I installed one of these in a previous house for a different reason that I'm not sure was mentioned here. I was trying to deal with what turned out to be iron bacteria that was heavy in my well. At first we thought the problem was iron in the water because washing clothes would turn white clothes orange. I had the water tested. It turned out there was iron bacteria in the water but overall the water was good. I shocked the well trying to get rid of the iron bacteria. I had the well shocked by a pro trying to get rid of it. Nothing I did fixed this problem until my original steel water heater developed a leak. We decided to replace the steel water tank with this plastic unit and my problem was immediately solved. It appears the bacteria loved the environment of the steel tank. I never had a problem with the iron bacteria again while I owned the house.
I installed a State Ind. 55gal Duron lined tank over 30 years ago in my lake house which had the iron bacteria problem. It seemed to reduce the sulfur oder and washing problems. This week I am completing the final phase of flood damage reconstruction and have found that the water heater P&T release valve and the tank thermostat are acting up. Looks like time for a new water heater. I have not been able to find Duron tanks yet. Any suggestions? I also noted that State had some sort of class action suit over the Duron tank, anyone has any history on that issue?
The steel should be blocked by glass lining, but seems that lining is imperfect. We had the sulfur smell and some people will take out anode, and not have an anode at all, but then tank fail quick. We got powered anode and we will see if this tank lasts, no sulfer smell with metal tank
@Mufasa Thank you I am on a well system and I been researching the 40 gal Marathon and over all I have heard good things. I am trying to get away from the stench of rotten egg smell. I been treating my 2nd Bradford White for 2 years and it was brand new at almost 600.00 I think it is time to ditch the bradford for the Rheem. Anyone else bought this water heater? Please respond so I do not make the wrong decision. But the idea of having that bad water and having to put peroxide in the system every month is getting old after 2 years!! I really think I am going to buy one.
@@4skully which water heater did you decided on? Ours failed thus the need for a new one. My only concern about Rheem's marathon model is the cancer warning from required if it's sold in California.
I’ve had my Rheem Marathon for 4 years now. I plan to own my home for another 30 minimum. I do my own maintenance and feel very confident about this water heater over the old steel glass lined tanks. I don’t have a problem with purchasing 10 heating elements in the event of the manufacturer discontinuing the down the road. I don’t want to replace this water heater ever again.
same here Shimmy the one I have is the 2nd Bradford and to be honest it sucked right away as it did not fix the odor and that was why I bought it. The 1st one was fine for 3 years and no smell it was crazy when it started.
Still using the original Marathon heater that was installed in our house built 16 years ago. The heating elements are made out of titanium and we haven't replaced them yet. Once a year, I drain the tank to remove any sediment buildup. Otherwise, it's been completely maintenance-free
Glad to see this video! I'm in the utility room at 2am to drain and sanitize my electric water heater because of the bad odor. I bought this house 20 years ago and have replaced 2 water heaters. Next time I am buying the plastic tank water heater.
When we built in 2011 we got a Marathon 105 and it is working great going on 9 years now for our family of 5. It was an easy upgrade at the time as we had a strong enough kitchen hood that it would have required a make up air unit or it would blow out the water heater's pilot light. So this was essentially a free upgrade vs that unit. It has 2 heating elements (in two separate tanks) that can be replaced by draining and then removing the elements. No plumber needed. Then it should be good to go another round etc.
Find your replacement heating elements now!!!! Otherwise when it goes out, you'll be searching and waiting a week to find the 1-7/8" elements. A family of five would be pretty smelly after a week of no showers!
I bought our 85 gallon Marathon plastic tank in 2006. It came with 4500 watt elements. The elements failed in one year, not due to corrosion, but heat damage. The company sent a new set of 3700 watt elements free of charge. They are still working fine, 12 years later. When first installed, I put a 1/2" ball valve at the bottom so the tank could be flushed of any sediment on a monthly basis. To me, the tank was well worth the money, as the steel tanks previously used only lasted 7 or 8 years.
And they are also replaceable. I'd rather replace two elements than a $800 water heater. But this vid doesn't answer very much. The tank has fittings, are they plastic, steel, stainless, titanium, etc? A glass lined tank still fails, because, after all, the fittings can't be glass lined and so you have a failure point at every single fitting and port for the drain valve, anode, both elements, thermostat well, TP valve, inlet and outlet. Real shame they don't make a plastic tank heat pump water heater, or a HPWH with the HP coil passed through a port to make the tank replaceable. If you're going to spend $1500 you might as well spend another $300 and do it right, with a rebuildable appliance. Instead of demanding that (junk) appliances meet an efficiency standard, they should ensure that only well-designed, repairable appliances hit the market. Then they would be competing on efficiency, not disposability. But they won't, because dumb consumers can't see more than 6 months into the future.
We recently replaced a 49 year old steel electric water heater in our farm house in 2021. It was installed in 1972 when the house was built. I don't remember my dad ever replacing the anode rod or draining it. Guessing that having a water softener all those years along with better Made in the USA products back then was the reason it lasted so long. The 9 yr old Bradford White in my house is now starting to leak and I admit I never changed the anode rod or ever drained it. I did install a water softener a year ago but a little to late there. As far as the Marathon, the major issue consumers seem to have is major leaks from the top rubber connections (see Home Depot reviews). Seems like a great idea just not perfected yet.
I have had one of the plastic tanks for 16 years have not replaced a heating element yet after 28 hours of no power took a shower with hot water I like mine
Had mine for over 20 years. Electric bill went down after install. Still going strong. If I ever move one will go in my new home. And I have only replaced the elements once.
Anyone added a external heat pump to this type of water heater? I am considering one , made by NYLE water heating systems ? They have a updated unit that will be available 1/24. With all the incentives available it looks like ROI is short.
About 30 yrs before mine started to leak, maybe a Sears model IDK anyway just kept it at a low temp VAC 80° and drained a about a gallon or 2 once a year
I recently put in this exact Rheem plastic tank to replace an old steel tank and the piece of mind from knowing it will NEVER corrode out and explode or cause a flood is better than anything you can get from an old traditional tank. What they messed up in this video is the lower element (the one which runs the vast majority of the time) in the Rheems is TITANIUM, not steel, to prevent lime buildup damage and corrosion. The upper element is copper, not stainless, but could be replaced with stainless to extend the maintenance interval.
Last anyone checked plastic breaks too so why would you think it won't fail on you? Plus corrosion and sediments still settle inside the tank except on the bottom instead of everywhere. So when the plastic tank is eventually opened a nice layer of gunk will be at the bottom. Maybe just looking for a way to justify an overpriced water heater?
My question is about the Polybeutelyne tank. if I remember correctly Polybeutelyne piping failed in homes due to it would deteriorate and crack from the inside out. When it blew it blew. It was a ticking time bomb in your home. There was a class action lawsuit against this stuff for years so what make this Poly any better than the previous ?
You are thinking of polybutene that was used from the 1970's up to about 1996 I believe, that was the grey color pipe, it was banned for use once it was discovered that chemicals would eat the pipe from the inside out resulting in pin holes. Here in Florida if you are selling a home today and it has grey polybutene pipe you have to replace it before you can sell the home. Our home was built in 1993 and it had the grey polybutene pipe, it lasted for 28 years before it started to get pin hole leaks. The house was re-plumbed 2 years 1 month ago with PEX B pipe. Depending on who you ask PEX B will last up to 100 years, the 100 year figure was from a This Old House video where they re-plumbed a home in Ohio I think the house was located.
Growing up we had a 20 gallon heater that we never changed the anode or even flushed for that matter. We had the hardest well water you could imagine and after 25 years of service, dad cut it open and it was completely clean inside, looked almost brand new.
An important factor not mentioned is the problem of sulfur smell caused by anode decomposition in steel tanks common with well water. The marathon plastic tank solves this issue so is a good choice for well water applications.
Sounds like a no brainer to me. Tank lasts forever, so you have an entire lifetime to make up the savings. It wont corrode and fail on you. Heating elements are an incredibly easy replacement item. Literally just unscrew the old one and put in a new one. Make it a routine thing to replace before failure and I don't see any reason why you wouldn't get this type of water heater, based off of what was mentioned in this video.
My tank just cracked today, 25 years old. I'm not the original home owner so no warranty on tank for me. I replaced the elements and thermostats on it about 5 years ago, so they made it close to 20 years.
I wonder if they insulate the Tanks with a Close cell foam like a "Yeti Cooler", wouldn't that bring up the efficiency? I know company that manufacture these stick to fiberglass cause it is cheap and when you make something last forever, companies loose money.
I mean elements will always go bad but here in Europe titanium elements are pretty much standard now so in a plastic water heater over there only an electrical fault with the element or something like a split tank could cause an issue
The Rheem tank is built using fiberglass, resin and a plastic liner which does not leach any harmful chemicals even when continuously immersed in hot water. I did the research. I do not work for the company. I am installing one next week in my home.
I've had an electric Rheem Marathon for 12 years now. Zero problems with the unit thus far. Tank element of the water heater is fiberglass wrapped polybutene tank.
I think Richard Trethewey doesn't want to upset his plumber friends and there gig of easy money replacing water heaters. They cheapened up the new heaters compared to decades ago when you could get 20+ years out of one.
@@HighGear7445 no longer made in the USA-- assembled here only. Poor disclosure laws allow them to mislead buyers thanks to our sleazy politicians who are on the take!
My biggest question on this is what's the deal with the California warning about cancer-causing aspect of this unit. Do you have any insight into that?
The glass lined steel water heater SHOULD last if it was made like it's supposed to. What I mean is if they removed the pressure-bending stress from the steel walls inside the tank BEFORE they add a glass lining inside. They don't do that, and when you start filling your new tank up, you can hear the glass cracking inside, and your new tank from the getgo will start to rust and its life will be shorten. I have installed many, many tanks and every time I fill them up I hear little wispy cracking noises from inside, cause the steel walls flex OUTWARD a little when you will the tank under mains pressure, and this causes the fragile glass lining to crack and water starts attacking the ferrous metal.
I rented a house back in the 1990's that had a 1960's SEARS GLASS LINED electric water heater that was still functioning like new when I moved out at the end of the 1990's! I never had to replace elements while I was there!
I just bought mine today, Rheem Marathon 50 Gallon Lifetime Electric Water Heater @ Menards on sale for $999, The Old Gas Montgomery Ward water heater must be over 40 years old and never had to do anything to it , So I will have to install all the electric Wiring, DIY and have no maintains just like the old one and I will get clean Hot water, I really looked at the gas ones but everybody talks about the plastic being bad, Unknown. LOL BUT were do you think all that anode and metal and rust go,,,,, right into your hot water. No Thanks I'm going plastic.
The downfall of many of the lifetime tank varieties is that the anode that protects the tank is no longer included, but the anode was also protecting the electric heating elements. This can result in the use of non standard expensive elements or burning through elements more frequently because the element is the only metal in the tank so it can act like an anode. This tank would be a no brainer if they included a replacable anode port, but I have yet to find one that does.
I think the anode requires the tank be metal because in one episode in the comments people said putting teflon on the anode thread would block something about the tank, not sure exactly but that's probably why they don't have it in plastic tanks, they wouldn't work for whatever reason
One plumber friend who works for Delta Plumbing said that anode rods are waist because they do very little. He advised against the metal tanks because they are poorly built now that they are no longer constructed in the USA. He has actually seen the inside of the new tanks and they have huge portions that are not covered with the glass. That means it will fail sooner than later. And the warranty is on those tanks are virtually useless. They are prorated so the amount given is very little and does not cover a new tank
Richard, you stated that the glass lined tanks are designed to fail. I disagree, if you change the sacrificial rod ( You showed) every 5 years, you'd get probably 20 years out of a water heater.
That was my thought. If you change the anode rod(s) regularly the tank should last "forever." However I must sadly admit even knowing that fact I have not changed mine. Also 2" of insulation is not all that much. When I replaced our electric heater found one with 3" of foam insulation. Standby loss of well insulated electric heater is negligible.
he has a video on that very thing. but he outlines there could be some clearance issues in the basement to remove the rod. he shows the solution for that (flexible rod looks like sausage links) and if you have hard water you better get the original out sooner than five years and anti seize the threads for future maintenance. Electric would be a waste of time since the elements burn out. but gas your correct expect about 20 years.
twofargone I've replaced the lower element on an electric WH that died due to lower half full of sand. ( Good reason to flush every so often) wasn't that hard or expensive compared to replacement of entire unit. Agree space/clearance is an issue. This one was in the garage, so had plenty of room.
Of courses you can if you have the skills or knowledge. The guy that installed my hot heater did it by himself, he only needed a partner to help him lift it down to my basement. These things weigh like 100lbs+
Nope you can't! For one there is no such thing as a HOT water heater, Why do you need to heat something that is already HOT? Now a water heater yeah hire a PRO
What if one changes the anode rod every five years? How long might this prolong a water heater's longevity? Is it worthwhile to change it out from time to time?
You're telling me, though two people can usually do it! We change ours every five years and have to tilt it away from the wall as our brand cannot use the universal link style.
Our rural electric coop replaces your water heater with these plastic ones for free. They will fix or replace it for free also, should it ever fail. The only requirement is to have a controller on the power supply, which the electric company can use to cut-off the power to the heater to manage their demand, usually in the summer, a couple days a week for several hours. I had an old metal tank (at least 7 years old), with the power controller installed for the previous owner, and it was small - 40 gallons?. If we had two back-to-back showers, you'd lose all hot water until the power came back on to the heater! Called them and the electric company put in a 75 gallon plastic tank. We have no issues with hot water at all now. Peace of mind! I think they are cool, but not cost effective if buying one yourself
Current ricing shows rheem similar sized hybrid proterra is about $2800 vs 2000 for marathon . Now the efficiencies are hugely different - hybrid will save hundreds $ per year in energy. BUT that is a complicated unit, you have to replace the anode (good luck very diccuclt to access and perform even in ideal space) , noisy. But teh biggest issue is service (these’re are not just a simple storage heating tank like marathon-these are a cheap AC unit on top of a steel tank . Hehe what could go wrong ? LOL have you even tried to get someone to service these hybrids ? Good luck. Steiner eltron tech support is quite open about this and anyone who has tried getting a plumber to service these (“I’m a plumber, I dont work on air conditioners.”) or an HVAC guy (“I don work on water heaters.) Your best bet is to get a company that does both HVAC and plumbing to install - you will find very few install hybrids for just thsi reason. But if you are retrofitting and you live in warm climate, no brainer to go hybrid. Less so if new build (most rebates disappear) , cold climate (have to put in basement and these babies will drop your basement temp). It appears Rheem and AO smith are now on top of the nosie issue, but neither will really guarantee a noise rating you can die on -AO smith says they do but read warranty closely. Also have to deal with condensate-no issue if drain nearby or already have a condensing furnace tho) .
I wonder WHY, if there is no metal and no 'sacrificial rod', WHY does this cost 3X's as much? Because they don't make as much for repairs and parts? Plastic tanks are far less expensive for material, production and shipping then metal - and the foam insulation is maybe $15 tops, retail cost bought in a can. I would guess that the profit margin for these is more than 3X's what it is for the metal heaters... My dad has one in his house (11 years and all is well), but 3X's the $$$? I can see if you hire a plumber to install - but for a DIY, IDK, that seems a bit much for a product that easily costs less to manufacture and ship.
I'm not sure that it is less expensive to manufacturer. Unless they changed the process, the plastic tank is wrapped with multiple layers of fiberglass that has to be cured before assembly with the final shell and insulation.
To answer about the weight, in case anyone reading ever needs to know, I have had a 50 gallon for probably around 12 years, with never a problem. Anyhow, I'm fairly positive it was under 100lb. I moved it into place and installed it myself, no problem. The 50 gallon steel unit it replaced was significantly heavier.
But very expensive, if you don't have the gas piping you'll need to upgrade lots of things. If you have a large home you'll need additional hardware to keep the hot water circulated. If you stay at a house for less than 12-15 years, it is worth spending $5-7k on a tankless vs a regular tank heater for $1200 installed?
Tankless is more efficient BUT there are some things to consider. First the tankless unit costs much more than a standard water heater. Second, you MUST maintain the tankless unit by having it flushed every year to clean out the scale or they will have major problems. Third, if you have a very large home with multiple baths the tankless unit may have problems keeping up with the demand.
Are there often situations where multiple people take baths all at the same time? And at that point would a 50g water heater be able to keep up with the demand any better?
pretty sure you guys are arguing simply because of grammar. Therockkkher is saying he won't use gas water heaters and is suggesting you to type in "house explosion" and is asking if you actually did it.
I almost know all the furniture on the attic of TOH i think. That display wall to show the brick cleaning agents. And this cut open water boiler with the anode rods. And the dishwashing machine which they used to show what happens when you put regular soap in it. And the cut open water valves. And those subpanels with outlets on a wooden plank. Etc. Every once in a while those items make it back to the show 😂
How is the heat transferred to the thermostat with a plastic tank? Traditionally the thermostat sat on the outside and measured the temperature of that steel tank. Plastic does not conduct heat that way. Is there a steel plate where the coil and thermostat sit? If so that kinda kills the whole idea of a lifetime tank.
Anon The 'good ones' (in terms of temperature gauge, they might cut corners elsewhere) use trigonomic lasers to test the temperature, the same tech used in industrial freezers. The second-most common appears to be a plastic sheathing on a metal rod, which takes more time to give an accurate reading; there do appear to be models with glass-lined detectors, too, but not as commonly.
normal plastic is not the greatest insulator, only when its made into foam does it become highly insulative. try boiling water then put it in a plastic cup, it will be too hot to hold.
There is a small steel plate mounted externally of the tank but thermally coupled to the brass spud that the upper element mounts into. The thermostat picks up heat transferred to the steel.
I was disappointed in this video. We've lived in our house for almost 30 years and during that time we went went through 3-4 conventional water heaters. Every time they failed they flooded the basement and we had to scramble to find someone to replace it ... quickly. Yes, the conventional water heaters are less expensive than the Rheem Marathon in the box but when you start adding in all of the installation costs we've incurred the conventional water heaters were MUCH more expensive to purchase and install. So we installed an 80 gallon Rheem Marathon 8 years ago and the only maintenance we've done is replace the upper heating element, something we did just this week. Interestingly, when I drained the tank to install the element I was pleased to find the water running clear. When the conventional water heaters failed the tank was full of rust and assorted solids. It made me question the water quality of the conventional water heaters as they came to end of life. Hands down, I will not buy another water heater that isn't a Rheem Marathon or non-metallic equivalent.
Due to the opportunity for the water heater companies to profit on the newness of this "lifetime warranty" expect them to all switch over to (primarily) plastic in the next five years. If, for no other reason than to take advantage of the massive profit margin on them while they can get away with the novelty of their marketing.
I seriously doubt Rheem, the single largest mfr of water heaters in the U.S., is eager to have their ass out on the line from replacing hoards of expensive plastic water heaters some years off. If it was just some off brand, then your point would have a lot more merit.
++ NorthernChev .. Amtrol has had lifetime warranty on their water heaters for well over 20 years so nothing new there. Of course theirs is what's called indirect fired, which means it gets the heat from your boiler. IOW, a giant heat exchanger in a 40 gallon tank. Recovery rates are up near 200 gallons per hour, depending on the boiler capacity. Most larger electric water heaters are in the 50 - 70 gallon per hour range so not even a close race if you need large quantities of water, not to mention that the same amount of BTUs from electric is around twice the cost of oil or gas. Ok, so you save maybe $10 per month.... but how much a year and over how many years? Had mine over 20 years now so even after installation (additional cost over my original $500 purchase) I have saved well over $1,000!
My standard gas WH is now 30 yo...no problems. My parents had one that was almost 40 yo before it leaked. Changing heating elements is really DIY, if you have an electric unit. So, no plastic for me and certainly no tankless WH.
Yeah god forbid the lifetime warranty should actually mean yours and my 'lifetime'. Another reason to punish these planned obsolescence businesses and practices.
Also, stainless does not mean rustless. All metals eventually rust. Those that take longer to do so are just more expensive and not worth the investment.
Always ask this question: Who is my warranty with? Short of a third-party, insurance backed scheme and you can wave goodbye to it when the manufacturer goes bust (which they will offering lifetime warranties).
That question has some problems from the get-go. Water heater companies in the classical sense (ones we'd recognize) have only been around for 70 years, and most of those are still around. As long as you go with one of the major companies that have a highly diversified product line, like LG for instance, you're not going to need to worry about it. Regardless, "lifetime" in a liberal sense would be...what...50 years? If you put a lifetime-warrantied water heater in when you're 20, chances are the major company you bought it from, which is already at least 70 years old, will still be around in another 50. Just my 2 cents.
Usually that's limited to the original owner. People move in the US on an average of every 7 years. In the event of a home owned by several generations of the same family then it would matter, but there's probably so few of them making warranty claims that the companies can just write it off as an advertising expense.
Well, that's their own fault, then. People who don't have the foresight to know what house they'll own/lease every 5 or 6 years should just rent a water heater and protect it with "GuardianCare" or whatever they're calling it now a days. I agree tho that the warranty normally is void when a new owner comes into the pic, but the OP was talking about companies going bust, which is much rarer than houses changing owners.
Water and gas company told me my water tank wasent up to code because it isent 8" off the ground in garage. Is there a tank with an enclosed pilot light that dosent need to be off the ground?
vikings844 Yes. Most modern gas fueled water heaters offer this feature today for safety (enclosed burner assemblies). However, local building and/or plumbing codes in high flood zone areas may still prevent and/or have not yet adapted/adopted the closed "flame guard" type water heaters to be installed at flood level in garages and still require the unnecessary need for water heater stands.
In regards to heat and plastics and concerns of melting I see in comments, many vehicles have plastic oil pans, although oils get very hot they haven't melted. Water tank is beneficial in larger homes, some areas during heatwaves have electric supply reduced (by energy provider to prevent complete power loss due to demand they cant keep up with)in which appliances dont operate properly such as AC, freezers and alike appliances. In my case standard incandescent bulbs would be dim, AC would run, but fail to engage compressor and blower to cool house, hot water had mine been tankless electric would of been cold....although past few years no longer been an issue of too high energy demand. In any case it is beneficial.
All of those plastic vehicle components have a very short life and they are very fragile. For instance, if you hit something with a steel oil pan it gets a dent, if you hit something with a plastic oil pan it shatters dumping all of your oil on the ground and stranding the sucker that bought it and if they don't notice it right away the lack of oil causes catastrophic engine failure.
Good information here. Too bad plastic tanks won't work for those of us with gas water heaters. Hopefully the industry comes up with something soon. I've had to replace too many water heaters in my house and I'm not looking forward to doing it again.
Manufacturering standards declining. Weak laws requiring disclosure of country of origin. One plumber told me that even when they say made in USA that just means assembled in the USA. He said the glass lined tanks are garbage. Theoretically they should work. But the glass is purposefully allowing holes so that steal things will fail early. This plumber was not kidding when he said they were made to fail. But, with the high cost of this particular product, one wants to make sure it is worth the investment. There are so many ways to make built-in obsolescence. Rheem used to be built USA then it was bought out by a Japanese company which moved production to Mexico in Mexicali
Note that a lifetime warranty covers the lifetime of the product, meaning if the manufacturer says the lifetime of the tank is only 5 years it would be outside of the warranty.
A plastic water heater is three times as much but if you take the cost of the plumber (that you don't have to call) into the account it may be worth it.
These are not that new. I had one installed in 2008 and it has been great. I have had to replace the heating elements once and ready to do again after 11 years of service, which is no different than an electric water heater. It is mentioned that the elements are steel, theyre not!! They are copper or titanium. I would much rather have a water heater that I only have to worry about replacing the elements every 5-6 years rather than the entire water heater.
They don't save any money on electricity- they actually cost more per the energyguide (US) and so you are better off just buying a basic metal tank heater and just replacing it every 10 years or so. This one isn't going to last more than 20 years and even if it lasted twice as long, it costs more the double the price. If they were the same price as a metal tank, sure I can see doing it. But there's no money to be saved here.
keith cunningham it's hard for me as I've never had to use imperial measurements at all it's all ways been metric. I'm sorry if my question was ignorant but it would be nice for viewers form other countries who don't use imperial. Cos it it's quite good watching.
Metric threatens the identities of poorly educated people who think it's a matter of patriotism and tradition. They also see it as "either-or", so they generally won't even consider the possibility of knowing both. SI (metric) is the language of science and engineering; to be ignorant of it is to need subtitles in those fields.
If the tank itself is also plastic, I'd be concerned about leaching pthalates (plastic softeners) into the hot water. Pthalates are endocrine disrupters, not something I'd want to drink or allow friends and family to drink--especially kids.
I'd be concerned about how well plastic can hold up to some of the insane pressure of a hot water heater, especially since it weakens when hot. Also, plastics usually leech chemicals into water when they're heated. I guess time will tell as PEX piping is becoming the standard of new construction, maybe plastics will become the new water systems everyone uses.
Not all plastics leach chemicals. Several are essentially non-reactive, with polyethylene being a major one. Almost nothing chemically reacts with it, which is why it's used in fuel tanks. This is also why you really can't glue it together as well. PEX pipe is polyethylene. Most likely, this tank is HDPE or UHMWPE. Either way, nothing leaches out of it. PVC can leach chemicals under certain conditions. Polycarbonate, which used to be very common for portable food containers due to its very good impact resistance, can leach bisphenol A, which can mimic growth hormones. Polystyrene is also a no-no for long term contact with food. But polyethylene? In order to leach anything, it has to react with something. And PE just plain doesn't react with much. Not even chlorine, which has turned out to be a problem with other materials. (Anyone here remember polybutene pipe? Popular in the 70s, until it was discovered that chlorine degraded it over time from the inside out. But PEX has been used for decades in Europe, with zero problems, and their rules regarding food and environmental safety are far stricter than ours. There's really nothing to worry about from that standpoint.
over here in New Zealand we dont have any of them problems at all we dont have rods in our hot water cylinders our water cylinders last 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years with only once n a blue moon one element change or if somebody has turned off and on a tap(to give someone a cold shower) taps will self seal if they weep
And they said that the Polybutylene water pipes were a great idea. 10 years later the so called experts are real quite. Give these plastic water heaters 10 years and lets see how they hold up.
If you have no access to natural gas or propane, getting a plastic water heater is totally worth it. If you have access to propane or natural gas, go for a tankless.
WARNING! Make sure you install a Thermal Expansion Tank as well or the plastic water heater may burst due to heat (thermal) expansion, which causes increased pressure when not in use creating a possible "closed loop" pipe system. Also, unregulated and/or unpredictable Municipal water pressures exceeding the recommended operating pressure limits and/or "Well Type Pump" water systems could also cause this failure to happen.
Ace Don most residential systems don't have check valves at the meter, therefor allowing thermal expansion to go past the meter. Also, all new tanks have a pressure and temperature pressure relief valve on them. Still a good idea to have an expansion tank though.
woohunter1 However, for some reason this particular plastic type tank doesn't allow the relief value to function properly before the actual tank expands and burst. Bad engineering I'd say. For some reason the tank failed before the T&P had a chance to release. Weird, but it happened to me once. The manufacture replaced it and recommend I install a Thermal Expansion Tank, and it worked. Perhaps it was a defective relief value or Water Heater. Not sure, but I never installed another one of these type of water heaters again without a thermal expansion tank. Note: the customer also mentioned how the eruption of the burst tank shook his home. The water heater splt right down the seam. Glad it was located in the basement...
That's a whole other can of worms, scale buildup can lead to major problems with the tankless... Also you cant put a circulating system on a tankless heater, there's actually more downside to tankless than people are lead to believe, they work great for certain situations but wont work at all for others....
@@bigglilwayne7050 The right tankless actually comes with the "circulator" pump built in it (Recirculating pump). A gas tankless Navien or Rinnai will last you 20 years plus, Now a Electric tankless... yeah run from it fast! You can actually install a anti-scale filter for scale build up...You just got to know what your doing.... Talk to a professional or hire a professional please!
Most people don't drink hot water from tap...heaters are pretty much used exclusively for showers, washing machine, dishwasher, and maybe hand washing in sinks. I also doubt there's much difference between that heater and any filtration system (ironically, all made of plastic), prepackaged food/drink, or the PEX/plumbing systems in most modern houses.
Depends on the kind of plastic used. HDPE and LDPE leech very little if any chemicals even when they're hot. I'd be more concerned about the structural strength of plastic when heated to water heater levels.
I have had my Marathon 50 gallon for 17 years and have had zero problems. Love it.
Great to hear Just bought one :)
Had mine for 16 years, just started to leak, our REC is bringing a new one to the door today. Bought the original for 200$ due to the REC pricing.
@@spudthegreaterusa8386what is “REC” ?
@johnwhite2576 Rural energy cooperative. (The power company) Thats what they're called in the midwest
I installed one of these in a previous house for a different reason that I'm not sure was mentioned here. I was trying to deal with what turned out to be iron bacteria that was heavy in my well. At first we thought the problem was iron in the water because washing clothes would turn white clothes orange. I had the water tested. It turned out there was iron bacteria in the water but overall the water was good. I shocked the well trying to get rid of the iron bacteria. I had the well shocked by a pro trying to get rid of it. Nothing I did fixed this problem until my original steel water heater developed a leak. We decided to replace the steel water tank with this plastic unit and my problem was immediately solved. It appears the bacteria loved the environment of the steel tank. I never had a problem with the iron bacteria again while I owned the house.
I installed a State Ind. 55gal Duron lined tank over 30 years ago in my lake house which had the iron bacteria problem. It seemed to reduce the sulfur oder and washing problems. This week I am completing the final phase of flood damage reconstruction and have found that the water heater P&T release valve and the tank thermostat are acting up. Looks like time for a new water heater. I have not been able to find Duron tanks yet. Any suggestions? I also noted that State had some sort of class action suit over the Duron tank, anyone has any history on that issue?
The steel should be blocked by glass lining, but seems that lining is imperfect. We had the sulfur smell and some people will take out anode, and not have an anode at all, but then tank fail quick. We got powered anode and we will see if this tank lasts, no sulfer smell with metal tank
@Mufasa Thank you I am on a well system and I been researching the 40 gal Marathon and over all I have heard good things. I am trying to get away from the stench of rotten egg smell. I been treating my 2nd Bradford White for 2 years and it was brand new at almost 600.00 I think it is time to ditch the bradford for the Rheem. Anyone else bought this water heater? Please respond so I do not make the wrong decision. But the idea of having that bad water and having to put peroxide in the system every month is getting old after 2 years!! I really think I am going to buy one.
@@4skully which water heater did you decided on?
Ours failed thus the need for a new one. My only concern about Rheem's marathon model is the cancer warning from required if it's sold in California.
@@carolejackson8357 Rheem Marathon its amazing the one that has no anode in it. The smell has gone Glory to God.
I wish they had plastic tanks for the hybrid water heaters
I’ve had my Rheem Marathon for 4 years now. I plan to own my home for another 30 minimum. I do my own maintenance and feel very confident about this water heater over the old steel glass lined tanks. I don’t have a problem with purchasing 10 heating elements in the event of the manufacturer discontinuing the down the road. I don’t want to replace this water heater ever again.
same here Shimmy the one I have is the 2nd Bradford and to be honest it sucked right away as it did not fix the odor and that was why I bought it. The 1st one was fine for 3 years and no smell it was crazy when it started.
I'm a skeptic
Still using the original Marathon heater that was installed in our house built 16 years ago. The heating elements are made out of titanium and we haven't replaced them yet.
Once a year, I drain the tank to remove any sediment buildup. Otherwise, it's been completely maintenance-free
The sacrificial rod is either aluminum or "magnesium" not manganese
Glad to see this video! I'm in the utility room at 2am to drain and sanitize my electric water heater because of the bad odor. I bought this house 20 years ago and have replaced 2 water heaters. Next time I am buying the plastic tank water heater.
When we built in 2011 we got a Marathon 105 and it is working great going on 9 years now for our family of 5. It was an easy upgrade at the time as we had a strong enough kitchen hood that it would have required a make up air unit or it would blow out the water heater's pilot light. So this was essentially a free upgrade vs that unit. It has 2 heating elements (in two separate tanks) that can be replaced by draining and then removing the elements. No plumber needed. Then it should be good to go another round etc.
Find your replacement heating elements now!!!! Otherwise when it goes out, you'll be searching and waiting a week to find the 1-7/8" elements. A family of five would be pretty smelly after a week of no showers!
@Dan Marinelli I found the 1 7/8" 240v 4500w elements at menards for my 105 gallon marathon.
@@FredFlintstone21I can’t seem to find the elements for the 75G ! How expensive they are ?
Where did you find the 1 7/8 wrench to remove the heating elements ?
I bought our 85 gallon Marathon plastic tank in 2006. It came with 4500 watt elements. The elements failed in one year, not due to corrosion, but heat damage. The company sent a new set of 3700 watt elements free of charge. They are still working fine, 12 years later. When first installed, I put a 1/2" ball valve at the bottom so the tank could be flushed of any sediment on a monthly basis. To me, the tank was well worth the money, as the steel tanks previously used only lasted 7 or 8 years.
I will follow your advice when I get mine thanks!!
Is it still going strong?
The elements are actually titanium in a marathon water heater
15 year parts warranty
And they are also replaceable. I'd rather replace two elements than a $800 water heater.
But this vid doesn't answer very much. The tank has fittings, are they plastic, steel, stainless, titanium, etc? A glass lined tank still fails, because, after all, the fittings can't be glass lined and so you have a failure point at every single fitting and port for the drain valve, anode, both elements, thermostat well, TP valve, inlet and outlet. Real shame they don't make a plastic tank heat pump water heater, or a HPWH with the HP coil passed through a port to make the tank replaceable. If you're going to spend $1500 you might as well spend another $300 and do it right, with a rebuildable appliance. Instead of demanding that (junk) appliances meet an efficiency standard, they should ensure that only well-designed, repairable appliances hit the market. Then they would be competing on efficiency, not disposability. But they won't, because dumb consumers can't see more than 6 months into the future.
and they corrode more slowly
@@AS-we9xi imo a heat pump as a whole won't last more than 15 years, so the tank will outlive its primary heating method
We recently replaced a 49 year old steel electric water heater in our farm house in 2021. It was installed in 1972 when the house was built. I don't remember my dad ever replacing the anode rod or draining it. Guessing that having a water softener all those years along with better Made in the USA products back then was the reason it lasted so long. The 9 yr old Bradford White in my house is now starting to leak and I admit I never changed the anode rod or ever drained it. I did install a water softener a year ago but a little to late there. As far as the Marathon, the major issue consumers seem to have is major leaks from the top rubber connections (see Home Depot reviews). Seems like a great idea just not perfected yet.
I've been a homeowner for 30+ years, but never heard of "rubber connections". Anyone know what that means?
Just replaced my Rheem Marathon 105 gallon water heater at 22 years , and installed another one ! Was very pleased with our first one .
Was there a specific reason you replaced the entire tank vs elements, thermostat, etc?
I have had one of the plastic tanks for 16 years have not replaced a heating element yet after 28 hours of no power took a shower with hot water I like mine
Took a shower and no punctuations.
Had mine for over 20 years. Electric bill went down after install. Still going strong. If I ever move one will go in my new home. And I have only replaced the elements once.
Anyone added a external heat pump to this type of water heater? I am considering one , made by NYLE water heating systems ? They have a updated unit that will be available 1/24. With all the incentives available it looks like ROI is short.
Often wondered does the water break down the lined glass b4 it hits the steel
About 30 yrs before mine started to leak, maybe a Sears model IDK anyway just kept it at a low temp VAC 80° and drained a about a gallon or 2 once a year
I recently put in this exact Rheem plastic tank to replace an old steel tank and the piece of mind from knowing it will NEVER corrode out and explode or cause a flood is better than anything you can get from an old traditional tank. What they messed up in this video is the lower element (the one which runs the vast majority of the time) in the Rheems is TITANIUM, not steel, to prevent lime buildup damage and corrosion. The upper element is copper, not stainless, but could be replaced with stainless to extend the maintenance interval.
Last anyone checked plastic breaks too so why would you think it won't fail on you? Plus corrosion and sediments still settle inside the tank except on the bottom instead of everywhere. So when the plastic tank is eventually opened a nice layer of gunk will be at the bottom. Maybe just looking for a way to justify an overpriced water heater?
@@Fusiongearz maintenance requires draining once or twice a year.
Could you add that external heat pump to heat the water to a unit like this?
Yep. It's been done in Arizona.
I've had one of these for 14 years with no issues whatsoever. The heating elements are made of titanium so they don't need replacement as often.
My question is about the Polybeutelyne tank. if I remember correctly Polybeutelyne piping failed in homes due to it would deteriorate and crack from the inside out. When it blew it blew. It was a ticking time bomb in your home. There was a class action lawsuit against this stuff for years so what make this Poly any better than the previous ?
You are thinking of polybutene that was used from the 1970's up to about 1996 I believe, that was the grey color pipe, it was banned for use once it was discovered that chemicals would eat the pipe from the inside out resulting in pin holes.
Here in Florida if you are selling a home today and it has grey polybutene pipe you have to replace it before you can sell the home. Our home was built in 1993 and it had the grey polybutene pipe, it lasted for 28 years before it started to get pin hole leaks. The house was re-plumbed 2 years 1 month ago with PEX B pipe. Depending on who you ask PEX B will last up to 100 years, the 100 year figure was from a This Old House video where they re-plumbed a home in Ohio I think the house was located.
The elements are titanium in the Rheem Marathon!
I think only the lower one is titanium, the upper is steel. That's what their website says anyway.
@@Giobemo thanks. I'll double check that
I have one that is 20 years old and 1 element and 2 upper thermostats . It's a great product!
Is yours gas?
I have a 120 gallon plastic water heater. 27 years without a problem.
Electric, best home improvement that I made.
Thanks - I'm trying to decide between electric or tankless. Many factors involved. . . . I was hoping a gas-fired plastic one was an option.
Growing up we had a 20 gallon heater that we never changed the anode or even flushed for that matter. We had the hardest well water you could imagine and after 25 years of service, dad cut it open and it was completely clean inside, looked almost brand new.
WRONG. Didn't happen. BS.
@@243wayne1 Yes I am lying and I made that up for absolutely no reason. gtfo.
@@rummy98 You are a fool of the HIGHEST order. Class dismissed.
My 75 gal Marathon has TITANIUM rods, does that make a difference? 😕
These videos are so helpful to watch
An important factor not mentioned is the problem of sulfur smell caused by anode decomposition in steel tanks common with well water. The marathon plastic tank solves this issue so is a good choice for well water applications.
thats why I plan on buying one!
Sounds like a no brainer to me. Tank lasts forever, so you have an entire lifetime to make up the savings. It wont corrode and fail on you. Heating elements are an incredibly easy replacement item. Literally just unscrew the old one and put in a new one. Make it a routine thing to replace before failure and I don't see any reason why you wouldn't get this type of water heater, based off of what was mentioned in this video.
The elements are made from titanium, not steel.
You're right about that.
My tank just cracked today, 25 years old. I'm not the original home owner so no warranty on tank for me. I replaced the elements and thermostats on it about 5 years ago, so they made it close to 20 years.
You have this model?
@@carolejackson8357 it was a marathon 50 gallon, replaced it with same.
@@rkdosco thanks. Have you been maintaining it with flushing every 6 - 12 mo?
@@carolejackson8357 yearly flushes, but dont think it cracked to sediment.
I wonder if they insulate the Tanks with a Close cell foam like a "Yeti Cooler", wouldn't that bring up the efficiency? I know company that manufacture these stick to fiberglass cause it is cheap and when you make something last forever, companies loose money.
I mean elements will always go bad but here in Europe titanium elements are pretty much standard now so in a plastic water heater over there only an electrical fault with the element or something like a split tank could cause an issue
my old 40 gallon gas water heater is 39 years old and still going, need to change it. living on borrowed time
wonder how long before its shown what chemicals leach out of the plastic that's continuously immersed in hot water.
True, but rust and corrosion in your hot water aren't pretty either.
Probably no worse than all of the Floride and Lead that it will collect from the water that's entering it....
The Rheem tank is built using fiberglass, resin and a plastic liner which does not leach any harmful chemicals even when continuously immersed in hot water. I did the research. I do not work for the company. I am installing one next week in my home.
I've had an electric Rheem Marathon for 12 years now. Zero problems with the unit thus far. Tank element of the water heater is fiberglass wrapped polybutene tank.
Mine is 12 years old also with zero issues.
I think Richard Trethewey doesn't want to upset his plumber friends and there gig of easy money replacing water heaters. They cheapened up the new heaters compared to decades ago when you could get 20+ years out of one.
@@HighGear7445 no longer made in the USA-- assembled here only. Poor disclosure laws allow them to mislead buyers thanks to our sleazy politicians who are on the take!
My biggest question on this is what's the deal with the California warning about cancer-causing aspect of this unit. Do you have any insight into that?
The glass lined steel water heater SHOULD last if it was made like it's supposed to. What I mean is if they removed the pressure-bending stress from the steel walls inside the tank BEFORE they add a glass lining inside. They don't do that, and when you start filling your new tank up, you can hear the glass cracking inside, and your new tank from the getgo will start to rust and its life will be shorten. I have installed many, many tanks and every time I fill them up I hear little wispy cracking noises from inside, cause the steel walls flex OUTWARD a little when you will the tank under mains pressure, and this causes the fragile glass lining to crack and water starts attacking the ferrous metal.
I rented a house back in the 1990's that had a 1960's SEARS GLASS LINED electric water heater that was still functioning like new when I moved out at the end of the 1990's! I never had to replace elements while I was there!
Love the honest review!!
I just bought mine today, Rheem Marathon 50 Gallon Lifetime Electric Water Heater @ Menards on sale for $999, The Old Gas Montgomery Ward water heater must be over 40 years old and never had to do anything to it , So I will have to install all the electric Wiring, DIY and have no maintains just like the old one and I will get clean Hot water, I really looked at the gas ones but everybody talks about the plastic being bad, Unknown. LOL BUT were do you think all that anode and metal and rust go,,,,, right into your hot water. No Thanks I'm going plastic.
I mean, magnesium and iron are both good for us... I have a Marathon and have been happy with it for over a decade. 🙂
Say it again. The elements in a Marathon are Ti (titanium).
The downfall of many of the lifetime tank varieties is that the anode that protects the tank is no longer included, but the anode was also protecting the electric heating elements. This can result in the use of non standard expensive elements or burning through elements more frequently because the element is the only metal in the tank so it can act like an anode. This tank would be a no brainer if they included a replacable anode port, but I have yet to find one that does.
Thomas finally someone who was listening and intelligent enough to catch on about anode vs heater element replacement costs! Good for you sir.
I think the anode requires the tank be metal because in one episode in the comments people said putting teflon on the anode thread would block something about the tank, not sure exactly but that's probably why they don't have it in plastic tanks, they wouldn't work for whatever reason
That's why the element is made out of titanium and not steel.
One plumber friend who works for Delta Plumbing said that anode rods are waist because they do very little. He advised against the metal tanks because they are poorly built now that they are no longer constructed in the USA. He has actually seen the inside of the new tanks and they have huge portions that are not covered with the glass. That means it will fail sooner than later. And the warranty is on those tanks are virtually useless. They are prorated so the amount given is very little and does not cover a new tank
The 105 gallon rheem marathon waterheater doesn't have an anode rod.
I'm a simple man, I get a TOH notification, I click, I like.
...and you type that in the comment section every time...
NorthernChev Everytime I get a notification that's the protocol
what if, you're not a simple man? huh?
Straight Outta Markarth How can a simple man know whether he is simple or not. He hasn’t got any brains to think this through.
That one also doesn't let the water cooldown nearly as fast as the other one
Richard, you stated that the glass lined tanks are designed to fail. I disagree, if you change the sacrificial rod ( You showed) every 5 years, you'd get probably 20 years out of a water heater.
That was my thought. If you change the anode rod(s) regularly the tank should last "forever." However I must sadly admit even knowing that fact I have not changed mine. Also 2" of insulation is not all that much. When I replaced our electric heater found one with 3" of foam insulation. Standby loss of well insulated electric heater is negligible.
he has a video on that very thing. but he outlines there could be some clearance issues in the basement to remove the rod. he shows the solution for that (flexible rod looks like sausage links) and if you have hard water you better get the original out sooner than five years and anti seize the threads for future maintenance. Electric would be a waste of time since the elements burn out. but gas your correct expect about 20 years.
twofargone I've replaced the lower element on an electric WH that died due to lower half full of sand. ( Good reason to flush every so often) wasn't that hard or expensive compared to replacement of entire unit. Agree space/clearance is an issue. This one was in the garage, so had plenty of room.
my elec. heater is over 30 yrs. old
You mean, if the user changes the rod regularly AND properly drains the tank regularly, which virtually no one does.
Why did he say Manganese and Aluminum is that a new kind of Anode? All I find are Magnesium or a blend with Aluminum.
I think he just misspoke.
That must be the case because these "This Old House" guys are great.
Why couldn't I install my own hot water heater or replace the elements
Of courses you can if you have the skills or knowledge. The guy that installed my hot heater did it by himself, he only needed a partner to help him lift it down to my basement. These things weigh like 100lbs+
I can’t speak for the install portion, however cleaning out scale and replacing elements is easy!
Watch a few videos, I have confidence you can do it.
Nope you can't! For one there is no such thing as a HOT water heater, Why do you need to heat something that is already HOT? Now a water heater yeah hire a PRO
What if one changes the anode rod every five years? How long might this prolong a water heater's longevity? Is it worthwhile to change it out from time to time?
See my earlier post in this thread. Regular anode rod replacement will extend tank life virtually forever. Problem is no one does it.
You're telling me, though two people can usually do it! We change ours every five years and have to tilt it away from the wall as our brand cannot use the universal link style.
they sell plug in electrical ones
Our rural electric coop replaces your water heater with these plastic ones for free. They will fix or replace it for free also, should it ever fail. The only requirement is to have a controller on the power supply, which the electric company can use to cut-off the power to the heater to manage their demand, usually in the summer, a couple days a week for several hours.
I had an old metal tank (at least 7 years old), with the power controller installed for the previous owner, and it was small - 40 gallons?. If we had two back-to-back showers, you'd lose all hot water until the power came back on to the heater! Called them and the electric company put in a 75 gallon plastic tank. We have no issues with hot water at all now.
Peace of mind!
I think they are cool, but not cost effective if buying one yourself
For the cost, just use a hybrid unit.
Current ricing shows rheem similar sized hybrid proterra is about $2800 vs 2000 for marathon . Now the efficiencies are hugely different - hybrid will save hundreds $ per year in energy. BUT that is a complicated unit, you have to replace the anode (good luck very diccuclt to access and perform even in ideal space) , noisy. But teh biggest issue is service (these’re are not just a simple storage heating tank like marathon-these are a cheap AC unit on top of a steel tank . Hehe what could go wrong ? LOL have you even tried to get someone to service these hybrids ? Good luck. Steiner eltron tech support is quite open about this and anyone who has tried getting a plumber to service these (“I’m a plumber, I dont work on air conditioners.”) or an HVAC guy (“I don work on water heaters.) Your best bet is to get a company that does both HVAC and plumbing to install - you will find very few install hybrids for just thsi reason. But if you are retrofitting and you live in warm climate, no brainer to go hybrid. Less so if new build (most rebates disappear) , cold climate (have to put in basement and these babies will drop your basement temp). It appears Rheem and AO smith are now on top of the nosie issue, but neither will really guarantee a noise rating you can die on -AO smith says they do but read warranty closely. Also have to deal with condensate-no issue if drain nearby or already have a condensing furnace tho) .
I wonder WHY, if there is no metal and no 'sacrificial rod', WHY does this cost 3X's as much? Because they don't make as much for repairs and parts? Plastic tanks are far less expensive for material, production and shipping then metal - and the foam insulation is maybe $15 tops, retail cost bought in a can. I would guess that the profit margin for these is more than 3X's what it is for the metal heaters... My dad has one in his house (11 years and all is well), but 3X's the $$$? I can see if you hire a plumber to install - but for a DIY, IDK, that seems a bit much for a product that easily costs less to manufacture and ship.
I'm not sure that it is less expensive to manufacturer. Unless they changed the process, the plastic tank is wrapped with multiple layers of fiberglass that has to be cured before assembly with the final shell and insulation.
@2:30 "pay 3 times more" Huh? How much do these cost?
1450 usd
How much does this model weigh? Nobody at Rheem could answer.
To answer about the weight, in case anyone reading ever needs to know, I have had a 50 gallon for probably around 12 years, with never a problem. Anyhow, I'm fairly positive it was under 100lb. I moved it into place and installed it myself, no problem. The 50 gallon steel unit it replaced was significantly heavier.
Interesting idea, but probably better to go tankless instant hot gas water heater. Takes less space, uses less energy.
But very expensive, if you don't have the gas piping you'll need to upgrade lots of things. If you have a large home you'll need additional hardware to keep the hot water circulated. If you stay at a house for less than 12-15 years, it is worth spending $5-7k on a tankless vs a regular tank heater for $1200 installed?
Tankless is more efficient BUT there are some things to consider. First the tankless unit costs much more than a standard water heater. Second, you MUST maintain the tankless unit by having it flushed every year to clean out the scale or they will have major problems. Third, if you have a very large home with multiple baths the tankless unit may have problems keeping up with the demand.
Are there often situations where multiple people take baths all at the same time? And at that point would a 50g water heater be able to keep up with the demand any better?
DeWitt Potts also if you go tankless gas, you have to make sure you have the proper size service line for it.
pretty sure you guys are arguing simply because of grammar. Therockkkher is saying he won't use gas water heaters and is suggesting you to type in "house explosion" and is asking if you actually did it.
I almost know all the furniture on the attic of TOH i think. That display wall to show the brick cleaning agents. And this cut open water boiler with the anode rods. And the dishwashing machine which they used to show what happens when you put regular soap in it. And the cut open water valves. And those subpanels with outlets on a wooden plank. Etc. Every once in a while those items make it back to the show 😂
How is the heat transferred to the thermostat with a plastic tank? Traditionally the thermostat sat on the outside and measured the temperature of that steel tank. Plastic does not conduct heat that way. Is there a steel plate where the coil and thermostat sit? If so that kinda kills the whole idea of a lifetime tank.
Anon
The 'good ones' (in terms of temperature gauge, they might cut corners elsewhere) use trigonomic lasers to test the temperature, the same tech used in industrial freezers. The second-most common appears to be a plastic sheathing on a metal rod, which takes more time to give an accurate reading; there do appear to be models with glass-lined detectors, too, but not as commonly.
normal plastic is not the greatest insulator, only when its made into foam does it become highly insulative. try boiling water then put it in a plastic cup, it will be too hot to hold.
It has a fiberglass rap on the inside tank
There is a small steel plate mounted externally of the tank but thermally coupled to the brass spud that the upper element mounts into. The thermostat picks up heat transferred to the steel.
I was disappointed in this video. We've lived in our house for almost 30 years and during that time we went went through 3-4 conventional water heaters. Every time they failed they flooded the basement and we had to scramble to find someone to replace it ... quickly. Yes, the conventional water heaters are less expensive than the Rheem Marathon in the box but when you start adding in all of the installation costs we've incurred the conventional water heaters were MUCH more expensive to purchase and install. So we installed an 80 gallon Rheem Marathon 8 years ago and the only maintenance we've done is replace the upper heating element, something we did just this week. Interestingly, when I drained the tank to install the element I was pleased to find the water running clear. When the conventional water heaters failed the tank was full of rust and assorted solids. It made me question the water quality of the conventional water heaters as they came to end of life. Hands down, I will not buy another water heater that isn't a Rheem Marathon or non-metallic equivalent.
Due to the opportunity for the water heater companies to profit on the newness of this "lifetime warranty" expect them to all switch over to (primarily) plastic in the next five years. If, for no other reason than to take advantage of the massive profit margin on them while they can get away with the novelty of their marketing.
I seriously doubt Rheem, the single largest mfr of water heaters in the U.S., is eager to have their ass out on the line from replacing hoards of expensive plastic water heaters some years off. If it was just some off brand, then your point would have a lot more merit.
++ NorthernChev .. Amtrol has had lifetime warranty on their water heaters for well over 20 years so nothing new there. Of course theirs is what's called indirect fired, which means it gets the heat from your boiler. IOW, a giant heat exchanger in a 40 gallon tank. Recovery rates are up near 200 gallons per hour, depending on the boiler capacity. Most larger electric water heaters are in the 50 - 70 gallon per hour range so not even a close race if you need large quantities of water, not to mention that the same amount of BTUs from electric is around twice the cost of oil or gas. Ok, so you save maybe $10 per month.... but how much a year and over how many years? Had mine over 20 years now so even after installation (additional cost over my original $500 purchase) I have saved well over $1,000!
Very good explained.
Rich said the anode was "manganese" but he really meant magnesium
My standard gas WH is now 30 yo...no problems. My parents had one that was almost 40 yo before it leaked. Changing heating elements is really DIY, if you have an electric unit.
So, no plastic for me and certainly no tankless WH.
Eh. If you already have a boiler just zone out the hot water to a triple insulated fiberglass tank.
Mega-stor indirect stainless steel water heater, mine is 20 years old and still perfect.
you mean the fiberglass tanks that are made out of plastic? lol
The metal is "MAGNESIUM" NOT "MANGANESE" just to keep thing straight fella !!!
Very useful information
Just installed a Heatworks tankless. Curious what you guys think of those?
good idea hope they improve on it
No mention of scale? C’mon, that’s the main cause of element failure.
Just make em out of stainless!
stainless is expensive and stainless nowadays is kinda Meh
Yeah god forbid the lifetime warranty should actually mean yours and my 'lifetime'. Another reason to punish these planned obsolescence businesses and practices.
Also, stainless does not mean rustless. All metals eventually rust. Those that take longer to do so are just more expensive and not worth the investment.
it's really not that expensive. but hey, keep making plastic shit and hope it works out.
He Ka You do realize their are multiple grades stainless and they are not all created equal
Always ask this question: Who is my warranty with? Short of a third-party, insurance backed scheme and you can wave goodbye to it when the manufacturer goes bust (which they will offering lifetime warranties).
That question has some problems from the get-go. Water heater companies in the classical sense (ones we'd recognize) have only been around for 70 years, and most of those are still around. As long as you go with one of the major companies that have a highly diversified product line, like LG for instance, you're not going to need to worry about it. Regardless, "lifetime" in a liberal sense would be...what...50 years? If you put a lifetime-warrantied water heater in when you're 20, chances are the major company you bought it from, which is already at least 70 years old, will still be around in another 50. Just my 2 cents.
Usually that's limited to the original owner. People move in the US on an average of every 7 years.
In the event of a home owned by several generations of the same family then it would matter, but there's probably so few of them making warranty claims that the companies can just write it off as an advertising expense.
Well, that's their own fault, then. People who don't have the foresight to know what house they'll own/lease every 5 or 6 years should just rent a water heater and protect it with "GuardianCare" or whatever they're calling it now a days. I agree tho that the warranty normally is void when a new owner comes into the pic, but the OP was talking about companies going bust, which is much rarer than houses changing owners.
Water and gas company told me my water tank wasent up to code because it isent 8" off the ground in garage. Is there a tank with an enclosed pilot light that dosent need to be off the ground?
vikings844
Yes. Most modern gas fueled water heaters offer this feature today for safety (enclosed burner assemblies). However, local building and/or plumbing codes in high flood zone areas may still prevent and/or have not yet adapted/adopted the closed "flame guard" type water heaters to be installed at flood level in garages and still require the unnecessary need for water heater stands.
Ace Don Thanks for the info!
In regards to heat and plastics and concerns of melting I see in comments, many vehicles have plastic oil pans, although oils get very hot they haven't melted.
Water tank is beneficial in larger homes, some areas during heatwaves have electric supply reduced (by energy provider to prevent complete power loss due to demand they cant keep up with)in which appliances dont operate properly such as AC, freezers and alike appliances.
In my case standard incandescent bulbs would be dim, AC would run, but fail to engage compressor and blower to cool house, hot water had mine been tankless electric would of been cold....although past few years no longer been an issue of too high energy demand. In any case it is beneficial.
All of those plastic vehicle components have a very short life and they are very fragile. For instance, if you hit something with a steel oil pan it gets a dent, if you hit something with a plastic oil pan it shatters dumping all of your oil on the ground and stranding the sucker that bought it and if they don't notice it right away the lack of oil causes catastrophic engine failure.
That marathon unit has titanium elements, three times as much…
Good information here. Too bad plastic tanks won't work for those of us with gas water heaters. Hopefully the industry comes up with something soon. I've had to replace too many water heaters in my house and I'm not looking forward to doing it again.
Get a good quality tanks, flush it as often as required, change anode regularly and elements when needed.
tankless gas heaters are quite good nowadays, long as you maintain them properly
These tanks have been around for more than 20 years what’s all the drama about?
expensive, nobody buys it, obviously . not that hard to figure out
Manufacturering standards declining. Weak laws requiring disclosure of country of origin. One plumber told me that even when they say made in USA that just means assembled in the USA. He said the glass lined tanks are garbage. Theoretically they should work. But the glass is purposefully allowing holes so that steal things will fail early. This plumber was not kidding when he said they were made to fail. But, with the high cost of this particular product, one wants to make sure it is worth the investment. There are so many ways to make built-in obsolescence. Rheem used to be built USA then it was bought out by a Japanese company which moved production to Mexico in Mexicali
Heating elements are not steel.
He is wrong about the elements, they are titanium not steel, thus the price. I have upgraded to this heater and my water has never been better.
Guess I'm not making a wood heater out of this later.
No mention of natural gas models.
SZretired it's a plastic tank, no gas models because you don't put a flame to plastic.
because there are none ^_^
Note that a lifetime warranty covers the lifetime of the product, meaning if the manufacturer says the lifetime of the tank is only 5 years it would be outside of the warranty.
The tank has the LT warranty
WRONG.
A plastic water heater is three times as much but if you take the cost of the plumber (that you don't have to call) into the account it may be worth it.
These are not that new. I had one installed in 2008 and it has been great. I have had to replace the heating elements once and ready to do again after 11 years of service, which is no different than an electric water heater. It is mentioned that the elements are steel, theyre not!! They are copper or titanium. I would much rather have a water heater that I only have to worry about replacing the elements every 5-6 years rather than the entire water heater.
Yes
Sorry but the tanks have titanium heating elements!
Only the lower one, according to the Rheem website.
They don't save any money on electricity- they actually cost more per the energyguide (US) and so you are better off just buying a basic metal tank heater and just replacing it every 10 years or so. This one isn't going to last more than 20 years and even if it lasted twice as long, it costs more the double the price. If they were the same price as a metal tank, sure I can see doing it. But there's no money to be saved here.
So how long will electrode last?? Is there a gas version?
Can you start including the metric measurements
For an American TV show?
Sure, if you start using imperial.
So the carpenters should call a 2x6 a 5.08 by 15.24. I don't think that'll go over very well.
And that 50 gallon tank would be 189.271 liters. LOL
keith cunningham it's hard for me as I've never had to use imperial measurements at all it's all ways been metric. I'm sorry if my question was ignorant but it would be nice for viewers form other countries who don't use imperial. Cos it it's quite good watching.
Metric threatens the identities of poorly educated people who think it's a matter of patriotism and tradition. They also see it as "either-or", so they generally won't even consider the possibility of knowing both. SI (metric) is the language of science and engineering; to be ignorant of it is to need subtitles in those fields.
Magnesium, not manganese
If the tank itself is also plastic, I'd be concerned about leaching pthalates (plastic softeners) into the hot water. Pthalates are endocrine disrupters, not something I'd want to drink or allow friends and family to drink--especially kids.
Never drank from the hot water tap. Always told to avoid doing so in the event you get a tasty treat of Legionnaires disease.
The Rheem Marathon Model MR50245 (50 Gal) is not MF@#$% Worth it. You can't find the 1-7/8"
4500W UPPER & LOWER ELEMENTS.
Why would she have to pay a plumber to change the heating element? She could just subscribe to your channel and learn to diy.
I'd be concerned about how well plastic can hold up to some of the insane pressure of a hot water heater, especially since it weakens when hot. Also, plastics usually leech chemicals into water when they're heated. I guess time will tell as PEX piping is becoming the standard of new construction, maybe plastics will become the new water systems everyone uses.
Watch ... lead was once the standard, 60 years from now people will be talking of pex as they talk of lead today.
can you name this magical chemical that decides to leech out of plastic for no reason at all?
Not all plastics leach chemicals. Several are essentially non-reactive, with polyethylene being a major one. Almost nothing chemically reacts with it, which is why it's used in fuel tanks. This is also why you really can't glue it together as well. PEX pipe is polyethylene. Most likely, this tank is HDPE or UHMWPE. Either way, nothing leaches out of it. PVC can leach chemicals under certain conditions. Polycarbonate, which used to be very common for portable food containers due to its very good impact resistance, can leach bisphenol A, which can mimic growth hormones. Polystyrene is also a no-no for long term contact with food. But polyethylene? In order to leach anything, it has to react with something. And PE just plain doesn't react with much. Not even chlorine, which has turned out to be a problem with other materials. (Anyone here remember polybutene pipe? Popular in the 70s, until it was discovered that chlorine degraded it over time from the inside out. But PEX has been used for decades in Europe, with zero problems, and their rules regarding food and environmental safety are far stricter than ours. There's really nothing to worry about from that standpoint.
puckcat knows what's up. clearly he has knowledge about plastics, unlike the fearmongering conspiracy theorists on here.
TheOtherBill your sources are fringe conspiracy theory websites...
over here in New Zealand we dont have any of them problems at all
we dont have rods in our hot water cylinders
our water cylinders last 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years with only once n a blue moon one element change or if somebody has turned off and on a tap(to give someone a cold shower) taps will self seal if they weep
Can you share a bit more on what they are made of?
It seems like they have the same warranties in NZ as anywhere else, so it seems unlikely that they're getting 2-6x the life of other countries.
Oh yeah, they use those unobtanium tanks.
Really??!! What's next Plastic Boilers?? Is there anything that isn't artificially plastic?
Love.
plastic surgery oh wait
The thumbnail looks like love at first sight 😆
FYI... The elements are made of Titanium..
Only the lower one
And they said that the Polybutylene water pipes were a great idea. 10 years later the so called experts are real quite. Give these plastic water heaters 10 years and lets see how they hold up.
They've been around for a long time. We got our Marathon back in 2009.
And I Live in Davison
If you have no access to natural gas or propane, getting a plastic water heater is totally worth it. If you have access to propane or natural gas, go for a tankless.
WARNING! Make sure you install a Thermal Expansion Tank as well or the plastic water heater may burst due to heat (thermal) expansion, which causes increased pressure when not in use creating a possible "closed loop" pipe system. Also, unregulated and/or unpredictable Municipal water pressures exceeding the recommended operating pressure limits and/or "Well Type Pump" water systems could also cause this failure to happen.
Ace Don most residential systems don't have check valves at the meter, therefor allowing thermal expansion to go past the meter. Also, all new tanks have a pressure and temperature pressure relief valve on them. Still a good idea to have an expansion tank though.
woohunter1
However, for some reason this particular plastic type tank doesn't allow the relief value to function properly before the actual tank expands and burst. Bad engineering I'd say. For some reason the tank failed before the T&P had a chance to release. Weird, but it happened to me once. The manufacture replaced it and recommend I install a Thermal Expansion Tank, and it worked.
Perhaps it was a defective relief value or Water Heater. Not sure, but I never installed another one of these type of water heaters again without a thermal expansion tank.
Note: the customer also mentioned how the eruption of the burst tank shook his home. The water heater splt right down the seam. Glad it was located in the basement...
well systems can use the pressure tank as an expansion tank
Blox117
Intresting theory. I never thought about that. I'll have to do more research. Thanks for your insight.
Ace Don its worked for me, up until one time where my water heater was overheating and I left the shutoff at the water heater off... lol
Tell her to go tankless
That's a whole other can of worms, scale buildup can lead to major problems with the tankless... Also you cant put a circulating system on a tankless heater, there's actually more downside to tankless than people are lead to believe, they work great for certain situations but wont work at all for others....
@@bigglilwayne7050 The right tankless actually comes with the "circulator" pump built in it (Recirculating pump). A gas tankless Navien or Rinnai will last you 20 years plus, Now a Electric tankless... yeah run from it fast! You can actually install a anti-scale filter for scale build up...You just got to know what your doing.... Talk to a professional or hire a professional please!
@@bigglilwayne7050 thanks brother!!peace sherry-elizabeth
Nothing like some more plastic chemicals being leached into your water supply.
Most people don't drink hot water from tap...heaters are pretty much used exclusively for showers, washing machine, dishwasher, and maybe hand washing in sinks. I also doubt there's much difference between that heater and any filtration system (ironically, all made of plastic), prepackaged food/drink, or the PEX/plumbing systems in most modern houses.
Depends on the kind of plastic used. HDPE and LDPE leech very little if any chemicals even when they're hot. I'd be more concerned about the structural strength of plastic when heated to water heater levels.
Yeah I thought about Pex and why I said "more".
People are more likely to die eating too much fat intake than Chemicals in plastics.
Yes but then people buy bottled water in plastic bottles.
The plastic will eventually become brittle. Just like older PVC pipes. Everything will eventually break.
Benjamin Slayton just like me and you lol