State Select 40-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater

The State Select 40-Gallon Natural Gas is a residential atmospheric gas tank manufactured by AO Smith and sold under the State brand. Smaller-capacity sibling of the State Select 50-gallon. State is AO Smith's mid-tier brand sold primarily through plumbing supply houses and hardware stores, less commonly at the big-box channels.

Specs: 40,000 BTU input, UEF 0.60, 71-gallon first-hour rating, 6-year tank and parts warranty. Atmospheric vent through B-vent. Standard residential gas control valve with electronic ignition. Self-cleaning dip tube on premium sub-models, magnesium anode rod, polyurethane foam insulation.

The State Select branding identifies the mid-tier positioning. AO Smith's higher tier is State Premier (longer warranty); lower tier is State ProLine (commercial-leaning value). The Select sits in the middle at the price-quality balance most plumber-installer channels prefer for routine residential replacements.

Right buyer: plumber doing the install through their plumbing-supply-house relationship, mid-market 40-gallon replacement. About $499 plumber-channel, $1,150 plumber-installed. For homeowner DIY purchase, State availability through hardware-store channels varies by region; Home Depot does not stock State, while Ace Hardware and True Value locations often do.