Thanks a bunch Brian. Appreciate you sharing your insight.Just a homeowner here. After polling acquaintances owning multiple rental properties for decades, I chose Bradford & White. I've had it only 9 months so no data to share, but no problems as one might expect.
breplum, that is incredible feedback. Thank you so much. I've heard a lot of folks talk up Rinnai and Takagi, but to hear your perspective on Navien is excellent. Thank you for sharing your experiences.Overall as a contractor with 46 years professional experience (I had one contract wherein we replaced 500 tank water heaters in a housing complex), it comes down to how well our local distributors/wholesalers deal with us and who and how their representatives behave.
Each pro plumber will have had a broad difference of experience and that will skew their opinion.
I only buy from local wholesalers/plumbing supply houses and I consider all the major brands similar because they all now use the crappy electronic controls from either White Rogers or Honeywell, but it is the thermocouples which are not durable and provide so many service calls for pilot assembly replecements.
Tankless for me is a no brainer: Navien NPE series.
I am factory trained on Noritz and Takagi and Rinnai. In semi-retierment, I will no longer touch those brands because I decided to only focus on the brand I liked best.
Top notch tech C/S only to pros. Not very good pay for factory authorized repairs ($75/hr) but as long as I work only close-by, not too much time wasted.
- A.O. Smith has a BBB Rating of A+ with 65 complaints
- Rheem also has a BBB Rating of A+ but has 262 complaints
- Bradford White has a BBB Rating of A+ was well and 18 complaints
Thanks Brian. So, an interesting discovery I had this weekend when reading some of the warranties from the big three was that only Bradford White would honor the warranty during a transfer of ownership.Just a homeowner here. After polling acquaintances owning multiple rental properties for decades, I chose Bradford & White. I've had it only 9 months so no data to share, but no problems as one might expect.
Thanks Havasu. That's exactly what I was curious about. Are they effectively all of the same or is one notoriously better or worse. I will say that reading the warranties of each they are all similar, with the exception of Bradford White who would extend the warranty under a transfer of ownership scenario. I have to say that I was pretty amazed at how unfriendly the warranties were themselves to the consumer.Many are silent because it is like saying, "what car is better, a Ford or a Chevy?"
I too agree that Navien is the best, but you will lose all your savings when the plumber/computer tech come out for repairs.
I now have a tanked w/h, a B&W
Ha, totally. Nice to see a little more activity now.This is one of those simple questions (Which of these three would you choose?) that, curiously, few experienced plumbers want to answer on this forum. Breplum at least explained why - sort of. Otherwise the silence is deafening.
Thanks Rickyman. Seems like there is some consensus building for Bradford White for tank and Navien for tankless.Bradford White tank, Navien tankless
Thanks Pat. That's great feedback and seems like several folks are tending to agree with you on this.Bradford White for tank style . American made . State and AO smith have reductions at inlet and outlet and may or may not be made in USA . Also like the screen at the bottom of the combustion chamber . Much larger than the other manufactures . Navien for tankless .
Thanks Riickk, yeah, people seem to be favoring Bradford White. Appreciate the input.I bought a 3-plex in 1979, it had only one, older, gas water heater, 30 gal. Renovated, and kept that heater, not turned on, to temper incoming water temperature to 3 other heaters.
When I sold the property in 2010, that 30gal tank was still there, no leaks.
Local Philadelphia brand: Bradford White
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