There is a great need for hot water in our homes, including cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Not only do you have a wide variety of water heater styles and options, but you also have a wide variety of brands to choose from.
One of the brands, American (not to be confused with American Standard), offers a great selection of interesting water heaters.
This American water heater review will dig to the bottom of the brand, their unique features, and options. We will help you determine if this is the best water heater brand for you and your hot water needs.
Page Contents (Click Icon To Open/Close)
A Brief History Of American Water Heaters

American Water Heaters is a brand of residential and commercial water heaters based out of Johnson City, Tennessee. The company was founded in 1996 as an offshoot brand for the AO Smith Corporation.
The 25 year old brand, known for affordable water heaters, uses AO Smith technologies and components while developing innovative ideas and releasing new features with their units.
Each model has American Water Heater components that are tried and tested for AO Smith, leading to future advancements in the field.
Benefits Of Choosing American Water Heaters
Water heaters, as a whole, are designed to last between 8 and 12 years. Higher quality parts and better construction can have water heaters lasting 15 years or more in some cases.
However, as a mid-range brand, American water heaters have a lot of other reasons to consider them.
Manufactured In The USA
Based out of Tennessee, American Water Heaters produce units and models in the US. Parts, assembly, and manufacture all happen inside the North American border.
Some of the research and development does happen outside of the US, but the manufacturing and distribution are all US-based.
Wide Variety of Sizes
Like most major brands, American isn’t stuck in a small distribution or production network. This allows them to produce models of various sizes and capacities.
Not only will you find multiple fuel types, but each type will come in sizes for every need in each home or business.
Energy Star Certified
To be Energy Star certified, the brand must meet or exceed specific efficiency standards. The EPA runs the program granting the certification and ratings for highly efficient units.
American Water Heaters have a wide range of models that are Energy Star certified, so you can ensure that you have highly efficient water heating without wasting energy.
Safety Features
Water heaters have a variety of safety features they can employ, and American uses most of them. These features will be detailed further below but include auto shut-off, sensors, and dry-fire protection.
Other features keep the unit safe from corrosion or damage, too, which prolong the unit's life expectancy and overall performance.
Warranty Length
Typical low-end and mid-range water heaters offer smaller warranties than premium models. With an average life expectancy of 8 years, 4 to 6 year warranty coverage is expected.
However, for American water heaters, they offer a wider range of warranty coverage. Depending on the model, fuel type, and age, you can expect 6, 8, or 10-year warranty coverage for most units.
American Water Heaters: Different Types Available
As with most brands, there isn't a single fuel source used in the entire lineup of models. American spans many ranges, including alternative-fueled water heaters. Let's take a closer look.
Electric (Whole House)
The tanked electric models are by far the most popular. They don't rely on any other fuel source except electricity and can be installed in just about any home in the country for an average cost of about $800.
Of course, the installation costs will vary with other factors, which we will cover further below.
The tanked models range in size from 2 gallons up to 80 gallons. There are electric models in all three major lines of water heater styles from the brand.
Gas (Whole House)
Like the electric tanked models, the natural gas-fueled models also have a wide variety of sizes and capacities.
You will find that installation and unit costs are similar to those of the electric range of models. The installations may cost a little more and can reach up to $1500 with gas lines included.
The capacities range from 30 gallons to 98 gallons, enabling you to have the size needed for a single room or an entire family. But, of course, your options don't end there.
Tankless
Tankless models are also manufactured and come in all fuel types from natural gas, propane, and electric. There are even future releases of solar-powered tankless models being released sometime late in 2021 and into 2022.
The electric and gas models are the most popular and are used for point of use as well as whole-home water heating.
The flow-through rates and heating capacities of these tankless models range from less than 5 gallons to over 10 gallons per minute.
Other Types Of Water Heaters
Natural gas and electric water heaters are by and far the most popular.
However, there are other fuel types you may be interested in. Propane is also quite popular, especially with the mobile home and RV communities.
AO Smith also utilizes the American brand for new technology releases and market testing before adding their name to a product with higher-quality components.
These include solar-powered and hybrid models, which cost more to install and set up but cost much less to operate over time.
What Makes American Water Heaters Stand Out?

Aside from being backed by AO Smith, one of the premium water heater companies in the world, the American brand has some special features that make them quite unique.
Blue Diamond Glass Coating
The tanked models are lined with a product called Blue Diamond glass coating. This is a process of using a coating of sand, silica, and glass to create a protective, non-corroding layer on the inner tank.
This helps prevent sediment and water minerals from eating away at the metals inside a water heater.
Enhanced-Flow Brass Drain Valve
Draining the water tank for maintenance or testing can sometimes be a tricky, messy, and cumbersome process. With the enhanced-flow solid brass drain valve, all of that is a thing of the past.
There is a screwdriver slot, a 1/4-turn valve that makes the operation of the valve easy when a drain hose is attached, and you can easily see if the valve is open or closed.
With a quick shut-off, cleaning and maintenance are made much easier.
Self-Cleaning Dip Tubes
The dip tubes, which deliver the cold water coming into the tank to the bottom, can break or become corroded, resulting in lower heat transfer and lower hot water volume.
With the American brand dip tubes, the PEX material is self-cleaning, meaning minerals and sediment do not collect inside the tubes.
Further, the tubes are rated for continuous temperature changes up to 400 degrees.
Prolonging the life expectancy of the tubes saves your energy bills, water usage and can extend the life of the water heater by years.
Heat Trap Nipples
The tips of the dip tubes utilize heat trap nipples as well.
These nipples are specially designed for high-pressure water surges and can prevent heat loss between the hot water in the tank and the cold water in the tubes.
Coregard™ Anode Rod
Stainless steel cores keep the anode rods in place and through tank design to protect the tanks, linings, and the water heater as a whole.
Anode rods are designed to corrode away as the minerals and heat eat away the metal. Instead of eating away the tank lining, these minerals and deposits eat away at the replaceable rods.
Having longer-lasting rods, though, means less maintenance and a lower cost for you overall, protecting your investment and time while continuously providing hot water to your home.
Self-Powered Electronic Gas Valve
American stands out with its electronic gas valve. This self-powered unit contains a microprocessor that offers more precise temperatures, faster operation, and quick heating.
It also uses an LED status indicator and a thermopile to generate the power it needs to operate without relying on an external power supply.
Commercial-Grade Electric Elements
The heating elements are made from triple-coated stainless steel on both the upper and lower elements.
The heating is more precise, less corrosive, and the components all last a lot longer, giving a mid-range brand premium style parts.
American Hot Water Heaters Reviewed & Compared
The American water heaters are branded under the AO Smith ProLine namesake.
However, where AO Smith offers the Professional and Signature models, American has the ProLine, ProLine Master, and ProLine XE series.
The differences between the series models are slight but important. Let's look at each series individually to help you identify which series is the best option for your needs.
ProLine Series
The ProLine series is by far the largest of the brand, with over 140 total models to choose from. This includes 43 electric models, 50 natural gas, and 37 propane options.
The tanked models range from 20 gallons to 98 gallons, and you will find all of the standard safety features.
One of the best things is that all of these models have the Blue Diamond glass lining, Piezo igniters (on gas models), and either 6 or 10 year warranties.
Another great attribute is that the gas-powered models are all Ultra Low-NOx and high recovery models.

This means that the gas models don’t release nitrous oxide fumes or other dangerous chemicals, and they reduce the risk of external ignition of fire around the unit.
With plenty of sensors and auto shut-off safety features, the system, your home, and your family are safe.
ProLine Series
Capacity | 30 - 98 Gal |
Power Source | Gas, Electric, Hybrid |
Heating Efficiency | Up to 120,000 BTU Input |
First House Output | Up to 128 Gallons |
Flow Rate | Up to 101 Gallons Per Minute |
Durability | Stainless steel construction, foam liner between tanks. |
Installation Costs | Average $800 for installation |
Operating Cost | Models will range between $24 and $38 per month, on average. |
Safety Features | Temperature gauge, auto shut off system, Nox sensors, LED panel |
Warranty | 6 or 10 years |
ProLine Master Series

The Master series is the most expensive and more premium of the three lineups.
However, it is also the smallest, with less than half the models of the other two.
What you get with this is more of the same, though: high-quality parts, great warranties, and excellent water heating.
You will find that this line and the AO Smith Signature series are a lot alike.
You get your choice of electric, natural gas, hybrid, propane, and even solar-powered options.
Unlike the other two series, the Master series has more AO Smith influence and seems to be the favorite of the brand.
This is where you find titanium anode rods instead of stainless steel.
You also get more sensors on the gas models, LED display, and pretty much all the features and options of the AO Smith models, except for the ICOMM system.
With such high-quality parts and great output, it is easy to see why these cost more. You also won't find many repair parts without going through a contractor or your installer, which is a negative.
DIY repairs are generally (though not always) against warranty, so make sure you know what you are getting before you start work.
If it is covered by the warranty, it is best to let the professionals handle it to maintain coverage.
ProLine Master Series
Capacity | 30 - 98 Gal |
Power Source | Gas, Electric, Hybrid |
Heating Efficiency | Up to 120,000 BTU Input |
First House Output | Up to 132 Gallons |
Flow Rate | Up to 168 Gallons Per Minute |
Durability | Stainless steel construction, foam liner between tanks. |
Installation Costs | Average $1000 for installation |
Operating Cost | Models will range between $24 and $38 per month, on average. |
Safety Features | Temperature gauge, auto shut off system, Nox sensors, LED panel |
Warranty | 6, 8, 10 years |
ProLine XE Series
The ProLine XE series is the middle of the road. They have the higher-end parts of the Master Series and the manufacturing and limitations of the Standard Series.
You will find about 50 gas-fueled models and 14 electric models ranging from 10 gallon point-of-use options to 98 gallon tall tank systems.
Everything you need for your home, including under-counter or countertop models, is found here. Unfortunately, there aren't any solar-powered options as of this writing, but that doesn't mean there won't be any.
With American and AO Smith working to promote green products and manufacturing processes, it won't be long until more alternative power-sourced water heaters are in the series.
You also get the range of warranty coverage like the standard series from the various models, covering 6, 8, or 10 years for tanked options and 15 years (residential) for tankless models.
The XE Series models are best used as hybrid fueled units that can select between 4 different operational modes.
They even have a vacation mode to help keep the system from running full time, saving you money while running just enough to prevent sediment build-up while you are away.
ProLine XE Series
Capacity | 10 - 98 Gal |
Power Source | Gas, Electric, Hybrid |
Heating Efficiency | Up to 120,000 BTU Input |
First House Output | Up to 147 Gallons |
Flow Rate | Up to 201 Gallons Per Minute |
Durability | Stainless steel construction, foam liner between tanks. |
Installation Costs | Average $1200 for installation |
Operating Cost | Models will range between $28 and $42 per month, on average. |
Safety Features | Temperature gauge, auto shut off system, Nox sensors, LED panel |
Warranty | 6, 8 & 10 years |
Where’s The Best Place To Buy American Water Heaters?
Buying an American brand water heater isn’t something you just happen upon. They aren’t sold in many retailers directly to the public.
This is to ensure the integrity of the brand as well as ensure proper installation.
While it is possible, it isn’t recommended to buy and install an American model on your own. While it can be difficult, it may also void any warranty you have.
You can use the Where to Buy page to get the contact information to get personalized assistance in locating a wholesaler.
However, the best option is to find a local contractor who will stock and install American water heaters for you.
Our partner, Networx, offers a tool to find just such contractors that will save you time and effort in finding the perfect contractor to perform the installation.
What Kind Of Warranty Comes With American Water Heaters?
Depending on a tank or tankless style, capacity, fuel type, and other factors, the warranty coverage will vary from model to model. In general, the model numbers will tell you the basic warranty coverage.
Each model number has a warranty code embedded within, usually in the first two digits of how many years that model is protected.
For example, a model number starting E6-XXX will come with a 6-year warranty.
The typical coverage comes in either 6, 8, or 10 years for residential gas and electric models. Tankless models can reach coverage terms up to 15 years.
To find specific coverage, you should check the American Water Heater warranty guide, which covers all model types for specific details on what is covered, how long, and how to start a claim.
American Water Heaters Compared To Other Popular Brands
As a mid-range company, there is a lot of competition on the market. Therefore, comparisons are the best advantage to look at all of your options.
In this section, we compare the American brand against other well-known brands such as Rheem, Bradford White, and AO Smith.
American Water Heaters Vs Rheem
Rheem is a well-known brand across the country and is best known for the Rheem tankless water heaters.
Over the last few years, the brand has put a lot of focus on the tankless market and has more models and innovations than almost every other brand.
Compared to American, Rheem has a much more extensive tankless collection, but the quality is a little lower for the majority of the models.
This means that American's tankless models have high-quality parts, but the brand isn't as well known, so the popularity isn't there to match Rheem.
For the tankless models, Rheem has about the same number of models with similar capacities, BTUs, and flow throughput.
The difference is in availability, mainly. Rheem is sold direct to consumers and can be found through retailers, dealers, and contractors.
For American, their sales are generally through dealers and contractors, who will also perform the installation.
With similar installation costs, upfront costs, and even similar warranty coverage, the choice you have is to buy the system yourself or have your installer bring it along with them.
American Water Heaters Vs Bradford White
Bradford White has long been the gold standard for water heater builds and manufacture. Known as a premium brand, they offer some of the most sophisticated, innovative, and longest-lasting models on the market.
Because of the premium quality, though, they also come with a much higher price tag. Bradford White also has an extensive collection with natural gas, propane, electric and hybrid models.
Like AO Smith, Bradford White also has a few smaller brands under their wing to produce the mid-range and budget-friendly models.
Compared to American, Bradford White is far superior in almost every way. However, with a life expectancy of about 2 years more, there isn't much need for such a drastic hike in pricing.
Because water heaters won’t last 25 or more years (generally), paying more is only for those that need to have the best. In this case, American wins because they are more affordable.
American Water Heater Vs AO Smith
As the parent company of American, AO Smith water heaters have a leg up on the smaller brand.
They have better components, more options, and a larger lineup compared to American. And like Bradford White, AO Smith is considered a premium brand, which means higher prices.
The warranties all come from AO Smith, though, so those are similar. The parts are all AO Smith approved and have a similar life expectancy.
Still, the more replaceable parts like anode rods and thermocouples are of better quality with the premium brand.
American parts are cheaper but need to be purchased more often, and comparatively, the heating is better, longer-lasting, and more even with an AO Smith unit.
But for those looking for good quality and longevity without breaking the bank, American provides the right product.
Installing An American Hot Water System: Average Costs
Installing a water heater is a fairly intensive job that requires special tools and working knowledge of plumbing, electrical circuits, and even gas lines.
In most cases, due to installation issues, as well as warranty concerns, professional installation is recommended.
As a DIY install, some brands allow it without penalizing the warranty. With American, though, you must purchase through a professional, and in these cases, installation is almost always required.
We have partnered with Networx to connect you with plumbers in your local area. By using the finder tool, you can get trusted, vetted pros to help you out.
Tankless water heaters are a different story. While professional installation is always recommended, especially with gas or propane models, DIY tankless install is doable. In most cases, the warranty will not be affected.
However, before starting the project yourself, make sure the brand, model, and type are allowed a DIY install without penalty.
Maintaining An American Water Heater
Water heater maintenance is not something we think about constantly. The water heater sits in the closet or mounted to a wall in a garage or basement and is generally forgotten.
When we lose hot water, though, it can be brought back to lack of maintenance.
If you have a tankless water heater and need to flush it, we have an extensive guide for you. For tanked models, the process is much easier.
Draining or flushing a tanked water heater is one of the things you will need to do most regularly. However, it only needs to be done when there is another problem.
For example, if the water heater is slow to heat or your water begins to smell foul, you will need to drain the system.
Likewise, if the anode rods or heating elements that reach into the tank need replacement, you will need to drain it.
For igniters, thermocouple or wiring issues, draining is not required. These parts, as detailed below, are common DIY replacement or adjustment pieces and can prolong the life of the water heater when maintained well.
Always follow manufacturer's guidance, directions, and suggested intervals for routine maintenance. These are found in the owner's manuals that come with each unit sold.
Popular American Water Heaters Replacement Parts
Replacement parts for American water heaters aren't hard to come by.
Distributed by the brand as well as AO Smith, you can find what you need in most home improvement stores, hardware stores, or through your local installer or contractor.
You can also find parts on 3rd party vendor sites like Amazon. You will find DIY replacement parts like anode rods for sale at reasonable prices. This will include temperature control gas valves.
You can also find less DIY-prone parts if you need to do more complicated repairs with items like complete burner assemblies or the water heater pilot assembly (with thermocouple).
Before you attempt a DIY repair, though, you should check if the part or repair is covered by the warranty.
FAQs
Will American Home Shield replace my water heater?
American Home Shield is not affiliated with the American water heater brand but offers home warranty service covering water heaters.
According to AHS, they will repair or replace covered water heaters depending on the investigation and nature of the problem. Age is a factor, though, and if the water heater is too old, it may not be covered.
How do you determine the age of your American Water Heater?
American has two styles of serial numbers, and this is where you will find the age of your water heater. You want to locate the ID plate located on the front panel of the water heater itself.
The first style is a 10-digit number split into two 5-digit sections. The first two numbers represent the year of manufacture, and the following two numbers represent the month.
So a serial number starting 0405X XXXXX would have been manufactured in May of 2004. The second style is a 13-digit serial number with no spaces.
The first two numbers again represent the year, with the next two numbers representing the week of the year. So an ID that is 0405XXXXXXXXX would have been manufactured on the 5th week of 2004 or around the first of February.
How do you change the thermocouple on an American Water Heater?
You will want to remove the four screws that hold the igniter plate in place and pull it out. The thermocouple will be mounted there and connected by a red and white lead.
Remove the two lead wires and pull the thermocouple from the plate. The new thermocouple is installed by placing back into the plate and connecting the red and white leads to the proper terminals.
How long does an American Water Heater last?
American water heaters should last just about a decade. Lower end models will be covered by warranty for 6 years, with higher-end models covered up to 10 years.
With proper care, maintenance, and replacement of corrosion parts like anode rods, these models can reach 12 to 15 years without much issue.
What’s the American Water Heater company's customer service number?
If you need to contact American Water Heaters, you can call toll free 1-800-999-9515.
Conclusion
American Water Heater is a brand that is worth investigating further. As a subsidiary of AO Smith, you have built-in trust and reliability.
With innovative features, safety features installed as a standard, and a great warranty, the only issue is finding a model to fit your needs and someone to install it for you.
As an affordable and durable water heater, American is a hard brand to top. There are more premium brands out there and more affordable brands, too. As a mid-range model, you won’t regret the purchase.

Ian Haynes is an expert writer who has successfully deployed over 500 plumbing pages and other related content. He has an excellent understanding of home plumbing issues and translates his experiences via Plumbing Lab so readers can have a better understanding of common household problems. Outside of his work, Ian likes exploring Brooklyn with his Labrador.