Water Heaters - Which water heater???

We are having a new house built and are debating as to which water heater to choose. The standard that comes in the home is a 50 gallon tank. When I inquired about upgrading to a higher efficiency, here are the two option they gave me: add the equivalent to a quick recovery water heater ($292 upgrade charge) which basically is a 60 gallon, they no longer offer a larger burner. The other option is to add a power vent to our 50 gallon water heater (we are already upgrading our furnace to a 91% or 93% efficiency)at an additional cost of $685. I really know very little about either system so any feedback and opinions on whether or not the additional cost are worth it would be appreciated!

Those prices definitely dictate builder prices for sure. Power vents are great for fast recovery but more bells and whistles to contend with along with the sound of what may sound like a vaccum sweeper running when it is on.

The other one for $292 sounds like a water heater that requires a 4" flue along with a higher BTU draw. To me that would signify a larger burner, possibly cast iron.

The powervent is more expensive by far, depends on how many people you have in your home and the demand you need. Figure what you want to spend down the road when they have to be replaced. They certainly will not cost as much as the builder is charging initially. You can go to big box stores, sears, or other places to see what they actually cost.

Thanks for the info! The water heaters are Richmond brand (sold at Menards). The standard has a 6 year warranty and the quick recovery has a 12 year. There is only 3 of us at this point so I think we'll probably just stick with the stardard for the time being!