Reliance 6 50 NORT 50-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater

The Reliance 6 50 NORT is a 50-gallon residential natural gas atmospheric water heater built by AO Smith and sold under the Reliance brand. Reliance is AO Smith's budget subsidiary, positioned below the main AO Smith line at lower price points with shorter warranties — typically marketed through hardware stores, plumbing supply houses, and the Lowe's value tier rather than the higher-margin big-box channels.

Specs: 40,000 BTU input, UEF 0.58, 81-gallon first-hour rating, 6-year tank warranty (the "6" in "6 50 NORT" identifies the 6-year warranty class). Atmospheric vent through B-vent. Standard residential gas control with electronic ignition, magnesium anode rod.

The Reliance is to AO Smith approximately what the Fury is to Rheem — entry-level value positioning with adequate engineering and minimal feature set. The build is genuinely AO Smith-quality on the core components (burner, tank lining, gas control) with simpler external features and shorter warranty terms.

Right buyer: rental property landlords, vacation homes used 4–6 weeks per year, budget-constrained primary-residence replacements where the $150–$250 saving versus the AO Smith Conservationist matters for the immediate cash outlay. For households planning to stay 10+ years, the upgrade to the Conservationist (longer warranty) or the Rheem Performance Platinum (12-year warranty) usually pays back through avoiding a mid-life replacement.

About $449 unit at hardware stores and plumbing supply houses, $1,150 installed. The unit is built on the same factory line as the AO Smith ProMax with cosmetic differences and shorter warranty paperwork. Parts service goes through AO Smith's network with the Reliance model number used for identification.