It's reasonably well known that big box store/home center conventional gas and electric water heaters are of somewhat inferior material and build quality as compared to their supply house counterparts. Anyone happen to have any experience with whether the heat pump models are, too?
Posted Nov 23, 2022, 2:03 AM UTC
That's a broad and damning statement. What irrefutable evidence do you have of this inferiority?
I know that small plumbing companies and plumbing service proprietors like to throw this out there in an effort to pedal their services. They use the fact that the big box model offered has a different model number than what is shown direct from the manufacturer. Even though any real difference may be cosmetic or miniscule. Then they go down to HD, pick up a unit and install it for the residential customer at an inflated price.
You aren't a plumber by any chance?
The usual issues are substitution of plastic pieces and fittings (especially drain valves) for metal/brass ones. You also get things like thinner sheet metal and maybe a bit less QA.
It's not a huge difference. They're just meeting the price point that the big box stores demand.
It's kinda like the difference between the Wal-Mart version of some consumer electronics vs. the "everywhere else" version.
Overall they generally work fine, and major issues are usually due to installation as usual.
But no, I'm not a professional plumber.
I suspect it's more the vendor's rating classification than a downgrade for what goes to a big box door vs a supplier provided unit.
For instance, if you look at the Rheem ELD40-TB at Grainger and then compare it to Home Depot you'll see the exact same specs. Even the brass drain valve.
The only apparent differences are price: HD's is $1,964 vs Grainger's $2,315. AND, HD has this rated as a commercial, light duty model while Grainger says it's light duty residential.
I guess I should clarify that I and presumably others in this sub when they express similar sentiments are referring to the in stock water heaters at the big box home centers. Toilets are also often cited as suffering from this phenomenon. It's more pronounced on the absolute cheapest SKUs, too.
Home Depot and Lowes sell all sorts of stuff as "special order" and indeed they are usually the exact same thing you'd get from a supply house.
most of the time they're the same ones i as installing in commercial buildings..
That's encouraging. I wondered if they hadn't managed yet or had no real incentive (given the high base cost and upscale resi market they target) to aggressively cost reduce them like they do with the super basic electric and even gas ones.