Top 2 50-Gallon Short Electric Water Heaters (December 2024)🥇
Last Updated: 21 December 2024
In this article, we’re going to be talking about the best 50-gallon short electric water heaters that are available on the market.
✅Why use a short 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 more easier to use when comparing against an equivalent gas unit.
Due to them being shorter in size than other units, the installation and maintenance costs of these units are often lower in comparison to larger units and gas-powered ones.
Additionally, short electric water heaters can be used in any home or commercial setting 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 $$$$$ representing the highest. We realize that everyone has a unique budget, so this is an important consideration
- Warranty – We’ve displayed warranty information where possible.
- Customer Reviews/Ratings – We’ve gone about researching only the highest quality 50-gallon short electric hot water heaters to include within this article, therefore you can be confident in knowing that any of these units are a great choice.
We’ve listed the following 50-gallon short electric water heaters in order of cost, from the lowest price at the top ($) to the largest price ($$$$$) at the bottom:
Best 50 Gallon Short Electric Water Heaters Review – Top 2
A.O. Smith ENS-50 ProMax Short Electric Water Heater, 50 gal – $
Technical Specs
- UEF (Energy Efficiency): 0.92 EF
- FHR (First Hour Rating): 57GPH
- Recovery Rate: 21GPH
General Specs
- Price: $
- Dimensions: 50H x 24W x 24D inches
- Weight: 161 lbs
- Warranty: 6-Year Limited Warranty on tank and parts
Features
The AO Smith ENS-50 ProMax is the most affordable option on the list, but don’t let this make you think negatively about the quality.
It has a permaglas coating within the interior of the tank, to prevent water from corroding the metal from the inside, helping to expand its lifespan. Additionally, it’s Coregard™ sacrificial anode helps protect the tank from the corrosive effects of water, hence why it comes with a 6-year warranty.
This unit provides a first-hour rating of approximately 57-62 gallons and a recovery rate of 21 gallons per hour, which is exceptionally good for a unit within this price range. It takes 2 hours to completely refill the tank with water.
Finally, the unit has eco-friendly, non-CFC foam insulation, heat traps, and a uniquely designed combustion chamber combine, to produce a high Uniform Energy Factor for maximum savings on operating costs.
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Eco-friendly
- High UEF
- 6-year limited warranty
Cons
- Slightly (by a margin) lower energy efficiency
A.O. Smith PNS-50 ProMax Short Electric Water Heater, 50 gal – $$$
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)
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 short 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 short 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 short 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.
