Kenmore Water Heaters

[Higglity]

Are Kenmore Electric Water Heaters (Sears) any good? I heard that they are made by State Industries? Is this true?

[HeatMan]

Sears doesn't make the water heaters they sell, that's for sure. The ones Home Depot sell are manufactured by Rheem for GE.

[Higglity]

I did find out that Kenmore Electric water heaters are in fact made by State Industries.

[larry moe 'n curly]

The Feb. 2005 Consumer Reports had an article about water heaters. They gave no specific ratings but said that heaters with longer warranties were generally better built (more insulation, longer or more anodes), but the Whirlpool 9- and 12-year 40-gallon gas heaters were identical.

lots of information about water heaters and also a Q&A forum. Apparently they prefer buying a cheap heater and replacing the anode rod(s) every five years or so, and I've heard of people getting heaters to last thirty years by doing this.

I bought an electric with a 9-year warranty a few months ago from Sears, and it was made by State, complete with the pressure relief valve on the exact wrong side for my particular installation. :( It has two anodes, one on the hot water outlet and another that goes into its own hole

Remember to use the discount coupon from the Sears calendar. They range from $5 to $50, but I think that the only one that can be used for a heater-only purchase currently is for just $5.

[Len Shure]

I was out of town when my water heater died (i.e. began leaking. When they leak they have to be replaced. Until then they can be serviced. She spent the extra and got a mid line Sears heater. Hate to admit it but she made a good choice. I've had it twenty years now and it works just fine. Initially some how the dip tube was broken but when we called Sears the came and replaced it no charge.

A good idea is to get new flex tube every once in a while because they do leak. There is a new nylon(?) kind I just installed. About 5 years ago I changed out a water heater that my father in law installed in

1949. Unfortuante that company went out of bus> Are Kenmore Electric Water Heaters (Sears) any good? I heard that they

[manny]

If the flex tube is the same thing as the dip tube, then it's most likely now made of PEX (PolyEthylene Xross-linked), but some are polypropylene or a clear hard plastic (what is that plastic? polycarbonate? vinyl?). Polypropylene has been known to crumble because of chlorine in the water (not just dip tubes that were part of a recall some years ago), but PEX can be affected as well, but I have no idea if this is significant in real life.