Anything Special about Electric Hot Water Heaters?

[slaga]

Is this Off Topic enough?

My 16 year old electric hot water heater (50 gallon) crapped out on me this weekend so I spent $35 on thermostats / heating coils to get it running. It is not leaking so I can take my time and find another that I hope to get another 15-20 years out of. Are any brands better than another? Are there any brands besides whirlpool I should stay clear of? At Home Depot, they have 6, 9 &12 year warranties but I cannot find any information about the differences in the water heaters that come with the different warranties. Any plumbers out there willing to share their preferences?

[Cobra Cory]

If you can a supplier of Marathon water heaters, I would get that. I did a lot of research on them. Lifetime tank warranty, Made out of fiberglass so it will never rust. Very efficient and holds heat way better than a steel tank with insulation on it. Pricey but something you will never have to pull out of your house again.
Also check with your electric company sometimes they have discounts on water heaters.

http://marathonheaters.com/consumers.html

[slaga]

Thanks Cory. This was something I had not considered at all. My local utility company does not have anything on their web site that is easy to find so I am not hopeful but I sent them an email none the less. We'll see what they have to say.

[Cobra Cory]

Here is the link on my electric companies site.

http://www.nhec.com/products_marathonwaterheaters.php

and the list showing the savings for Co-op members....

http://www.nhec.com/filerepository/marathon_price_list04_2010.pdf

[slaga]

My Elecric Company just emailed me back to tell me they do not have any rebates / discounts for energy efficient water heaters, just HVAC equipment. It was worth a shot.