Rheem Professional Classic Plus® Power Direct Vent Water Heater

Sizing helps match the capacity of the hot water source to the needs of the homeowner. For tank water heaters, the key criterion is hot water storage capacity which is measured by First Hour Rating (FHR), as well as, number of users, bathroom and major appliance types, and usage style.

Establishing peak demand is measured in Gallons Per Hour (GPH). A tank water heater is chosen based on the GPH evaluation to meet the demand of the household.

Choosing which fuel type depends largely on where you live. If you have access to natural gas, it can be a very fuel efficient way to go. If you live in outlying areas where natural gas isn’t available, then your home would be set up with an electric or propane tank water heater.

There are a number of different types of vents which can be used with a tank water heater. Ensuring the right type of vent is installed for the type of water heater you are fitting is important. Types of vents include atmospheric vents, direct vents, power vents, and direct power vents.

Water heaters are the second highest source of energy usage in the home. ENERGY STAR® certified water heaters are an easy choice for energy savings, performance, and reliability. They use less energy than standard models, saving homeowners money on their utility bills while helping protect the climate. Performance is measured by meeting the Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) criteria. 

The Anode Rod helps prevent corrosion inside the water tank. Anode rods will last four to six years before needing replacement. A Mixing Valve’s purpose is to ensure comfortable water temperatures. If you install a mixing valve and slightly increase the target temperature on the hot water tank, you can increase the capacity of your tank up to 50%.

A great warranty lets you enjoy your HVAC equipment with confidence. RUUD®, Rheem®, and HTP® build trusted reliability into every product, providing additional peace of mind with water heater warranty protection. Hot water tank warranties range from 6 years to lifetime limited warranties dependent on size, features and brand.

First Hour Rating is the number of gallons of hot water the water heater can supply per hour, starting with a full tank full of hot water.

Gallons Per Minute is a measurement to determine the amount of water a tank water heater is capable of heating at any given time.

Uniform Energy Factor is a measure of its energy efficiency, with higher numbers denoting more efficient units.

Recovery — A water heater’s recovery time (also called recovery rate) is the amount of hot water in gallons a tank water heater can provide in one hour after being completely drained.

British Thermal Units per Hour measure the required energy to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water from 60 to 61 degrees at one atmospheric pressure.

ATMOSPHERIC VENT — Standard atmospheric venting uses a vertical or upward sloping metal duct to vent exhaust out of the home.

DIRECT VENT — These types of water heaters bring in air for combustion from outside the home instead of using air from within the home.

POWER VENT — Power vent gas water heaters come with an electric blower fan installed on top of the unit. This requires an electrical outlet near the water heater.

DIRECT POWER VENT — Similar to direct venting, direct power venting uses a blower to pull in air from outside the home directly to the water heater to use for combustion.

Complete quote

Our Customer Care representatives will work with you to answer a few simple questions about your existing water heater and provide a complete quote including installation, gas piping, venting and other costs. This will provide you with the full price of the water heater, installed. We will provide this quote in writing via email.

Installation day

Water heaters can often be scheduled for same day installation. To protect your home, we take the time to protect the surrounding work area. We clean up after we install your water heater. Lastly, we inspect the new equipment with you and review proper maintenance procedures and warranty information.

The direct vent gas water heater looks like it has a pipe sticking out of its head. It is a gas water heater that has a venting pipe that goes right from the water heater out the side of the building or in some cases, up a chimney to a roof vent. So it “directly” vents right out of the house.

With its closed and tightly sealed exhaust system, the Rheem direct vent water heater sends one pipe through the wall outside to both draw in air for gas combustion and expel toxic exhaust. Combustion, in a water heater, is the burning of natural gas to heat water.

A gas water heater needs plenty of air for this combustion, and using air from the outside is energy efficient. The alternative would be for the water heater to draw air from inside the house, electricity, and/or gas to heat or cool. With the direct vent, you avoid this added fuel use and cost so your furnace or air handler doesn’t have to work as hard.

Usually, if you have a direct vent already installed, you will need to replace it with the same type of water heater. However if you are just getting gas to your home, our water heater specialists can work with you to determine which type of gas water heater is needed for your location and gas line size.

The Rheem power vent water heater is most often used in situations where a direct vent needs a longer distance to vent. That happens, for example, if the water heater is in the interior of the house, nowhere near an exterior wall, perhaps in a closet. Then you will need the power vent water heater. It has a powerful blower fan that can push the harmful exhaust gases out of the house through its vent. This can work at long distances of up to 100 feet, hence the name “power vent”.