State Premier 50-Gallon Electric Water Heater

The State Premier 50-Gallon Electric is AO Smith's higher-tier State-branded electric tank, sitting above the State Select and matching AO Smith's Signature Premier line in engineering. 12-year warranty on tank and parts versus 6-year for State Select.

Specs: 50 gallons stored, two 4500W heating elements, UEF 0.93, 62-gallon first-hour rating, 12-year tank and parts warranty. ENERGY STAR certified. Glass-lined steel tank with self-cleaning dip tube, dual magnesium anode rods (versus single in Select), polyurethane foam insulation. Available through plumbing supply houses.

The Premier line provides the same engineering as AO Smith Signature Premier through the plumber-channel State brand. Plumbers buying through plumbing-supply distributor receive State Premier at slightly different pricing than AO Smith Signature Premier at Lowe's. The hardware is functionally equivalent — same factory, same internals.

Right buyer: plumber doing the install with State Premier in their supply-house relationship, or homeowner who prefers the State branding through dealer channels. About $699 plumber-channel, $1,300 plumber-installed. The 12-year warranty matches the major mainstream tier; the State Premier is a Premier-tier product without the Lowe's-channel pricing.