Press Release

Rheem Eclipse Electric Commercial Water Heater Offers The Industry's First 10-Year Tank Warranty

October 3, 2003 | Las Vegas, NV --For the first time ever, a water heater manufacturer is offering a premium-grade commercial water heater with a 10-year warranty on its storage tank at no extra charge. This unprecedented warranty is more than three times the duration of the standard commercial water heater warranty.
Introduced at the 2003 ISH-North America trade fair in Las Vegas, the new Rheem-Ruud ECLIPSE™ Heavy Duty Commercial Electric Water Heater will deliver huge cost savings for the end user, according to David R. Martin, vice president of marketing for Rheem Water Heaters. “Under normal circumstances, that end user would have to purchase three conventional commercial electric water heaters during that same 10-year span. Each of the two replacements would cost upwards of $2,000 plus an equivalent amount for the installation. That’s no small consideration for any commercial establishment, especially those that must employ multiple commercial units to meet their hot-water needs.”
Eclipse is backed by this lengthy warranty because its storage tank is made entirely of a durable polymer plastic that is impervious to the kinds of rust and corrosion that sharply curtail the lives of conventional commercial water heaters.
Eclipse’s seamless, blow-molded polybutylene tank needs no anode rod, which averts any potential odor problems due to the chemical makeup of the local water supply.
SAME FOOTPRINT, HALF THE WEIGHT: The Eclipse also offers significantly lighter weights than conventional models in the heavy duty commercial electric category. The 85-gallon model weighs 165 pounds versus 280 to 450 pounds for competitive units. The 105-gallon Eclipse tips the scales at 180 pounds versus 385 to 595 for other models in the category. While its overall dimensions are comparable to competitive water heaters, the huge difference in weight makes the Eclipse much easier to maneuver through stairwells, doorways, hallways and into the tight spaces that so often found in commercial applications.
Other key features include:
• Molded polyethylene outer jacket: Consisting of multiple layers of filament-wound fiberglass, this all-plastic jacket is strong enough to resist dents, dings and scratches during transit, installation and usage.
• Energy-saving performance: Thanks to extra foam insulation from top to bottom, heat loss from the tank is reduced. In addition, Smart Element design causes the four elements to fire not at once, but in sequence as hot water is needed. Both innovations help lower operating costs for the end user.
• System Sentinel™ diagnostics take the time and the guesswork out of installation and trouble-shooting. The patented System Sentinel’s LED information panel verifies operational sequence and provide a ready alert to potential problems. Its glowing LED lights also pinpoint non-functioning elements, enabling the installer or service technician to get the job done faster, yet fully confident that the unit is working right.
SPECIFICATIONS: The new Eclipse has kilowatt inputs of 12.4, 18 and 24, which are equivalent to gas inputs of 42,309, 61,420 and 81,893 BTU per hour, respectively. Available voltages are 208, 240, 277 and 480. Recovery capacities range from 55 gallons to 110 gallons per hour at a temperature rise of 100°F. Both thermostats are surface-mounted and have a maximum temperature of 170°F.

RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, headquartered in New York City, is a leading producer of residential and commercial water heaters, with manufacturing operations on three continents, and one of North America’s leading producers of heating and air-conditioning equipment for residential and commercial applications. In addition to Rheem and Ruud brand water heaters and HVAC equipment for the wholesale channel, the company also makes and markets Raypak brand pool and spa heaters as well as Raypak boilers.

Contact:

Laura Butler
Marketing Communications Manager
laura.butler@rheem.com