Box store water heaters

[edwardh1]

Anyone used Lowes or Home depot electric water heaters?

[ratherbfishin]

i've bought.  water heaters from both, gas and electric.   get the best buy with the best warranty   quality for them is about the same in the same price range.  manufactors name on the heater itself means very little,  most are built and tagged with a private label.  example ge, whirlpool etc....

[edwardh1]

yeah whirlpool built by american water heater co in tenn.

I do not know who makes the GE- Rheem?

Many plumbers here use AO Smith but that could be because they get quicker loading and monthly billing AND a discount, rather than it being better. One plumber told me they are all about the same????????

[mgfletcher145]

Our A. O. Smith water heater died on a Friday evening after 2 years. It had either a 3 or 5 year warranty. Called Smith, and was told that it had to be replaced by a licensed plumber for them to honor the warranty.

That amounts to no warranty. I had the wife and steps yelling for hot water, and the quickest I could get someone out there was Monday....

I had a new unit in and putting out hot water before noon on Saturday.

Their customer dissatisfaction department was humming right along! I'll never buy another Smith product...