What electronics are in a water heater now?

The Rheem I have now has a vacation mode, you can check the temperatures in the upper and lower tank, you can tell which element is on. It has a performance mode and an energy saving mode. It has a leak detector and add-on WiFi capability that lets you control the heater from a smartphone.

It also logs problems like no water, defective temperature sensors, over temp of the electronics. The two heaters I've installed in the past month shutdown sporadically due to the electronics overheating. The prior model was recalled because the control panels were burning up.

All the bells and whistles in the world are kind of pointless when a water can't reliably provide hot water without the risk of burning down your house.

Whirlpool has a model that adapts to your hot water usage pattern; presumably to save power by not keeping it at temperature when you're not going to use it in the near future.

 

What electronics are in a water heater now?

I haven't met one of those yet. I keep finding the same old snap-action thermostatic switches, and I recommend them! The more sophisticated crap they throw in, the less reliable they get.

Do you crave a water heater with a beautiful electronic readout and programmable buttons to push? If you do, you're an idiot in my book.

 

It must have been decades ago when I memorized this sentence: "That brand will Rheem you."

The Rheem that was in my house when I bought 20 years ago would probably still be working if I had diagnosed a leak in the outlet hose fitting before water got to the upper thermostat and started burning insulation off the wiring. I thought it was the tank going out...

After having issues with new Rheem, I started checking reviews of some other water heaters. It seems that all brands have experienced quality problems lately. AO Smith manufactures several brands (Kenmore, Whirlpool), and all have problems. Plumbing contractors like Bradford White, but they seem to have dropped in quality over the past 6-8 years.

Both of the Rheems I installed this past month had dents and scrapes that weren't caused by transport or installation. The last one had oily grime all over the top, but the control panel was mounted square. The panel on the first one looked like it was mounted by an idiot. But the stickers were straight...

 

Whirlpool has a model that adapts to your hot water usage pattern; presumably to save power by not keeping it at temperature when you're not going to use it in the near future.

Oh, baloney! Buy a $30 roll of R-19 fiberglass and wrap that rascal. That will cut your heat loss down to $20 per year.
How many times can you replace a control panel or re-install a brand new water heater for $30?

they seem to have dropped in quality over the past 6-8 years.

True. Computer aided excess quality removal. Here's a tip: Check the sacrificial anode after 3 years and see how far gone it is. You can buy a replacement anode at Home Depot or Lowe's.

 

Do you crave a water heater with a beautiful electronic readout and programmable buttons to push? If you do, you're an idiot in my book.

I bought the one with electronics and an LCD display because it came with the longest warranty. 12 years with in-home labor included for the first 3 years.

The labor warranty is a joke because there are only two plumbing companies in my area who will do warranty work on Rheems. The first wanted too much money, the second was disreputable and wanted to charge me $549 additional for labor because I my labor warranty was invalidated by me installing the heater. The company said warranty is still valid, so I won't let that plumber into my house. It seemed like they wanted to try to sell me unnecessary code improvements.

Rheem only offers $250 and it's a 6-8 hour job because a plumber has to uninstall the existing heater, take it to the store for a warranty replacement, and bring it back to install. It takes me about 8 hours, with almost half the time spent driving to/from the store and waiting for the exchange.

 

Oh, baloney! Buy a $30 roll of R-19 fiberglass and wrap that rascal. That will cut your heat loss down to $25 per year.

The new heaters have better insulation and the wraps are only installed if they're required by local plumbing codes. They're not required in my area.

How many times can you replace a control panel or re-install a brand new water heater for $30?

I asked tech support to send me the panel. They said it's not a stocked item and their policy is to replace the whole heater.

I'm fed up with them. Will never buy Rheem again. I hope they go out of business. I was told all of their heaters are now manufactured in Mexico (no offense @cmartinez, just stating the facts).

 

Check the sacrificial anode after 3 years and see how far gone it is.

I plan to pull the anode from the original water heater. Just need to get the right size socket and a big breaker bar. I'm going to pull the heating elements to see what they look like.

The new heater has a magnesium anode and stainless steel heating elements. But I'd rather have reliable hot water...

I never knew you were supposed to drain a gallon of water from the heater several times a year to prevent sediment build up. That's important because I'm on well water and we get a lot of sediment. It blocked the check valve in my well open, so I had to put in an auxiliary at my pressure tank.

 

12 years with in-home labor included for the first 3 years.

I was going to do a Dr. Phil on you and ask, "How's that working out for you?" but you just told me.

The new heaters have better insulation and the wraps are only installed if they're required by local plumbing codes. They're not required in my area.

Wraps aren't required? Why are you paying hundreds of dollars extra for fancy electronics to do exactly the same thing as a $30 roll of fiberglass insulation, save you a few dollars per year? You like pretty displays that much?

 

Do you crave a water heater with a beautiful electronic readout and programmable buttons to push? If you do, you're an idiot in my book.

I refused to buy any microwave oven that didn't have the mechanical timer, until they were no longer available. In my book, the simpler, the better.

 

You like pretty displays that much?

I'd gladly give up the display for a heater that worked.

The 12 year warranty influenced my original purchase, but it turns out to be worth less than the paper it's printed on. I'm stuck now, but the other options don't look that good either...

 

In my book, the simpler, the better.

I've been buying one model down from the top for decades. Did that with the washer and dryer I bought after getting married. 31 years; still married and the washer and dryer still work.

 

I refused to buy any microwave oven that didn't have the mechanical timer, until they were no longer available. In my book, the simpler, the better.

I'd tell you to buy a wind-up timer from Graingers but the last one I bought didn't last 300 cranks.
Maybe that's why we're electronics nerds. A 555 and a CD4017...then some marks around the knob on a potentiometer?

 

I've been buying one model down from the top for decades. Did that with the washer and dryer I bought after getting married. 31 years; still married and the washer and dryer still work.

I never had a wife last that long!

 

I never knew you were supposed to drain a gallon of water from the heater several times a year to prevent sediment build up.

I've seen plenty so bad that draining them won't work.
Chunks flake off the heaters and the chunks are too big to get out the drain hole. You can be there all day poking the chunks with a screwdriver while trying to blow the chunks out with water flow.

I have a water softener. Not only do I love the luxury of soft water, there is zero calcium chunks in my water heater.
I have even recommended people rent a water softener for a couple of months per year because the soft water will leach the crud out of any water heater in about 6 weeks.

"Hey, Culligan man!"

 

I never had a wife last that long!

Since she's put up with me this long, how long we're married will depend on who dies first...

 

Since she's put up with me this long, how long we're married depends on who dies first...

My sister planted her husband in December. She's still crazier than a port-a-potty rat.

 

I never had a wife last that long!

Probably because you didn't marry one model down from the top!

 

Probably because you didn't marry one model down from the top!

That's possible.

 

I'm fed up with them. Will never buy Rheem again. I hope they go out of business. I was told all of their heaters are now manufactured in Mexico (no offense @cmartinez, just stating the facts).

None taken.

But think of this:

Rheem is:

• An american owned company
• Managed by americans
• Using american manufacturing procedures and logistics
• Using mostly american made machinery and tooling
• Using mainly american made components.

Probably the only Mexican material they're using in their manufacturing process is sheet metal, which easily meets international standards. In fact, Mexico has had a reputation for supplying high quality steel for at least 70 years now. Especially Monterrey (my home town) and Monclova. Mexico's main contribution is its cheap (I prefer the word inexpensive) labor. And that labor is responsible mainly for the transport of materials (between production lines and packaging) within its own facility and has little direct contact with the end product.

I've personally been to Rheem's main plant in Mexico (located in Laredo, Tamaulipas) and I've also been to their headquarters in Montgomery, Alabama. Both times I was there I helped them diagnose a couple of their weak spots, and quoted them several quality control mechanisms and systems to help them fix that. And both times they didn't bother to follow up because they thought I was a little (but not much) too pricey for what they had in mind... the result of their policy is self-evident.

So no, it's not about where they manufacture their products, but rather how they make them, and how they always put the bottom line up front, instead of the consumer's (both you and me... remember that Rheem's products are sold worldwide) interests.

 

I haven't met one of those yet. I keep finding the same old snap-action thermostatic switches, and I recommend them! The more sophisticated crap they throw in, the less reliable they get.

Do you crave a water heater with a beautiful electronic readout and programmable buttons to push? If you do, you're an idiot in my book.

All water heaters should have at least three microcontrollers and two digital readouts. All electronic components should be in potted enclosures. There should be no wiring diagrams available. The instructions should be written in Urdu and encrypted. All screws should have heads with tamperproof security heads. There should be a big sticker on the outside that says "#12, you can't fix this!"