Bosch PowerStar AE125 Review

I bought my Powerstar AE125 4 years ago. I have saved money on my electric bill by using this product because most the time it doesn't work.

I would be replacing my 3rd control board if I hadn't decided to go back to a standard tank water heater. I did actually get them to replace the whole unit one time because the heating elements started to leak.

You have to spend HOURS on hold on the phone with customer service trying to get an answer from them, only to find out that you have to be a master electrician to perform the test they want you to do.
This product has been a piece of junk....never again.

AE125 water heater is designed as the whole house electric water heater and it is a good substitution for 40-gallon tank type electric water heater. AE125 water heater is recommended for the areas where the average ground water temperature is below 60 F.

Since you live in Minnesota, this is the water heater model you are looking for. It will provide a maximum of 4 gpm of hot water with the 45 F rise, and if your home is one to two bath home buy AE125 model.

But, keep in mind that you cannot use AE125 for two applications at the same time, like shower and dishwasher, for example.

What AE125 users like the most is actually the endless hot water, small and compact size and it takes little space to mount.

To install AE125 electric water heater you need 3X40 amps or total 120 amps, double pole breakers and #8 AWG wire size. Minimum requirement to the house is 200 Amps. The heating power is close to 27 kW when working on 240 V but as it has several heating elements it can reduce the power to 20 kW when on 208 V.

AE125 is designed to use the flow sensor and provide the set temperature by adjusting the number of heating elements.

If you have a well and water supply varies in pressure you might experience temperature fluctuation from hot to cold. Also, AE125 water heater like other tankless units requires minimal water flow of 0.8 gpm, so if you need small amount of hot water, odds are... you will not get it.

I have checked out some websites, like Amazon, about Bosch AE125, and found many reviews where users are complaining about Bosch customer service... either they are waiting for too long on the phone or they had an unsatisfactory overall experience. High installation or repair costs were another reported "dislike".