Rheem RTE 18 Electric Tankless Water Heater, 5 GPM

Friday, March 30, 2012

Product Details

Shipping Weight: 11.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.

ASIN: B003UHUSHA

Item model number: RTE 18

By : Rheem
Price : $457.97
You Save : $686.03 (60%)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Continuous hot water on demand. 5 GPM. Ideal for point-of-use applications. Compact design fits almost anywhere. 18 kw, 240 v.
Ideal for Point-of-Use Applications Continuous Hot Water on Demand Energy Efficient Compact Design - Fits Almost Anywhere On-Unit Temperature Control LEDs Indicate Active Element and Standby Mode Standard 1/2" Water Connection Rugged Brass/Copper Heat Exchanger Applications Homes Apartments Condos Hospitals Hotels Boats Restaurants Offices Laboratories ...anywhere hot water is needed! Model: RTE 18 Length: 10-1/2 Width: 11-1/4 Weight: 12 ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS KW: 18 VOLTS: 240 REQ.Breaker: (2)40 MAX POWER(AMP): 75 AWG WIRE: (2)8 Minimum Activation Flow rate(GPM): 0.4 Maximum Flow Rate(GPM): 5

Technical Details

On-unit temperature control

LEDs indicate active element and standby mode

Standard 1/2" water connection

Rugged brass/copper heat exchanger

Modulating power

Rheem RTE 18 Electric Tankless Water Heater, 5 GPM

Customer Reviews

First, the wiring info on the package is wrong, on all the Rheem boxes, so, the 1st one I ordered, the RTE 18, seemed to be defective, as well as this smaller one. Once I found that the wiring called for TWICE the amperage than was listed I finally got hot water. That was a rigamorole hopefully no-one else goes through if they read this.
My complaint with it has more to do with my choice at this point, and the misleading GPM. The 18 had 4 heater elements in it and was listed as a 5 GPM unit. This 13 is listed as a 2.8 and has 2 elements, do the math yourself there. It does not provide a hot shower out of a 2.5 GPM faucet. I wish I had kept the bigger one as it is more in line with powering my PUNY apartment. The 5 GPM would've been adequate enough to allow a sink to run along with a shower and still get hot.
This one, is really for a point of use application, I am having to go to a 1.75 GPM outlet on my shower to compensate for this one. In the end I'll save a bunch on the electric bill and conserve a bunch of water. Yay for the planet, not so great for my thirst for a great shower.
IF the unit last's, however, my overall satisfaction will be great after the mental adjustment. The HUGE thing you have to factor in the cost of going tankless electric is the Water Softener you MUST add to this in most environments with HARD WATER. Hard water will ruin these units faster than you can shake a stick if you don't put a softener in line ahead of it. The heat activates the calcium and will stick to the internal heating elements and break it if not. That is a big expense that the manufacturer doesn't care to stress to you. Of course, the benefits of soft water are very nice also. Luckily, I was able to find a good used softener. There is a LOT more than meets the eye with these, no matter who makes them. This Rheem, internally, doesn't seem to be anything special, but, then again, they may make the cheapest unit despite having the Rheem name. The markdown is about right in terms of value, whereas the other manufactures are WAY overpriced IMO. Get a bigger unit than you think you need and put a softener in line, a real one, no an electronic gizmo, it needs to be a salt using system, don't ask why, just do it.