Water heater prices seem to have gone up

[JHZR2]

OP, as we know nothing about the models, relative model levels or warranty between what you bought in 2009 and today, and, the fact that we just don't know what kind of a deal you got, means it's all speculative.

How was shipping considered back then vs now? Online sales tax? Sales?

You bought a different type, maybe with a better warranty, etc., etc. prices surely have gone up, as they do for most everything, but you haven't given enough info to do an apples to apples comparison.

 

[alarmguy]

My neighbor/plumber (not a friend, just a community member) installed a 50 gallon "State Select" water heater complete for less then $1000. On Christmas Eve no less!

Gas water heaters can be simple and cheap devices, but you selected a more expensive option. Nothing wrong with that but for me, gas is cheap and I dont see the reason for it. The savings between the two can only be max of a dollar or two a month at most and will last just as long.

 

[gregk24]

We just had a new water heater installed that I purchased online as well. I got a 40 gallon gas top of the line Rheem for less than $700. What am I missing?

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by gregk24
We just had a new water heater installed that I purchased online as well. I got a 40 gallon gas top of the line Rheem for less than $700. What am I missing?

The OP is getting a tank with a power vent.

I'm not familiar with a power vent. Is this a new code requirement for certain installations?

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by Tman220
Any reason you went with the same brand again? Water heaters should last more than 10 years, and the bradford white brand does not receive steller reviews especially when it comes to longevity.

At my previous house I had a 25 year old A.O. smith still functioning properly.

Any particular reason you ordered a power vent, if you don't need one now? They are barely more efficient and more things to fail down the road, so it's downright silly unless you need to vent horizontally. Not to mention the additional cost.


Depends. Where I'm am located the water comes off the mountains-20 miles away-the water picks up minerals from the (granite) mountains-and you are lucky to get 7 years out of your water heater. This is even after you soften it up with a water softener.

On another note-I got a letter from my water softener person saying water heaters were substantially going up in price after the January 1st of this year. BTW-local codes on water heaters can vary.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by PimTac
The OP is getting a tank with a power vent.

I'm not familiar with a power vent. Is this a new code requirement for certain installations?

Power vent has been around for a while. Basically it's what you use when you don't have a chimney to vent the water heater through. Chimneys have a draft where hot air rises. The power vent has a blower motor on top that vents the gasses out the side of the house. Completely different than a regular gas water heater which is why they're about double the cost of a regular one. You see a lot of them in newer construction where you have direct vent heating systems so there's no need to build a chimney as everything goes out the side of the house. Not a big fan of tankless water heater. Still see a bunch of them that break down. They're fine if they don't break. But they usually only have a 5 year warranty, parts are hard to find and so are the people who know how to fix them.

 

[opus1]

I think the new energy-regulations also require power-venting a water heater if it's larger than 50 gallons.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Power vent has been around for a while. Basically it's what you use when you don't have a chimney to vent the water heater through. Chimneys have a draft where hot air rises. The power vent has a blower motor on top that vents the gasses out the side of the house. Completely different than a regular gas water heater which is why they're about double the cost of a regular one. You see a lot of them in newer construction where you have direct vent heating systems so there's no need to build a chimney as everything goes out the side of the house. Not a big fan of tankless water heater. Still see a bunch of them that break down. They're fine if they don't break. But they usually only have a 5 year warranty, parts are hard to find and so are the people who know how to fix them.

It must also depend on the location of the tank? In my old house I switched to gas (propane) and ran a pipe up through the roof and that was that. Granted, this was a single story house and many years ago.

As for the size of the tank, my understanding is that the trend is towards smaller tank capacity with quicker recovery times. The old standard of 52 gallons is now 40 gallons from what I've seen and heard. Of course, local codes will differ.

 

[Wolf359]

Don't know about your area, but around here the old standard was a 30 and people went to a 40 for about the same price. I haven't noticed the recovery time changing. You rarely see 50 gallon tanks unless they're electric in which case it's 50-80. Usually hot water tanks around here are in the basement so you need a 2-3 story chimney. I'm not sure if you did your house to code. Around here, sometimes the plumbing inspectors complain if they don't think the chimney has enough of a draft if there aren't enough devices on it. No draft means the exhaust gases not going up the chimney.

 

[PimTac]

It's definitely up to the codes in that jurisdiction. Older homes with basements provide the best location for the tank. Everything vented into the chimney. Today, most homes have no basement. The tank is in the attached garage along with the furnace if one is in place.

I currently have a 52 gallon electric in a utility space in our current home. Since we live in a 55+ community I probably will go smaller on the next tank. This one is about ten years or so old. Bigger families obviously need more capacity.

 

[Alfred_B]

Got the heater delivered yesterday and installed it in the evening. The Sharkbite water hoses made the job much quicker and we're well worth the additional cost.

1.5 hour job including the removal of the old tank from the basement.