Top 5 Best 50-Gallon Electric Water Heaters (December 2024)🥇
Last Updated: 16 December 2024
In this article, we’re going to be talking about the best 50-gallon electric water heaters that are available on the market.
✅Why use an electric water heater?
According to this study carried out by Consumer Reports, electric water heaters are an energy-efficient way of getting hot water.
Electric hot water heaters are generally easier to use when compared against an equivalent gas unit.
The installation and maintenance costs of these units are often lower, as they don’t require venting.
Additionally, electric water heaters can be used in any home or commercial environment that simply has electricity, whereas not every home has gas, with apartment buildings often only having electricity available for safety reasons.
💧Top Considerations Before Purchasing
- Technical Specs – We’ve done our very best to outline each heater’s technical specs, including UEF (Energy Efficiency), FHR (First Hour Rate) and Recovery Rate, so you have all of this information available when making any comparisons between models.
- General Specs – We’ve also included information regarding the units physical dimensions and weight
- Price – Price information has also been specified, with $ representing the lowest price and $$$$$ representing the highest. We realize that everyone has a unique budget, so this is an important consideration
- Warranty – We’ve displayed warranty information where possible.
- Customer Reviews/Ratings – We’ve gone about researching only the highest quality 50-gallon electric hot water heaters to include within this article, therefore you can be confident in knowing that any of these units are a great choice.
We’ve listed the following 50-gallon water heaters in order of cost, from the lowest price at the top ($) to the largest price ($$$$$) at the bottom:
Best 50 Gallon Electric Water Heaters Review – Top 5
A.O. Smith ENS-50 ProMax Short Electric Water Heater, 50 gal – $
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.92 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 57GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $
- Dimensions: 50H x 24W x 24D inches
- Weight: 161 lbs
- Warranty: 6-Year Limited Warranty on tank and parts
Features
The AO Smith ENS-50 ProMax is the most affordable option on the list, but don’t let this make you think negatively about the quality.
It has a permaglas coating within the interior of the tank, to prevent water from corroding the metal from the inside, helping to expand its lifespan. Additionally, it’s Coregard™ sacrificial anode helps protect the tank from the corrosive effects of water, hence why it comes with a 6-year warranty.
This unit provides a first-hour rating of approximately 57-62 gallons and a recovery rate of 21 gallons per hour, which is exceptionally good for a unit within this price range. It takes 2 hours to completely refill the tank with water.
Finally, the unit has eco-friendly, non-CFC foam insulation, heat traps, and a uniquely designed combustion chamber combine, to produce a high Uniform Energy Factor for maximum savings on operating costs.
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Eco-friendly
- High UEF
- 6-year limited warranty
Cons
- Slightly (by a margin) lower energy efficiency
Bradford White BWC RE350T6-1NCWW 50GAL 240V – $$
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.95 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 67GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $$
- Dimensions: 61H x 23W x 23D inches
- Weight: 161 lbs
- Warranty: 6-Year Limited Warranty on tank and parts
Features
The Bradford White BWC RE350T6-1NCWW is another very affordable option that we’ve included within the list of top electric water heaters.
It has fully automatic controls, with fast-acting surface-mount thermostats for automatic temperature control.
The tank is lined with a vitraglas lining, which has be fused to the steel surface under a 1600F degree temperature. This lining has been exclusively engineered to provide protection from the corrosive effects of hot water.
It also has non-CFC foam insulation, which covers the top and sides of the tank, which in turn helps to reduce the amount of heat loss.
Additionally, it features heat traps to also help increase energy efficiency.
With its 6-year limited warranty on both the tank and it’s component parts, it’s definitely one to consider
Pros
- Very affordable
- Eco-friendly
- High UEF and FHR
- 6-year limited warranty
Cons
- None
A.O. Smith ENT-50T ProMax Tall Electric Water Heater with Side-Mounted Recirculating Taps, 50 gal – $$
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.93 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 62GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $$
- Dimensions: 60.5H x 22W x 22D inches
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Warranty: 6-Year Limited Warranty on tank and parts
Features
The AO Smith ENT-50T ProMax Tall is another electric hot water heater which is priced quite affordably.
It comes with an internal permaglas glass coating that protects the inside of the steel tank from water corrosion and helps maximize the tank life.
The unit also comes with a Coregard™ sacrificial anode, that helps protect the tank from the corrosive effects of water, hence why it comes with a 6-year warranty.
It has a durable, tamper-resistant brass drain valve.
Additionally, it meets all current government regulations set forth by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA).
Pros
- Very Affordable
- Eco-friendly
- High UEF and FHR
- 6-year limited warranty
Cons
- Limited number of reviews on Amazon
A.O. Smith PNS-50 ProMax Short Electric Water Heater, 50 gal – $$$
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.92 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 57GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $$$
- Dimensions: 50H x 23W x 23D inches
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Warranty: 10-Year Limited Warranty on tank and parts
Features
The AO Smith PNS-50 ProMax Short is a high spec electric water heater.
It has an Incoloy stainless steel lower element, which lasts longer than a standard copper element.
It’s Blue Diamon glass coating provides more effective protection against water corrosion, compared to the standard industry glass lining.
Additionally, it has eco-friendly, non-CFC foam insulation, heat traps, and other features to help it yield a higher energy factor, which in turn also helps increase savings and decrease operational costs.
It complies with federal energy conservation standards, meets UBC, CEC, and HUD national codes.
One of the best selling points is that it comes with a 10-year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Eco-friendly
- High UEF and FHR
- 10-year limited warranty
Cons
- Slightly more expensive (but comes with a 10-year warranty)
Rheem MR50245 Marathon Tall Electric Water Heater, 50-Gallon – $$$$$
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.9-0.94 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 61GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $$$$$
- Dimensions: 47.25H x 28.25W x 28.25D inches
- Weight: N/A
- Warranty: Limited lifetime Warranty (6-years warranty for replacement parts)
Features
The Rheem MR50245 Marathon is a non-metallic electric water heater that is lightweight and very durable.
It has a seamless, blow-molded polybutene tank that is immune to corrosion and rusting.
The multiple layers of its filament wound fiberglass also give the tank a high level of strength.
It’s polyurethane insulation also helps educate energy consumption and the outer chassis is resistant to dents, scratches, and salt air.
It has a recessed drain valve which is out of the way from brooms and scrubbers.
Pros
- Easy installation
- Great design
- High energy efficiency
- Lifetime warranty (Limited)
Cons
- Premium-price
Conclusion
It’s important to highlight that we realize everyone has different needs and requirements for a 50-gallon electric hot water heater, alongside an entirely different budget. Therefore we try not to make solid recommendations, as we don’t know your unique requirements.
However, based on features, reviews, and price, we personally like the A.O. Smith PNS-50 ProMax Short Electric Water Heater, 50 gal. It comes with a 10-year warranty, which is 4 years more than other similarly priced products, and it’s priced in a way which is still attractive for those who are looking at a more affordably priced unit – We say it’s great value for money for a mid-range unit.
FAQ
🚰Is a 50-gallon capacity electric water heater enough?
The “draw efficiency” of both gas or electric heaters is generally calculated at approximately 70% of the overall tank storage size.
This is because as a tank is being emptied of hot water, it is also being filled with cold water, so approximately 70% of it is usable hot water.
This means that a 50-gallon unit has a draw efficiency of around 35 gallons.
This is enough to simultaneously maintain three baths running or two baths with an automatic clothes washer running.
💧How long does it take a 50-gallon electric water heater to heat up?
There are a few different factors that come into play when talking about this, including the type of heating element inside the tank and the temperature of the water that is entering the unit.
However, hot water heaters will have two ratings that will help you determine the answer to this question, and these are:
First Hour Rating: The total amount of water in gallons that the heater can supply per hour, starting with a full tank of hot water.
Recovery Rate: The total amount of water in gallons that the heater can supply per hour, starting with an empty tank.
🚰50-gallon electric water heater cost
These units vary in price, ranging from around $700 through to $2000.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, we have listed the water heaters in order of cost, from the lowest price at the top ($) to the largest price ($$$$$) at the bottom.
