Best 75 and 80 Gallon Water Heaters

Large-capacity tanks are almost always an electric answer to a recovery problem. On gas you would never need 80 gallons for a household that a 50-gallon gas tank serves with a 91-gallon first-hour rating. So this page is really about electric, and about whether storage or efficiency is the better place to spend.

Quick picks

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Ranked picks with what each one is best for, our score and a link to check the current price on Amazon.

#	Product	Best for	Price
1	Rheem Professional Classic 80 gal electricThe big resistance tank: 80 gallons of storage and a 78-gallon first-hour rating, which is how you cover a six-person household when gas is not an option and a heat pump will not fit.	Large households on electric only	Check price on Amazon No live price feed on this site, so we show none. #ad
2	A. O. Smith Voltex MAX, 66 galAn 83-gallon first-hour rating at a 3.84 UEF — the heat pump water heater for a household that runs several showers back to back and still wants the running cost of a heat pump.	Largest first-hour rating	Check price on Amazon No live price feed on this site, so we show none. #ad
3	A. O. Smith Voltex AL, 66 galThe efficiency leader on this page at 4.02 UEF, in the capacity that suits a five- or six-person household, with a heavy-duty anode rated to protect the tank for 10 years.	Highest published heat pump efficiency	Check price on Amazon No live price feed on this site, so we show none. #ad

The picks in full

Pick 1 — Large households on electric only

Rheem Professional Classic 80 gal electric

The big resistance tank: 80 gallons of storage and a 78-gallon first-hour rating, which is how you cover a six-person household when gas is not an option and a heat pump will not fit.

Published specifications for the Rheem Professional Classic 80 gal electric

Capacity	80 gallons
First-hour rating	78 gallons
Elements	4.5 kW, 2 elements
Voltage	240 V
Efficiency	0.93 UEF

What is good

• +Storage volume does the work that electric recovery cannot
• +78 gallons in the first hour genuinely covers four back-to-back showers
• +Simple: two elements, two thermostats, parts available everywhere
• +Nothing to service annually

What is not

• −Physically large — it will not fit where a 50-gallon tank fit
• −80 gallons of standby loss, every hour of every day
• −First-hour rating is lower than its own capacity, which tells you how slow the recovery is

Skip it if: Skip it if the space is tall enough for an 80-gallon heat pump model. You are choosing the version of the same tank that costs roughly three times as much to run, for no gain other than a lower sticker price.

Check price on Amazon

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Specifications above from Ferguson listing, Rheem Professional Classic 80 gal electric. We have not tested this unit ourselves.

Pick 2 — Largest first-hour rating

A. O. Smith Voltex MAX, 66 gal

An 83-gallon first-hour rating at a 3.84 UEF — the heat pump water heater for a household that runs several showers back to back and still wants the running cost of a heat pump.

Published specifications for the A. O. Smith Voltex MAX, 66 gal

Capacity	66 gallons
First-hour rating	83 gallons
Efficiency	3.84 UEF
Certification	ENERGY STAR certified

What is good

• +83 gallons in the first hour beats an 80-gallon resistance tank
• +3.84 UEF is still roughly four times a resistance tank
• +66 gallons of storage plus fast recovery is the combination big households actually need
• +ENERGY STAR certified for rebate eligibility

What is not

• −Lower UEF than the Voltex AL at the same capacity — you are trading some efficiency for delivery
• −Large footprint
• −Wholesale distribution

Skip it if: Skip it if two people live in the house. You would be buying 66 gallons and an 83-gallon first-hour rating to serve a demand a 50-gallon unit covers, and paying standby losses on the difference every day for a decade.

Check price on Amazon

No live price feed on this site, so we show none. #ad

Specifications above from First Supply listing, A. O. Smith HPTA-66 Voltex MAX. We have not tested this unit ourselves.

Pick 3 — Highest published heat pump efficiency

A. O. Smith Voltex AL, 66 gal

The efficiency leader on this page at 4.02 UEF, in the capacity that suits a five- or six-person household, with a heavy-duty anode rated to protect the tank for 10 years.

Published specifications for the A. O. Smith Voltex AL, 66 gal

Capacity	66 gallons
Efficiency	4.02 UEF
Anode	Heavy-duty, rated to protect the tank for 10 years
Warranty	10-year limited
Certification	ENERGY STAR certified

What is good

• +4.02 UEF is the highest figure of any unit in this registry
• +66 gallons removes the recovery anxiety that a 50-gallon heat pump creates in a big household
• +The 10-year anode is a real durability claim, not a marketing one
• +ENERGY STAR certification keeps it inside most utility rebate lists

What is not

• −66 gallons is a tall, wide cabinet — measure the space before you order
• −Sold mainly through wholesale, so availability is slower than big-box
• −Published first-hour rating is not listed for the AL model; the Voltex MAX at the same capacity is rated at 83 gallons

Skip it if: Skip it if your install space is a closet. A 66-gallon heat pump needs air volume to work, and starving a heat pump water heater of air is how you end up running on the backup element and paying resistance rates for a premium appliance.

Check price on Amazon

No live price feed on this site, so we show none. #ad

Specifications above from Auer Steel listing, A. O. Smith HPTS-66 Voltex AL; A. O. Smith Voltex AL introduction. We have not tested this unit ourselves.

The comparison that should decide this

A 66-gallon heat pump beats an 80-gallon resistance tank on delivery and uses a quarter of the electricity. It is smaller in volume and, depending on the model, comparable or larger in footprint. If you have the air volume and a condensate drain, the choice is not close.

When a big resistance tank is genuinely right

• No space with air volume. A heat pump water heater in a sealed closet runs on its backup resistance element, which means you paid a premium for a resistance tank.
• No condensate drain and no route for one. Heat pumps make condensate continuously.
• Noise matters. Directly below a bedroom, a compressor and a fan are a real problem.
• Lowest purchase price now. A legitimate constraint, and worth naming rather than pretending away.

The physical reality at this size

• It will not fit where a 50-gallon tank fit. Measure height and diameter before ordering.
• It needs a 26-inch drain pan rather than 22. Drain pan sizing.
• Full, it weighs well over 800 pounds. On a suspended floor that is a structural question.
• In a seismic jurisdiction, confirm the strap kit is rated for the capacity — the HoldRite kits cover up to 80 gallons.

The alternatives worth pricing

1. A 66 to 80 gallon heat pump water heater. Better delivery, a quarter of the running cost. Best heat pump water heaters.
2. Gas tankless, if you have gas. It never runs out, which is the actual complaint in most large households. Best tankless water heaters.
3. Two 50-gallon tanks in series. Roughly doubles first-hour delivery. Doubles standby loss and maintenance too.
4. A 50-gallon gas tank. If gas is available at all, a 91-gallon first-hour rating from a far smaller cabinet is hard to beat.

How we chose

Published first-hour rating against capacity, then efficiency, then install burden. We deliberately ranked heat pump units alongside the resistance tank rather than separately, because at this capacity that is the decision a buyer is actually making. We have not tested these units. How we pick.