Sears Water Heaters

I am planning to replace my 11 year old 30 gallon natural gas water heater with a larger (40-50 gallon) more efficient one.

Consumer reports gave very good rating to the Sears Power Miser series but I have seen a lot of user complaints posted. Most seem to be the pilot light going out due to a bad design in the air filters, also some premature leaking.

1) Does anyone know if Sears (A O Smith) has improved their design lately or is this still a problem?

2) If Sears still has problems what brand/model do you recommend?

3) Where can you get other comparison data such as recoup time and how to determine if I need a 30 or 40 gallon model?

4) Are the 12 year warranty heaters worth the extra money? (I have no plans to move in the forseeable future.)

Thanks.

are you a Sears Lover or something??

Do you have a credit card for sears or something??

the complaints on the internet should
tell you all you need to know...
let me state it clearly for you....

Sears are junk....and they are made by A.O.Smith

Yesterday....I really mean yesterday...March 18,08
I went out on a 3 year old Smith
gas heater and took the unit apart...blew out
all the lint and cat hair from the inner screen and
the underneath it and installed a new thermostat and t -coupling

for a total price of $295... Now would you be peeved if you
had to pay that to get one blown out and jump started after only 3 years???


If your new heater is going in a laundry room with lots of
lint if will fail you in a few years.........

Are you and your pets are very hairey.????...
Cat hair and belly button lint are deadley if they
get sucked up into a Sears heater...........

I suggest a Bradford white or Rheem unit.......


here is a link ot a good number of complaints


http://baheyeldin.com/technology-in-society/mistaken-identity-help-with-kenmore-water-heater.html

heater

The 12 year heater is a 6 year heater with a 6 year insurance policy that you buy with the extra money you pay for the heater. A 30 gallon heater is just about useless except for the smallest of families or houses, such as studio apartment or a single person. The problem with Sears heaters, if it does fail under warranty, is that they have to send someone out to inspect it, and that does not happen very rapidly. In the meantime you do not have hot water. A heater installed by a plumber can be replaced "immediately" with little disruption to your life.

I wonder if most of these Sears problems could be cured by mounting them on a platform sealed air-tight from the room, with a fiberglass furnace filter on it to allow clean air to the WH? Most problems I read on MP Mark's link were dirt or lint related.

Maybe thats what they need to do with Whirlpool and AO Smith water heaters... Install them only in "Clean Rooms" then it there is a problem we have to suit up in a white suit with booties and a hat to enter the room. LMAO



I've got 2 words for you!
Bradford White

Thanks

I got the message and have looked into a 50 gallon Bradford and White.

Thanks for the guidance. I'm sure it saved ne some grief in the future.

Alan

Good choice!
Was I too blunt with the message or, just right?
I get carried away sometimes...