Reading through hundreds of verified Rheem RTEX-24 reviews reveals a much richer, more honest picture than any single star rating can capture. Real owners describe genuine successes, genuine frustrations, and the specific circumstances that separated one outcome from the other. Here’s the roundup, organized by theme, using their own words wherever possible.
Across more than 4,000 verified Amazon reviews (4.2 out of 5 stars) and 2,814 Home Depot reviews (3.9 out of 5 stars), Rheem RTEX-24 owners most consistently praise its performance in two-bathroom homes, easy plumbing installation, and genuine hot water savings, while the most common complaints involve inconsistent water temperature and heating element or component reliability issues in a portion of units. Amazon’s own AI-generated summary of the review text confirms this exact pattern directly from the aggregated customer feedback.
What Owners Love
One detailed reviewer who replaced a 55-gallon tank described their experience in depth, noting they specifically added a sub-panel and ran the recommended wiring themselves after consulting an electrician for the pre-wiring, stating plainly: “Installation was pretty simple after you have the wiring installed.” After just 7 months, they reported the unit still “works great” with “no issues at this point,” and specifically credited significant energy savings from switching away from their old tank system.
Another reviewer, writing from North Central Florida with consistently warm groundwater, called their experience with the unit excellent, specifically noting the practical value of understanding your local groundwater temperature before buying: “if you are far north this heater will likely fall short at the exact worst time.” Their honest, detailed review included real utility bill data comparing usage before and after installation, a level of transparency that’s genuinely useful for other shoppers.
A third reviewer specifically praised the space savings, converting the area previously occupied by their old tank into “a little storage closet.”
What Owners Struggle With
Not every review is positive, and the honest ones acknowledge real problems. One especially detailed account described a cascading series of failures on an 18kW RTEX unit (sharing the same core design as the RTEX-24) over roughly two years: heating element failures, a wire harness that began arcing and nearly caused a fire, followed by sensor and control board failures, ultimately ending in full unit replacement, only to have similar issues recur. This reviewer specifically warned other buyers to consider this experience seriously.
Another reviewer described a more complex troubleshooting journey involving well water at the end of a utility power line, requiring flow restrictors and pressure regulators to get the unit working reliably, eventually finding better success with a smaller-capacity unit better matched to their available power and water pressure conditions.
The Pattern Behind the Split
Reading enough of these reviews side by side reveals a consistent pattern: successful installations share a few common traits, adequate electrical capacity confirmed before installation, professional electrical work with secure connections, appropriate sizing for the household’s real demand, and reasonable groundwater temperatures for the region. Problem installations, by contrast, often involve at least one of the opposite conditions, insufficient electrical planning, extreme edge-case water conditions, or units pushed beyond their realistic capacity for the household’s demand.
What This Means for You
If you’re considering the RTEX-24, the review pattern suggests the unit performs well and reliably for the audience it’s actually built for: small to mid-sized households, adequate electrical infrastructure, and moderate to warm climates. Buyers who fall outside that profile, particularly in cold climates or with marginal electrical capacity, appear more likely to land in the frustrated portion of the review pool.
For the complete honest breakdown of who should and shouldn’t buy this unit, see our worth it FAQ.
Rheem RTEX-24 24kW 240V Electric Tankless Water Heater - Check Current Reviews on Amazon
The Bottom Line
Real Rheem RTEX-24 owner reviews paint a consistent, honest picture: the unit performs well for correctly sized installations in appropriate climates with proper electrical infrastructure, while a documented minority experience real reliability issues, most often tied to installation quality, water conditions, or undersized capacity for their household’s demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do most Rheem RTEX-24 reviews say? Most reviews are positive, reflected in the 4.2-star Amazon rating across more than 4,000 reviews, with common praise for reliable hot water, easy plumbing installation, and space savings compared to a tank system.
What are the most common complaints in Rheem RTEX-24 reviews? Inconsistent water temperature and heating element or component reliability issues are the most frequently documented complaints, based on Amazon’s own aggregated review analysis.
Are the negative Rheem RTEX-24 reviews common or rare? They represent a documented minority of the overall review pool. The unit maintains a solidly positive overall rating, though the negative experiences described are genuine and detailed enough to take seriously.
Do real reviews mention issues with installation? Yes, most detailed reviews describe successful installations involving a licensed electrician for the electrical portion, with plumbing connections generally described as more manageable for DIY installation.
What separates a successful RTEX-24 installation from a problematic one, based on reviews? Adequate electrical capacity confirmed beforehand, professional electrical work, correct sizing for household demand, and moderate to warm groundwater temperatures all appear associated with more positive outcomes in the review data.
Do reviews mention energy savings? Yes, several detailed reviews report meaningful energy savings compared to their previous tank system, though at least one reviewer noted savings can be offset if household members take longer showers simply because hot water no longer runs out.
Are Home Depot and Amazon reviews consistent with each other? Generally yes in overall sentiment, though Home Depot’s rating (3.9 stars, 2,814 reviews) runs slightly lower than Amazon’s (4.2 stars, 4,000+ reviews), reflecting some platform-specific variation in the review pool.
Do reviews mention problems specific to cold climates? Yes, multiple reviewers specifically discuss how groundwater temperature and regional climate affect the unit’s real-world performance compared to its advertised specifications.
Should I trust the star rating alone when deciding to buy? The star rating gives a useful overall signal, but reading detailed individual reviews reveals the specific conditions (electrical setup, water hardness, climate) that most influence whether an installation succeeds, which is more useful for your specific situation.
What’s the most useful takeaway from reading real RTEX-24 reviews? Success with this unit depends heavily on matching it correctly to your household’s electrical capacity, water conditions, and climate, more than on luck or brand reputation alone.
References
- Amazon.com AI-generated review summary and individual verified customer reviews for Rheem RTEX-24, accessed July 2026: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MS9DVEE
- Home Depot customer review data for Rheem RTEX-24, accessed July 2026