bchaney
New Member
Hey guys, I'm looking to get a HPWH to put in my garage here in Seattle. I have read most of the threads on these units here on this forum and done a lot of reading on other sites, but haven't come across a good comparison between these 2 models. I'm looking at the 50gal units specifically.
I see some negative reviews on the Rheem on the Home Depot site, Rheem site, and one of the members here had his catch fire. Yikes. I haven't found negative reviews on the AO Smith but there seem to be much fewer reviews in general so they must not have sold as many yet.
The Rheem seems to be a little more efficient (3.50 vs 3.24 energy factor) and the compressor runs down to 37 degrees which is attractive for my garage installation. I'm pretty sure that the Smith compressor cutoff is 42 degrees.
The Rheem is 100-200 bucks more expensive.
Seems like the Smith is more reliable and less expensive upfront but won't be as efficient, especially in my application. Sound right?
Anyone have experience with both/either of these units and could make a recommendation? Any advice for my application? Thanks for any help.
I see some negative reviews on the Rheem on the Home Depot site, Rheem site, and one of the members here had his catch fire. Yikes. I haven't found negative reviews on the AO Smith but there seem to be much fewer reviews in general so they must not have sold as many yet.
The Rheem seems to be a little more efficient (3.50 vs 3.24 energy factor) and the compressor runs down to 37 degrees which is attractive for my garage installation. I'm pretty sure that the Smith compressor cutoff is 42 degrees.
The Rheem is 100-200 bucks more expensive.
Seems like the Smith is more reliable and less expensive upfront but won't be as efficient, especially in my application. Sound right?
Anyone have experience with both/either of these units and could make a recommendation? Any advice for my application? Thanks for any help.