Affiliate disclosure

Last updated July 16, 2026

HotWaterAtlas is free to read and costs money to run. Some outbound links to retailers are affiliate links: if you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

As an Amazon Associate, HotWaterAtlas earns from qualifying purchases. We may join similar programs with other retailers; this page will list them when we do.

What affiliate links do — and don't — affect

• Rankings are commission-blind. "Best water heater" lists are computed from EPA certification data (efficiency, first-hour rating, flow rate) as described in the methodology. The ranking code has no access to affiliate information, and a water heater with no affiliate link ranks exactly as it otherwise would.
• Coverage is commission-blind. Every ENERGY STAR certified water heater is listed, whether or not any retailer pays a commission on it.
• No sponsored placements. Manufacturers cannot pay to appear, rank higher, or have criticism removed — see the editorial policy.

How to spot them

Affiliate links appear as clearly labeled retailer buttons or "check price" links on water heater pages — never disguised as editorial recommendations in body text. Specification data and links to EPA records or manufacturer documentation are never affiliate links.

Questions about how this works? Contact us.