A O Smith Vertex H2O too good to be true
Okay I need to replace my water heater.
Been all over it tanked, tankless plus and minus of both. The main thing is I was surprised to learn tanked models have at most an .65 EF rating. Then I come across the A O
Smith vertex this seem to be a dream come true the best of all worlds an an EF of .90 or .96 Jay leno has one Ed Bagley Jr has one. So the question is can I afford one? Does any one know where to buy one or if it is worth it. I cn not find anyone selling one even on the net need to check my supply houses still.
http://www.hotwater.com/products/residential/gas.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/jay_leno_garage/4220014.html
Wallyo
Replies
You should be able to locate high efficiency condensing water heaters from all of the major brands. I bought a Bradford White medium efficiency water heater that uses a plastic flue (ABS). that would be about 80-85% efficiency rating.
Keep shopping, dude ... you have choices ... choices ...
Also don't think you will save 'big bucks' getting a tankless over a comparable (combustion) efficiency tank style. If you use water regularly ... IMO stick w/ tank style. Time and place for everything ... tankless has a place.
The Vertex does not have an EF rating.
It is thermoefficiency rating. I never ask for the details, but I gather is an operating combustion to hot water eff.
Standby loses need to be computed separately..
EF is a measure total energy used over 24 hours to both heat water and keep it warm. And it is based on a specified cycle of HW usage.
The 2 numbers aren't comparable.
See.
http://tinyurl.com/57o37j
Whoover is an engineer for AO SMith. He post her from time to time.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
BillThanks for pointing that out did not even notice it. Should of been clued in by the fact that one is a decimal the other a percent. I notice it now that Bosch gives its tankless heaters in both and at least for the product I looked at it is equal. So I would think for the Vertix it should be close to the same for both,EF and thermo, still it has to be better then .64 EF for the standard gas heater that is at top of my list right now. http://www.boschhotwater.com/BoschHotWatercomHome/GasProducts/BoschModel1600H/FeaturesandSpecs/tabid/1024/Default.aspxWallyo
I had such bad luck with the igniter on my last AO Smith water heater that I'm not sure I'd ever buy another one.The company knows that there's a serious problem with them, but doesn't seem to want to do anything about it.
Democracies usually collapse not too long after the plebes discover that they can vote themselves both bread and circuses ...for a while [Robert Heinlein, Expanded Universe]
Boss in all the googling I have done I noticed some A O recalls did not read them but you may want to give it a shot.Wallyo
My wife was dead set against thankless. So I had to find an efficient alternative. I went with the AO Smith about 4 months ago. Expensive but seems to work well so far. Gas bills have been considerably less. Just went to a local plumbing supply and they had one in their show room. Got info their.
Are you talking about the Vertex?Because AO Smith probably make 2 dozen different models and that is just in their residential gas line..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Bill;
I purchased a Vertex GPHE-50.
Jay
Jay Would you mind saying how much you paid out for one? Also your profile is not filled out so what location are you in? I can only find one A O dealer in my area so not two much compilation in my neck of the woods ( need to get out their they moved to the next town over). You got the 90%, correct, any quirks on the install beside needing power and new venting?Our house is small we are due for a new furnace soon, so I am interested in the heat take off to go to an water to air exchanger, the two are next to each other I could do it leaving the present furnace there as a blower using the gas as a backup.So far my old heater is not leaking yet I have a tread on that "water heater is it going going gone"Thanks WAllyo
I paid $2,600 installed. Only issue on installation was the drain from the exhaust line. The unit takes most of the heat from the heat exchanger that the exhaust is cold. Because of that water vapor produced during combustion collects in the fan housing and needs to be drained. The drain line is included but the line has to be looped a certain way. The plumber did not do this correctly and water was collecting in the fan housing. I called him he fixed it in about 30 seconds and has been fine since.