A. O. SMITH UPVA-55Y 1**
0.93 UEF DOE CCD · 2026-09-19Grade F: where this UEF sits among the 271 models in its class, lowest (G) to highest (A). A position, not an official label. How the grade is set
An electric tankless unit, very small draw pattern (small units - a single bathroom, or a point-of-use heater under a sink).
If you are checking the A. O. SMITH UPVA-55Y 1**: it uses 635 kWh of electricity a year at the very small draw pattern, the standard daily hot-water usage DOE tests against. That is 20 kWh above the class median of 615 kWh among 271 electric tankless models at that pattern.
Energy use per year
635 kWh a year
Computed by this site from the registry's UEF and the federal test's daily hot-water draw for this draw pattern. What it costs depends on the electricity rate where you live.
That is above the median of 615 kWh for the 271 models registered in the same heater type and draw pattern; it ranks 218 of 271, lowest energy first.
Solid line: this model (635 kWh). Dashed line: the class median.
Min 562 kWh Median 615 kWh Max 649 kWh
What it costs to run where you live
What the registry files
- UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) how much hot water you get for each unit of energy the heater uses
- 0.93 DOE CCD · 2026-09-19 Compared only with other models registered as an electric tankless unit at the very small draw pattern.
- Draw Pattern the standard daily usage profile DOE tests the unit against
- Very small DOE CCD · 2026-09-19
- Maximum Gallons Per Minute how many gallons a minute it can heat while running continuously
- 0.5 gal/min DOE CCD · 2026-09-19
What it costs to install
$1,297–$1,766 installed
Not a quote — a modeled range of what installers have charged for this class of unit; your price will vary with labor rates, access, and local code requirements.
Escalation indexes: equipment (BLS PPI) latest available: August 2026; labor (BLS ECI) latest available: April 2026 to June 2026.
NLR REMDB (BLS PPI/ECI escalated) · 2026-04-01Safety record
No CPSC recall names this model.
Checked against the CPSC recall database. CPSC does not publish a model-level match for this product category, so this list is curated by hand from the manufacturer's recall filings.
CPSC · 2026-09-24What these figures mean
How this compares
The closest models in the same class — same fuel, type and draw pattern.
Keep going
How every figure on this page is calculated
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Find what replaces your water heater
Enter the model number off your old unit and see what is on file today, with the yearly cost difference.
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Find a water heater that fits
Three questions — fuel, hot water need, install space — narrow every model on file to the ones that fit.
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What a water heater costs to run
Prices a unit's efficiency against your own utility's filed tariff for your ZIP code.
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How to size a tankless water heater by GPM
Answered from what models in this size actually file.
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Water heaters
Every model on file with the Department of Energy, by heater type.
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All electric tankless water heaters
Electric instantaneous units, sized by flow rate rather than tank gallons.
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Every A. O. SMITH model on file
What this brand files, by heater type.
UEF 0.93 · Grade F Price it on your ZIP
The figure of 635 kWh is computed by this site, not published by the registry. It combines the registry's UEF, the ratio of hot water delivered to energy used, of 0.93 with the DOE test's daily hot-water draw for the very small draw pattern. The source is DOE CCD, retrieved 2026-09-19. The registry lists the maximum flow rate in gallons per minute as 0.5. The method behind the annual calculation is documented on its own page. The figure applies only to this draw pattern. A household that uses more or less hot water than the test assumes would see a different annual total.
This model ranks 218th lowest in energy use among 271 models registered as an electric tankless unit at the very small draw pattern, which puts it in the highest quarter of its class for energy use. Its 635 kWh sits 20 kWh above the class median of 615 kWh. The draw pattern describes small units, such as a single bathroom or a point-of-use heater under a sink, so that gap of 20 kWh is the number to compare against other models in the same class. Whether the gap matters in practice depends on the local electricity rate, and this page holds no estimate of that.
Running cost is not stated here because it depends on your own utility electricity tariff. Multiply 635 kWh by your rate per kilowatt-hour, or use the cost calculator on your own ZIP, which does this for you. A modeled installed-cost range appears in its own block on this page with its source and date. It is not a quote and is not repeated here. If the household's hot-water use is larger than the very small draw pattern, the 635 kWh does not apply, and the water heater selector filters by fuel, space and size. To compare against another unit in the same class, find a same-class replacement by model number. Annual energy for other draw patterns is not available for this model on this page.
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19