Customer Reviews for Rheem Performance 40 Gal. Tall 6-Year 36,000 BTU Natural Gas Tank Water Heater

This water heater is great so far, my only issue is the temp. , I have it set to "hot" but the water temp. is actually 131' at the faucet. that seems a bit to hot but I can not adjust it any lower. is this a normal temp reading for hot? Do the rest of you guys out there that own one have this issue? I would hate to set this thing on a-b-or c. That I sure would melt my skin off....other than that seems great

Ordered on line and picked it up the next day, qith bo problems at all! Within an hour or so I was soaking in a hot bubble bath!!

Summary: I bought this Rheem 40 gallon, 36,000 BTU water tank to replace my A. O. Smith 40 gallon water tank that started leaking after 14 or more years of use. I considered a tankless water heater option, but decided to go with the Rheem unit since I would be able to install it myself, and would cost considerably less. Using HD delivery service, and adding in the cost of new water heater connectors, other plumbing accessories and a new flex gas connector, the total cost came to about $650. I also had to pay $110 for someone to haul away my old water tank after removal. While I had some installation challenges (see below), overall, I am very happy with this Rheem water heater since installing several weeks ago. Installation: It took me some considerable time to install this new tank since it was 5 inches taller than my old tank which required me to change position of the new tank on the stand to be closer to the existing plumbing lines. (Diameter was the same - 19 inches). This required adding wood supports for attaching the earthquake straps, and using a 90 degree elbow on the house feed line only. I used the Home-Flex connectors since the bends were very sharp and these connectors are much more flexible than the copper connectors used with the old tank. My neighbor helped me lift the old tank off the stand and put the new one on – each weighed about 125 lbs. The most time-consuming effort involved determining how to connect the temperature/pressure relief valve to my existing plumbing for this purpose. My home has ¾” copper plumbing that would take any water from the temperature/pressure relief valve and exhaust it to a location outside the garage. In order to use this plumbing, which was to the side and slightly behind the new tank, I soldered ¾” copper male adapters to the existing exhaust plumbing and to the copper tubing from the TP valve. I was then able to use a flexible braided water supply line to connect the TP line to the existing plumbing (see picture). I also had to do some rearranging of the vent at the top of the tank to connect to my existing flue. I purchased and installed a 48” gas flex connector, which was longer than I needed, but the only one available at my local Home Depot – this turned out to be the easiest part of the installation. Despite all the installation challenges, I am pleased with the installation and expect the Rheem water tank will be a good replacement for my old water tank.

I like it.

So far so good. I installed this water heater myself 5 days ago. It took some time and a couple of extra trips for a new stand and vent piping but otherwise was smooth. I'm not a plumber and the hardest thing I'd ever installed was a dishwasher. This was definitely harder, but in the end, it was worth the $700+ I saved to have someone else install. I went from a 21 yr old 40g Rheem to this 50g Rheem and noticed the difference when taking a shower. No more adjusting the hot water as the shower goes on. I had considered a tankless system but was looking at $2,200 - $3,000 for unit & installation. After reading some maintenance issues folks were having with tankless, I decided to stick with a tank. Ladies, if I can do it, so can you!

Went to my local Home Depot to buy this unit after researching the internet, got to the cashier and got $50 bucks off of the list price of $389 after applying for a Home Depot credit card. So that was a added bonus! Brought it home and installed it in a few hours, and it fired right up and took a nice hot shower a few hours later with no problems so far. Happy with the price and quality!

Bought on Saturday, installed on Sunday. Gave a seven-flash red LED error code, meaning Bad Control Valve. Called Customer Service and they said they would send me out a new controller. I thought it would be overnight, next day, or at least 3-day shipping, but that was in the days of caring about customer service. I received the part Friday afternoon and it took about 15 minutes to install (not counting draining the tank). It works but I don't have any confidence in this thing. The controller electronics are way too complex to be reliable over the long haul and they did not even conformal coat the boards for protection from water and corrosion. By the way, a new controller for this from Home Depot costs $282.09.

Did a self installation which was pretty easy. The unit fired up and heated quickly with no problems. Very quiet unit as well.

Old water heater went out and decided to replace it with this one. Upon finalizing the installation, went through and check to make sure everything was screwed in and secured tightly. Come to find out the pressure release valve was just half twisted and could have easily come off if any pressure would have happened in the tank. Not the greatest in terms of quality control/inspection on Rheem's part. Finished up the install and check in it later at night. Come to find out that there was still water leaking and that the drain valve was constantly leaking water. Called customer service and Rheem will be sending out a new part within 2-4 business days. I was offered express shipping but I would have had to pay for that myself. The fact that the drain valve isn't working properly, and the pressure release valve was not secured upon initial installation, makes me VERY nervous about what else might be wrong with this product. Very frustrated about the fact that I have to now service this product and it hasn't even ran for more than 24 hours.

The water heater was professionally installed and has worked flawlessly. No one could ask for more.

Very good reliable water heater with a great warranty! Can't beat it!

Its a rheem ..... Enough said.

Easy to install and works great

I'm so happy that I pick this brand just 3 months ago.

Reasonable price, easy to find,quick installation,very good

From pickup to warm water 6 hours, Start up was a snap!!

We bought this water heater several weeks ago, and it has been working great. I bought this one because it was a Rheem, and it was exactly the right size to replace old water heater without me having to mess with the vent pipe, and the pressure release lined up just above the corresponding pipe in the wall. It was a perfect fit. Most importantly, it heats the water! It's not rocket science. But it does a great job at what it is designed to do. I like the LED indicator on it, though. My old one didn't have that. Very nice to be able to see if there's an issue just by the color of the indicator. I installed it myself because I'm pretty handy that way. :-) If you have never worked with a gas line before, I recommend that you at least get a licensed plumber to come out and inspect it ASAP if you do it yourself. Otherwise, just let a professional do the install.

Really to use and Easy-to install and exselente thanks

This unit is very nice quality with easy to light pilot. It was relatively easy to install and I believe with its improvements since my last unit in which I installed in July 2000 and lasted 10 years past warranty (was a GE model), I expect this unit to last just the same past its warranty.

After 15 years my Rheem 40 gal builder installed water heater failed, that is a very good life span considering the rust and mineral content of my water, which is high. So there was no question but to replace it with a new Rheem 50 gal water heater. It took a total of 5 hours to remove the old one and reinstall the new one. I was careful to get one the same size to help make the install as easy as possible, I also added an expansion tank to help meet current code requirements and prolong the water heater life. Added benefit was finally cleaning out that corner! I am giving this a 4 star only because it has not been in operation longer than a week, time will tell if it deserves a different rating!

Pirchased this water heater as recommended by our installing plumber. Rheem came highly recommeded and was told it was an easy install.

Baught it in June of 2020 quit working. Baught a similar one for a friend in 2021 and it quit working too.

1 year and 2 months after install, I got a call from the alarm company that it detected water in my basement. I ran down there, and water was blasting out of the drain valve, hitting the basement wall. The cheap quality plastic drain valve failed with no warning. Flooded the basement. Replacement valves are not readily available, so I'll have to wait for 5 days with no hot water.

We had the 40g installed on 7/15/2020 & in less than year the burner unit & controls had to be replaced on 5/5/2021. On 2/10/2022 the unit again quit. We are still waiting in the part to come in. We have been without hot water since then. It is supposed to be in tomorrow. That is 5 days and counting….

Bought and had installed still doesn't work. No support from mfg on technical issues. I would never recommend Rheem.

Gas control unit has failed twice in two years and I’ve spent over $1100 fixing a $500 water heater.

The valve on this is crap. We've had to replace it 3 times since we bought it and can never get through to the warranty info. Not sure what happened to Rheem, but will never get another one.

I installed this hot water heater in 10/16/14 with a 6 year warranty and now it needs to be replaced. I have purchased many hot water heaters for apartments I manage and they have performed well for years after the warranty date has passed. I don't want one that expires less than a year after the warranty expires. Not only do I have to replace it but I have to pull and pay for a permit as well. I will be looking at other brands.

My hot water heater failed after 6 months. Not happy at all!

The gas control valve keeps malfunctioning I’m on my second water heater under warranty and problem is starting again