EmailBest Reviewed
Water Heaters
- Budget electric water heater Kenmore 32656 Power Miser 6 *Est. $290
- Energy-efficient gas water heater Kenmore 33159 HydroSense *Est. $600
- Energy-efficient electric water heater Rheem/Ruud Marathon MSR50245 *Est. $1100
- Heat pump add-on AirGenerate AirTap A7 *Est. $700
- Whole-house tankless water heater Takagi Flash T-H1 *Est. $2800
- Small point-of-use water heater Bosch Ariston GL4 *Est. $170
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Budget electric water heater
- Price
- Ample capacity for family of four
- Ranks at bottom for energy efficiency
- Warranty doesn't cover labor
- Reports of early breakdowns, leaks
- Reports of poor or delayed repair service
March 2009. This 55-gallon Kenmore electric water heater is a budget model that only meets minimum standards for energy efficiency. However, it costs much less than the most energy-efficient water heaters, is sized for a family of four and gets glowing reviews from recent owners. Unless your rates for electricity are unusually high, or your utility or local government offers incentives to offset the cost of a more energy-efficient water heater, this water heater is about as good a buy as any. We did find quite a few complaints from owners of similar Kenmore water heaters, however, saying that they break or leak prematurely and that only parts are covered by the six-year warranty, making repair-labor costly. The manufacturer of Sears Kenmore water heaters is A.O. Smith, whose lower-end water heaters get below-average ratings from professional plumbing contractors.
We found the best reviews of the Kenmore Power Miser 6 electric water heater at Sears.com, where a handful of owners rate and add detailed comments. We also found useful owner-written reviews of more expensive Kenmore water heaters, since they show a pattern of complaints that seems to apply throughout the entire brand.
Our Sources
1. Sears.com
This budget electric water heater gets top ratings here, but has been reviewed by only a very few owners so far. It's important to study the review dates in addition to the ratings, since many owners are very satisfied early on, while others report problems months or years later. Similar models reviewed after longer periods of use (even while under warranty) have accumulated some very unhappy complaints, but this applies to models across the full price range, not just to inexpensive ones.
Review: Kenmore Power Miser 6, 55 gallon Electric Water Heater, Contributors to Sears.com
2. Epinions.com
Several owners give some heavy criticism of the 50-gallon Kenmore water heater that's in the series one step up from the PowerMiser 6. Owners complain of repair problems involving long frustrating delays and parts that wear out but can't be replaced.
Review: Kenmore Power Miser 9 50 Gallon Electric Water Heater 32756, Contributors to Epinions.com
A.O. Smith, the company that manufactures water heaters sold under the Kenmore brand, receives below-average ratings in this brand-comparison survey of almost 900 contractors and subcontractors. Seven factors were measured, but it's interesting that warranty service and repairs are over twice as important to professional subcontractor as the product itself, which matches pretty well the owner-written reviews we find from homeowners at Sears.com. The actual product accounts for only 10 percent of the total satisfaction rating.
Review: HVAC and Water Heater/Boiler Subcontractor Satisfaction Study, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, Sept. 2006
This single-product review covers a 40-gallon water heater in the same PowerMiser 9 series that owners review at Epinions.com, but a gas model. The anonymous reviewer praises the water heater's performance but notes that Sears charges more for installation than the price of the water heater itself.
Review: A Review of The Kenmore Miser Water Heater, "Clever Shopper", Oct. 2007
