Rheem Fury warranty period

Plumber quoted me a 40 gal Rheem Fury which has a 6 year warranty. He said his supply house does not offer one with a longer warranty, which I understand just means a bigger anode. From the forum here, it looks like Rheem is good, but is a 6 year heater good enough or should I look for a plumber that can get me a model with a longer warranty? Worth the extra expense? TIA!

Some heaters just add a sticker for the added years. It's insurance.
I've seen six year tanks last 15-20 years.
And sometimes less then that. Some condo associations require replacement at ten years just to be safe.

By the way, I sell a lot of the Rheem heaters. I like em!

Frankly, extend warranties are very seldom a good buy. The heater is the same regardless of warranty period, you just pay extra for it. Usually if the heater fails, it will have such a small amount of warranty left it is virtually worthless. This principle applies to other appliances as well. Extend warranties are a money making deal for the seller.

Gary Swart said:

Frankly, extend warranties are very seldom a good buy. The heater is the same regardless of warranty period, you just pay extra for it. Usually if the heater fails, it will have such a small amount of warranty left it is virtually worthless. This principle applies to other appliances as well. Extend warranties are a money making deal for the seller.

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I agree.

My feeling is that Extended warranties are insurance policies. You should normally only insure that which you cannot afford to lose. I carry hefty liability insurance on my cars but no comp or collision coverage. My cars are paid for and I can afford to replace them or repair them if damaged.

In my 42 years of home ownership, I have been lucky that my 6 year Warrantied water heaters have all gone over 12+ years before needing replacement.

Thanks to everyone. Now I just have to decide if his $900 quote (including new supply ball valve) is reasonable and if a 0.59 "energy factor" is decent.

With Bradford White, to get a 10 year water heater, you pay an extra $200.00 and get a new sticker to place over the rating plate. Nothing on the heater changes. If the heater fails in 9 years, you get a new water heater with a ONE YEAR warranty, not ten or even six.

I agree. The tanks are mostly the same just a different sticker. (I do have a Kenmore tank with a 9 year warranty and it has 2 anodes) I always replace my tanks (myself) with ones that have the anode accessible on the top - and I replace the anode myself too about every 3-4 years. The anodes cost ~$20 at Home Depot. It's a bit difficult to change - I use an electric impact wrench and a 1 1/8" socket (and ear plugs) and no more difficult than using the proper tools. Some tanks have a hidden anode or one that is integrated in the inlet or outlet and are not worth changing according to the manufacturer. My tanks generally last about 10-12 years because (I'm told) I have a water softener. My 2 cents.