If you own a house, you own a water heater. You probably don't spend much time thinking about the water heater until, one morning, you go to take a shower and there's no hot water. Then you probably think about it a lot.

And if you're the curious sort, the following water-heater question may have crossed your mind: "How can the water stay hot if cold water comes in as soon as you start using the hot water?"

Inside a Water Heater

If you were to cut a water heater in half, you would find that it looks something like this (electric on the left, gas on the right):

A gas water heater is nearly identical to an electric water heater, except that it does not contain the two heating elements, but instead has a gas burner at the bottom, with the chimney running up through the middle of the tank.

A water heater consists of the following parts, as shown in the figure above:

• A heavy inner steel tank that holds the hot water
  

  Typically, this tank holds 40 to 60 gallons. It has to be able to hold the pressure of a residential water system, which typically runs at 50 to 100 pounds per square inch (psi). The tank is tested to handle 300 psi. The steel tank normally has a bonded glass liner to keep rust out of the water.

• Insulation surrounding the tank
• A dip tube to let cold water into the tank
• A pipe to let hot water out of the tank
• A thermostat to control the temperature of the water inside the tank (Many electric water heaters have a separate thermostat on each element.)
• Heating elements to heat the water (These are the thick electric elements similar to those you see inside an electric oven.)
• A drain valve that allows you to drain the tank to replace the elements or move the tank
• A pressure relief valve (This is an important safety feature that keeps the tank from exploding.)
• A sacrificial anode rod to help keep the steel tank from corroding

6 or 10-Year Limited Tank Warranties / 6-Year Limited Warranty on Component Parts.
For more information on warranty, please visit www.bradfordwhite.com

Residential Upright
Energy Saver Electric Water Heater

The Upright Electric Models Feature:

• DOE—All residential storage models meet or exceed efficiency
  requirements of the Department of Energy, ASHRAE Standard 90.1 b
  (current standard) and the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of
  1987 recent amendment effective January 20, 2004 which supercedes all
  state and local efficiency requirements.
• Fully Automatic Controls—Fast acting surface-mount thermostats for
  automatic temperature control. Factory installed sensitive manual reset
  energy cutoff for safety to prevent overheating.
• Direct Heat Transfer With Immersed Elements—Transfers heat directly
  and efficiently to the water. Screw-in style.
• Factory Installed Hydrojet® Total Performance System—Cold water inlet
  sediment reducing device helps prevent sediment build up in tank. Increases
  first hour delivery of hot water while minimizing temperature build up in tank.
• Vitraglas® Lining—Bradford White tanks are lined with an exclusively
  engineered formula that provides superior protection from the highly corrosive
  effects of hot water. This formula (Vitraglas®) is fused to the steel surface by
  firing at a temperature of over 1600ºF.
• 2" Non-CFC Foam Insulation—Covers the sides and top of the tank,
  reducing the amount of heat loss. This results in less energy consumption,
  improved operation efficiencies and jacket rigidity.
• Water Connections— 3⁄4" NPT factory installed true dielectric fittings
  extend water heater life and eases installation (M-2-120R has 1" NPT
  dielectric waterway fittings).
• Factory Installed Heat Traps—Design incorporates a flexible disk that
  reduces heat loss in piping and eliminates the potential for noise generation
  (Except M-2-120R).
• Protective Magnesium Anode Rod—Provides added protection against
  corrosion for long trouble-free service.
• Simultaneous and Non-Simultaneous Operation Available—
  Simultaneous operation indicates when both elements (if equipped) are
  being heated at the same time. Non-Simultaneous operation indicates when
  one element is being heated at a time.
• Voltages Available—120V, 208V, 240V, 277V, 480V.
• Single Phase or Three Phase Operation Available—277V may only be
  wired for single phase operation.
• T&P Relief Valve Included—All models have special tapping on top of
  tank.
• Brass Drain Valve—Tamper proof design.
• Design evaluated by UL in accordance with Part 280.707(d) of HUD
  Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards for Energy Efficiency.