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HVAC

Brand Use Study for WATER HEATERS

Survey Years:
Quality Rating
Awareness & Use
About the Study
WATER HEATERS-2002-Quality Rating

Quality Rating

How do you rate the QUALITY of each brand you are familiar with?

Census Region
TotalNortheastMidwestSouthWest
base: BUILDER builders
A.O. Smith4.34.34.24.34.2
Maytag4.24.2*4.14.24.1*
Rheem4.24.24.24.33.9
Bradford White4.04.0*4.14.1*3.9*
Ruud4.04.1*3.74.13.8*
SABH/Mor-Flo4.0*3.5*3.8*4.3*4.3*
Marathon3.73.3*3.9*3.7*3.7*
Reliance3.73.6*3.8*3.8*3.7*
State Industries3.73.6*3.4*4.03.7*
Average Sale Price
Under $125K$125K-$199K$200K-$349K$350K+
base: BUILDER builders
A.O. Smith4.4*4.34.24.2
Maytag4.4*4.24.04.2
Rheem4.5*4.24.14.1
Bradford White4.0*3.94.23.9
Ruud4.3*3.94.03.8
SABH/Mor-Flo5.0*4.1*3.3*4.5
Marathon4.0*3.5*3.7*4.0
Reliance4.5*3.9*3.4*3.8
State Industries4.4*3.7*3.63.7
Units Built
1-45-4950+
base: BUILDER builders
A.O. Smith4.34.34.2
Maytag4.24.24.1*
Rheem4.24.24.2
Bradford White4.14.03.9*
Ruud3.94.13.7*
SABH/Mor-Flo3.7*4.0*4.3*
Marathon3.7*4.2*3.3*
Reliance3.6*3.7*4.1*
State Industries3.83.63.7*
WATER HEATERS-2002-Brand Familiarity
Select Detail Statistics:

Brand Familiarity

Which brands have you HEARD OF?

Census Region
TotalNortheastMidwestSouthWest
base: BUILDER builders463.078.0121.0173.091.0
Rheem81.0%72.0%86.0%84.0%79.0%
A.O. Smith71.0%72.0%81.0%62.0%75.0%
Maytag63.0%65.0%67.0%62.0%57.0%
Ruud58.0%46.0%62.0%65.0%51.0%
Bradford White47.0%53.0%60.0%34.0%49.0%
State Industries38.0%38.0%42.0%36.0%37.0%
Reliance36.0%33.0%36.0%30.0%47.0%
Marathon20.0%14.0%25.0%18.0%21.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo14.0%15.0%15.0%12.0%15.0%
other4.0%3.0%2.0%4.0%9.0%
indicated one or more99.0%99.0%99.0%98.0%99.0%
no answer1.0%1.0%0.0%1.0%1.0%
none1.0%0.0%1.0%1.0%0.0%
Average Sale Price
Under $125K$125K-$199K$200K-$349K$350K+
base: BUILDER builders39.0131.0135.0146.0
Rheem69.0%82.0%83.0%83.0
A.O. Smith56.0%66.0%77.0%74.0
Maytag72.0%60.0%67.0%62.0
Ruud46.0%56.0%70.0%55.0
Bradford White33.0%47.0%55.0%45.0
State Industries38.0%37.0%46.0%35.0
Reliance31.0%41.0%35.0%34.0
Marathon15.0%24.0%19.0%20.0
SABH/Mor-Flo13.0%17.0%13.0%13.0
other10.0%5.0%4.0%3.0
indicated one or more97.0%98.0%99.0%99.0
no answer0.0%1.0%0.0%1.0
none3.0%1.0%1.0%0.0
Units Built
1-45-4950+
base: BUILDER builders185.0209.064.0
Rheem84.0%80.0%78.0%
A.O. Smith71.0%69.0%80.0%
Maytag61.0%62.0%72.0%
Ruud58.0%57.0%63.0%
Bradford White47.0%44.0%56.0%
State Industries41.0%34.0%47.0%
Reliance37.0%33.0%39.0%
Marathon21.0%17.0%25.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo12.0%13.0%19.0%
other5.0%3.0%5.0%
indicated one or more99.0%99.0%97.0%
no answer0.0%0.0%2.0%
none1.0%0.0%2.0%

Brands Used the Most

Which brand(s) does your firm USE THE MOST?

Census Region
TotalNortheastMidwestSouthWest
base: BUILDER builders463.078.0121.0173.091.0
A.O. Smith27.0%23.0%39.0%21.0%25.0%
Rheem20.0%14.0%21.0%26.0%13.0%
Bradford White10.0%15.0%17.0%5.0%7.0%
State Industries8.0%8.0%5.0%13.0%4.0%
Maytag7.0%8.0%7.0%5.0%10.0%
Ruud5.0%4.0%2.0%10.0%1.0%
Reliance2.0%3.0%2.0%1.0%4.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo2.0%0.0%1.0%3.0%2.0%
Marathon1.0%0.0%2.0%1.0%0.0%
other2.0%3.0%0.0%2.0%2.0%
indicated one or more69.0%64.0%74.0%73.0%57.0%
did not indicate29.0%33.0%24.0%24.0%42.0%
no answer1.0%1.0%0.0%1.0%1.0%
none1.0%1.0%2.0%2.0%0.0%
Average Sale Price
Under $125K$125K-$199K$200K-$349K$350K+
base: BUILDER builders39.0131.0135.0146.0
A.O. Smith15.0%27.0%28.0%28.0
Rheem26.0%24.0%15.0%17.0
Bradford White5.0%11.0%13.0%8.0
State Industries8.0%11.0%10.0%5.0
Maytag8.0%6.0%7.0%9.0
Ruud10.0%5.0%5.0%5.0
Reliance5.0%2.0%1.0%3.0
SABH/Mor-Flo5.0%3.0%0.0%1.0
Marathon0.0%1.0%0.0%1.0
other5.0%1.0%1.0%2.0
indicated one or more67.0%71.0%70.0%67.0
did not indicate26.0%27.0%30.0%32.0
no answer0.0%1.0%0.0%1.0
none8.0%1.0%1.0%1.0
Units Built
1-45-4950+
base: BUILDER builders185.0209.064.0
A.O. Smith24.0%28.0%28.0%
Rheem18.0%21.0%23.0%
Bradford White11.0%9.0%13.0%
State Industries10.0%5.0%13.0%
Maytag5.0%8.0%11.0%
Ruud6.0%5.0%3.0%
Reliance2.0%1.0%6.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo1.0%2.0%5.0%
Marathon0.0%1.0%0.0%
other2.0%1.0%3.0%
indicated one or more64.0%71.0%77.0%
did not indicate35.0%27.0%20.0%
no answer0.0%0.0%2.0%
none1.0%1.0%2.0%

Brands Used in Past 2 Years

Which brands has your firm USED IN THE PAST 2 YEARS in the homes you've built (including brands you subcontracted with others to install)?

Census Region
TotalNortheastMidwestSouthWest
base: BUILDER builders463.078.0121.0173.091.0
A.O. Smith46.0%47.0%60.0%36.0%45.0%
Rheem41.0%32.0%43.0%45.0%41.0%
Maytag22.0%21.0%23.0%21.0%22.0%
Bradford White21.0%31.0%33.0%13.0%13.0%
Ruud18.0%10.0%15.0%26.0%15.0%
State Industries16.0%19.0%13.0%20.0%9.0%
Reliance7.0%6.0%6.0%5.0%13.0%
Marathon3.0%1.0%7.0%1.0%4.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo2.0%1.0%2.0%3.0%2.0%
other3.0%3.0%1.0%3.0%5.0%
indicated one or more90.0%86.0%91.0%92.0%87.0%
did not indicate8.0%12.0%7.0%6.0%12.0%
no answer1.0%1.0%0.0%1.0%1.0%
none1.0%1.0%2.0%2.0%0.0%
Average Sale Price
Under $125K$125K-$199K$200K-$349K$350K+
base: BUILDER builders39.0131.0135.0146.0
A.O. Smith31.0%47.0%48.0%47.0
Rheem31.0%47.0%35.0%45.0
Maytag26.0%27.0%17.0%23.0
Bradford White10.0%20.0%31.0%17.0
Ruud15.0%19.0%17.0%21.0
State Industries13.0%18.0%19.0%12.0
Reliance8.0%8.0%5.0%7.0
Marathon0.0%4.0%2.0%5.0
SABH/Mor-Flo5.0%5.0%0.0%1.0
other8.0%2.0%3.0%2.0
indicated one or more85.0%94.0%90.0%88.0
did not indicate8.0%5.0%10.0%11.0
no answer0.0%1.0%0.0%1.0
none8.0%1.0%1.0%1.0
Units Built
1-45-4950+
base: BUILDER builders185.0209.064.0
A.O. Smith44.0%46.0%52.0%
Rheem38.0%44.0%44.0%
Maytag21.0%22.0%25.0%
Bradford White18.0%24.0%22.0%
Ruud15.0%20.0%23.0%
State Industries18.0%12.0%22.0%
Reliance5.0%7.0%11.0%
Marathon2.0%2.0%9.0%
SABH/Mor-Flo1.0%2.0%6.0%
other3.0%2.0%3.0%
indicated one or more90.0%89.0%92.0%
did not indicate9.0%9.0%5.0%
no answer0.0%0.0%2.0%
none1.0%1.0%2.0%
Purpose

The findings cited in this report are based on a survey sponsored by Hanley-Wood, LLC, on behalf of their publication, BUILDER.

The purpose of this research project was to provide the editors and advertisers with a profile of the brands used by builders in the BUILDER audience. Specific areas of inquiry included:

  • The number and average sale price of residential units built by respondents' firms in 2004.
  • Respondents' familiarity with, use of, and opinions about brands in 69 product categories.
  • The one brand within each category respondents feel is best at communicating with them.
Method

The survey sample of 6,250 was selected in systematic fashion by Palm Coast Data, Inc., and Readex from BUILDER's domestic, qualified "builder" circulation of approximately 125,000 recipients at the time of sample selection.

Five versions of an 8-page questionnaire were designed jointly by BUILDER and Readex. Each version contained two questions common to all versions, with the remaining brand-specific questions unique to each.

Data was collected via mail survey from October 18 to December 11, 2000. To ensure the value of this brand use data to manufacturers, the findings cited in this report are based on the 2,247 respondents who indicated their firms built residential units in 2000 (36% of the survey sample).

The margin of error for percentages based on all 2,247 usable responses is ±2.0% at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error for percentages based on smaller sample sizes—census regions, for example— will be larger.

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