Kenmore 80-Gallon Electric Hot Water Heater - Reliable with Quick Recovery
Written: Sep 29 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reliable, quick recovery, good insulation
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend the Kenmore 80-Gallon Hot Water Heater for anyone who wants a reliable, quick recovery, well insulated hot water tank.
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| mountainhigh's Full Review: Kenmore Power Miser 9, 80 gallon Electric Water He... |
When selecting a new hot water heater; we have experienced two brands that have been reliable and had quick recovery. The two brands we depend upon are Kenmore and A.O. Smith. At the time we needed a new hot water heater, Sear's had their Kenmore Power Miser 9, 80 gallon Hot Water Heater, Model 32786 on sale, so it was logical based on the price difference to purchase it.
We have had an 80 gallon tank size since 1985 and knew we could not accommodate our needs with a smaller size. A family of 4 with 2 teenagers, laundry, showers, dishes, and you would be amaze of how much hot water we use. Teenagers take the longest showers and have used up all the hot water in our 80-gallon tank on many occasions.
With this in mind, we had to buy one that offered a quick recovery. The Kenmore Power Miser 9, 80 Gallon Hot Water Heater offers a 90 gallon recovery in the first hour. In the past, we had owned a gas model that was also 80 gallons, and it took about 3 hours to recover. That is a long time to wait when one wants to take a shower.
We had to choose electric since gas is not offered in our area and propane was not an option either since a propane truck would not be able to make it up our mountain road in the winter.
Reliability was also a major factor in our decision-making; because in our many moves, we had experienced a lot of bad water heaters that failed. When we moved into our prior home in 1992, the house had a Kenmore 80-gallon hot water heater that was "avocado green" in color, meaning it was still strong and going since the 1970's. The unit lasted for over 20 years and we then replaced it with an A.O. Smith due to Sear's was out of stock with an 80-gallon at that time.
Insulation was another factor in our choice and this model offers 3 inches of foam to make the unit more energy efficient.
There are two heating elements that are called "Super Limeguard" that offers resistance to lime build up. The lower element handles normal needs, while the upper element responds to higher demand.
There is a temperature and pressure relief valve on the glass lined steel tank.
The panel for changing of the temperature control is on the front of the unit and is easily accessible.
The hot water tank operates off of a 240 volt and is 5500 watts. The amp required is 30. This particular tank offers an alternate power of 240 volts at 3800 watts with a 20 amp requirement.
The height is 59 3/4 inches with the diameter measuring at 25 inches.
The color is an off white with silvery gray panels and rims.
This hot water tank ranks a 6.8 on the energy efficiency scale and estimated costs of running it per year based on 8.41 cents per kW/H is $428.00 in accordance to the yellow sticker on the unit.
Final Impressions
We are very pleased with the operation of our Kenmore 80-gallon Hot Water Heater and even when all the hot water has been depleted, it offers a full tank of piping hot water within 1 hour, which is great for us.
I am sure you will be extremely pleased should you buy a Kenmore Hot Water Heater. Kenmore offers lower gallon sizes should you feel that you do not need a 80-gallon tank size.
The warranty is 1 year parts and labor and thereafter it is based on 9 years limited parts.
Thank you for reading my review, and I hope you have found it helpful in your purchasing decision.
Recommended:
Yes
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