Choosing a water heater is three decisions, not one, and they go in a specific order. First, whether the heater you have is worth fixing. Second, if it is being replaced, whether a tank or a tankless unit fits the way your household uses hot water. Third, whether to stay with the fuel you have. Each comparison below takes one of those decisions, lays out the trade-offs with installed starting prices, and ends with the scenarios where each option wins.
The three comparisons
Repair or replace
A decision framework by age, symptom and repair cost against the replacement starting price. Includes a table of common symptoms, the likely fix, and whether it points to repair or replacement. Our diagnostic visit is free, so the answer does not cost you anything if the heater turns out to be repairable.
Tank vs tankless
Installed starting prices for a 50-gallon gas tank against a gas tankless unit, service life, operating cost direction from Department of Energy data, space, recovery versus flow, maintenance and the household types each fits best. This is the comparison that decides whether your replacement is a two-hour swap or a half-day installation with new gas piping and venting.
Gas vs electric
Recovery, installed price, operating cost direction, what happens when a home has no gas line, panel capacity for electric and hybrid units, and why the hybrid heat pump is the upgrade path for all-electric homes. Includes the conversion cases in both directions and what each one adds to the job.
A short decision framework
Is the heater worth repairing?
Under 8 years old with a failed element, thermostat, gas valve, thermocouple or T&P valve: repair. Any age with a leaking tank: replace. Over 10 years with a repair estimate approaching half the replacement starting price: replace. The repair or replace guide has the full table.
Tank or tankless?
Tankless when you want hot water that does not run out, the longest service life, and the gas line and venting can support it or can be brought up to it. Tank when the budget is fixed, hot water demand is moderate, or your household runs several fixtures at once in winter. See tank vs tankless.
Gas or electric?
Stay with the fuel at the heater. If you are all-electric with room around the heater, price the hybrid. If you are converting, expect a gas line or a new circuit and get it quoted on site. See gas vs electric.
What size?
Peak-hour demand decides. A family of four with two baths is usually a 50-gallon tank. Five or more or a soaking tub points to 75 gallons, an 80-gallon electric or hybrid, or tankless. Run the size calculator.
Which tier?
Essential for a 6-year tank and 1-year workmanship warranty. Preferred for a 10-year tank, 2-year workmanship warranty and an included expansion tank. Authority for a 12-year tank, 5-year workmanship warranty, drain pan, leak shutoff and a year of maintenance. Details on the pricing page.
Installed starting prices at a glance
| Option | Essential | Preferred | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-gallon atmospheric gas | Starting at $1,949 | Starting at $2,599 | Starting at $3,899 |
| 50-gallon electric | Starting at $1,649 | Starting at $2,199 | Starting at $5,299 (hybrid heat pump) |
| 50-gallon power vent | Starting at $3,049 | Starting at $3,749 | Starting at $5,099 |
| Gas tankless | Starting at $4,349 | Starting at $5,749 | Starting at $7,549 |
| 50-gallon hybrid heat pump | Not offered | Starting at $4,499 | Not offered |
Every price includes the unit, standard installation, the permit at the jurisdiction’s cost, haul-away and startup testing. Code items and accessories are priced from our published list and approved by you before work starts. All heater types and sizes are on the types page.
What is different about Central Ohio
National comparisons miss a few local facts that change the answer here. Winter inlet water is about 42°F, so a tankless unit has to lift water 78°F to reach a 120°F setpoint, and its usable flow is well below the number on the box. Our water is hard, so sediment in tanks and scale on tankless heat exchangers build faster than in soft-water regions, and annual maintenance is not optional for either. Many older Columbus homes have a chimney that once served both furnace and water heater; when the furnace moved to PVC, the water heater was left alone in an oversized flue, which is why power vent comes up so often in replacement conversations. And most homes in the region have a closed plumbing system, with a pressure-reducing valve or check valve on the main, so an expansion tank is a code requirement rather than an upsell. Each comparison below accounts for these conditions.
How we wrote these comparisons
Every figure is either an installed starting-at price from our own list or a number from a source cited on the page, mostly the U.S. Department of Energy. Where a claim would need a number we do not have, such as your dollar savings from switching type, we give the direction and say why we cannot give more. Each page is reviewed by our technical team and dated, and we revise it when prices or sources change. Our editorial standards explain the process.
Independent company. Ohio Water Heater Authority is a Transit & Flow™ company. We are privately owned and not affiliated with the State of Ohio, any utility or any manufacturer. We install every option on these pages, so the comparisons have no favorite.
Brand comparisons
Brand logos are trademarks of their respective owners and identify the products compared. No manufacturer sponsors or reviews these comparisons.
We install all of these brands and recommend by fit, not by name: your venting, gas line, space, water quality and budget decide the unit. These guides compare published specifications and warranty terms, each sourced to the manufacturer.
- Bradford White vs A. O. Smith vs Rheem tank water heaters
- Navien vs Rinnai tankless water heaters
- Heat pump water heaters compared: Rheem, A. O. Smith and Bradford White
Skip the reading and see your options
The quote builder asks about your fuel, space and household and shows installed starting prices for the heaters that fit. Or call 844-792-8374, answered 24/7.
