DoesTheMath

AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-* vs ECOSENSE RHE50: which uses less energy?

At the high draw pattern the ECOSENSE RHE50 uses 212 therms a year and the AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-* 260 — 49 therms (19%) less, about 488 therms over ten years. Both are filed as a gas tank, so the comparison holds. Enter your ZIP below to price the difference.


Side by side

Compared within one class only: models filed as a gas tank at the high draw pattern.

Filed and computed figures
Figure AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-* ECOSENSE RHE50
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 0.65 0.8 (better)
Energy use per year (therms) 260 212 (better)
First hour rating (gal) 86 87
Rated storage volume (gal) 47 46
Installed cost range $1,834–$3,245 not published
ENERGY STAR certified not matched not matched
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-*: 260 therms a year ECOSENSE RHE50: 212 therms a year

AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-* — 260 therms a year ECOSENSE RHE50 — 212 therms a year

ECOSENSE RHE50 is 48 therms a year lower than AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-*.

DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

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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 ECOSENSE RHE50 if running cost matters most: it uses 49 therms less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the AMERICAN STANDARD WATER HEATERS GSN50T1-3-* if it is the one you can get installed sooner or for less — on the filed figures it has no advantage over the ECOSENSE RHE50.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 87 gallons of hot water — neither lists more. Check whether a 50-gallon heater is enough.

Each model on its own