My uncle worked for the union for 50 years. My water heater broke and he came right over and asked me to help him. I thought sure whatever. Dude, i fell in love with the trade. He guided me through, but he let me do all the work in fixing my own water heater. Absolutely love the trades. I'm in HVAC now, but plumbing is amazing.
@SmedleyPlumbing
5 ай бұрын
Love it!
@stans5270
6 ай бұрын
Bought my house with a NG steam furnace in 1993. In 1995 my furnace wouldn't stay lit. I tested everything that I could. The only thing that I couldn't test was the thermocouple. It was 3:30pm on Sat, so I gave up and called a plumber. Home service call and 10 minutes of work cost me $200. I learned a lesson. 30 months later, same thing - no pilot. This time I did it in 15 minutes with one from Home Depot. 20 years go by and every one that was bought from HD only last 16-18 months. I switched to Lowes and I'm back to replacing it to over 2-3 years again. Twice as long for $2 more.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Exactly!
@Fix_It_Again_Tony
6 ай бұрын
This is awesome. Weighing the all of the parts is a nice touch. Testing them to failure at high pressure was fun, but like you mentioned about the weight of the tanks themselves and the comparisons of the anode rods, the pro heater will survive corrosion better. I would have liked to see some measurements, especially of the insulation and a cross section cut of the tanks. I replaced my 20 year old water heater a few years ago. I noticed the big box stores had AO Smith, but I saw the plumbing supply house near me had them too. Different part numbers. I am sure there was a price difference as well. I decided to go with the one which wasn't built down to a cost. I've been in project cost optimization meetings. You sit around and figure out how to shave cents off each part. Sometimes you can do this without sacrificing quality. Sometimes you need to accept some reduction in performance.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
We thought about cutting them open but we figured we'd compromise all the integrity with the pressure test so we wouldn't gain info from what's inside.
@takismantas1159
2 ай бұрын
When are you planning to compare Well water pressure tanks from "box" stores vs X-Trol and/or Challenger. I bet there will be "surprises" cutting the tanks open to reveal their internals, especially when considering price and warranty diferrences.
@SmedleyPlumbing
2 ай бұрын
Everything box store is made as cheap as possible.
@Tom-x3m9g
6 ай бұрын
What is the price difference?
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
A little over $100.
@centralcoastcamper9631
5 ай бұрын
I wonder if Rheem is different from supply house or big box? I had bad luck with A O Smith water heaters in the past and avoid using them. Arm I started plumbing water heaters were $120 and lasted 20 years or more.
@SmedleyPlumbing
5 ай бұрын
Rheem is absolutely different as well.
@CF-wj5hc
6 ай бұрын
Everytime I have one fail it's on the weekend when the plumbing supply is closed. I look at them every time at the box store, see the plastic valves and specs on anode rods and wait until Monday. It's usually about the same price or cheaper at plumbing supply. Gas heaters have lasted 12-24 years, electrics corroded and failed in about 10. I suspect if anode rod replaced, results would be better. Had a 2 yr old tank stink of sulfur so I replaced the anode rod with a different metal, the 2 yr old rod was nearly gone when I took it out, this was electric.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Yep!
@MattHmm-rq6dn
6 ай бұрын
General contractors here but we insist on Bradford whites with the self cleaning rods. We get them at furgeson and if they don't want to wait to the end of day for one to come in they can call someone else. We have had alot of problems with homestore units sfter the first few I decided no more. Yes it's 60 to 120 more for Bw units but no call backs is worth it for both of us. Sometimes rhe customer isn't right and something that costs you money time and more it's better to put your foot down. Also by the time you replace that plastic drain on the bottom how much did you save?
@MattHmm-rq6dn
6 ай бұрын
Ruining your reputation with that customer isn't worth it either over 100ish dollars!
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Agreed 1000%
@lynn7463
5 ай бұрын
We have a smedley plumbing in Utah. It’s been here since 1947
@SmedleyPlumbing
5 ай бұрын
Yes! We actually get calls from customers wanting their services from time to time. Lol
@douglasfolk3835
5 ай бұрын
Lighter doesn't always mean less sturdy, insignificant, you should have measured the steel thickness on the burner cover. The cover might be used on both lines; each cover is a variant or alternate build. They probably build the same units on the same lines at different times. And or at the same time to a degree they all get built at the same time to a point then the "differences" are installed at the end of the line. Check Valve, Drain Valve, Control, Head Snake and Sticker. - Check the part numbers instead of guessing. Control valves and covers - even if they look different - could have the same number. It's not abnormal. - Look at the part numbers first next time. If the control was different, they'd have different part numbers. (And or the exact same part can have two part numbers so service can charge differently. But Internal to the control manufacturer they could be the exact same construction. I spent about 30 yrs in the appliance industry we had to do these types of things because of the competition between Home Depot vs Lowes vs Sears vs ......
@SmedleyPlumbing
5 ай бұрын
Yeah they most likely different on the inside as well since they weigh different amounts.
@jacobframe8769
6 ай бұрын
It seems that you pointed out a lot of differences that make no difference to us who just want a decent hot water heater that is efficient and will last with minimal issues and costs. Also, maximum burst pressure does not equal quality.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Virtually every part is of lower quality. That equates to shorter life.
@jacobframe8769
6 ай бұрын
@@SmedleyPlumbing great, be specific and show how they fail and why.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
@@jacobframe8769 we did. We showed the box store tank steel was thin enough to swell and split the outer jacket. In the real world, that swelling happens over time and it breaks the glass lining and compromises the corrosion protection. This is why it's more common for box store tanks to leak after a few years. They rust out.
@mofbombay6290
6 ай бұрын
So the pro grade was the first one to destroy your house with flooding , both are all over priced junk !
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
They can all fail for sure. This video proves this. Especially if water pressure isn't controlled.
@johnw3934
6 ай бұрын
Very interesting, top shelf vid
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it! Make sure to subscribe!
@fisherbrown903
6 ай бұрын
is pro grade same like bradford white? bradford white only for sale to licensed plumbing? i got it 9 years. old bradford white.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Bradford White does not have a box store line.
@fisherbrown903
6 ай бұрын
@@SmedleyPlumbing pro grade is better, bradford white . only license.plumbing can do the pro grade?
@DJKhal21
24 күн бұрын
Where can an everyday person by a Pro Grade water heater?
@SmedleyPlumbing
24 күн бұрын
Most plumbing suppliers will sell to the public.
@kangaroogod
6 ай бұрын
Great video
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Thanks! Make sure to subscribe!
@realflaman
Ай бұрын
You will always pick Pro Grade because that is what you sell? Not judging, just staying that fact. I am currently trying to decide which way to go. Box Store talk Great, Plumbers talk Great. I am lost
@SmedleyPlumbing
Ай бұрын
I pick the pro grade because I've seen over the last 20 years how much longer they last compared to box store water heaters. When I built my house 13 years ago there was a water heater shortage of the supply house and so one of my two water heaters needed to be purchased from a box store. That water heater started leaking in 5 years. Meanwhile my other water heater which was a pro-grade water heater never leaked. I ended up replacing both of them a couple of years ago but the box store water heater was the only one that leaked.
@matthewjohnson775
6 ай бұрын
These are 2 different models. If you bought the box store unit in this video from a plumber supply what would be the difference? None correct?
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
These are the same model from two different places. The video shows the differences. These are both AO Smith 40 gallon natural gas units. One from Lowe's and one from Winnelson.
@matthewjohnson775
6 ай бұрын
@@SmedleyPlumbing AO Smith sells Pro Line series thru plumbers and Signature series thru Lowes. 2 different model lines.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
@@matthewjohnson775 they like to lead the public to believe they're the same units.
@tinscarecrow21
Ай бұрын
@@SmedleyPlumbing Kinda like you lead the public into believing you're comparing models of the same era and from the same factory? The stickers on both units, (which you don't show), should not only tell you the city they were made in, but also the year they were made. You're comparing an older pro model to a newer box store model. Which would be fine, except the pro model is *like 5 years old*. A.O. Smith has since changed the thickness of metal used on *all* models in *all* their factories
@mattalbrecht7471
6 ай бұрын
A lot of the 'contractors ' go to the box stores to get their replacements sadly
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Unfortunately this is true.
@Fix_It_Again_Tony
6 ай бұрын
I suspect this is why people think you need to replace some of these major appliances a lot more often than you used to. You definitely get what you pay for here. Not everything that is cheaper is a good deal.
@4bSix86f61
6 ай бұрын
@@SmedleyPlumbing Professional Distributors mark their prices up too high.
@vinnygoombatts1458
6 ай бұрын
Pro grade FAILED, As a plumber of 25 years I have had more trouble from "Pro Grade" supply house heaters. I had to replace gas valve 3 times in 6 months on a Pro Heater!!!! Never again. I let the customer choose, but I will do everything I can to persuade them to buy from BOX store.
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
Rheem had a bad run of gas valves. We were testing to failure. The box store unit leaked first.
@vinnygoombatts1458
6 ай бұрын
Don't I know it. Not worth the difference in my book. A year or so ago the supply house was 200.00 more banana box store
@wisdomrules8474
4 ай бұрын
You just say "prograde", but don't specify any manufacturer / brand name.
@vinnygoombatts1458
4 ай бұрын
@@wisdomrules8474 Rheem, AO Smith
@wisdomrules8474
4 ай бұрын
@@vinnygoombatts1458 Two brands. Thanks.
@-.__.__.-Rad
6 ай бұрын
My Rheem weighs 485lbs.... Super duty pro
@SmedleyPlumbing
6 ай бұрын
That's a massive heater!
@VaporheadATC
6 ай бұрын
How much does it weight without water in it.
@-.__.__.-Rad
6 ай бұрын
@@VaporheadATC I was joking, I don't see how weight alone is that important in assessing quality. The rheem I have installed for myself is a 55gal weighs 185lbs empty, but has 12year warranty, brass drain, quality nipples lined for dielectric purpose, honeywell gas manifold/controller, self maintanance built in, 97 gal first hour delivery, 56% recovery rate... There's a lot more to quality than just weight... All I'm seeing in this video is a scale over and over...
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