Rheem Vs. AO Smith (Which One Is The Better Water Heater?)

In finding the best water heater company, both Rheem and AO Smith are easy contenders for the top. Both of them have a couple of hundred years of experience under their belts. They have also produced an impressive line of products. But when comparing the two, which of these water heater companies is the best?

Based on recall data, Rheem’s water heaters are more reliable than AO Smith’s. In 2016, Rheem recalled 54,000 units due to the control panel overheating, posing a potential fire and burn hazard. However, A.O. Smith had multiple recalls, in 2005, 2008, and 2012. Both water heater brands will last between 6-12 years (if properly maintained). Both offer a minimum of 6 years warranty on the tank and parts.

In this review, we will be looking over the details behind each company. We will be breaking them down into different best of categories based on product as well.

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As the average family with a household of 3-5 people uses a 50-gallon gas water heater, we decided to compare Rheem’s Performance Power Direct Vent 50 Gallon and AO Smith’s Vertex™ 100 Power Direct Vent 50-Gallon.

Based on our research, we found that AO Smith’s gas water heater is slightly more energy efficient than Rheem’s. The Vertex™ 100 has a UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) of 0.88, while Rheem’s Performance water heater is ranked at 0.80. Both heaters offer a 6-year warranty.

AO Smith’s water heater will allow for unlimited back-to-back showers or as many as 3.5 showers at the same time. It can serve a maximum tub size of up to 112 gallons and has an estimated energy cost of just $155 per month.

Rheem’s comparable water heater offers just 1 back-to-back shower. And, as far as capacity, AO smith’s tank offers 49 gallons while Rheem’s is at 48 gallons.

To review more information about AO Smith’s water heater, Model GDHE-50, head over to their website.

The Unified Energy Factor (UEF) is the Department of Energy’s method of communicating the energy efficiency of a water heater. The higher the number, the higher the energy efficiency.

The UEF varies a bit by size between your different options. Given that these are both the same size, the UEF is the right measurement of what to expect. The UEF on the Professional Classic Plus is a bit higher.

These water heaters are both Energy Star certified, which can potentially lead you to tax breaks in the right state. Not sure which water heater size you need? Check out our guide about Short vs. Tall Water Heaters!

The Proline also boasts of being able to handle more back-to-back showers. Customer experience also seems to match this based on online reviews from around the web.

It is because of that customer experience that we selected AO smith, as these two are pretty handy water heaters in any case.

The UEF on the Voltex is much higher. As a result, the Professional Classic Plus is not Energy Star certified based on its online claims. Being a different type of heater, they are subject to other requirements.

The Professional Classic Plus also has a bit more confidence in its product. There is an eight-year limited warranty instead of the Voltex’s six. The overall customer experience between the two is balanced. Still, the edge goes to the Professional Classic Plus Electric Water Heater. Longevity is incredibly vital in water heaters.

Tankless water heaters are better at single appliances that use continuous water. As a result, they don’t typically work for more than one device at a time, but they do work continuously.

Both of these work similarly. The edge goes to the Tankless Electric Water Heater by Rheem due to a higher GPM. That means it can handle more appliances. On all other fronts, they are incredibly energy efficient and can handle unlimited showers provided you don’t have them connected to one at a time. Find out here if an electric water heater can sit on the floor.

AO Smith offers a longer and more flexible warranty. While AO smith offers between 6-10 years on their water heaters and an extended warranty on other products, Rheem’s warranty is very limited at 5 years for parts.

AO Smith offers an 8-year warranty for residential water heaters with the following models: HUC-40, HUR-40, HUC-50, HUR-50, HURT-50L 50k btu, and HURL-40 short. They also offer a 6-year warranty for water heaters with models GUC-30, GUC-40, GUR-40, GUC-50, GURT-50 50K btu, and GURL-40 short.

Rheem offers a 12-year warranty from the effective date for the heat exchanger, 5 years for the parts, and 1 year for labor.

Rheem has a fantastic selection of water heaters that cover a wide variety of residential and homeowner needs. But more importantly, their units are recalled less often than A.O. smith, who had multiple recalls over the years due to fire hazards.

Because of this, we have selected them to be the best brand by a slight edge. They focus on what water heaters need to be helpful: efficient and simple water heaters. Rheem also tends to have a more substantial customer backing. However, based on our research and user feedback, we find that the two are pretty close in reliability.

That customer base is a strong indicator of consistent quality. But don’t count out AO Smith as a distant second place. They are pretty close to Rheem in many ways.