DoesTheMath

BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160 vs Richmond RTGH-S84I: which uses less energy?

At the high draw pattern the Richmond RTGH-S84I uses 176 therms a year and the BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160 178 — 2 therms (1%) less, about 19 therms over ten years. Both are filed as a gas tankless unit, 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 tankless unit at the high draw pattern.

Filed and computed figures
Figure BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160 Richmond RTGH-S84I
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 0.95 0.96 (better)
Energy use per year (therms) 178 176 (better)
Max flow (GPM) 4.6 4.6
Installed cost range $2,358–$3,405 $2,405–$3,460
ENERGY STAR certified not matched yes
On the market since not filed 2024-09-01
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160: 178 therms a year Richmond RTGH-S84I: 176 therms a year

BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160 — 178 therms a year Richmond RTGH-S84I — 176 therms a year

Richmond RTGH-S84I is 2 therms a year lower than BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160.

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 Richmond RTGH-S84I if running cost matters most: it uses 2 therms less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the BRADFORD WHITE T9800 SE 160 if it is the one you can get installed sooner or for less — on the filed figures it has no advantage over the Richmond RTGH-S84I.
  • Neither if you need more than 4.6 GPM at the same time — neither unit lists more. Check how to size a tankless unit by GPM.

Each model on its own