DoesTheMath

A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1** vs Midea MEWH28L82S1: which uses less energy?

At the low draw pattern the Midea MEWH28L82S1 uses 2,439 kWh a year and the A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1** 2,494 — 54 kWh (2%) less, about 542 kWh over ten years. Both are filed as an electric tank, so the comparison holds. Enter your ZIP below to price the difference.

Side by side

Compared within one class only: models filed as an electric tank at the low draw pattern.

Filed and computed figures
A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1** Midea MEWH28L82S1
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 0.9 0.92 (better)
Energy use per year (kWh) 2,494 2,439 (better)
First hour rating (gal) 44 45
Rated storage volume (gal) 26 26
Installed cost range not published not published
ENERGY STAR certified not matched not matched
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1**: 2,494 kWh a year Midea MEWH28L82S1: 2,439 kWh a year

A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1** — 2,494 kWh a year Midea MEWH28L82S1 — 2,439 kWh a year

Midea MEWH28L82S1 is 55 kWh a year lower than A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1**.

DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

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Enter your ZIP to price both units on the same rate where you live.

Reliability

Not published: Reliability, failure rates and each model’s actual warranty term.

The registries these figures come from certify energy performance under a federal test; none of them records how long a unit lasts or how often it fails, so this page does not rank the two on reliability.

What is here instead:

  • The filed efficiency, capacity and tank size of both models, side by side below.
  • The actual warranty term is printed in each model’s documentation, not in any registry.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick the Midea MEWH28L82S1 if running cost matters most: it uses 54 kWh less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the A. O. SMITH ENL-30 1** if it is the one you can get installed sooner or for less — on the filed figures it has no advantage over the Midea MEWH28L82S1.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 45 gallons of hot water — neither lists more. Check whether a 30-gallon heater is enough.

Each model on its own

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