from get this 1991. This was before the expansion tank was mandated. I put this water heater in when I was in my 20's. I worked at a box store back then. I'm now a Plumber (started apprenticeship in 98).. There was a time I actually drained sediment out of it. I'm a single guy and the temperature is set at just hot enough to have a warm shower. That I'm guessing explains the way above average life expectancy. Thanks for the video.
Yeah. They made them a lot better back then too!
31:08 Great video, but I do have to give you a little bit of a hard time. The reason the socket got stuck was because it was a non impact rated socket and a 12 point. 🤠👍 Oh yeah, Texas BBQ.... 💯 😁
Yeah I like to break things. Lol. Texas BBQ isn't bad either!
Thanks for the info. I tried to buy a Bradford White and was told they only sold to licensed contractors. I thought that carried over to the AO Smith pro models.
Keep looking. Some professional suppliers only sell to licensed professionals. Others sell to everyone
Fabulous video, but I can not believe that you ran the pressure test with the tanks right next to the pickup truck. I understand they had water in them, but still you were using a gas to pressurize them. One of the reasons the pro one might have failed first is if there was some leak in the box store version. Even though they were fed by the same pipe, resistance in the pipe might have resulted in a lower effective pressure in the box store tank, especially with all the distortion in the pipes you observed.
Yeah one swelled while the other cracked a weld. I would much rather a tank crack a weld than swell and burst.
I have replaced a number of water heaters and have had nothing but issues with the Rheem water heaters from Home Depot. Their thermo couples keep failing. On one water heater, it failed twice before the warranty expired. The Rheem company would send out another kit, but the tenant would be without hot water for several days. I gave up on the warranties and just purchased a thermocouple from a supplier. This has occurred to a second water heater with the same issue.
On another newer Rheem water heater still under warranty , the thermostat would not work properly and would cause the PT valve to start leaking. I first thought the issue was with a faulty PT valve. Replaced it and had the same issue. Instead of replacing the thermostat, I replaced the water heater.
Yes even the small parts are inferior to those on a pro grade unit.
Realized after watching a video on Anode Rod’s and the need to replace them 3-5 years. I had never replaced my water heater rod and so did some more research and ended up going with an electric protection anode rod. I have replaced it already however what is your take on these type of anode rod replacements? Even one plumber store talked to using this type of anode rode if they did the project.
I did replace the anode rod myself and from various video’s, I used a 1/2 inch impact socket and impact wrench. Purchased a Ryobi 1/2 inch impact wrench and sockets on sale and it worked like a charm. The anode rod was on very tight over the 10+ years not replaced. Took a few attempts with the impact wrench but it broke it loose and I had may be 6-8 inches left (wish I could attach a photo), it did its job for sacrificing but was due for replacement. Now I used the impact wrench so I didn’t mess up the water lines or twist the water tank by using a breaker bar, definitely the impact wrench was a good choice.
Nice video produced!!
Thanks!
Nice video and presentation. Magnificent.
I can see the tank cap distorted from flat and bow like the top of a donut and not in bow shape is because we have a flu tube there to hold the center height in dimension from becoming a dome. As the nipple were mounted less than half radius from the center it will follow the donut and lean inward.
Yep! That happens on gas units.
Energy guide are way different between the two Box store $227 and Pro $ 320. But box store saving you more money per year. Why?
The energy guide ratings are wildly inaccurate.
That energy guide is the government lying to you.
@@notsure1872pretty much like everything else they tell you. :)
I wanted to replace my Rheem from HD with a bradford white or similar from the plumbing supply store, but they were either too tall or too wide for my space. The only thing that would fit was the exact same model Rheem 50 gallon. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the old plastic valve on the old Rheem was now a brass valve on the new one.
It happens
If you wanted to mount a pressure gauge on your heater where would you put it? On the hot outlet nipple?
Cold inlet. It will last longer.
I have a lot issue with comments that they are not from the same assembly line. I think those people are not familiar woth factory operations. Both water heaters are likely from the same assembly line but are assembled using different components. It would not make a lot of sense to have an extra assembly line to build a mere identical water heater unless you needed a sexond or third line to meet capacity. Very likely no difference in tooling would be needed building both 40 gal water heaters.
Using the same assembly line they could possibly build 40, 50, 60 gal water heaters on the same line, needing only various different tooling.
The video proves that different components are utilized in pro vs box store water heaters, but this hardly proves they are using different assembly lines.
As a analogy if you buy a car.. call its a Chevy Cruise, GM would not have different assembly lines for each trim level. Rather the components to be assembled would vary depending on which particular trim, car, color they would be building at a time. If one looks at videos online, a car manufacturer may build a $20k base model and next on the the might be $40k top of the line trim. All the same assembly line, but just various models or trims. I expect AO Smith to be doing exactly the same.
You're exactly right. Problem is that most people don't understand that the same assembly line will produce different heaters.
@@SmedleyPlumbingA.O. Smith owns a few water heater factories. You can look up where each is made on the paperwork (sometimes the stickers will say, too).
We were trying to get a particular Bradford White heater. None available, as they only produced that model twice a year, next time about 4 months away. We found a similar Rheem unit we could actually get.
Interesting video. My water heater went out, and the plumber wanted to sell me an expensive water heater with his markups, which was obviously added. I bought one from Home Depot, 12 year warranty and got a 10% Veterans discount. I saved a bundle, and it will probably last just as long. Plus, Home Depot stands behind their products better than the local fly by night plumbers. Location: Las Vegas June 2024. 🙂
One thing I have stumbled across is they only make water heaters in small batches for High Altitude Cities like in Colorado. I was trying to order something specific for a customer in Colorado and I was told it couldn't be done because they only make High Altitude water's from time to time. Only a small market needs High Altitude water heaters.
As a DIYer you have me looking for an upgrade kit for my box store water heater - so far I’ve sourced a better brass release valve and anode rod and I’ll probably just strap a bunch of hose clamps around the tank to keep it from puffing out. 😮😊
Ha! Or just buy a pro grade tank from a professional plumbing supplier.
This video is really excellent. It is the video I was looking for with a detailed comparison. I’m a quality engineer married to a general contractor and evaluating our cost of materials. I wanted to understand if we are really getting better quality components at plumbing supply stores. Thanks so much!! Subscribing!
Thanks!
Bought my house in July 2021. Water heater was original. Last year, I replaced it with a Lowes AO smith 50gal (old one was bradford 40gal). I did replace the plastic drain valve with a brass ball valve. Right away I was impressed with the water temperature. I have had no issues with my 50gal Lowes AO Smith water heater since I installed it over a year ago. I do want to drain it and replace the anode rod though in the next month or so.
Fingers crossed!
It's just like tires. The same exact model at WM has less plys than at a tire shop. If you look close, long number for the model is different but the big text is the same.
Yep
Nice interesting video. Thanks. I am no fan of some box store poor quality products, but went through 2 pro-plumbing grade 80 gallon Bradford Whites in the last 20 years (each lasted about 10 years), just moved into home with 12 year old Whirlpool 80 gallon bought at Lowes. It looks and works great. Obviously this is anecdotal. Installation probably matters more than the heater itself. Seeing so many ruptured top pipes in "the wild", are no expansion tanks being used in KC? People who buy heaters from LOWES and HD are more likely to install themselves resulting in more problems I think.
Expansion tanks should definitely be used but unfortunately they aren't used enough.
years ago I used to be a Lowe's plumber contractor and their only selling point was their credit card and you could finance it
Yep!
Great video thank you for taking the time to make it. Not trying to bash you or anyone else but alot of supply houses won't sell to the general public or if they do it's not at a pro plumbers price ( which I totally understand) The average joes price is going to be way more than the price that the pros get. Where I live in CT you have to have an account or license to get your price. I have a friend who called me a couple of weeks ago. He got a quote for a 40 gallon gas fired water heater install and taking away the old water heater for $4,000 ouch
Most supply houses will sell to the public.
Excellent video. Learned so much and now know what to look for on quality.
Glad it was helpful!
Yoo Sir!
Last night, I was just looking for videos to understand why my water heater was leaking underneath where the mounts were. (its toast)
By accident, i just saw this video, and why not, i clicked in it.
I honestly feel educated now!
Thank You Sir!
I have a trailer home, so my tank is a bit different, but im assuming the principle is the same.
Thumbs Up From Iowa Sir 👍
Thank You!
You can still do a pro grade electric heater in a mobile home.
@@SmedleyPlumbing
Absolutely Sir!! 😁
I think you should have weighed the tanks at the end without any insulation on them. Just to give an example of the thickness of the metal or how many pounds of that difference was the actual tank/glass thickness. Overall great video. Lots of good information. Get the camera, man a gimbal.
Thanks for the tip
Great video, I would have liked to seen more about the difference in the insulation and differences in the efficiency of the heaters. I would guess a lot of the weight difference came from that as well.
Great suggestion!
They put a lot of money and time in to this video great job guys 😊
Thanks!
Interesting review, I literally just purchased and installed this very same heater from the big box store. Thank you for this informative and educational review 👍
Glad it was helpful!
@SmedleyPlumbing Definitely, I appreciate your time. 👍
Also, I noticed that the energy efficient is different from one heater to the other one was 300 and another one was 200. I noticed that right off the bat when you talk about the heaters.
Yeah those numbers are very inaccurate. They guess at your energy rates and your usage. We never trust those.
@@SmedleyPlumbing I thought those numbers were "normalized" ??? Otherwise, they would be useless? I agree with the OP that those look like subtly different water heaters! I would be curious to see a close-up of both stickers?
You had a problem with the anode rod because you should have used a 6-point socket.
It was also a chrome socket
Thank you for doing this video. This settles some questions I've had for some time now. I would rather pay more for a better product.
I totally agree!
Great video. Thanks for being so thorough.
Thanks!
I'm still running my Lowe's bought Whirlpool heater installed in 2003. Drain it every year to remove build up. Never replaced the anode either. I know I'm on borrowed time.
Yep!
There are more than three companies that make tank hot water heaters.
GSW is a big name in Canada. Located in Fergus, Ontario.
Been in business for 150 years
Residential units?
GE and American Standard makes water heaters
@@JK-qe6qq Rheem makes both GE heaters and American Standard heaters.
GSW is owned by A.O. Smith, hon. Has been for a long long time
Interesing thanks. Small point though; When Water filled vessels fail under pressure there is No dramatic explosion .
Water simply pisses out.. not an explosion as typical from compressed gas.
This is true.
Great video. It put to bed a lot of myths about what you get. The sad part is the DIYer who did one water heater in his life will tell you they are still the same. Just like the sales person at the box store. Keep making the videos but we know some folks will still deny the facts to hold to their errant opinion. A certain comedian hit it on the head when he said “you can’t fix stupid”
Very true!
I had a 100 gallon natural gas ProLine A.O. Smith water heater bought from Ferguson installed this year. So far no problems.
Love it!
The tank by itself are the same. The weight difference between the two stripped is the sheet metal outer case. The difference between the two is the quality of the components. The internal tank is the same across the line. A box store AO Smith comes in 3 models, 100, 300, 500. The tanks are all the same. What you are paying extra for is the warranty.
I would have to disagree with you on that one. I think our video proves that as well.
Yep, if it's made by AO SMITH, all the tanks are identical! I went through AO SMITH’s three-day school (5 years ago) and the factory in Tennessee. I can personally verify that if it's different, it's in the controls, drain valve, and stickers.
You should see how those tanks are handled after coming out of the “glass lining process”. It is amazing how much rough handling they take. I questioned the engineer about it, he said you can bounce the tank and still not crack that lining it's that tough. I never worried about dropping one off the tailgate again.
Oh yeah, change the anode rod every year!
@@TOOLMAN4hvac our findings would indicate differently. Significant weight differences and performance differences.
@@SmedleyPlumbingnot significant weight difference.
Aluminum is a superior anode. It lasts longer.
I do general home improvement and repairs, including water heaters and I get them from the big box stores. I haven't had any problems with them, but I still totally believe what he is saying about these things. My 1999 home still has the original gas water heater and it still works just fine, i have had a new one sitting right next to it for when it fails and it's been sitting there ready to go for well over 10 years. I think I'll wait a bit longer...
Long live the pre 2000's heater!
I hate to burst anyone's bubble on pro grade or Lowe's grade water heaters. I have now had 3, yes 3 so-called pro grade water heaters in a rental I own. The first one cost me over $2381.00. Why? Well, the plumber said he needed to completely replace all the old lines and install a $ 258.00 expansion tank. I discovered he never pulled a permit that the city requires. That cost me another $ 321.00 above the original cost. One year and a few weeks after the first pro-grade water heater it started leaking from the bottom. I called him out to replace it. Low and behold, yeah its done. Labor to replace said water heater with a 15 year warranty was $ 938.00. 341 days later the new one was leaking. Called Mr. Yoyo again. Yep water is leaking. He said he would only charge me for his time to get a new one. The bill was only $ 692.00. Guess what, the new one after 6 months is leaking again. I called Home Depot this time. Replacement was $ 1081.53 including labor and a 25 year warranty on the tank. Oh, the so called pro grade water heater. According to the manufacturer is no different from the home depot model except the warranty...
Sounds like your previous plumbing was missing some water pressure issues causing premature tank failure. Excessive water pressure will shorten the life of any tank.
It's on the building/home owner to pull the permits and the expansion tank is required now and no water heater will have a 15 year or 25 year warranty..
Fixin to buy one thanks for the info outstanding job
Glad to help!
I’ve had two Pro Grade AOSmith gas water heaters fail on me in six years. Both failed around that 6 year mark. Both failures were a massive leak that poured water out of the bottom and flooded my basement. Second one at least had a catch pan and pipe going to the floor drain since the concrete floor was brilliantly sloped away from the floor drain, but the leak was so bad it couldn’t keep up. Seemed like the failure was maybe up top somewhere, possibly at the nipple connection because the leak stopped quickly when the water was shut off. I am making sure an expansion tank is installed this time. Hopefully I can get more than 5-6 years out of the next one.
Sounds like you're missing a thermal expansion tank in the failures were caused by overpressurization
@@SmedleyPlumbing that’s why I’m being sure to get one installed this time. Last time I was out of state and it was a warranty replacement so they just left it as is aside from adding the pan I requested. And I didn’t know enough about expansion tanks at the time so I didn’t think that the people who built my house would have cut such a cheap corner if it was needed, naively. I’m guessing it was metal fatigue from the constant pressure changes.
Can I buy a pro grade? No? Then dammit I’m stuck!
@mestep511 sure you can. Most places sell to the public
@ thanks, thought all tax exempt. Water heaters are often easy DIY but watching a true plumber on a combi boiler or bath remodel is humbling.
Great video, very informative. Thank you for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for all the work you put into this. Sold on the pro!
Glad to help!
The expansion tank is only really needed if the supply has a backflow preventer. If one is turning off the water supply, a faucet hot water valve can be opened to prevent positive or negative pressure in the water tank. Commercial properties are more likely to have a backflow preventer on the building supply, but irrigation water generally needs a backflow preventer valve. More jurisdictions are adding requirements for backflow preventers for residential properties, and they definitely need an expansion tank. But, not everyone needs one.
Code requires them on all applications now since the presence of a backflow preventer is more likely than not.
@SmedleyPlumbing not true at all. Not all codes are the same. I'm on a well and don't need one. And I would fire any plumber that tried to sell me one.
@@SmedleyPlumbing Code only requires it on closed systems. The EPA has required water systems protect from backflow contamination. My city only requires backflow prevention on commercial/industrial buildings, and residential irrigation systems, not on the residential supply. Hose bibs must have anti siphon devices. To assume all water systems are closed is just putting additional expenses to avoid the need to determine if it is a closed system. Perhaps the AHJs in areas you serve require that expansion tank everywhere, maybe they plan to require new backflow preventers, but those would be an expense which the homeowners would need to pay. In northern climates, it would make more sense to put the backflow preventer indoors for easy servicing. In areas with no frost line, they can be put slightly underground in an irrigation box. In either case, it's relatively easy to determine if one exists.
@@homesteadhaven2010 It is true. The code requires a thermal expansion tank when the conditions for thermal expansion are present. With you being on a well then you are not required to have a thermal expansion tank because your well bladder tank serves as a thermal expansion tank as well.
My last big box water heater flu baffle had a whistle on it. It was just slightly annoying, I couldn't wait to get rid of it
Interesting.
That was awesome!
Glad you liked it!
That was really a great Demo....! What I really want to know is why does the MFG charge as much or more for a 6 Gallon W/H as they do for a 40 Gallon W/H......????
Supply and demand!
Now do this with the Rheem marathon from big box store and one from plumbing supply store..... Let's see the difference between them!
We just might!
@@SmedleyPlumbing definitely want to see if there is a difference
@@SmedleyPlumbing can the boss man answer if they are different or not?
@@saturdaysnowz I'm not sure if the remarathon would be different from box store to prograde or not.
@@SmedleyPlumbing ok. Thanks for your time
Your videos are amazing. You should be teaching at a trade school. Natural Teacher and a great professional. I subscribed. Thank You Sir.
Wow, thank you!
After being a truckdriver gor over 40 years and being in many factories in U.S and I have hauled REEM which came out of Mexico,All companies have a cheaper Grade,Tires,Auto parts,Clothes,Even food, WALMART got
Caught putting 12o/o SawDust in their GV Grated Parmesan Cheese when they
Legally are only allowed 7o/o!!! As young man I Worked in a Tomato canning Factory we bottle ketchup,I will not tell you what makes into the cheaper brand!!!
Yep. They all do it.
Just gotta say this video got me to get my new AO Smith proline water heater from a plumber supplier instead of the cheaper AO Smith signature 100 at Lowes or Rheem at Home Depot. You better watch your back there coming for ya!
Yep!
Awesome video, thank you.
Our pleasure!
My State gas water heater was installed in ‘98 and I bought it from a plumbing supply company. A year ago I found the booklet that came with it along with my notation of the installation date. I shudder to think of the condition of the anode rod, if it still exists.
At that age, who cares. Lol. Just be thankful it's lasted this long and don't be surprised if it fails eventually. You've had a great run.
If I've learned nothing else from this video. It's that the profit margin on these must be insane. There is no way you can convince me it takes more than 250 -350 dollars of parts and labor to make one of these things!
Agreed!