Richmond Encore 50-Gallon Atmospheric Natural Gas Water Heater
Richmond Encore 50-Gallon Atmospheric Natural Gas Water Heater Review
The Richmond Encore 50-Gallon Atmospheric Natural Gas is a value-tier 50-gallon gas tank sold at Home Depot under the Rheem-owned Richmond brand. Sits above Richmond Essential and below Rheem Performance in the Home Depot value tier hierarchy.
Specs: 40,000 BTU input, UEF 0.60, 81-gallon first-hour rating, 8-year tank and 6-year parts warranty (the 8-year tank length is the meaningful upgrade over Richmond Essential's 6-year). Atmospheric vent. Self-cleaning dip tube on premium sub-models.
The Encore positioning fills the gap between the entry-tier Richmond Essential and the next-tier Rheem Performance. The 8-year tank warranty is the differentiator — buyers wanting longer warranty than the 6-year value tier but not stepping up to the 12-year Performance Platinum tier.
Right buyer: longer-than-rental ownership horizon (7-9 years), budget-constrained but not bottom-tier. About $599 at Home Depot, $1,300 installed. For longer primary residence horizons, the upgrade to Rheem Performance Platinum (12-year warranty) usually pays back; for shorter horizons, Richmond Essential is the cheaper choice.
- Natural gas combustion — faster recovery than electric resistance at comparable tank size
- 50-gallon capacity — right-sized for 3–4 person households with standard usage patterns
- Below-average UEF 0.62 — modern standard models reach 0.65+, condensing 0.95+
- Atmospheric venting requires vertical B-vent — less routing flexibility than power-vent or condensing alternatives