State Water Heater Reviews

This ultimate State Water Heaters review will help you work your way through the features and hype, so you can determine the best water heater for your needs.

About State Water Heaters

Like many other top brands, State Water Heaters began small. Launched in 1946 in Herbert Lindahls garage, the company manufactureed coal and wood stoves for the town of Nashville.

A few years later, in 1954, State Water Heaters started manufacturing gas-powered and electric water heaters. From then on, the brand started to innovate on its products, introducing new features like porcelainized glass lined tanks, welded steel galvanized tanks, and other cutting edge innovations.

Some of the product enhancements, such as the porcelainized tanks have become the standard in the industry. In 1979, State became the first brand to include foam insulation between the tank and and the jacket to help reduce standby heat loss.

In addition, that same year, they acquired a patent for the Sandblaster water heater design, which restricts sediment from building within the tank.

With the use of top-notch materials and advanced manufacturering techniques, its easy to see why State Water Heaters are a growing brand. Currently, State Industries Inc. is owned by A.O. Smith. Since the acquisition in 2001, State has continued to grow and has even doubled its business. 

Contact Information

State customer service can be contacted by email through their website or by phone (1-866-667-4960). Their physical address is 500 Tennessee Waltz Pkwy, Ashland City, TN 37015.

State Water Heater Key Features

There are three major key features with State Water Heaters: The energy-saving capacity, quick hot water generation speed, and the ability to self-cleanse.

All tank-style State Water Heaters, whether commercial or residential, are treated with Blue Diamond to prevent corrosion. The Blue Diamond formula used to protect the steel tank is enriched with higher levels of zircon to form a coating that is more water-resistant than other competing glass liners.

In addition,  a brass drain valve is installed to drain the tank, and the anode rods are designed with a stainless steel core to reduce oxidation and increase the service life.

Another major feature of State Water Heaters is its ICOMM app, which is used alongside its products to enhance smart homes. Just access the app on your Smart Phone and you'll be able to remotely monitor, manage and control your heaters features.

State Water Heater Pricing

With such a wide and vast product line, as you might expect there's a large range of prices. These are some of the major factors that determine the price of purchasing a State Water Heater: 

• Size
• Energy Efficiency
• Tank or Tankless
• Product Features

To help you find the right style and model for your home, State has a handy interactive guide on their website. Just answer a few questions and the software will provide you with several models that would fit your needs.

Warranty

State offers a warranty on all of their residential water heaters, but the length of the warranty varies depending on the type and model. To check the warranty of an individual heater you can visit their website's warranty page. 

Both the electric and gas tank-style water heaters have warranties that range between 6 to 12 years. But State also offers Lifetime Models where the tank is covered for the life of the water heater and parts are covered for 6 years.

The electric tankless units have a much shorter warranty with 5 years of coverage of the heating chamber. However, if you're looking for a gas tankless, the heat exchanger has a 15 year warranty.

State Water Heater Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of State Water Heaters varies depending on its power source. But as a general rule of thumb, you can typically get an idea of the service life expectation by looking at the warranty.

Keep in mind, there are other factors, such as preventative maintenance, proper installation, and water quality that all play into how long a water heater will last.

But as a general rule, you can expect a tank-style gas fueled water heaters to last anywhere from 8 to 12 years, and electric heaters have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years on average.

Problems

State Water Heaters are relatively trouble-free, but like any major brand there are typical issues that arise. State's higher-end models not only have longer warranty's, but they also have fewer issues.

Which State Water Heater Should You Choose?

If you're looking to purchase a State Water Heater you have a lot of choices. They manufacture tank-style and tankless heaters for both residential and commercial use. They also have electric units, natural gas and propane in nearly all of their product lines. 

State has three popular line-ups which the majority of their heaters fall into. Let's take a closer look: 

• ProLine "Good" - Due to the efficiency and quality of the models in this tier, they are often the most preferred choices for busy homes.
• ProLine Master "Better" - Built with commercial-grade components, this line-up combines both durability and smart design.
• ProLine XE "Best" - The models in this tier are among the best available on the market.

State Water Heaters Gas and Propane Line Tank-Style Heaters

State's gas tank-style water heater line is called ProLine, and it's both durable and efficient. The ProLine series is broken into 3 main product line-ups and are ranked by State as "Good," "Better," and "Best." Let's take a closer look:

ProLine

There are seven different model types in the ProLine tank-style water heater line-up. Whether you're looking for a direct vent, power vent, or ultra-low NOx, this wide range of water heaters has you covered.

The majority of the ProLine heaters achieve UEF (Uniform Energy Factor . . . think efficiency) ratings above 0.60. The heaters in this series have tank capacities between 30 and 75+ gallons.

ProLine Master

This is the workhorse line-up. The gas tank-style water heaters that make up the ProLine Master series uses commercial grade design, yet it's target consumer is the residential homeowner.

The CoreGard stainless steel core anode rods give an extra dose of protection, by either being larger or depending on the model, having an additional anode rod. 

In addition, all ProLine Master units have a self-cleansing system that reduces the risk of sediment and minerals from building up inside. Between the CoreGard anode rod and the self-cleansing system the ProLine Master series is built to offer a prolonged tank service life.

A standard atmospheric vent system is used and the heaters have a capacity range between 40 and 55-gallon tanks.

ProLine XE 

The ProLine XE is the flagship line-up for State's tank-style water heaters. You can expect the latest technology and the highest quality components in these units. 

The tank capacity ranges between 34 to 50-gallons, and some units even have a 10-year warranty! On average, the ProLine XE line-up has a higher UEF rating than the other two ProLine models.

State Water Heater Electric Tank-Style Line

State's electric tank-style water heaters are branded in the same manner as their gas line-up (ProLine, ProLine Master, and ProLine XE) with the exception that they also provide heat pumps and solar water heaters. 

State Water Heaters has been building electric tank-style water heaters for more than fifty years. They not only have experience, they also build some of the most reliable water heaters on the market.

Although, we won't breakdown the electric tank-style water heaters into their family groups, the most common tank capacity is the 40 and 50-gallon tanks.

They also have point-of-use tanks as small as 2.5-gallons, and the largest tanks available in the electric series is an 80-gallon tank. Warranty's range from 6 to 10 years, which just like their gas fueled cousins, is largely determined by the model family. 

State Water Heater Tankless Line

State offers a full line of both electric and gas tankless water heaters. In addition, they have many electric point-of-use tankless units.

Electric Tankless Water Heaters

State has eighteen whole house water heaters, six of those utilize four heating chambers for homes with a high demand of hot water.

The most powerful unit is model number R4MS-320E. It runs on 240-volts and packs 32-kilowatts. It has a UEF rating of 0.93. All of the electric tankless water heaters have a 5-year warranty and weigh under 15-pounds.

Gas Tankless Water Heaters

State's tankless heaters are available in both natural gas and propane. They also manufacture models for both indoor and outdoor installation.

There are two model line-ups in their gas tankless water heater series: 1) ProLine XE Tankless Condensing; and 2) State Non-Condensing.

We highly recommend purchasing a condensing tankless water heater. The main difference between the two is how the exhaust is processed and vented.  As far as unit price and installation, here's what you can expect:

• Condensing - These units are more expensive, however, installation is much easier and less expensive. 
• Non-Condensing - These units are less expensive, however, installation is more complicated and more expensive.

Condensing Tankless Water Heaters - The State Proline XE Condensing Tankless Water Heater family includes a wide range of heaters to meet nearly any situation.

The primary heat exchanger on each unit is made with commerical grade copper to provide an added layer of erosion protection. Another advantage of copper is its ability to tranfer heat. In fact, its 25-times more effective than stainless steel, which translates to faster hot water at the tap!

Each of the condensing units comes complete with two important safety features: An exhaust and water temperature safety control and an AFR (air-fuel ratio sensor). Plus, they're Energy Star qualified and reach UEF ratings above 0.90.

With a 15-year warranty and Ultra-Low NOx emissions, whether you're looking for a water heater to service multiple showers at the same time, or a single bathroom, you shouldn't have a problem finding a unit to meet your hot water demands.

Non-Condensing Tankless Water Heaters - If you're looking for a non-condensing tankless, State makes a great product. Each of their units is fully modulated and comes with a 15-year warranty.

They also have built-in freeze protection and a manual reset Hi-Limit switch. You won't need to call for service each time your tankless gets too cold or too hot.

Top State Water Heaters

With such a wide range of water heaters, it's sometimes difficult to know which one to purchase. These are among the most popular and best rated heaters State offers.

Premier Power Direct Vent Water Heater: GP6-75-HTPDT

Arguably the best water heater in State's vast line-up is the Premier Power Direct Vent High-Efficiency 75-gallon propane water heater (model number is GP6-75-HTPDT). This heater is a powerhouse designed to deliver hot water in the most demanding homes.

The Premier Power Direct is a gas water heater with a 75-gallon tank. It can recover at rate of 129-gallons per hour, largely because of the 100,000 BTU propane burner and excellent design.

The spiral heat exchanger retains the hot combustion gases and lengthens the heat transfer cycle to help the unit achieve a thermal efficiency of 96%. It meets Low NOx emission requirements and has also met the Energy Star rating requirements.

ProLine XE Hybrid Electric Heat Pump: HPX-59-DHPTNE

Another strong contender is the Proline XE Hybrid Electric Heat Pump 50-gallon water heater (model number HPX-50-DHPTNE). 

This electric hybrid heat pump can cut your utility expenses up to 73% and has a UEF rating of 3.42, and no, that isn't a typo. Heat pumps are known for having stellar UEF ratings.

Heat pumps are designed to pull environmental heat, dehumidify, and cool the air while heating your hot water. This unit even comes with a 10-year warranty.

Condensing Tankless Water Heater: GTS-540-NIH

The GTS-540-NIH condensing tankless is very energy efficient. It's equipped with a recirculation pump that supplies instant hot water to homes with a dedicated recirculation line, and you can even turn the pump on and off manully. 

This unit is available in both propane and natural gas. It uses 199,000 BTU of natural gas per hour and can supply between three to four baths with hot water at the same time.

There's also a built-in computer that modulates combustion to help improve the efficiency of the unit. It has a UEF rating of 0.93, and utilizes condensing technology that reuses the heat from the exhaust.

ProLine Electric Tank-Style Water Heater: EN6-50-DORT

This State tank-style electric water heater is a favorite for large families. It reduces standby heat loss, thereby maximizing hot water output and keeping your energy costs low.

The Proline EN6-50-DORT uses non-toxic insulation which is made of non-CFC foam to insulate the inner tank, and heat traps are also installed to help prevent loss of heat.

Although, not Energy Star qualified, it has a UEF rating of 0.92, which is impressive for a tank-style water heater. There are two 4500-watt stainless steel heating elements, which are more durable than standard copper elements.

With a recovery rate of 21-gallons per hour, a self-cleaning dip tube to help reduce limescale and sediment build-up, and a 6-year warranty, this electric heater is an excellent choice.

ProLine Gas Tank-Style Water Heater: GS6-50-BRT

The ProLine GS6-50-BRT tank-style gas water heater has a 50-gallon tank with a first-hour rating of 81-gallons! It also has an impressive recovery time of 41-gallons per hour.

The UEF rating is 0.62 and the heater has a 40000 BTU gas burner which meets the Low NOx emission requirements. Equipped with intelligent control logic, the internal microprocessor enhances  sensitivity; allowing the heater to deliver hot water faster.

Lime scale and sediment build-up are removed with the self-cleaning dip tube, and an LED status indicator monitors the operation of the system. This heater can even diagnose service issues!

State Water Heaters vs. Other Brands

State vs Rinnai - Rinnai water heaters have been around for over 100 years. Their headquarters are in Japan, but they have branches in 23 countries worldwide. Rinnai is a globally top-selling brand of tankless water heater systems.

Rinnai has more than 600 development and research engineers who ensure that each water heater unit is made to the highest standard. It also has a laboratory with qualified technicians where heating systems are tested before being released to the market.

Frankly, it's hard to beat a Rinnai, but many of their water heaters have efficiency rating of about 82 to 90%. State Tankless Water Heaters often out perform Rinnai in this area with thermal efficiency rates of 96%.

Other brands include Rheem, Navien and Bradford White tankless water heaters

Where to Purchase a State Water Heater

With so many options available, many consumers like to consult with a professional to ensure they select the right water heater for their home's hot water needs.

But if you already have an idea of what you want, you may choose to purchase and even install it yourself. State heaters aren't available on Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes, and would need to be purchased directly from a professional. Their website can also help you find company's in your area that sell the State brand.

Although, one thing to keep in mind, you may not find State Water Heaters at the above mentioned retail locations, you will frequently find A.O. Smith's product line. Many of A.O. Smith's models are the exact same water heater . . .  remember, they purchased State a number of years ago.