American Water Heaters
Review and Buying Tips

Before you buy one of many types and models of American water heaters, check out our review of the best types, including hybrid and tankless models, and explore what features are a must to have for reliable, long-term, and cost-effective water heating.

The American water heater brand is a popular and well-known name in the water heating industry, offering a wide range of HVAC devices and replacement parts for residential and commercial applications.

American water heaters for residential applications

There is a comprehensive line of American water heaters for heating potable water, including sophisticated heat pumps or hybrid water heaters, energy-efficient tankless and condensing models, and one of the most efficient tank-type brands - Polaris.

Here is the list of premium features found in gas/electric tank-type water heaters:

• Blue Diamond Glass Coating is a commercial-grade feature designed to prevent or reduce corrosion of the metal tanks, ensuring long tank life.
• Self-Cleaning Dip Tube - is another commercial-grade element designed to reduce lime and sediment buildup and increase the unit's performance.
• CoreGard Anode Rod - made of stainless steel and is used to provide superior tank protection against corrosion, resulting in long-life operation and high performance.
• Heat Trap Nipples - factory installed to reduce standby heat loss and increase efficiency.
• Green Choice Gas Burner - found in gas-type water heaters to reduce gas emission for eco-friendly water heating.
• Commercial-grade heating elements – found only in electric models and are made of long-lasting stainless steel for long life.

American electric water heaters (including heat pumps)

American electric water heaters are designed to provide a sufficient amount of hot water to almost any home size or manufactured housing, from small to large families, using simple technology with one or two electric heating elements. The company also offers advanced models, such as hybrids, which use the combination of heat pumps and heating elements for ultra-efficient heating.

You can buy one of many electric water heaters either for point-of-use service, utilizing POU, Table Top, Lowboy, or Compact models, or whole-house water heating using heaters with capacities from 30 to over 100 gallons, which is sufficient for households with 2 to 7 people.

The electric tank-type models are coming from the ProLine family of commercial-grade water heaters, and there are three types you can choose from:

ProLine – according to the manufacturer, these are considered as – "GOOD" and include some of the premium features. Due to the low UEF factor, the operational costs are the highest. These heaters are recommended for budget-oriented families due to their affordable prices.

ProLine Master – per manufacturer, the Master series is "BETTER" due to improved efficiency and longer warranty.

ProLine XE – considered as "BEST", XE models have the lowest operational costs, highest energy factor, are Energy Star approved, and utilize the most advanced electronics. Energy Star approved hybrids, which use both heat pump and electric heating technology, are considered the best. According to the manufacturer, hybrids are designed to heat water with the UEF 3 times higher than the energy factor found on the standard type, cutting energy costs by more than half.

The best electric models include the self-cleaning system, electronic user interface, touchscreen display, diagnostics system, dry fire protection, and long warranty. In addition to these amazing features, heat pumps also include several operating modes allowing homeowners to use them even in cold regions.

American gas water heaters

Homeowners looking to buy a gas water heater from the American company can get one of the three types from the ProLine family:

ProLine – a series of gas water heaters with several premium features built-in, lowest energy efficiency, and highest operational costs. These come with a warranty of 6 years and are promoted as "GOOD".

ProLine Master – water heaters from this series have better efficiency, lower heating costs, and a longer warranty than the previous group. The Master series is promoted as "BETTER" and the warranty is 8 years.

ProLine XE – considered "BEST", XE models have the lowest operational costs, highest UEF, and Energy Star certification. The XE series includes premium features, flexible venting systems, advanced electronics and diagnostics, and condensing technology for ultra-high efficiency.

American gas water heaters with storage tanks are produced in sizes from 30 to 100 gallons, including the most popular 40-gallon and 50-gallon sizes. They can use either natural gas or propane gas for water heating from small to large size homes.

Some of these gas models are designed for manufactured homes, while most are meant for residential homes where you can choose between the atmospheric vented, direct, or power vented models with the thru-the-wall or thru-the-roof venting.

Also, if you require more hot water, especially during the peak time, the American company offers Ultra High Recovery models, also high-efficiency such as Polaris or Nautilus, or environmentally-friendly water heaters, such as Low NOx models.

The recommendation is to buy a gas water heater built with the FVIR technology, which utilizes elements for the increased safety, provides longer unit life, and is environment-friendly. A durable and efficient burner, efficient limescale and sediment protection system, and a high-quality anode rod are very important for reliable water heating. And with advanced electronics, it is easy to troubleshoot.

An excellent example is a high-efficiency power direct vent water heater, Nautilus. Nautilus utilizes a condensing helical internal heat exchanger, touch display control system, built-in diagnostics, ultra-low NOx gas burner, side mounts for recirculation, and superior 96% thermal efficiency.

Another great example is Polaris, which, besides the above commercial-grade features, also includes stainless steel construction of a tank and heat exchanger, including the highest recovery rate and first-hour rating.

Tankless models

For homeowners who prefer tankless technology, on-demand water heating, continuous and endless supply of hot water, American tankless water heaters are the answer. Some models can be used as a single unit or combined into the multi-link system, offering lots of power and water flow, making it ideal for high demanding homes and applications.

The company offers several types and models, all coming from the ProLine XE series and installed indoors using one or two-pipe systems or outdoors as ventless models. American tankless water heaters are designed compact, small, lightweight, wall-hanging, and powerful enough to supply hot water to several applications operating simultaneously.

American tankless are built as mid-efficient non-condensing models and ultra-high efficient condensing models, which are ideal for large homes with high hot water demand, and where the highest savings are required.

The best models come from the ProLine XE series, a series of condensing water heaters with a recirculation pump and commercial-grade heat exchanger. These are also ultra-low NOx and Energy Star qualified.

Warranty

The American water heater company offers different warranty lengths, based on the quality of its elements, the number of anode rods, technology... and it goes from 6 to 12 years. On-demand water heaters have a longer 15-years warranty on the most important element - a heat exchanger while the tank-type warranty is mainly related to the quality and quantity of the anode rods.

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