Water Heaters

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LOCHINVAR Water Heater Replacement Guide

Knowing your options will help you make the right decision about which water heater is right for you and your home.

Natural Draft Gas/Propane Water Heaters


Lochinvar 40 Gallon Gas/LP .59EF (59% Efficient)


Lochinvar 50 Gallon Gas/LP .58EF (58% Efficient)


Positives: Natural draft water heaters are budget friendly, and typically have low installation costs if a chimney liner or a double wall vent pipe is already present.

Neutrals: The 40 gallon model is best suited for a 1-3 person family, while the 50 gallon model is better suited for families of 4-5 people. These models recover hot water at 41 gallons per hour.

Negatives: Although a new natural draft water heater may be slightly more efficient then your old water heater, they typically have the lowest efficiency rating of all modern water heater systems. Michigan building code now requires all natural draft water heaters to be vented into an approved double wall vent pipe or into a chimney liner. If your home does not currently have updated vent pipe it will be cheaper to consider a power vent water heater verses the additional cost of a chimney liner. These models still operate using a full time pilot light, which costs you money. Natural draft water heaters pose a possible safety risk of carbon monoxide spillage in the home, and can often cause home owners headaches when pilot lights go out on windy days. Slow rate of hot water recovery.


Power Vent Gas/Propane Water Heaters


Lochinvar 40 Gallon Gas/LP .62EF (62% Efficient)


Lochinvar 40 Gallon Energy Star Gas/LP .67EF (67% Efficient)


Lochinvar 50 Gallon Gas/LP .62EF (62% Efficient)


Lochinvar 50 Gallon Energy Star Gas/LP .67EF (67% Efficient)


Positives: The power vent water heaters offer a slight step up in efficiency which will help you save extra money on those costly energy bills. In certain applications the cost for installation can be much lower then the installation of a natural draft water heater, if a chimney needs to be pulled. All power vent models have electronic ignition which means there is no burning pilot. These models have sealed combustion venting, which will decrease risk of carbon monoxide spillage, and therefore offer a safer alternative.

Neutrals: The 40 gallon model is best suited for a 1-3 person family, while the 50 gallon model is best suited for families of 4-5 people. These models recover hot water at 44 gallons per hour.

Negatives: Slow rate of hot water recovery.


A.O. Smith Vertex 50 Gallon Gas/LP .96EF (96% Efficient)

Positives: Incredible rate of hot water recovery! If sized correctly they supply a near endless supply of hot water. Great for families of any size. Sealed combustion to reduce carbon monoxide spillage, and again, electronic ignition keeps it from having a pilot burning. It has the highest energy efficiency rating of all other tanked water heaters, and even champions the efficiency of the popular tank-less water heater models.

Neutrals: This model recovers hot water at the rate of 129 gallons per hour.

Negatives: We honestly couldn't find a single negative about this water heater other then it's price point. While it is one of the more costly water heaters to buy, it however, has the largest return on investment.


Electric Water Heaters


Lochinvar 50 Gallon Electric .93 Efficient


Positives: Electric water heaters offer the lowest installation investment because they require no venting material or gas piping. Heating with electric is also an efficient way of eliminating the need for natural gas or LP. However, heating water with natural gas is typically less expensive then heating water using electric. For LP customers, electric is typically a more efficient alternative.

Neutrals: This model recovers hot water at the rate of 47 gallons per hour.

Negatives: As mentioned above, depending on the circumstances in each particular home, electric water heaters can sometimes be more expensive to operate. Slow rate of hot water recovery.


GE Hybrid Electric 2.2 Efficient $198.00


Positives: The GE Hybrid is one of the most efficient electric water heaters on the market. At the current price rate of LP, the GE Hybrid is hands down a less expensive option to heat water with. As mentioned above, all the benefits of owning an electric water heater are consistent with this model as well. Electric water heaters offer the lowest installation investment because they require no venting material or gas piping. Heating with electric is also an efficient way of eliminating the need for natural gas or LP. However, heating water with natural gas is typically less expensive then heating water using electric.

Neutrals: This model recovers hot water at the rate of 63 gallons per hour.

Negatives: For natural gas customers an electric water heaters can sometimes be more expensive to operate.


Tankless Water Heaters


Rinnai Tankless


Positives:If sized correctly they provide an endless supply of hot water. Great for families of 6 or more people, or home owners who have jacuzzi tubs and/or showers with multiple shower heads.

Neutrals: This model is best suited for customers requiring a very large hot water demand within the home. Should not be considered as the best option for energy savings, rather for it's ability to produce a large amount of hot water. This model produces hot water at the rate of 208 gallons per hour.

Negatives: Limited installation locations. Michigan codes often restricts the installation of tank-less water heaters. Because they require a large amount of gas flow to operate correctly, the gas line in the house must be upgraded to 1" throughout, increasing the total installation costs. Fixtures throughout the home must be updated with low flow shower heads and low flow sink aerators, adding to the overall cost of installation. Requires yearly expensive maintenance, often eating up the money saved on energy bills. Can often cost more money to operate then a tanked water heater if showering times increase due to realizing that the hot water supply is endless.


Boiler Water Heaters


Lochinvar Squire



Solar Water Heaters


Apricus