#1 Home Improvement Retailer

Customer Reviews for Rheem Performance Platinum 50 Gal. Tall 12 Year 40,000 BTU Powered Damper Natural Gas Tank Water Heater

Internet #204318411

Model #XG50T12DM40U0

Store SKU #1000034939

  • Power Damper keeps more heat inside the tank, raising efficiency
  • 50-Gallon tank provides hot water for households with 3-5 people
  • Restricted in CA and UT – see disclaimer below

Customer Reviews

  • 4.2
    out of 1,142 reviews
  • 79% recommend this product
Filter by:
Showing 1-30 of 1,142 reviews
Avoid this pile!!
I bought this water heater thinking buying the top of line rheem water heater would be the way to go, Completely Wrong! It worked fine for almost a year and then it stared giving me an error code 6-3, requiring a restart. You can't just take the pile into home depot and return it, you have to talk to customer service and go through the steps to fix it. Which, each call will last your well over an hour. I've now replaced several pieces on the heater and the thing still doesn't work.
by
Response from RheemJan 26, 2024
Hi,

Thank you for this review. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope the issue has been resolved. The water heater you have reviewed includes a 12-year parts and tank warranty, as well as a 3-year full in-home labor warranty. If you still need assistance, please call Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.

Derius rheem
    1 found this review helpful
    Lasted 13 months
    Lasted just long enough to be out of the labor waranty. (12mo labor/3yr parts) I should also mention Rheem prorated the parts cost witch is laughable. My issues are the same as everyone else on here. Multiple issues with gas valve, vapor sensor etc. After contacting Rheem and learning I’d have to pay for the service call, I instead had a local Plumming company come to check it out. Only Rheem sells parts for their products. Will tell everyone I know to stay away from Rheem.
    by
    Response from RheemNov 7, 2022
    Hi Nate,

    Thank you for this review. We apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced with the performance of your water heater. The water heater that you have reviewed includes a 12-year parts and tank warranty, as well as a 3-year full in-home labor warranty. Please call our Technical Support team at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST at your earliest convenience. One of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you with you warranty coverage information.

    Derius rheem
      6 found this review helpful
      Don’t get rheemed
      My family owns rental properties. We have replaced four water heaters made by Rheem over the last few years and all of them have stopped working. The quality of Rheems gas water heaters is horrible.
      by
        12 found this review helpful
        I now have 2 of these in my house. As a DIY guy I liked the 12 year warranty and the smart home ...
        I now have 2 of these in my house. As a DIY guy I liked the 12 year warranty and the smart home connection. I can lower the temp during the night and raise it in the am to be ready for showers. I haven’t taken data, but the ability to reduce the temp has to save energy.
        by
        • Verified Purchase
        • Recommended
        5 found this review helpful
        Will not run without AC power. No way to light the pilot light or keep the pilot light lit witho...
        Will not run without AC power. No way to light the pilot light or keep the pilot light lit without house power. This should have been made clear by HD or Rheem. I turned off the power while it was running and it immediately went out. When I powered up I got 3 blue lights = flu stuck open. Cycling the on off fixed that problem and it is running fine now. My old gas heater ran without power. This new one is computerized and I'm a bit concerned about ongoing problems that will require service, service I likely won't be about to do. I replaced a 25 year old Rheem. The switch out was easy enough. The new one has much better insulation, my old one was always hot to the touch. I bought the Wifi module. Set up instructions were not good relating to the app and adding a device. I had to call for help. When adding a device the app takes you to your wifi networks, select the Econet one, then the back key. The pipe insulation provided is flammable. With my gas water heater I'm a bit concerned having it near the exhaust. The wall transformer wants to be permanently plugged in / attached via the center screw of the outlet cover, to prevent its unintentional removal. This basically prevents plugging in another 3 prong / grounded device plug. The ground portion of the other plug will not go all the way in. I may just cut the tab off and strap it. Knowing all this, if I had it to do it over, I would have stuck with my old dumb water heater that would run without AC power. Guess I have to buy a generator now in case I ever have no house current. :(
        by
          2 found this review helpful
          what you should know first.
          The flame vapor sensors are shipped out bad. I found out on Youtube that this is comon problem that obviously Reheem choses not to adress. Mine brand new never ran only test 8kohmes. I cant tell you how jacked up this is. PS don’t add the EcoNet I have leak probe elevated and has never touched any moisture but it always reports lead. Second iPhone app is worthless, it lets you set temp remotely but didn’t work. It says a temp so increases it by over ten degrees then wait the water heater doesn’t respond. Only way to get temp you want it unplug the EcoNet unit completely and uses dial. Glad I wasted extra money on this crap. Shame on HomeDepot not making their main product provider live up to the quality they promote
          by
          Response from RheemJan 6, 2020
          Hi Howard,

          We are sorry to hear you are not completely satisfied with your water heater. Please call Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you have.

          Jennifer rheem
            • Recommended
            15 found this review helpful
            Do not buy this Rheem. I installed on July 1st. The unit is now leaking water into the pan. E...
            Do not buy this Rheem. I installed on July 1st. The unit is now leaking water into the pan. Every time the burner starts up you can hear a drip and sizzle. So much for 12 year tank. I will update if Home Depot or Rheem remedy this issue.
            by
            Response from RheemOct 17, 2019
            Hi,

            After reviewing your customer service request it looks like we advised to have the water pressure checked. I will have one of our analysts reach out to you to follow-up.

            Jennifer rheem
              19 found this review helpful
              I installed it 7 days ago, it works as expected and the best part is it's an energy star appliance.
              I installed it 7 days ago, it works as expected and the best part is it's an energy star appliance.
              by
              • Verified Purchase
              • Recommended
              4 found this review helpful
              Just had this product installed less a week and very impressed with the performance and SMART fea...
              Just had this product installed less a week and very impressed with the performance and SMART features. My Kenmore corroded from the bottom and the replacement was on backorder. Sears allowed me to purchase another product and I chose the Rheem Platinum. I liked the gas saving feature of heating as needed and pilot shutoff. The other feature to protect the home is the water leak sensor which shuts the unit down until the issue is resolved. It also supports wifi for remote monitoring and leak alert. I'm very pleased with the hot water performance...it's hot and I've had to drop the setting down to the next lowest temperature which is hot but not scalding. So far I couldn't have made a better decision with this product. ⁰
              by
              • Verified Purchase
              • Recommended
              9 found this review helpful
              I purchased this water heater to replace my old water heater that was 12 years old and half its l...
              I purchased this water heater to replace my old water heater that was 12 years old and half its life was used with well water. I also was concerned it was past its time and could start leaking and had no pan under it. The new unit was easy to install, gas line port was the same height as the old one. This unit has a 12 year Rheem warranty and qualified for the 100.00 dollar energy rebate from the gas company making the purchase even better.
              by
                • Recommended
                3 found this review helpful
                Unbeknownst to me this unit needs an outlet and power so that it can vent. I didnt realize this. ...
                Unbeknownst to me this unit needs an outlet and power so that it can vent. I didnt realize this. I do NOT recommend this type. If power goes out then what??? HUGE dent.
                by
                • Verified Purchase
                16 found this review helpful
                Don't understand all the negative reviews. Replaced a 2006 Reliance gas WT (completely full of ...
                Don't understand all the negative reviews. Replaced a 2006 Reliance gas WT (completely full of sediment and only 14mins of blazing hot water before 100% cold water came out) with the Rheem. My brother and I picked up @ HD on sunday morning. 1.5 hours later we had the old WT completely removed and the Rheem set in place. Also added an expansion tank on the cold water side (also purchased at HD. Used sharkbite ball valve to replace the leaking gate valve (only lived in our new house for 10 months before the Reliance crapped out). Speaking of gate valves, I've been replacing all the gate valves in my plumping system with shark bite ball valves. I even flushed the tank (Reliance) within the first 4 months of living there and was shocked with all the sediment that came out, clogged up our drain hose multiple times (my guess the anode rod had been eaten up for the last few years). Back to the install. Used SS braided flex lines to connect the hot and cold water connections, flex lines make it very easy since you don't have to perfectly match the soldered lines. We upgraded from a 40gal to a 50gal and had to set the new WH back about 6in further into utility room. The flex lines made this very easy. Also picked up and installed the Rheem WIFI module at the same time. I tested the leak detector and it worked as it should. All and all the install was very easy, why pay a plumber to install when you can save yourself almost $1k off the total price. I highly recommend the Rheem Platinum Series water heater. Love the electronic flu dampener!
                by
                  • Recommended
                  9 found this review helpful
                  I picked out this water heater to replace a Kenmore unit that had developed a small leak. It was...
                  I picked out this water heater to replace a Kenmore unit that had developed a small leak. It was in stock at my local Home Depot allowing me to get it ordered online, picked up and installed myself in only a couple hours. The electronic valve and control is nice for energy efficiency, even if the price increase over the non-energy star rated version won't be recuperated for quite a few years. I also added on the Econet sensor allowing me to further save some energy and monitor for future leaks. A hopefully unnecessary expense, but one that gives peace of mind. I installed this unit with a braided flex hose, brass valve and SharkBite fittings, so no soldering was needed and it has been completely leak free for the last month.
                  by
                  • Verified Purchase
                  • Recommended
                  5 found this review helpful
                  I am very disappointed. we live in Florida and often lose our power. the one good thing we had ...
                  I am very disappointed. we live in Florida and often lose our power. the one good thing we had was our hot water remaining on because it worked on gas. this water heater does not let a gas hot water work without electric. there should be a way to over ride the system if the power is turned off. who cares that it is efficient if it does not work.
                  by
                  • Verified Purchase
                  19 found this review helpful
                  I’ve ordered the item online and pickup locally at Home Depot store. The next day, I hired profes...
                  I’ve ordered the item online and pickup locally at Home Depot store. The next day, I hired professional to install the unit. Upon open the box, we found that the item has a big dented on the side of the unit. My first thought was to return the item, but the installer wanted to charge me for the trip. Upon the closer inspection, we determined that the dent was only cosmetic, so I proceeded to install the unit. It seemed to be ok, no leaks and produces hot water as expected. I, then, email Home Dopot to complain about the damage and had not gotten any reply, and that was on Nov 4th, 2018.
                  by
                  Response from RheemDec 16, 2018
                  Hi MT,

                  We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you are enjoying your new water heater, if you have any question or concerns about your heater please call Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.

                  Thank you,
                  Jennifer rheem
                    3 found this review helpful
                    We just had this heater installed by home depot last week. Scheduling the installation was quite ...
                    We just had this heater installed by home depot last week. Scheduling the installation was quite easy - home depot was the only company that could do the job within 24 hours. The plumbers showed up with a perfect-looking box, they opened it and the water heater had a massive dent. They called back the store (talking about West Madison) and they had only one other. So one of them went in, got the other one, he came back and there it was another heater with another huge dent. At that point it was late and the old heater had already been removed (and it was a late Friday afternoon), so they went ahead and installed it, claiming it should not affect the functionality. I then called the installer to get a discount. Originally they offered only a tiny discount but I was able to get a fair one after many phone calls. The installers (from Racine, WI) were amazing. They moved for several yards my 50 gallons old heater full of water since the drain was clogged. They also dealt with all sorts of weird issues (the previous water heater was 41 years old, and it was almost falling apart but still working). This new heater seems to work so far, so I can't complain about it (but I bet it won't last 41 years). Bottom line: if you buy one of these, make sure to really inspect it well before you carry it away...
                    by
                      • Recommended
                      6 found this review helpful
                      This is an excellent water heater. Our previous water heater was 18 years old and worked just fin...
                      This is an excellent water heater. Our previous water heater was 18 years old and worked just fine, so I thought. After replacing the old unit with this one, it was clear that the older unit was not heating as efficiently. This unit does require a 120 outlet since there is a valve that opens and closes electronically on the exhaust. Pair this unit with a Watts circulating pump and you have instant hot water at the furthest faucet.
                      by
                      Response from RheemAug 30, 2018
                      Hi,

                      Thank you for purchasing the Rheem Performance Platinum 50-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater and for taking time to write this review.

                      Glad to hear you are enjoying your new heater! If you ever have any questions or concerns please call Rheem Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.

                      Thank you again for choosing Rheem for your water heating needs!

                      Jennifer rheem
                      • Verified Purchase
                      • Recommended
                      1 found this review helpful
                      I purchased this gas water heater and installed it in August, 2018. At its lower temperature sett...
                      I purchased this gas water heater and installed it in August, 2018. At its lower temperature setting, the unit produces water that is hotter than my old unit produced at its maximum setting. I am quite pleased with the quality and efficiency of this unit. I had no problems installing it on my own. My only complaint is that the online documents that are linked to this unit are incorrect. The online documents (as of today) state that the unit produces 85 gallons of hot water in the first hour. The energy guide physically attached to the unit when I opened the box shows that it produces 72 gallons of hot water in the first hour.
                      by
                      Response from RheemAug 30, 2018
                      Hi Brian,

                      Thank you for purchasing the Rheem Performance Platinum 40-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater and for taking time to write this review.

                      Glad to hear installation was easy and you are enjoying your new heater! We will update the document online, thank you for bringing that to our attention. If you ever have any questions or concerns please call Rheem Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.

                      Thank you again for choosing Rheem for your water heating needs!

                      Jennifer rheem
                        • Recommended
                        5 found this review helpful
                        Bought the water heater on Friday, had it installed the following Tuesday, and discovered a leak ...
                        Bought the water heater on Friday, had it installed the following Tuesday, and discovered a leak at the bottom of the tank on Wednesday. Yep, brand new and defective. I should have listened to the other reviews. Now for the worse part. Called Rheem, who told me they'll have a technician call within 24 hrs. 24 hrs came and went so called Rheem back. They informed me the technician they assigned the job declined it due to a "lifting" restriction and furthermore they can't find any technician in our area (we live in Westminster, CO. a major suburb of Denver. REALLY!). So now I must locate a plumber, pay $800+ out of my pocket to remove the defective unit, return it to Home Depot and install the new unit - AND HOPE ITS NOT ANOTHER LEMON, and then submit a warranty reimbursement claim. Yep, I should have listed to the other reviews. On the bright side, Home Depot was helpful finding a plumber and supposedly the work will be done tomorrow. But no one wanted to deal with the Rheem warranty process. Take it for what its worth.
                        by
                        Response from RheemJun 25, 2018
                        Hi,

                        We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced and hope you are now enjoying your new water heater. Rheem, in efforts to serve our customers better, is growing our team of Area Service Providers in as many areas as possible. If you have any additional questions or concerns about your reimbursement please call Rheem Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.

                        Thank you,
                        Jennifer rheem
                          13 found this review helpful
                          Rheem saved my bath from permanent death!! After install of my new hot water heater, I was able ...
                          Rheem saved my bath from permanent death!! After install of my new hot water heater, I was able to get hot water within minutes. The entire 50GAL tank heated within almost 30 mins. I was in the tub soaking away any water heater miseries in no time! Thanks, Home Depot for such a great product!
                          by
                          • Verified Purchase
                          • Recommended
                          Only a few days old so I can't speak to the longevity but 3 stars because of some minor issues th...
                          Only a few days old so I can't speak to the longevity but 3 stars because of some minor issues that are unexcusable. The front removable plate to view the flame does not fit. It looks like the wires were improperly installed and prevents the plate from fully seating. The valve for over pressure protection is not in line with the tank so the pipe points off to the side. If it blows, it will dump all over the floor instead of the pan. Obviously I can fix that but it should not have left the facility like that. I hope that is not a sign of the overall quality of the product.
                          by
                          Response from RheemMay 15, 2018
                          Hi Eclay,

                          Thank you for purchasing the Rheem Performance Platinum 50-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater. Please call Rheem Technical Support at 866-279-4566 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.

                          Thank you again for choosing Rheem.

                          Jennifer rheem
                          • Verified Purchase
                          • Recommended
                          3 found this review helpful
                          The installation and start up were easy and the water heater has worked great so far - hot water ...
                          The installation and start up were easy and the water heater has worked great so far - hot water when we need it and easy to adjust. We also got a $70 rebate from our utility company for getting the energy star rated model.
                          by
                          • Verified Purchase
                          • Recommended
                          2 found this review helpful
                          Am up in the air on this product. Our old AO Smith unit died last Monday night -- of course in th...
                          Am up in the air on this product. Our old AO Smith unit died last Monday night -- of course in the middle of the night -- so we were in a pinch otherwise I'd have shopped around or check Consumer Reports. HD salesperson was friendly, product was easy enuf to install, is quiet, etc. but my issue is with the temperature. We used to get blazing hot water with our old unit in a micro-minute on a medium-low setting. With this Rheem, we have had to adjust the dial 3 times already (less than a week) and we are at 'C' now and get fairly hot water, but it is certainly not the level of hotness as described in the manual.
                          by
                            9 found this review helpful
                            So far so good!
                            So far so good!
                            by
                            • Verified Purchase
                            • Recommended
                            My 9 year old hot water heater just failed and leaked all over my basement causing extensive carp...
                            My 9 year old hot water heater just failed and leaked all over my basement causing extensive carpet damage. I went to Home Depot and decided on the XG50T12DM40U0 hot water heater. I was skeptical of purchasing a hot water heater that is reliant on power, but I figured at this point they should be reliable, plus it was Energystar Cert which allowed a $100 rebate through the gas company. I installed the hot water heater two days ago. Tonight I went to take a shower. NO HOT WATER! I just about blew a gasket after dealing with my flooded basement and now only 2 days after the hot water heater is installed it is not working! I looked at the flashing code. Three flashes, then pause. The code was damper is stuck open. Sure enough the damper was stuck open. I power cycled it to see if it could reset. No luck. I removed the housing to see if there was any kind of reset. No luck. I called Rheem to get some assistance. That was a mistake. The rep I talked to was not helpful at all. He told me that I would get a call from someone in the morning. When I asked about what time I would receive a call he said "in the morning". Well, is that 5 AM or 11:59 AM? I asked. He then raised his voice at me and told me "I have already told you, in the morning". Rheem support = Rhude. At that point I decided to go over to Home Depot where I purchased the hot water heater. I talked to one of the guys I know over there, he talked me down a bit, and I decided I will talk to a Rheem tech tomorrow (whatever time that will be). Bottom line, this $800 hot water heater failed with the damper stuck open after two days and is reliant on power to operate. Support at Rheem was terrible! My guy at Home Depot is the only positive of this whole experience. In the meantime, my family is without HOT WATER only two days after having this Rheem hot water heater installed. Unless they can come up with a very compelling reason why I should hold onto this hot water heater, and have an immediate fix, it's going back and I'm done with Rheem. One star is too high of a rating for this hot water heater or Rheem support.
                            by
                              15 found this review helpful
                              Exceed my expectation
                              I bought it on Saturday, May 27 and get installed the same day. This unit replaced my 5 years old Bradford-White which had already changed gas control unit and had only 6 years warranty. The
                              by
                              • Verified Purchase
                              • Recommended
                              As expected the unit heats water. So far so good after two months of service. Unit is quiet. E...
                              As expected the unit heats water. So far so good after two months of service. Unit is quiet. Easy to install with basic plumbing and electrical skills. Did not purchase WiFi option.
                              by
                              • Verified Purchase
                              • Recommended
                              Honest Review
                              We purchased this hot water just about a month ago and todate we are very pleased with this product. We hired a local plumbing company, not only to pick it up for us, but install at a very reasonable price.This hot water heater seems to be well designed and well put together. There is definitely a difference between this Energy Star model and our previous hot water heater. The Rheem is a little larger in diameter and slightly taller. I really like the automatic damper on the flue pipe, this really helps with keeping the heat in the tank. At no time can you ever feel any heat transfer from the hot water to the outside of the metal tank. The water heats very quickly and you seldom see or hear the heater reheating the water. I also like the electric gas valve on the Rheem, it automatically started the burner as soon as it was plugged in, when it was first put to use, rather trying to light the pilot and thermocouple. I would definitely recommend this unit to others. Lastly, our energy company offers a rebate when you purchase an Energy Star unit.
                              by
                              • Verified Purchase
                              • Recommended
                              Excellence in Design and Quality
                              This is the best water heater I ever purchased and installed! The engineering is state of the art and surpasses any water heater on the market by far! No pilot light to waste energy, the thermostat can actually be set to a specific temperature instead of the old fashioned, Warm, Hot, Very Hot settings. The flue damper is 24volt so it closes when the burner cuts off to keep the heat in the flue stack! The 12 year warranty is also a big plus that comes with this model.
                              by
                              • Verified Purchase
                              • Recommended
                              great heat supply for a family of 2-4
                              it has been working good for close to a year with no complaints
                              by
                                • Recommended
                                Showing 1-30 of 1,142 reviews

                                Frequently Bought Together

                                Top Rated
                                +
                                +
                                Price:
                                $1069.00

                                Compare Similar Items