Your water heater doesn’t work without energy, and the two primary fuel sources for water heating are still gas and electricity.
More and more people are starting to use an electric water heater, but gas is still the predominant choice. Unless you require an off-the-grid solution, many people prefer gas to electric for all major appliances, including their water heating.
Due to popularity, you’ll have to sift through a ton of options to settle on the best gas water heater for your home. We’ve narrowed your search through our gas water heater reviews to save you time and money.
In this PlumbingNav guide, we will cover:
What are the different types of gas water heaters?
How does a gas water heater work?
What do you look for in the best gas water heaters?
Top 5 best gas water heaters reviewed
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Product
Our Top Pick
Our Top Pick
AO Smith XCR-50 ProMax Plus High Efficiency 50 Gal Gas Water Heater
Our overall favorite option comes from AO Smith’s ProMax Plus High Efficiency line, which offers a balanced array of features that homeowners want, such as longevity and practicality.
The 50-gallon natural gas tank water heater provides enough hot water for most households with its 40,000 BTU low emissions gas burner that operates at .62 UEF.
While the product uses an electric ignition, it does not require electricity thanks to the thermopile.
AO Smith makes this tank to last with numerous corrosion control and sediment buildup control features, including a coating on the inside of the tank and a diffuser dip tube.
Warranty: 10-year limited tank warranty and 6-year limited warranty on parts.
Most of us love a hot shower, and gas water heaters make this small luxury possible. It’s the unsung hero of many activities inside the home. Your water heater connects to your home’s main water supply line and warms up, stores, and sends out water wherever you demand it. It’s hard to imagine living during a time in history when hot water wasn’t a thing.
Gas water heaters use gas (natural gas or propane) to generate heat, as opposed to an electric water heater which uses electricity. Gas is more powerful and costs less, but electricity is more efficient. Before natural gas, people relied on oil-fired water heaters. These still exist, but are pretty uncommon.
What Are The Different Types Of Gas Water Heaters?
Tankless Gas Water Heater
A tankless gas water heater provides water on demand as opposed to keeping the water in the tank warm until you need it.
A condensing tankless heater uses condensing technology to utilize as much of the heat generated through the process internally instead of letting the heat escape outside with the exhaust gas.
This allows a condensing unit to run significantly more efficiently than non-condensing models.
Low NOx Emissions Gas Water Heater
We all need to do our part to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, hot water heaters emit toxic carbon monoxide, especially those that use a pilot light to activate the gas burner.
A low emissions gas water heater and an ultra-low gas water heater release little or no toxins into the air, so you not only get to breathe the nearby air safely, but you also adhere to building code requirements.
Point of Use Gas Water Heater
A point of use gas water heater works in conjunction with your whole home water heating solution to provide hot water to the remote corners of your home that require a longer wait for hot water. These are also common in an RV or for outdoor use.
What Do You Look For In The Best Gas Water Heaters?
Hot Water Production
While looking for a hot water heater, you need to find a unit that can support the needs of your household without generating more energy than necessary.
A traditional storage tank water heater holds the hot water in a storage tank. Residential water heater tanks come in a variety of sizes. The most popular sizes are 40 gallon tanks, 50 gallon tanks, 75 gallon tanks, 80 gallon tanks, and 100 gallon tanks.
Larger families in colder climates will need a larger hot water heater tank than a two person household in a warm climate.
Tankless water heaters produce water on demand based on the flow rate. You will never run out of hot water, but if multiple devices need hot water, the device must split the flow rate among all devices. Units with higher flow rates can support more fixtures at one time.
Uniform Energy Factor
A water heater comes with a rating known as a Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) that measures the efficiency of the device.
A higher UEF means higher efficiency (and a lower utility bill).
For a device with a high UEF, look for the Energy Star sticker!
User Friendliness
When homeowners can operate their water heater easily, they will be more likely to adjust it as necessary to have it run more efficiently and produce the best water temperature.
How Does A Gas Water Heater Work?
The process starts when water enters into the gas water heater through the cold water supply line, usually located at the top of the device.
A thermostat detects the cold water. The water heater thermostat communicates with the ignition, which activates the gas burner. When water comes into contact with the gas burner, it gets hot.
The water heater then transfers the hot water to the correct fixture.
Here is a look into how a gas water heater will be installed as well:
Top 5 Best Gas Water Heaters Reviewed
Now let’s explore our favorite units so you can decide on the perfect choice for your situation.
Our overall favorite option comes from AO Smith’s ProMax Plus High Efficiency line, which offers a balanced array of features that homeowners want, such as longevity and practicality.
The 50-gallon natural gas tank water heater provides enough hot water for most households with its 40,000 BTU low emissions gas burner that operates at .62 UEF.
While the product uses an electric ignition, it does not require electricity thanks to the thermopile.
AO Smith makes this tank to last with numerous corrosion control and sediment buildup control features, including a coating on the inside of the tank and a diffuser dip tube.
Warranty: 10-year limited tank warranty and 6-year limited warranty on parts.
EZ Tankless sells this low-maintenance and low production propane water heater for homes with minimal hot water needs and minimal interest in paying for expensive underutilized extra features.
Not only does this model have a low initial price tag, but the high-efficiency levels can even reduce utility bills.
You will keep usage down even more with the help of the simple yet effective touchscreen control panel on the device.
Warranty: 5-year heat exchanger warranty and a 1-year warranty on everything else
AO Smith recently came out with its new hybrid water heater powered by gas that ensures you never run out of hot water by using both a 50-gallon tank and an on-demand element that produces hot water at a rate of 4 GPM.
Hybrid water heaters cost more than most other models, but homeowners see a return in reduced utility bills since the device runs at an impressive 96% thermal efficiency.
To add to the convenience, AO Smith allows buyers to control the device with a simple and easy to read control panel with digital display.
Rinnai’s HR+ series natural gas tankless water heater offers high efficiency levels (.93 UEF), a compact size, and advanced WiFi connectivity features that make using the device easy enough for even the most technologically impaired.
Installation can be expensive if upgrading from a conventional unit. However, the unit will produce a water flow rate of 9 GPM, which can more than support the needs of average households.
Warranty: 10-year warranty on heat exchanger and 5 years on components .
Look into a unit designed for commercial use if you need a high power water heater that produces water over 120°F for industrial purposes.
The Rheem G100-200 natural gas water heater has a gigantic 100-gallon tank and a gear burner that runs at 199,999 maximum capacity BTUs. Warranty: 3-years on tank and 1-year on parts.
Pros
High water temperature capabilities
100 gallon tank
199,999 BTUs
Cons
Expensive
Tank Deteriorates Quickly
No Digital Display on Control Panel
Final Thoughts On Gas Water Heaters
Gas water heaters make a great option for residential water heating purposes.
With the numerous different types of gas water heaters available, homeowners should find the best model for their household based on hot water requirements, efficiency goals, and budget.
FAQs For Gas Water Heaters
Which brand of gas water heater is best?
Consumers can rely on the brands we highlighted today in our best of list for high-quality options:
AO Smith
Bradford White
Rinnai
Westinghouse
Rheem
We also didn’t have the opportunity to fit a number of other great water heater brand names, such as American Standard and General Electric (to name a few).
