Okay, so I live in the Adirondacks where our well water is basically liquid rust. It destroys water heater elements like it's their job. But these Camco 4500W elements? Total game changers.

First off - they last just as long as the expensive brands I've tried before, but cost way less. I always keep two spares now because when one goes (usually after about a year in our brutal water), swapping is super easy.

Installation was a breeze - screwed right in without needing to fully drain my tank. Though pro tip: check your reset switch if it doesn't work right away! Learned that the hard way after some lightning storms kept tripping mine.

The only downside? My PID meter shows it running at about 4152W instead of the advertised 4500W. Not a huge deal for most people, but if you're super particular about specs maybe go with Rheem.

For the price though? Can't beat it. My hot showers are back and my wallet isn't crying. Definitely recommend keeping one of these on hand if you've got problematic water like mine.