Whirlpool Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater Review

Overall 3.33 of 5 view all 3 reviews

bkovacs
Annandale, VA

Convenient controls

value conscious, a reluctant plumber, thrifty

Pros

neat control panel, large capacity, fast recovery

Cons

no great savings, requires 30-Amp circuit

SEP

2008

Whirlpool Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater —

I have two homes and recently replaced the water heaters at both. One was a gas water heater, which I previously wrote about here on Viewpoints. At the second home, I had the existing electric water heater replaced with another electric water heater. Neither water heater was broken but I wanted to replace them before they failed and caused damage. In the case of this electric water heater, the old unit was about 18 years old, well into its end-of-life period where failure could come at any time.

The existing water heater was a 50-gallon model powered by a 30-Amp/240-Volt circuit, so that is what I got for a replacement. I bought a Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater at Lowes for around $280 and had it installed by a professional plumber. Since the plumber is a friend and neighbor, the installation cost me a very reasonable $150, including a new valve. Most people can expect to pay at least $250 for installation of an electric water heater.

Incidentally, it's not all that hard to install a new electric water heater, and I have installed one before. However, plumbing is not my strong suit, so I used a professional plumber and don't regret a moment of it.

What it is

The Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater (henceforth, I'll call it the EE3Z) is a traditional storage-tank water heater with a capacity of 50 gallons. The EE3Z has a 5,500-Watt heating element and it requires a 30-Amp/240-Volt circuit. (The EE3Z can be powered from a 208-Volt circuit with a significantly reduced heating capability.) Inside the unit is a glass-lined steel tank that is encased in insulation. On top of the EE3Z is a highly convenient control box with a thermostat, mode control, LED and circuit breaker. The wiring to the EE3Z attaches to this control box and I found it easy to connect. (Oh yeah... I saved a couple bucks on the installation by connecting the electrical cables myself. I'm pretty good with electrical work.)

Using it

The EE3Z has this nifty control box on top that does a few things -- you can see this box in my pictures above. First, there is a typical thermostat control, with 120-degrees Fahrenheit marked off as the normal temperature. I find 120F to be a little too hot, so I set it a bit under that. (You may need it at 120F if you use a dishwasher. My wife married the dishwasher in my household.)

Another interesting control is called "Operating Mode." This has four settings and the first two seem exactly the same, although setting number 2 (called "Energy Smart") is supposed to use less electricity somehow. Personally, I don't see how it does that. In any event, I like mode setting number 4, called "Vacation/Cabin." In this mode, the water is allowed to drop down to 50F but the water heater prevents the water from freezing. This works perfectly for me when I leave this house for days at a time and stay at my other home. No reason to use electricity to heat water that's simply being stored for days.

One final thing that I like about the convenient control box is that it has a handy green LED that tells me when the water heater is connected to power. I use a timer to turn the water heater on for a couple hours at a time, three times a day. I can tell with a glance at this LED that the switch is on or off, which is convenient for me.

There's just two of us in my household and we have not run out of hot water at any time with the Whirlpool EE3Z. We can take two showers, do laundry, make breakfast and wash the dishes, and there is still lots of hot water. The 5,500-Watt heating element makes for pretty quick hot water recovery.

Savings... are there savings?

I've detected no big savings using the Whirlpool EE3Z as compared to my old water heater. I did have extra insulation on the old water heater, which I do not have on the EE3Z -- adding insulation might make a difference. Despite the lack of noticable savings, I like having the convenient controls on the EE3Z and -- of course -- having a new water heater should give me years of worry-free domestic hot water before I have to think about replacing the EE3Z. That has value to me.

Look at the picture of the yellow efficiency label for more information on the estimated energy usage of the Whirlpool EE3Z water heater.

Summary

I like having peace of mind with a new water heater, especially since the old one was rapidly moving into prime failure territory. The Whirlpool EE3Z has worked flawlessly for me and if I stayed at this house all the time, it wouldn't be necessary to have the convenient controls. However, I enjoy having the controls and use them on a weekly basis.

Keep in mind that this water heater has a 5,500-Watt heating element and it requires a 30-Amp circuit. If you have only a 20-Amp circuit to your existing electric water heater, you can't use the Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater. However, I have a 30-Amp circuit and the EE3Z works fine for me.

I recommend the Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V Energy Smart Electric Water Heater.