Product Description

Rheem MR50245 Marathon Electric Water Heater 50 Gal.Rheem MR50245 Marathon Electric Water Heater 50 Gal.Features:; Seamless, blow-molded, polybutylene tank - impervious to rust and corrosion; Multiple layers of filament wound fiberglass give the tank unmatched strength; Polyurethane Envirofoam; insulation helps reduce energy consumption; The highest energy factors (EF) available!; Pipe wrap energy saving kit included to achieve maximum energy savings; Recessed drain valve is out of the way of brooms and scrubbers; Tough molded polyethylene outer shell resists dents and scratches; Bowl shaped bottom allows complete sediment draining; High temperature polysulfone dip tubes; Thermally fused upper element provides protection against "dry-firing" - stainless steel incoloy lower element for resistance to lime build-up; Factory installed conduit between element control boxes; All plastic tank eliminates the need for an anode rod; Factory installed temperature and pressure relief valve; Factory installed vacuum relief valve

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54646 in Home Improvement
• Brand: Rheem
• Dimensions: 114.10 pounds

Features

• Rheem
• MR50245
• Electric Tank Water Heaters

Customer Reviews

The best electric water heater
We bought a Marathon (though not with the Rheem logo) water heater about a year ago. Our water tended to eat up the metal of regular water heaters, and I did not feel like replacing my water heater every 4 years. So far it has been great, no problems. It will probably save $30 a month for most households.

We bought it through our rural electric cooperative. It was about $700 for a 55 gallon "low-boy", a shorter and fatter tank. If you are in a cooperative, or know someone who is, you might save some money by getting it through them.

Don't forget to loop the connecting metal hoses that connect the water heater to the water pipes. Make sure you get hoses long enough so you can do this. This prevents the hot water from rising into the water pipes by convection and wasting energy. Of course, insulate the hoses also. Also, don't forget to flush the drain valve (let about 2 gallons flow) every year to prevent build-up of silt.

Great Electric Water Heater / CHECK YOUR AIR CHECK VALVE!!!
I would have given this electric water heater 5 full stars except for one small problem. Apparently, the earlier models have a defective air check valve on the cold water input (outside/above) which leak (water). I have installed two of these: one in 2001 and the other in 2008. The 2008 installation has the new version of the check valve. It is brass, about 2" long, has air holes in the SIDES and not the end. IF YOU HAVE A MODEL THAT HAS THE OPENING/SCREEN AT THE END OF THE AIR CHECK VALVE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT RHEEM/MARATHON AND THEY WILL SEND YOU A REPLACEMENT OF THE NEW MODEL FOR FREE INCLUDING SHIPPING BEFORE IT BLOWS! Our 2001 air check valve failed which caused water and carpet damage. We purchased this model because it is not supposed to fail... Rheem customer service was great despite the opposite I have read on the web. This heater has a 6 year warranty on parts and the tank is lifetime. Even though the air check valve was 2 years out of warranty, they replaced it via Fed-x overnight at NO COST. I mentioned the ruined carpet to them, and they began a claim. All things considered, I am pleased with this. My plumber does not like anything with poly tanks, so I checked the web for recalls, class action lawsuits, etc., on this and found none. I am the only person I know of to mention the check valve problem above anywhere. They were so quick and friendly to replace the part, that I believe they know about it...

Bad experience with repairs
We purchased a Marathon from our local utility co-op in 2002, based on the glowing recommendations for this product.

This summer the upper thermostat failed, allowing the water temperature to reach near-boiling before the reset button popped. Called a plumber. Turns out thermostats, and all other parts for the Marathon, are not readily available nor or they interchangeable with any other hot water heater on the market. We ordered the part, and after two and a half weeks it arrived.

Once installed, the new thermostat didn't correct the problem, which was eventually diagnosed to be the upper heating element shorting out. The manufacturer recommended we don't use the hot water heater. For two weeks or more? Not an option. So--we ordered new elements for top and bottom, reasoning that if one failed the other wouldn't be far behind. After another two-plus weeks of using our Marathon on a very limited basis, the heating elements arrived.

Upon removing the upper unit, we found it was corroded within an 8th of an inch of being eaten through. The bottom unit was also badly corroded. However, Marathon sent us the wrong part for the bottom unit, so we are currently awaiting delivery of the correct unit to have our "once in a lifetime" hot water heater completely back on line.

This product works well, until it doesn't. Parts are hard to get and delivery is s-l-o-w.