Newly installed gas tank water heater with its flue, gas line and water connections
2 components covered

Field manual · Water Heater

Water heater brand families: A.O. Smith (State, American, Reliance, Lochinvar), Rheem (Ruud, Richmond, GE older), Bradford White (Jetglas) and store brands

Covers: US residential tank (gas and electric) water heaters under maker, sister and store brands, ~1998-2026; how to identify the builder from the rating plate.

Cross-checkedBrands: A.O. Smith, State, American, Reliance, U.S. Craftmaster, Lochinvar, Whirlpool, Kenmore, Rheem, Ruud, Richmond, GE, Bradford White, Jetglas2 components

Three companies build most US tank water heaters: A.O. Smith (with State, American Water Heaters, Reliance, U.S. Craftmaster and Lochinvar), Rheem (with Ruud and Richmond) and Bradford White (with Jetglas). Store names sit on top: Whirlpool tanks at Lowe's came from American Water Heater (A.O. Smith), GE tanks at Home Depot from Rheem (and from GE's own plant since 2022), Richmond at Menards from Rheem, and Kenmore from more than one maker. The rating plate tells you which.

Safety first

  • Gas valve, burner, pilot and venting repairs are blocked: diagnose and refer.
  • Electric elements and thermostats carry 240 V: caution, power off and verify dead before touching.

How it works

A.O. Smith bought State Industries (2001), American Water Heater and GSW (2006), Lochinvar and Takagi's North American business (2010-2011), plus Giant (Canada, 2021). Reliance and U.S. Craftmaster are also A.O. Smith names.

Plants printed on plates help: A.O. Smith and State = Ashland City, TN (largest plant); American = Johnson City, TN; Rheem = Montgomery, AL; Bradford White = Middleville, MI.

Rheem introduced Richmond in 1983 for hardware and home-center channels; Richmond's own site says Rheem builds it and it is sold mainly through Menards. Ruud water heaters are built in the same facilities as Rheem.

Jetglas began as a Day & Night product; Bradford White registered the Jetglas mark in 1976-77 and has built Jetglas tanks since. Bradford White also owns Laars, Niles Steel Tank and (2025) Bock.

Serial styles (decoders in brands.json): Rheem/Ruud/Richmond = month then year (MMYY) after any letters; A.O. Smith/State current = YYWW; American Water Heater = YY then month; Bradford White = year letter + month letter. A GE plate with a MMYY serial after letters is consistent with Rheem build.

Kenmore 153 is a Sears category code, not a builder code: references disagree (Rheem vs A.O. Smith/State), so use the plate's builder line and serial style.

Components & tests

Unlock all 2 components, specs, service mode and teardown

Full library + AI assistant + the OnCall Tech app for iPhone & Android. $34.90, one time.

Get lifetime access

Official manufacturer documentation

Always confirm values against the tech sheet for the exact model.

OnCall Tech is a reference tool for trained technicians and can make mistakes. Always disconnect power and confirm with the manufacturer's documentation before you work. © 2026 OnCall Tech. Original content; not a reproduction of any manufacturer document.Generic part photos (not of this brand): Newly installed gas tank water heater with its flue, gas line and water connections by Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Diagnostic guides for this appliance

Guide · Water Heater

Heat-pump (hybrid) water heater: slow recovery, noise, errors

Hybrids need enough room air and a clean air filter, a working condensate drain and the right mode. Many complaints are mode settings or a dirty filter. Refrigerant faults are sealed-system work.

5 steps ~60 minmoderate
Guide · Water Heater

Tankless water heater descaling (flush)

Scale insulates the heat exchanger, causing overheat codes and fluctuating temperature. Flush with a pump and descaling solution through the isolation valves.

5 steps ~75 mineasy
Guide · Water Heater

Hot water recirculation pump problems

Check timer/settings, check valves, air in the loop and the pump itself. On tankless units with built-in pumps, a recirculation code may point to air or a leak in the loop.

5 steps ~60 minmoderate

Other water heaters manuals

Manual · Water Heater

Rheem / Ruud / Richmond atmospheric gas tank with electronic thermopile control: quick sheet (diagnostic and electrical side)

Residential atmospheric-vent, standing-pilot gas tanks (Performance, Performance Plus, Professional Classic and the Ruud/Richmond equivalents, typically XG-prefix model numbers) built with the Guardian-style FVIR combustion chamber and a self-powered electronic gas control (White-Rodgers or Honeywell, depending on year). Power-vent and condensing Rheem tanks use different controls and are not covered here. Gas-side work (gas control, pilot, burner, thermopile replacement, venting) is diagnosis-and-refer only.

10 components8 common failuresRheem, Ruud, Richmond
Manual · Water Heater

A.O. Smith ProLine / Signature and State atmospheric gas tanks: quick sheet (diagnostic and electrical side)

Residential atmospheric-vent, standing-pilot FVIR gas tanks: A.O. Smith ProLine (plumber channel, e.g. GCR and GCG families), A.O. Smith Signature (sold at Lowe's) and comparable State models, with a thermopile-powered electronic gas control and status LED (Honeywell-type control on most current units). Power-vent, direct-vent and condensing models are excluded.

8 components7 common failuresA.O. Smith, State
Manual · Water Heater

Rinnai V-series non-condensing tankless (V53DeN, V65, V75, V94): quick sheet

Rinnai Value (V) series non-condensing gas tankless heaters: V53DeN (outdoor), V65eN/V65iN, V75eN/V75iN, V94eN/V94iN and their propane (P) versions. Water side, electrical side and diagnostics only; gas, burner and venting are referral items.

9 components7 common failuresRinnai
Water heater brand families: A.O. Smith (State, American, Reliance, Lochinvar), Rheem (Ruud, Richmond, GE older), Bradford White (Jetglas) and store brands · OnCall Tech