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4.9 | 20 Reviews

GE RealMAX Platinum 40-Gallon Tall Natural Gas Atmospheric Water Heater

GE Appliances GG40T12BXR

Features

  • Household Size
  • Quick Recovery
  • Anode Rod
  • SmartShield ™ Safety System

Quick Specs

  • Type: Small Water Heater
  • Width: 20"
  • Height: 61 7/8"
  • Depth: 20"
  • Energy Star Rated: No

See More

 
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Household Size

Provide hot water for the whole family of 2 to 4 persons

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Quick Recovery

Quickly replenish hot water with a max-performance 40K burner

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Anode Rod

Durable design offers long-lasting protection against corrosion to extend the life of your water heater tank

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SmartShield ™ Safety System

Monitors the surrounding air and automatically shuts off the unit if abnormal temperatures are detected

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Self-Diagnostic

Monitors and reports on gas system status via LED status indicator

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Brass Drain Valve

Rust-proof construction can be counted on to provide long-lasting service

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Easy Installation

Replace your old water heater quickly and easily using standard water and gas connections

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Built-To-Last Warranty

RealMAX Platinum water heaters carry a 12-year tank and parts limited warranty

Household Size Provide hot water for the whole family of 2 to 4 persons

Quick Recovery Quickly replenish hot water with a max-performance 40K burner

Anode Rod Durable design offers long-lasting protection against corrosion to extend the life of your water heater tank

SmartShield ™ Safety System Monitors the surrounding air and automatically shuts off the unit if abnormal temperatures are detected

Self-Diagnostic Monitors and reports on gas system status via LED status indicator

Brass Drain Valve Rust-proof construction can be counted on to provide long-lasting service

Easy Installation Replace your old water heater quickly and easily using standard water and gas connections

Built-To-Last Warranty RealMAX Platinum water heaters carry a 12-year tank and parts limited warranty

Features

  • Household Size
  • Quick Recovery
  • Anode Rod
  • SmartShield ™ Safety System
  • Self-Diagnostic
  • Brass Drain Valve
  • Easy Installation
  • Built-To-Last Warranty
CAPACITY
Unit Capacity 40 Gallons
APPEARANCE
Color Appearance Gray
WARRANTY
Warranty Notes See written warranty for full details
Parts Warranty Limited 12-year tank and parts
Labor Warranty Limited 1-year entire appliance
POWER / RATINGS
Burner BTU Size (k) 40
Hertz 60
First Hour Rate (FHR) 83 Gallons
WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS
Product Height (to top of water inlet/outlet connections) 60 in
Height to Gas Control 11.25 in
Approximate Shipping Weight 147 lb
Overall Width 20 in
Overall Height 61.875 in
Product Height (to top of unit) 58.5 in
Net Weight 140 lb
Product Diameter 20 in
Overall Depth 20 in
Vent Size 2" or 3" Type B Vent
Connection Sizes - Water Inlet (MNPT) 3/4"
Connection Sizes - Hot Water Outlet (MNPT) 3/4"
FEATURES
FVIR Safety System Yes
Vent Atmospheric
Controls LED Indicator
UEF .64
Temp & Pressure Relief Valve Yes
Height Description Tall
Fuel Type Natural Gas
Pilot Light Window / Button Yes
Configuration Tall
Drain Valve Type Brass
Product Type Atmospheric Gas
Family Size 2-5 People
Bin Testing High
Water Connection Location Top
Overheat Protection Yes
Gas Valve Self Powered
Anode Rod Magnesium
Altitude Rating 10100 ft
Temperature Setting 45-160° F Range

Quick Specs


  • Appearance

  • Type: Small Water Heater

  • Dimensions

  • Width: 20"
  • Height: 61 7/8"
  • Depth: 20"

  • Features

  • Energy Star Rated: No

Professional delivery and installation is available for every product we sell. We would be happy to coordinate delivery and installation for you.

Extended warranties are usually very inexpensive and can save you thousands in the future. Some can even cover extra costs that result, such as cost of food that spoils when your fridge dies. It's simple and inexpensive to purchase extended warranties and one of the smartest ways to protect your investment.

Appliances can be large, heavy and expensive. You probably don't have the special tools or expertise needed to fix them in a crisis. If you can spare a few thousand dollars without batting an eyelash for new appliances should they break tomorrow, don't buy a warranty. But if you're like most of us, protect yourself by purchasing inexpensive extended warranties when you buy a new product and save yourself big money in the long run.

4.9 out of 5

95% of reviewers recommend this product.

5 Stars

Very happy with this product!

RowdyCanuck 12/22/2025

[Employee of ge_appliances] Great product so far! Providing plenty of hot water and GE's preferred installer did great job. Very happy with this product!
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

How i like my tank

Asshoe 6/3/2025

I have only had this tank for 2 weeks so far it works great . Like every thing you buy new works great .Ask me in 6 years from now to see how I feel about your tank ?
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

Improvements make a great water heater better

Captainwingfoot 9/28/2024

We are anxious to place this water heater in service as it replaces the same model that had a non repairable leaking drain valve . We invested a lot of effort choosing this model. While having to get a replacement was unsettling, GE™€™s quick response to detail information we provided restored our confidence in our choice of brand and model we chose. Our contractor made the change out as near seamless as possible.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

3 Stars

GE water heater gets good review except leak!

Captainwingfoot 9/12/2024

i LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE NEW WATR HEATER, AND WOULD LIKE EVEN MORE TO RATE AT 5 STARS EXCEPT FOR ONE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE DRAIN VALVE LEAKS WHERE IT SCREWS INTO THE TANK. THE OVERALL APPEARANCE, SIZE, NEW STYLE GAS CONTROL VALVE, INLET AND OUTLET PORTS AND THE TEMPERATURE/PRESSURE VALE ARE WELL THOUGHT OUT AND AN IMPORVEMNT OVER MY 16 YEAR OLD GE THAT THIS NEW ONE REPLACES. i REALLY LIKE THE BRASS DRAIN VALVE VS THE OLD PLASTIC ONES, BUT THE NEW VALVE LEAKS WHERE IT IS SCREWED INTO THE TANK! NOT GOOD QUALITY CONTROL.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

No, I do not recommend this product

5 Stars

Good heater for the price

RustyLee 8/21/2024

It is an excellent water heater for the price. GE products have always been great for me
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

Great unit for longevity and performance...

Maintainer 2/12/2024

This is my second GE gas hot water heater, the first was installed in 2007, with regular maintenance and care it lasted way past it's service life. Hence, I purchased another one of the same model. I am impressed with the life and performance of the first, my outlook is positive for the new one.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

Slightly lower than RHEEM

dav1122 1/17/2024

I bought one GE 50 gallon hot water tank 12 year warranty and 50 gallon tank 6 year warranty in 2013. Both are still working well. The reason I bought this one, because GE hot water tanks are the best. and also, I want to have one ready for replacement.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

exellent water heater!

aadams7 6/19/2023

Appears to be a great water heater. for the same gal size this has way more insulation! pilot light is easy to light. happy with this purchase. much better than the last brand.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

Wow! That™€™s hot!

SunshineGal 10/4/2022

This water heater is fantastic! I didn™€™t realize how bad our old one was until we installed this one! It heats up almost immediately, and the hot water lasted through 5 back to back showers! Our old water heater never could have done that. This wasn™€™t too hard to install either. A few hiccups for me just because it was my first time installing one, but the product itself was very easy to install and pretty self explanatory. I did reference an online video just to make sure I did everything correctly. Everything was included except the hoses, which we didn™€™t expect. GE quality can™€™t be beat, and that is the reason my entire house is full of GE appliances. I will continue to be a loyal and happy customer.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Great Product / Easy Installation

Professor JT 9/24/2022

This is a great product and the timing couldn™€™t be better! My old hot water heater started to go on the blink recently and when I received this product and made the installation I couldn™€™t have been happier. The installation went very smoothly and it works like a charm. We are very pleased with the output and the functionality of the unit. This is certainly a product that I will recommend to my family and friends.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Works great.

Hgagnon73 9/20/2022

The GE gas water heater works great. The imstaller had no issues with installation and the space for ourbold water heater was adaquate for the new one. The water heater has easy to use controls to set the temperature to our desired level of warmth. It took about 30 min to fill aftet installation and within the hour we had hot water that was ready.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Highly Efficient

nekramer30 9/15/2022

We had an 11 year-old 60 gallon water heater, and we were a little concerned replacing it with this unit. Even on 60 gallons, if we all took a shower, the water would start to get cold with the three of us. (We like our hot water.) Thankfully, this unit is able to keep up and then some. We haven't run into any issues. The energy sticker says it produces 83 gallons of hot water initially. This is most likely due to the 40,000 BTU burner. There are 60 gallon heaters with the same BTU on the market, so it's a good ratio. Installation was as expected. This is a taller and skinnier unit, so unless you have limited height clearance, you should be fine. The total height is just under 4 feet. The LED diagnostic is a nice perk as well if you have any issue down the road. I've had to get underneath them in the past, and let's just say that your future self will thank you if you have this feature. The best part is the energy savings. It actually heating less water which means it also uses less gas to heat as well. It has a wide range Temperature control which means you can easily turn it down or up to fit your needs while using as little energy as possible. Overall, this is perfect for a family of 3. If you don't need a big tank, it's more efficient to go with a unit like this. GE is a no brainer. Reliable, made in the USA with a 12 year warranty.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Quiet and keeps up with demand

MiD0523 9/14/2022

The water heater over in our detached garage/apartment was getting up there in age and we replaced it with this 40 gallon unit. I have installed several water heaters in previous houses and I was confident that I could install this on my own, but I opted for the assistance of my next door neighbor since he is a licensed plumber and he had spare time this past weekend. From start to finish, the draining and removal of the old unit and the complete installation of the new unit took a couple hours. My neighbor ran into no difficulties and installation and lighting were as expected. While this unit is not the water heater for our main house, it has been having no problems keeping up with demand for 3 people, with one individual taking longer (30+ min) hot showers daily to multiple times daily. The hot water heater is quiet and produces hot water sufficiently. The energy sticker indicates that in the first hour, 83 gallons of hot water will be provided. Having gas connections on the property means I am extra cautious with appliances. Safety features are very important. I like that this unit has a self diagnostic feature that is quick to view via the LED light, helping take guesswork out of diagnosing. The light blinks yellow when everything is running smoothly, but no light or red means there is an issue to be addressed. The inclusion of the SmartShield Safety System and overheating protection included with this unit provide peace of mind as a property owner. A new to me feature that I liked seeing is the vacation (low) setting to help conserve energy. We haven't had our first full month's bill to see if it has decreased much, but this unit is more efficient, so we should see some decrease, even with rising energy costs. The anode rod will help extend the quality and life of the tank and the generous warranty is attractive. GE is a household name we have relied on for quality and dependability since our first home purchase over 15 years ago. This unit is well built and I like that a majority of the parts are made in the USA, allowing those living on our property to not sacrifice either comfort or safety for a high quality, reliable product.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

hot water heater

EmyW 9/7/2022

The hot water heater in my home was over 20 years old and ready to be replaced. This 40 gallon unit from GE was the perfect replacement. Having no experience in this department at all, I did have a friend who is a licensed plumber do the install and it was completed in under 2 hours. Lighting instructions are printed right on the temperature control & I found it very easy to light the water heater using the knob located at the bottom of the unit. The LED light on the thermostat will blink yellow every few seconds to show that the pilot is lit and there is a little see thru window to view the lit pilot as well. One of the things I noticed immediately with this new water heater is how quiet it is compared to our old one. I have a family of 4 and we have had no issues thus far with showers turning cold. There are also a lot of great safety features which includes shutting off the gas automatically if the pilot goes out or if it goes above normal temperatures. It™€™s great to have peace of mind when it comes to appliances in the home when they include safety features like these. GE has been a brand that I have always trusted and I love that they have good quality American made products. This unit is no exception and I™€™m impressed with the quality and features, definitely recommend!
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Fabulous water heater

DianeLPoff 8/20/2022

Put this water heater in my house. GE is a great brand, our old water heater was GE. They last for a long time. Easy to install, we did it ourselves. If you want a nice water heater this is it! Will definitely always buy this brand.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Fast

Booberka 8/17/2022

I was really worried because I live in a small house and have limited space for water heater, they seem to have gotten thicker lately. This one fit perfectly. Heated water within two hours. Silent operation.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Water heater

Ibekae 8/10/2022

GE 40 gallon Water tall Atmospheric Water Heater was easily installed if you are handy and able to sweat copper, if not definitly have a professional install. The water heater is a bit taller than my previous water heater. It is equipped with a status LED which is a great feature so you can walk in the room and see everything is a okay on the unit without having to look thru a site glass. The water heater provided hot water after back to back showers. The unit has a wide range of temperature settings to allow the perfect comfort temperature for any household.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

So much hot water!

Jules75 8/3/2022

After receiving our water heater, it arrived well packaged and prestine, my husband found it easy to install with no issues. Within the hour, we had hot water up and going and no signs of hot water running out. Nice features like the Smartshield Safety System monitors the air and will automatically shut off if it detects abnormal temperatures, which makes me feel safe and secure.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

5 Stars

Working Great

Badgerfan33 8/1/2022

We got this unit to replace a very old hot water heater in a rental property. It arrived in a sturdy box that was well labeled to stop us from laying it in our truck with the component side down. This is a great touch to help prevent damage. Unit came out of box in perfect condition. My daughter's boyfriend is very handy, and he had no issues hooking it up. It's very slim, so it doesn't take up much space in the utility area of the basement. We fired it up and were amazed by how fast it worked. Heats water quickly and provides a steady temperature. Runs quietly. So far it seems much more efficient than what we were using. Looking forward to seeing if it will have a positive impact on our energy bill.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review

5 Stars

Abundance of hot water!

Mkat8 8/1/2022

Delivery was a breeze. My husband and I got it to the basement and installed it ourselves. It was packed very well with no damages. The instruction manual was very clear on what to do, so we were comfortable installing it ourselves. It kicked it and produced hot water within maybe 45 minutes. Most of the time, we all shower and do baths in the mornings. We are a family of 6, the three smallest kids take a bath together and have warm water running most of their bath, even after the tub is filled™€¦we haven™€™t had any issues of running out of hot water with a bath and three showers.
Originally posted on www.ge.com

Yes, I recommend this product

 Incentivized Review