State Water Heaters Review

An expert review of the gas and electric State water heaters. The review covers the best models, top features, and benefits. Find the Energy Star and condensing models for ultra-efficient water heating and great savings. Compare the 30-gal, 40-gal, and 50-gal models using an easy-to-read comparison chart.

Premier and Select State water heaters are two main brands, found among residential gas and electric tank-type units, where the Select series offers the widest selection.

The State manufacturer produces models which are high efficiency and recovery, including various customized models for special needs such as manufactured housing, tankless, condensing direct vent, and others.

Since the AO Smith company owns the State water heater, there are many quality features that both brands share. Blue Diamond glass coating, for example, is one of these superb features.

State water heaters: Things to consider

Advanced features found on tank-type models

• The Blue Diamond system is the high-quality glass coating used to protect the tank from corrosion.
• The Self-Cleaning State Turbo Coil dip tube is a technology that the State company utilizes to reduce the sediment build-up while keeping the heater's efficiency high, extending the tank's life, and saving you money.
• The Green Choice burner is an eco-friendly burner designed to reduce NOx emission so heaters can comply with the regional standards for low NOx requirements.
• FVIR or flammable vapor ignition resistance design is used for protection against the accidental ignition of flammable vapors outside the combustion chamber.
• The Intelli-Vent electronic gas control valve is the smart valve that guarantees accurate operation and helps in troubleshooting through the diagnostic system.
• A stainless steel core anode rod is used to protect the metal tank from corrosion.
• Energy-saving heat traps reduce energy loss.
• Thick foam insulation helps in reducing standby heat loss.
• A heavy-duty anode rod, which can be made of aluminum or magnesium, protects the metal tank from corrosive water action.
• The durable hot surface igniter is used for long life and service.

State gas models

As the major player in the heating industry, State Industries manufactures gas-fired water heaters that use both natural gas and propane.

State gas water heaters come from several categories; the advanced Premier line, economy Select, and on-demand or tankless group, including ultra-efficient models with condensing technology.

Premier models

Gas-powered water heaters from the Premier group are available in many different models and are found in four major groups based on the venting options.

Two State models are truly outstanding; the Premier Power Vent DV model is an ultra-efficient model with 96% thermal efficiency, similar to AO Smith Vertex 100 Power DV.

Another model, Premier Power Vent, is also highly efficient but with a slightly lower thermal efficiency of 90%. A fully submerged helical coil heat exchanger is what makes these water heaters unique.

Select models

The Select series provides the widest selection of residential gas heaters. These models are designed as atmospheric, direct, and power vent units and are produced in various tank sizes, from 40 to 100-gallon capacity, and for different applications.

Tankless

Tankless water heaters from State Industries can be found as the condensing and conventional, non-condensing models with the interior or exterior installation options. All the residential models with the maximum gas input of up to 199,900 BTU are high efficiency, and Energy Star qualified as the EF is 0.87 or higher.

State tankless water heaters heat water on-call, provide hot water in endless and continuous supply, and can be used from point-of-use service to whole-house use, as some units provide a water flow of up to 10 GPM.

State electric models

From the electric category, State Ind. produces three groups of tank-type water heaters:

• Premier
• Select
• Hybrid

Premier Self-Cleaning

State electric water heaters from the Premier group are models that operate with great performance and provide long life and reliable heating. This is possible due to the self-cleaning system, comprised of a special Turbo Coil dip tube with jet ports to reduce the sediment build-up.

This is the most efficient group from the conventional electric type heaters, and it comes with a 10-year warranty, which is the longest among all State electric models.

Select

The State Select electric group, like the Select gas family, is the widest group of water heating models, available in different sizes and efficiency. Models like high-efficiency, tall, short, and Lowboy, Tabletop, Junior, and point-of-use models can cover almost every residential application and family needs.

Hybrid

The highest efficiency group is a group of the heat pumps known as Premier Hybrid, the only electric water heaters from State that are ultra-efficient and Energy Star approved.

According to the manufacturer, these are expensive models, but with high energy efficiency and excellent performance, the payback period is very short 2-3 years.

About the State Industries manufacturer

The State Water Heater Company was founded in 1946 in Nashville, Tennessee, US. In 1948, the State manufacturer produced its first electric water heater and, in 1954, first gas-fired water heaters. With seven manufacturing plants and hundreds of distribution centers and contractors across the US, the State hot water heater manufacturer provides solid customer and technical support, parts availability, and warranty.

Today State Industries offers over 500 residential and commercial water heaters, tank type and tankless, and other water heating equipment like pump tanks, expansion tanks, etc.