I purchased a 40 gallon Bradford White water heater and it was defective. Within a week, had a replacement installed and within a year it too needed to be replaced. Bradford White “customer service” told me that unless I replaced with another Bradford White water heater, there was no warranty. Terrible! My plumber called them scams. Is there any recourse with Consumer Affairs? At this point I don’t want to incur attorney costs so pursuing small claims for money back.

On September 21, 2020, Poes Plumbing & Backflow replaced our water with Bradford White 50 gallon Eco-Defender Ultra Low NOx Serries (gas), magnesium rod with our 12 yrs Whirlpool gas. On Oct 8, 2020, my son broke out in hives and continued to broke out in hives until they replaced the water heater with aluminum rod on Dec 30, 2020. Bradford White or American Home Shield did not cover the plumber cost and we paid the full installation cost for the labor of $462. Between September 8, 2020 and December 30, 2020, I had to chase down Judy at Poes Plumbing & Backflow, American Home Shield and Bradford White to replace a new gas 50 gallons water heater with aluminum rod.

I purchased my home in 3/9/18. It is a new construction home. My builder installed two Bradford White Defender Safety System water heaters. On 7/9/2020 I found that my water was no longer getting hot. I first contacted the plumber the builder used to install the water heater and was told I had to contact an outside plumber. I then found a plumber who stated he could not get out until 7/12/020. Yesterday evening, 7/11/2020 I heard water noise coming from my media room and upon further inspection I noticed water coming from the ceiling. My carpet, walls, furniture, media equipment were wet. I then went into the attic only to find my water heater had leaked. I was confused as to why a water heater that was 2 years old would not function as it was new. I have had to call out a company to control the water damage and prevent any further damage. In addition, I and my children and dog have to find a hotel to stay. I am disappointed to say the least that this has happened. I dont understand why the builder chose to use a company that would not give its customers quality products.

In a period of 5 years I had had two water heaters fail. Very low quality and poor customer service. I was made to feel like I should be grateful that lasted that long and their ridiculous warranty covers nothing. Avoid this brand.

My Bradford White 50 gallon water heater sprung a leak and flooded my basement in August of 2016. It had only lasted 14 months, it was installed in June of 2015, Bradford White gave me a new water heater, but I had to pay a plumber 300 dollars to remove the leaking unit and install the new unit. I was stuck with cleaning up the mess in the basement too. I called the corporate offices on three separate occasions and spoke to someone in consumer affairs. I was promised each time that they would look into the matter and return my call. As of October 2017 I still havent heard from them, I believe I should be reimbursed for the labor cost, a water heater that breaks down in 14 months is a joke, they obviously sell junk and dont believe in customer service. Never again will I deal with Bradford White!

Less than 2 years ago I had a Bradford White water installed by my plumber. Yesterday (12/28/15) the burner went kaplooie (technical talk for stopped working). I called my plumber who said he needed the part. I then call Bradford White and confirmed that the heater was still under warranty. However, they had stopped manufacturing that model and had no spare parts. I called the distributor and they had no parts. I called Bradford White with my tale of woe. They told me that they understood and felt very badly about my predicament, and would especially manufacture the part. I should get it in several weeks. I went up the ladder and finally found someone who said they could make the part and ship it promptly. I should have it by Friday, New Years Day. I suggested that it might be better to replace the whole heater rather than manufacture the part specially and make me wait an unconscionably long time, and pay a plumber holiday rates to come out on a holiday, New Years weekend. They told me, No!! Thus I have an obsolete water heaters that is still under warranty.

Our first water heater (not sure of brand) lasted 16 years. It was replaced by a Bradford White in 2010. 2 years later it leaked from the bottom and was replaced by the plumber that installed it in 2012. Even though it was covered under warranty the plumber charged us $400 to put it in. Now, 6 1/2 years later, it just failed again, leaking water out the bottom. Used a different plumber this time and went with a Rheem. I would not ever put another Bradford White in my home. 24 year old home on its 4th water heater!

The gas hot water tank was installed on 01/04/13 and quit working on 08/29/19. It was installed by a reputable local plumbing company. Bradford Whites response...If the plumbing company installs another Bradford tank we can extend the warranty at no extra charge. Seriously? I dont want another Bradford tank. I got twice the life out of a tank installed by one of the big box stores and they are known for garbage units. Stay away from Bradford White!

I am going on my fifth water heater! First one installed Model # MI5036EN10 on December 23, 1999. Second water heater installed on December 16, 2003 Model #MI5036FBN, third installed on December 17, 2008, Model #MI5036FBN, fourth water heater installed on November 7, 2012, Model # MI5036FBN and now today May 16, 2016 yet another water heater bad. The same plumber has been replacing these water heaters (under warranty) but I have to pay the installation charges! Really Bradford White something for sure is very wrong here and not listening to us consumers with these issues is terrible consumer relations!! The warranties have gone from 10 year down to a 6 year warranty! Clearly they must see a problem and not fixing the problems!!

New 50-gallon Bradford White water heater was installed in my new home in 2018. It FAILED after only 3.5 years with water leaking out all around the top, connection on side and around the bottom. When the plumber called supplier, this water heater is no longer being sold. Even though Bradford White say the water heater has a 6 year warranty, I found the warranty to be useless. The plumber called, as well to confirm. I have NEVER had a water heater fail this fast. All others have lasted for many years. I then decided to have a Noritz tankless water heater installed. Ill never purchase another product from Bradford White!

Bradford White hot water heater model #mi403s6fbn - This is the second brand new BW gas hot water heater installed in less than one month......... first one only produced lukewarm water. Called service man and he found the thermostat was defective, installed new one. Had hot water for half of the next day, called service back. They checked everything, moved water temp to very hot... nothing changed. BW accepted the tank back and presented us with another new one... installed last week and once again we had hot water for a day maybe two and now it is back to lukewarm again even though I pushed the temp up as far as it will go......... Service person says I need to call a plumber now which is going to mean more money... Shouldnt the gas company that installed it stand behind it?

There are only 2 adults at this location. No problems until we would go more than 2 days with no use of hot water. Had strong sulfur smell. Neighbor suggested pouring bleach down well head. Cleaned smell after 2 days. Worked a couple of times. Now, after 7 years stinks all the time. Read that the problem is the anode. Why should this happen? Makes no sense to me. Out of warranty 1 yr ago. A 50-gallon tank for 2 people should last more than 7 years w/o repair. Not happy. Would not recommend.

Purchased Bradford White 5years - 358 days ago, model m265r6ds-1ncww. Install and all repairs done by licensed plumbers. Its an electric water heater. Actually service life has been semi OK since we live in an area with very hard water and water treatment depends on regularly supplying expensive salt to conditioning unit. We are on well water. So I recognize it can cause some build issues over time.However contractor quality unit installed when I built house in 1994 lasted 14 years and was only replaced due to heating unit and wifes desire for larger capacity heater. So six years for the Bradford White seems like a short life for heating element and thermostat set (comes as two t-stat set). When it went out 3 days ago I called plumber this morning after original calls went unanswered by first plumbing co. This plumber was able to arrive today and quickly found the issue. Wed had a short period of very hot water followed by the failure of the heating element so he suspected faulty t-stat set. $230 later it was fixed and I asked him about warranty from Bradford White. He basically told me I could pursue it but he felt they wouldnt pay anything and he didnt have time to take my failed parts to the wholesaler which is what BWs warranty policy requires. I emailed and phoned BW and was basically told the plumber would have to take the parts to the wholesaler. Well, he isnt going to take his $100/hr. time and truck to get me an adjustment for parts that cost about $50 and I dont blame him. I told the BW people that and got the old story about well thats the policy. After some further exchange they said I could call the plumber and find out who he got the BW parts from and then I could call BW back and let them know....At that point I cut the conversation off as it was clear they werent going to do squat unless I jumped through all their hoops which are well designed to foil any attempt to get satisfaction under warranty.In summary, they won because it simply wasnt worth my time to jump through all their obfuscating hoops to get a warranty claim paid. Of course they dont cover any of the expensive part...the labor of replacement. They act like it was my fault, their part went bad before the warranty expired so I should bear the cost of labor for replacement. What fricken planet do these people live on?? Based on comparison with original heater, I would rate the BW product below average and their warranty as the worst Ive ever seen. The wholesaler for this area, Western States, gets such bad reviews I didnt ever bother to contact them as people with much worse problems are getting nowhere or worse screwed by BWs process. NEVER AGAIN BRADFORD WHITE! Just tell the truth that you will fight warranty claims with every ounce of effort you can muster. What goes around comes around. Below average product in my experience and non existent warranty even though they claim to have one.

We have several single family rental homes, located with the same 25 mile geographical area. Three of the water heaters have required replacement of the Natural Gas Control Kit when the units hit the 6.5 to 8 year age. The cost of the kit is on average 189.00 plus tax. This cost does not include installation. This is a parts failure with Bradford White 40 gal gas water heaters. The company stated this an isolated problem, after looking through reviews, Bradford White should be aware of the problem by now; its not an isolated problem.

Bradford White is a waste of money and time. I moved into my home in 2005 with a Bradford White water tank already installed. Since then, I have replaced the water tank 4 times. The original tank lasted approximately 6 years, the second tank lasted approximately 6 years, then the third tank only lasted one year and 9 months. The biggest issue I have with the 3rd tank is it was rusting and rotting out which the plumber said all the rust was running through the pipes of my entire house! This could and perhaps have caused damage to my plumbing. Not only was this a HUGE inconvenience to me AND my plumber, I still HAD to pay $375.00!Bradford White is completely responsible but yet claims they are NOT 100% responsible after 1 year. Since their slogan is “BUILT TO BE THE BEST”, they should stand behind their product for more than 1 year. My plumber suggests to consider a Rheem once this tank craps out. DO NOT PURCHASE A BRADFORD WHITE! Their products and poor workmanship is not worth your valuable time and money!

Failed in less than 1 year in a residential home with only 2 senior citizens using hot water. The mode RE380T6 was supposed to have a 6 year warranty. The only way theyll honor a warranty is for parts exchange only and your plumber has to deal with the paperwork at the distributor. Try calling a plumber and telling him to deal with this and see when hell come. So lets say the parts are $50 and the plumber charges you $200 to do the install. In other words, the warranty is useless and in order to get the water heater fixed timely you have to pay the $250. Ill never buy anything from Bradford again.

Had my Bradford White 50 gallon gas water heater installed in 2013. Here we are in the middle of August, 2017 and I walk out into my garage this morning to leave for work and find my garage flooded. No, wasnt the pressure relief valve, seems the tank let loose. The temp setting was not all the way up and the tank had been flushed a minimum of four times over the past four years. I cannot believe they were made so cheap that it only last 4 years. Sad! Manufactured: Feb 14, 2013 Warranty Length: Tank 6 years Parts 6 years.

In 2016, I purchased and had my plumbing company install a brand new Bradford White Hot Water Heater Tank 50 Gal Hydrojet Model#RE350T6. Water leaked all over and damage my condo unit. The water was coming from the bottom of the tank. The cause unknown. The Plumbing company just told me Just faulty unit. I paid the full price, no discount.

My water heater is leaking carbon monoxide, putting my family at serious risk. My water heater is under warranty until 01/2015. According to Bradford White they will pay for parts but not for labor. Why should I pay for anything if their water heater is defective? If there is a problem with the water heater, they should be responsible for all costs. Also, the operator was very unprofessional and got into an argument with me. I was so angry. I hung up without getting a name.

I purchased my home in 2005 with a Bradford White water heater, in 2008 it leaked and was replaced, again in 2013 it leaked and was replaced and now in 2017 water is all over my basement floor as again it leaked... Called the company to check on warranty status and was informed that the warranty goes back to the unit that was replaced thus no warranty. I asked representative if this was normal for this product as I am seventy years old and have owned several homes and have never had this problem. I asked if I could be connected to someone that might have a suggestion what to do. No response except for, I am sorry. Subsequently I looked up reviews on this product and there are hundreds if not more similar experiences with this BRADFORD WHITE water heater. Obviously I will not be replacing this with another Bradford White as the company does not appear to really care about this product. Anyone reading this should beware about this product sold by BRADFORD WHITE.

I purchased a new home in 2009 which has a Bradford White water heater Model No:M440356FBN S/N FK12499826. The problem is the sensor on the pilot light keeps failing so the boiler goes out and cannot be re-lit. You can hold the pilot button as long as you want but the second you leave go the pilot light goes straight out. This seems to be an annual problem so is becoming expensive as you cannot buy just the sensor - you have to purchase the entire gas control assembly, which I find ridiculous, then you have the expense of getting someone to install it. This is obviously a manufacturing fault and Bradford White need to step up to the plate and resolve this issue. In the meantime, I am again without hot water and again have to purchase a control module just to replace a $10 sensor. I have neighbors around me having the same problems and are having the entire hot water tank replaced. Not a Happy Customer! Make It Right Bradford White and feel free to call me!!!

Had my local Plumber install a Bradford White hot water heater knowing it was American Made and assumed it was of higher quality. 17 Months later it was rusted out and leaking due to an internal leak. Naturally Bradford White authorized a new replacement. But the cost of replacement labor was not covered. As far as Im concerned there is no excuse for an internal leak in a unit this new. Clearly a manufacturing or material defect. I bought what I thought was a top of the line product only to find out that the quality was the same or less than other manufacturers and the company doesnt stand behind its product. Very disappointed.

After debating whether or not I wanted to have a tankless water heater installed I finally decided to replace my old water heater with another Bradford White. Great water heater. Tankless would have been nice but I plan on moving in 5 to 8 years and just dont know if Ill see the return on my investment.

I went to a supplier today to replace a part from my Bradford White Hydrojet water heater, (gas control valve) and noticed that the new part which cost $185.00 is made of metal and that my part is made of plastic which is very important, because my part melted where the hot water flows. This is a clear indication to me that Bradford White and Honeywell are well aware that the old previous version of the hot water gas control valve, is and was a default product, and for those reasons, it should not matter if a persons warranty is out or not, because the fact of the matter is, they sold a faulty product and should be held accountable and responsible and should stand by their product.

A hot water heater was installed last year, 50 gallons LP gas. Today I felt smoke coming out from that room. I open the door, I saw the control box (gas valve) engulfed in flames, not from the burner, just the box in front of the tank. Thank god I was still able to shut of the gas and avoid a catastrophe, but this is a very serious matter. It is very dangerous, it should get the attention of public and safety regulators.

New 40gal Defender water heater installed May 2020 as a warranty replacement for other defective one. Warranty goes from original install and has now expired. Ive had issues with water temp and had to have defective thermostat replaced ($400) and now pressure relief valve has a pretty fast constant drip and needs to be replaced. Shouldnt have these problems with 7 mth old water heater.

We had the first heater installed in Aug of 2011...it leaked 8 mo. later and was replaced free of charge. The second heater did better...it lasted 12 mo. then leaked. The third heater did even better by lasting 21 mo. before leaking and flooding my basement. That will be 4 water heaters in 42 mo. I dont know If they will replace this one under warranty but if I need to buy one you can bet your a__ it wont be Bradford White.

In July, we replaced our 16yr old hot water heater with a Bradford White hot water heater. I know regulations have changed, and this was maybe one of the first models, so we tried to give the benefit of the doubt when it started leaking 4 months later. So, we called the installer, who promptly replaced it with another Bradford White Defender hot water heater. It has been 3 days, count them, 3 days, and it is leaking already. What is wrong with this product???

Got a 10 year warranty water heater. 3 years then fail. Company is like pay a plumber we appove of to convince us it was our failure and we will provide a free replacement part 2 weeks after the failure. You are okay waiting 2 weeks for hot water and trust us to decide on the failure right? I mean just because we dont answer our phone and you have to wait 20 minutes doesnt mean we are not honest? Cmon its just normal not to tell you the specific details of our warranty.

New water heater installed March 21, 2016 pilot light will not ignite. This has happened several times and wont be a year old for two more months. Davis & Davis Plumbing Company, Louisville, Kentucky has been great. This is the first time we have had problems with what is a new hot water heater. Never will I purchase another one from this manufacturer.

Our Bradford White gas water heater was installed in 2002 when we had the house re-piped. Our house is a 50s-vintage mid-century modern style. The water sits in the garage (semi-attached) and serves the dish washer, clothes washer, and sink. There is another heater for the other end of the house that serves the two bathrooms. The garage unit started leaking yesterday and will have to be replaced ASAP. But from 2002 to yesterday, no problems, leaks, or anything. Good stuff.

Ordered a part for my water heater and that was not the issue. Contacted customer service and they Would not take the part back. The part cost me 225.00 with shipping. Now I have a part that I dont need. That 225.00 will cost them thousands because I wont do buisiness with them any way, shape or form. I will also tell my family and friends.

Installed a BW 40 gal gas water heater. It worked okay for a couple of months, then extremely hot water for a couple of months, then little hot water, etc. Turns out to be the thermostat that my supplier said was a major problem with those units. The real issue is that technical support at Bradford White is non-existent. First, you can never get through to speak to someone. So, I used the option to email and received a reply telling me to contact a plumber. Of course, the voice message while you wait forever says they are highly trained and dedicated and would walk you through the problem. If a company wont back up their product and wont provide customer support, what good are they? No more Bradford White for me!

50 gal model #450s6en12 in 5 bedroom 3 bath home... Not a single problem for the last 18 years. Will definitely buy another... tankless water 4 system at almost 4 times the cost to replace with another equivalent system. Cant touch this.

I bought this 40 gal water heater in Feb 2017. Running out of water after 10 minutes shower. Requested a verification with their technician. After verification they say its normal. I had one cascade before. Never missed water in my life. Never buy product from them. Its garbage!

My mom had a pos bw water heater installed 5 yrs 6 months ago-- Woke up this morning to find drain pan full and could not find leak. After pulling anode covers found some moisture in top cover but bottom cover was soaking wet and anode was rusted beyond belief. Its a miracle this pos didnt short out and burn the house down. NEVER EVER have I seen a water heater with such a short life span as this. WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER MADE BY THIS COMPANY.

In October 2010, I had the small 5 gallon electric water heater under my kitchen sink replaced with a new Bradford White water heater. The work was done by professional plumbers, who have an excellent reputation. Over the next few months, I noticed that my electric bills were higher than normal and couldnt find the cause - now I suspect it was the water heater, since the bills went back down in May.I went on a trip to Oregon to visit family in mid-March and was supposed to come back home to Montana, the end of May. Less than a month after I left, my water heater exploded! It was discovered April 19 and water to the house was immediately turned off, but not before flooding my kitchen with 76,800 gallons of water. Nobody touched anything, except to have the water to the house turned off and the breaker to the water heater/kitchen turned off to avoid fire and electrocution danger. I also had pictures taken. After a week or so of trying to get advice from attorneys and insurance, I contacted the plumbers, who came out immediately to assess the situation. I was instructed to touch nothing till the water heater people inspected. The water heater people (either Bradford White or distributor, Western States Sales) didn’t send someone till mid-June. Again, I was told to touch nothing till they finished their investigation. I argued with them, telling them that mold was growing and would continue to get worse if it wasn’t cleaned up immediately. Due to kitchen damage, mold, no water etc., I was unable to return home the end of May as planned. My house was, and remains, unliveable. In June, Western States Sales sent me a Bradford White water heater claim form to fill out. In mid-July, Bradford White finally sent a shipping label to the plumbers, instructing them to pick up the water heater from my house and send to them for inspection. Bradford White finally finished their inspection of the water heater in mid-August and determined that it was a water pressure issue due to a surge in the water system. This is a lie. I have a letter from the town stating that there was no surge in the system. My other much older and larger water heater had no problems, the neighbors had no problems and the school that is a block away and monitors their pressure constantly showed no surge.I had repeatedly tried to explain to everyone that I want to go home and that the mold continues to get worse every day. I kept telling them that the worse it gets, the longer it will take to clean up and the more it will cost. I have repeatedly explained how much of an inconvenience this has been and that I really want to return to my own home. For the most part, my emails and phone calls were ignored by Western States Sales. They have stalled and caused this to drag on unnecessarily. I don’t know if it was just them or if it was Bradford White telling them to stall it. I do know that there was something defective that caused the water heater to explode and that is definitely on Bradford White. This should have been handled/investigated back in May (should have taken no more than 2 weeks), and clean-up and repairs should have been completed for me to return home by the end of June, at the very latest.I am a disabled widow on social security and as it stands now, I have a house that I am still making mortgage payments on, but cannot live in. It is a total loss, due to mold and structural problems from the water sitting in the crawlspace. I cannot sell the house; it will have to be torn down. I still have no place to live and can’t afford to rent a place, while I am still making mortgage and utility payments. If I quit making mortgage payments, it will ruin my credit and I won’t be able to find a decent place to rent.Since it seemed clear to me that it was a defective product and still under warranty, I didn’t contact my homeowners insurance. I trusted/expected that it would be dealt with in a timely, professional manner. After all, Bradford White is a reputable company, right? Yeah, sure. In the end, when the investigation was finally finished, I contacted my homeowners insurance, only to be told that they won’t cover anything, because it wasn’t cleaned up immediately and that’s why the mold and structural damage occurred. I have kept a detailed log/journal of everything that happened, complete with letters, emails and notes from all phone calls, but it hasn’t done me a bit of good. The lawyers don’t seem to be interested, because there was no personal injury.In my opinion, the fault for the whole thing lies first with Bradford White for the defective water heater, which exploded, did major damage to my kitchen and caused the water to enter my house. Secondly, with Western States Sales for dragging this out, their delays caused mold and structural problems. Lastly, in the end, Bradford White lied about the unit being defective. Back in May, the cost of repair and clean up would have been between $5,000 and $10,000. Here I am, nearly a year later, the house is a total loss, I cannot afford to fix it, have no insurance coverage to fix it, I am homeless and bouncing from one family member’s house to another’s, sleeping on the couch, no privacy or comfort and no life of my own. The upset and stress has affected my health and nearly ruined family relationships. The big companies have no concern for the problems they cause people, just to save a few bucks. I wish they could be held accountable for a change. They all acted like a water heater exploding was totally unheard of, it had never happened before that they knew, but yet there was a specific claim form for it - go figure. If I could give a negative 5 rating, I would!

I purchased my first Bradford White Gas Hot water heater in 2008, 4 years later (2012) the tank rusted out. It was replaced under warranty and I had to pay 369.00 in labor. Now, in 2016 the warranty tank has rusted out! Both tanks lasted 4 years!! There is no warranty for the second rusted out tank because they back date the warranty to the initial purchase. I will never buy a Bradford White tank again!! My garage has been flooded twice and both tanks lasted only 4 years!!!

Late Sunday evening I notice that we did not have hot water. We check the hot water tank to find our basement was wet and water continued from the hot water tank. I looked on Google for 24 hours and found PK Wadsworth. I called and was told that the Tech would return my call. The Tech, Roberto, returned the call within ten minutes. I discuss my busted hot water heater and we decided that he would come out on Monday morning 8:30 am. Roberto was prompt and pleasant. He discussed the issue we agree replaced the hot water tank. Roberto left and returned with a new hot water tank and Brad. Together they promptly removed the tank. Roberto placed a tarp on the floor and stairs so that this area would not get wet or damaged. We were very pleased with the job and the excellent customer service demonstrated Brad.

My plumber has had to install 4/ 30 gal water heaters in the last 5 yrs in my home. They all leaked within 1-3 yrs. The last one was installed in March of 2018, and because it was over a yr when it started to leak again they would not replace it free of charge because the other 2 were under the warranty. My plumber was not even able to get his work reimbursed by installing it again. I would never buy another one or anything made by this company.

Installed new, failed after 2 1/2 years. Do not use if you have a salt water softener or high calcium chloride in your water, BW would not honor the warranty. Not one penny. No help at all. The tank was almost solid inside and extremely heavy when it was removed. Our contractor will no longer use their products. Expensive mistake. Horrible people to deal with.

For the consumer named Evelyn who posted on July 1, 2014 please contact me regarding your water heater. Back in 2011 a Bradford White Natural Gas water heater was installed in my home - Model # M2XR504T6FBN. One week after install my unit also began malfunctioning. Bradford White failed to honor my 10-year warranty. One year after it was installed, my entire family was poisoned with carbon monoxide and my dog died. I have an attorney who is currently working on my case. I am 100% certain the water heater is defective because my attorney spent thousands of dollars getting mines tested. PLEASE contact me ASAP!!

I have had a great experience with Bradford White. Weve had two Bradford White water heaters in our home and have been very satisfied with them. The first one lasted almost 16 years before it went and the current one is 19 years going on 20 years old with zero issues! Great quality products from an American company!

My home is only 2 yrs old and Im having to replace my 40 gallons gas water heater, REALLY? From reading the reviews it seems like we all have something in common. We purchased a piece of garbage! Apparently it has been leaking for some time now but by the grace of God the drip pan has contained the water and theres no water damage (unfortunately the unit is upstairs). Its still under warranty but I really would like to install a better brand. Ive contacted the Plumbers that installed the water heater though the Builders and theyre going to replace it but Ill have to foot out the labor which is $350. Buyer beware! Complaints have been made since the early 2000s and this company has yet to better the quality of their product.

This water heater lasted a lot longer than most I have read about 7 years but it cracked and cannot be repaired. We have never had to replace a water heater in such a short time. Not a good brand. Will buy a different.

We have a Bradford White. Within 5 years, it started leaking and stopped working. It is still under warranty. Bradford White asked me that I would have to pay for the replacement unit and a warranty fee of $35 first before they would even process the warranty. This seems like a ploy to get me to buy a new water heater. I am willing to wait until the warranty is approved before I get someone to install a new water heater but they said that their process wont allow it. If I pay for a replacement unit and pay for labor to get it installed, and then if they dont even honor the warranty, what should I do then?

I had a Bradford White hot water tank replaced after two years while under warranty. Unfortunately, after the plumbers reinstallation costs, I was out about the same amount as with the original installation. However the main problem concerns the temperature regulation. The temperature is too hot so I barely move the regulating valve and the temperature is too cool. Upon moving the regulator a minimal amount, the temperature is too hot. It is impossible to get a standard temperature. I would never recommend a Bradford White hot water heater.

I wish everyone would do their homework and read these reviews before buying a Bradford White (BW). These things have been junk since AT LEAST 1982. My first new house in 1982 came with a 6 yr BW which failed after 6 yrs and a couple of months. My second new house in 1997 came with a 6 yr BW which failed just before 6 yrs use. Both were replaced with Rheem water heaters - great product and great warranty that includes labor in the early years. The BW replacement for my 1997 house was a 9 yr Rheem that lasted me 15 years and was still working when I chose to replace it in 2017 due to signs of age. I bought a 12 yr Rheem that covers parts & tank for 12 years, and all labor for the first 3 years, $558 (now $618 a year later).Unfortunately you dont get a choice of water heater brand with new homes, and BW has a system working against you with plumbers. If you read the Please Note at the bottom of the BW warranty page (https://www.bradfordwhite.com/warranty) youll note that BW only distributes and sells through plumbers. If you are able to buy one elsewhere (dare Amazon) and install it yourself, you have immediately voided your warranty (call them & check for yourself). Rheem does not care if you self-install providing you do it correctly - which means dont fire it up without water in it which their electronic control module would record. The Rheem module provides error codes you can call into Rheem to skip the cost and hassle of diagnosis calls with a BW.I am a happy Rheem customer, I do NOT work for Rheem, or Home Depot who sells them. Im really saddened by how many people get burned by BW buying a replacement unit year after year. A local plumbing company constantly advertises a new 6 yr 40/50 gallon electric unit, installed with an expansion tank (typically only $40 retail) and removal of the old unit for $1,395!!! Oh that hurts to think people buy this.

Bradford white 40 gallon water heater - The first heater started leaking after 5 years. The replacement was under warranty and started leaking within 2 years. 3.5 years of service between them, and of course, contractor fees.

My Bradford White water heater is only a few years old. The pilot light went out. I made several unsuccessful attempts to relight same. Now I am without hot water on a Sunday morning. I read several complaints on the internet and I am convinced that Bradford is aware of this problem but fail to do the right thing and make a quality product.

Had to replace a Bradford White water heater in 4 year old house - replaced with a Bradford white. Now 3 yrs later motor has died. Paid $363 to have plumber out to replace parts not covered by warranty. He has to source new motor which we hope is covered by warranty - then another plumber visit cost! Have owned 7 or 8 homes in past - have never had these issues with any other water heater - not reliable and very expensive to replace and install.

I had my home warranty company, First American, vendor, Round The Clock, install a Bradford White water heater/serial #HC14703352 D/N 394 on 4/3/2011. Three weeks later, they had to come back because of a gas leak. We have had Southwest Gas out to our home, 3 times since, because of the smell of gas. Last Tuesday, June 19, the gas company turned off the hot water heater, saying it was too dangerous to keep on. The home warranty company will not return my calls. The vendor, Round The Clock, came out to fix the power box, and put a hole in the tank. Now, they said that it is out of warranty. I called Sheila **, Service Manager of Bradford White, phone number 1-800-900-3364 to complain. She will replace the water heater only, will not pay for labor. So, long story short, I will have to pay for labor, again. If you had a car that was leaking gas, the vendor would fix at no cost to you. It is called liability. Where is the conscience of this American business (Bradford White)? Why, as consumers, are we constantly being robbed?

I purchased a hot water heater and it was installed June 14, 2014. Two months later It lost the heat. The pilot light was difficult to work. The plumber who sold it to me came... got it started and in about 3 or 4 months it stopped again, in November at Thanksgiving time it quit again. The plumber started it again then in Dec at Christmas time it quit again. The plumber replaced the starting equipment and it lasted until February 19, 2015 then stopped again. I bought and paid for a hot water heater. I am not at all satisfied with this and would like to hear from you just how I get out of this mess.

We purchased our Bradford White electric water heater in 2015. In 2019, its motherboard burnt and luckily it was still under warranty. We spent $700 to get new water heater installed. Fast forward, 2 years later, our water heater is leaking an immense amount of water from the bottom. Our plumber does not believe that the company will replace another. DO NOT buy this water heater!!! 2 water heaters in 6 years is just ridiculous. They should be ashamed of themselves...

I had a Bradford White water heater installed last year when my previous one broke and flooded our garage. We used our home appliance insurance to cover for the replacement. Now, we are being told that the company does not cover for labor to replace the broken heater and that we are responsible for the $650 charge to re-install another water heater in just 14 months!

My house came with a Bradford White gas water heater with an electric blower that has a 6 yr warranty. Yesterday the water heater broke and water went all over the basement floor and needs to be replaced. The water heater is 6 yr and 11 months old. This puts it conveniently outside the 6 year warranty. When I called the company I was told sorry, it is out of warranty they (Bradford White Corp) will not do anything. They said water heaters are designed to last 10 years+, industry standard is only 6 yr warranty, and they would do nothing about their products failure. Additionally I was told Since its out of warranty they (Bradford White Corp) wont do anything, but we will sell me a new water heater AT FULL PRICE. I called the plumber who was going to install the new one and told them I did not want a Bradford water heater put back in, and was told b/c of size and space issue with my house Im stuck with getting a Bradford. This post and others Im leaving is to warn any other soon to be water heater buyers NOT to get a Bradford White Water heater b/c they do not stand by their product, have poor customer service, and have products that conveniently break when the warranty is up. If anyone wants to contact me to discuss, you can email me at **. Beware of Bradford White products!

I have installed and serviced Bradford White Water Heaters for over 32 Years. I find the posts from dissatisfied consumers to be offensive and unfounded. First of all, consumers are not supposed to be allowed to even purchase BW Water Heaters. That would be the fault of the local distributors for being the proverbial ** in the marketplace (willing to sell to anyone, for a slightly larger price). For the water heaters that failed prematurely, I have many questions that not one of the posts I read even addressed. What was the water pressure? More than the allowed 80psi maximum by residential plumbing code? Was there a PRV present on the main water line serving the home? (this creates a closed-loop system) Was there an expansion tank present on the installation of the water heater? (required if it is a closed-loop system) What is the water quality being delivered to the heater? (this will have profound impact on the life of ANY water heater and its anode rod) Was there a water softener installed in the home? (this will have profound impact on the life of ANY water heater and its anode rod) What was the incoming gas pressure? (can cause a premature failure of gas control valve)What I have found servicing ALL makes of water heaters over all of these years is that THESE FACTORS MATTER! If you dont know how to check these things or dont have the tools or the inclination, stop installing water heaters. The reason the manufacturer wants to refer you to an actual plumber is because you need one to check all of these things PRIOR to installing a water heater and addressing any & ALL underlying issues you may or may not have. As far as not resetting the warranty period?? Who does that? NO manufacturer does that! As a matter of fact, nobody in their right mind would even suggest that a manufacturer or any dealer would reset the warranty. A warranty that is indefinite is called a Lifetime Warranty and you pay for those, Upfront. No one wrecks their car and then buys the insurance to cover it, its the other way around. As far as what Licensed Plumbers charge, I believe some charge too much. By that I mean, if you are not going to back up your sale & installation of a given product with the support your customers deserve, then you should be the cheapest plumber on the market. As far as consumers buying a contractor grade product and wanting a professional to install it, I say to all licensed plumbers... Walk away. These people are not your customers, nor do you want them as customers. Let that person get it installed themselves by a Handy Manny and then complain about the product because it doesnt work right. Consumers beware: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Stop trying to cut corners, the rounded edges can cut or hurt you too! I do not prize the word cheap. It is not a badge of honor... it is a symbol of despair. Cheap prices make for cheap goods; cheap goods make for cheap men; cheap men make for a cheap country. - William McKinley

The tanks was only almost 5 years was leaking flooded all over the basement. Call to representative. Told water tank was leaking needs to get warranty done. The lady replies Oh well. We have never seen our tank was leaked before. Are you kidding me? There are many complained here. You guys need to read your review Bradford White!!!! Not worth the high price tag!!!

November 30, 2016 we replaced our 15 year old water heater with a Bradford White. April of 2018 (1 year and 5 months) later we were losing hot water. We called the company that installed the heater and a service employee attended our problem. WE HAD PURCHASED A DEFECTIVE HOT WATER TANK!!! It had to be replaced. The company charged us $289 to service this problem. We will never purchase a Bradford White Water Tank again. We also do not get the full 6 year warranty on this new tank, only 4 1/2 years left on the defective tank. We will never purchase a Bradford White again or do business with the company that represented them.

Our Bradford White water heater Model MI5036FBN failed and began leaking. We awakened to water dripping from the ceiling in our dining room. Fortunately we caught it early. Our unit was manufactured in 2011. Ironically, our home warranty does not cover items that are still covered under manufacturers warranty, and Bradford White does not apparently cover installation, so our cost is $1,100.

I purchased a Bradford white hot water heater 2 years & 3 months ago. The relief valve failed. Plumber stated valve should last several years. I am dissatisfied with the quality of this very expensive product.

16 years working and still going.... I am looking to replace my current 40 gallon hot water tank Model #MI40T6EN12 to prove the age, because of a possible dip tube deterioration issue, and this only started after a plumber put in a new copper pipe from the tank to our kitchen in 2015. So nothing has been confirmed yet by a plumber but they tell me once the dip tube breaks away it’s only a matter of time. Yet we still have hot water. I wish I knew where this product is sold in the Cleveland, Ohio are because I would definitely purchase another.

Licensed plumber installed BW Eco-Magnum Series w/Hydro jet 75 gal water heater on August 2016. Failed this week April 2020. Two pinhole leaks on lower sidewall approximately 6 from bottom, near the vent holes left of the Honeywell temperature regulator. The leaks were right at the weld areas. The insulation was completely soaked. Did not last 5 years even after routine flushes. Either tank defect or possible issues with the Honeywell regulator that may have overheated the unit. There was an attempted class action lawsuit regarding the Honeywell regulator. Water pressure valve and water pressure checks out. Plumber coming to replace on Monday April 6, 2020.

We have two units and this morning our 5th water heater is once again leaking badly. This product is a joke. Do not buy this from Bradford White. And they have been difficult to deal with, not offering to pay for labor even after so many problems. We will be filing a suit against them.

My BW water heater stopped working after 18 month, 6 month after the end of the warranty. Now I need to pay for the parts and labor, God knows how much. What else can I say? I have no hot water and Im very upset.

We had our home built in 2010 and the builder installed a BW water heater. The 1st one lasted five years, then started to leak. Since then weve gone thru three water heaters in three years all with the same problem, they leak and the pilot light won’t stay lit. Customer service will warranty the parts if you can get them but not the labor cost. So you are still out of pocket several hundred dollars to fix their faulty product. I would never recommend anyone to buy a BW product of any kind. Very poor quality and customer service.

Had a new water heater installed in a new house in January 2006. It was a Bradford White 80 gallon electric. It was defective and replaced in February 2008. It is now leaking and will have to be replaced again after only 6 years. The online warranty information says the warranty was out in 2012, 6 years after manufacture.

Had a Bradford White natural gas water heater installed in June,1993 and have never had a problem with it. Now 21 years later it has small leaks on the bottom so will need to be replaced. All in all Im satisfied with this product.

Our plumber installed a new Bradford White water heater in our new house. Two months later, it started making a very loud buzzing/rattling noise. And then it started spilling water into the tray below, eventually flooding our laundry room. BW replaced the faulty heater, but they refused to pay for the reinstallation. So I ended up paying ~$600 to install the same water heater twice in about 3 months. My understanding is that their competitors have better warranties for when things go wrong. Would *not* recommend buying a BW heater.

In 2006, we had a hot water heater installed. In 2012, it was replaced due to a thermocouple that failed. In December 2015, we had pilots shut off several times and a contractor discovered that the tank had a crack in it. The warranty will not replace the heater a 2nd time on the warranty so we now have to repurchase another hot water tank at $484 plus installation. Bradford should change their claim to being such a great product and reconsider changing their warranty due to shoddy workmanship.

Eco Defender HOt water heater U140T6FRN - For last 3 months, pilot light goes out periodically. Easy to relight, but a pain. Unit is 6 years old. Two years ago a plumber replaced the whole controller. After reading these posts, Im going to do all the DIY stuff I feel comfortable with, and, if that doesnt work, Im buying a new one -- obviously not Bradford White. The next plumber coming out on this matter will be bringing a new water heater. Period. Thanks to all for posting your complaints and issues. If BW does not read and take to heart these complaints, theyre not a business. Theyre just some kind of ** up revenue stream.

Glad to have found this thread. We had a 40 gallon hot water heater installed 4 years ago, and it completely failed over the Thanksgiving Weekend, leaking all over the basement. Found someone to replace it on Friday, but they used Rudd, which is probably better. Trying to get a refund since it was still under warranty and I just reached out to the consumer affairs office at Rudd. I will post an update with their response, but I hope they will issue a refund for their defective product. Not to mention the water damage in the basement.

The Bradford White Gas Power Vent water heater failed without warning overnight causing extensive flooding and water damage to a finished basement. Water heater was almost 10 years old. Should be built with a safety water cut off valve that ceases water supply to water heater if incoming water rate is greater than exiting flow.

I purchased a new home not to deal with a broken hot water heater. I called Mike ** at Bradford and was told he was in a meeting (surprising). And we all know that he called me back, NOT. My house is two years old and my hot water heater broke. I needed to call for service and the service man called Bradford. My hot water heater wouldnt light. Bradford told the service man to replace the GAS VALUE and the PILOT ASSEMBLY. REALLY I think that Bradford White should reimburse me the $450.00 it costed me to repair the crap.Hard to believe that a house that only has two people living in it, could possible use the Hot Water Heater that much to break the gas assembly and pilot in two years. In all honest I cant ever remember my water heater breaking any gas parts. Just remember the parts might be under warranty but the labor is expensive. DONT BUY THIS PRODUCT. EVEN THE COMPANY DOESNT CARE ENOUGH TO RETURN A PHONE CALL.

Our plumber installed a Bradford White Water Heater in our condo in 2013. It has to be replaced today (5 years). Labor is not covered, there is a $125 surcharge because of a federal standard that made newer water heaters more efficient but cost more, so I have to pick up the difference. I called BW and they basically told me too bad, I have no choice. The average water heater lasts 12.5 years, BW certainly lowers that average. Choose anything else.

I purchased a 75 gal. BW water heater and it had to be replaced after 5 years. Warranty was good for 6 years so they replaced the heater but it still cost me $500 for the service. The new one has now leaked after 4 years and they will not replace it because the original purchase was more than 6 yrs ago. Two hot water heater both leaking within 5 years. I would say this company has a quality issue.

This water heater was installed in my new home in October 2019. Ive called a plumber 3 times since then due to the unit leaking. Ive had the T&P valve replaced, which didnt help. I had to have the water heater replaced in May 2021. The warranty is useless. The water heater in my previous home lasted 20+ years. Ill never purchase another product from this company.

Less than 3 year old Bradford Whites Defender water heater already leaks. Previous water heater lasted 15 years. The water heater is covered under warranty for a replacement; however different upgraded model = more money (out of my pocket) due to Federal Regulatory changes and the cost of labor is coming out of my pocket as well. Extremely poor customer service and products. Made in America... Its no wonder so many buy foreign these days. They should be ashamed.

My Bradford White water heater is going on 20 years. As a former plumbing associate at your local big box, I knew about and performed maintenance on my own tank. After reading many of these reviews, it appears that repairs are being made willy nilly by people who dont have the service manual and are just replacing parts randomly. BW has an excellent service manual that an informed service tech/plumber or advanced homeowner can follow along and make systematic diagnoses based on methodical testing. It sounds like that was not done in many cases. So before you threaten with a lawyer, get an informed plumber to do this testing. Some complaints appear to have been poor wiring on the part of the installer, not the companys fault. Based on my experience, I would buy another BW and I do not own stock or know the VP of sales or have any other connection other than having experience working on my own unit.

I bought a Bradford White Defender water heater earlier this week to replace another Bradford White unit that was in the house when we bought the house several years ago. The age on the original unit was 15 years and for the 7 years we owned the house we didn't have any issues. The only time we thought of it was when we'd go on vacation and needed to turn it down. We made updates to the kitchen and added a bathroom so needed more hot water which led to buying a bigger water heater.

Warranty is for 6 years but if you buy it from a reseller it is still from the date manufactured. We purchased through the plumber doing the work. We were under the 6 years when we bought the unit but not under the 6 years when it was manufactured. Therefore, no warranty coverage for us. Also our previous water heater lasted over 16 years. Not impressed with a 6 year lifecycle. In our case the control valve was leaking. Fortunately caught early enough. Will get the water sensors that we can place underneath in case of a future leak.

The water heater is barely five years old and the pilot light constantly goes out. We have contacted customer service several times and never received a call back. Finally, we contacted a plumber and paid out of our own pocket. They couldn’t figure out what the problem was and assumed it was a filter issue. After some research, we realized this is a common problem with these water heaters. Terrible product and customer service!

I cant believe how many other reviews there are stating the same exact problem I am having with my Bradford White water heater Model M15036FBN. I had it professionally installed in June of 2010 for $1600.00. When it blew I contacted the installer who came out to declare it dead and then proceeded to tell me it would be $900.00 plus $300.00 for a new expansion tank. ON A 4-YEAR OLD WATER HEATER!! OMG! My last water heater from Home Depot cost 1/3 as much, was professionally installed and lasted 15 years! I would never again buy from Bradford White and will tell everyone I know about this nightmare! Their warranty (my unit is under warranty for another full year) is useless and requires that I send parts to them before they will decide what (if anything) is covered! (I also think the contractor took that part when he evaluated the broken heater tonight! ) Even if it is covered I still get to pay over $1000.00 for installation of another piece of junk Bradford White water heater. NO WAY! I will pay the same to someone else for something that lasts more than 4 years! Worst experience I have had with plumbers and manufacturers in quite sometime. Someone should do a class action lawsuit to stop them. Any lawyers reading this???

The igniter goes out every 4 months. You constantly have to go and turn it on which is a headache itself due to you have to reset the module. I had to pay for a plumber after hours to switch out parts which the manufacturer says will reimbursement. Thats a big lie. You have to get their authorized plumbers that only work businesses hours. Save yourself the grief. Stay away from this water heater company.

I had a Bradford White Gas Water Heater installed to replace a 15 year old water heater that was still working. After 2 years on the Bradford White, an internal seal or weld gave way and it sprayed water over a bunch of items which were not tolerant of water and leaked over part of the basement laundry room. Needless to say I am not impressed and after reading other reviews here, I would definitely recommend buying from another company.

Installed a 40 gallon gas water heater on 2/27/16. Pilot light keeps failing. Had to install a new gas burner assembly on a unit that is not even 2 months old. Call Bradford White to demand a new water heater as I just paid good money to have a new Bradford White installed. Big mistake using this companys product. Their customer service is rude. Product sucks and they dont stand behind their warranty. I WILL NEVER BUY A BRADFORD WHITE PRODUCT AGAIN. I have also informed all my friends and family to stay away from this Company as they are happy to take your money, but not so willing to back up their product. Just another corporation robbing the people. All scum at Bradford White. Pure scum.

We had the Bradford White gas 50-gallon water heater installed 3.5 years ago. The previous one lasted for almost 11 years. It started leaking over the past weekend. I contacted the plumber and they found that the problem causing the leaks was due to the faulty temperature control vault. I always have to make many adjustment on the vault in order to get the correct water temperature each time after we returned from vacations. Its either too hot or not hot enough. Gave it a slight touch and it changes the temperature unpredictably. The tank was still under the 6-year warranty but the labor warranty was over in 3 years. I contacted the company and ask them to cover the labor cost because the problem was caused by a faulty device that it was first installed. They refused to take any responsibilities and stated that the labor cost was the responsibility of the customer.

I have owned this Bradford White water heater for 3yrs at a cost of $1700. Installed. And every year since it needed repair, the (vapour sensor) at a cost of $170. Twice so far. And every year I have contacted Bradford White for warranty by emails with no results. So would I recommend one of these. Definitely Not.

On January 16th 2015 we were awake by our smoke detectors to a smoke filled house. Went outside to find the Bradford White water heater that was 4.5 years old had turned into a blow torch and set our house on fire. It had worked perfect for all the time previously. This happened without warning. It leveled our house and destroyed our life long dream and all that we owned in our house - even killed our dog due to her hiding inside. Both I and my wife tried desperately to save her before nearly over come with smoke inhalation. We have been devastated by this loss and are currently soliciting for legal council to pursue legal action. Would never own a Bradford White product again and would never have a propane water heater in a home again.

Purchased new 40 gallon Bradford White hot water heater. Within 5 months the unit quit working. Some parts were replaced and it worked for about 5 weeks. A plumber came out sent by the supplier - Edge Supply - he said he couldnt find anything to be the cause so he replaced all of the valves etc. - it worked for about 3 or 4 weeks and quit again. I could light it but it would run for a few hours and then quite again. Upon checking it, the flue was entire covered with black debris. The burner when lit appeared to be yellow - I was told that the burner was not burning properly. After no closure I purchase another brand - hooked up on the same plumbing and it has not failed yet - now I am out several hundreds of dollars and no refund or new replacement from Bradford White.

I had a Bradford White water heater model #M45036FBN, S/N DM10005845, D/N -394 installed on January 25, 2008. On Friday evening, November 9, 2012, I noticed no hot water at the faucets. I checked the water heater, found the tank leaking and the pilot light out. I shut off both gas and water supply. I called the installation plumber. I could not get someone to come till Tuesday, November 13, because Monday, November 12, is Veterans Day. This plumber, Perfection Plumbing of Temecula, CA, advertised to be 24/7 service. I called another plumber, VIP Plumbing, and someone came on Saturday at 8 am. I had to pay for labor because this is not the installation plumber. VIP Plumbing said they will take care of the warranty issue with Bradford White. I called Bradford White and was told that warranty does not cover labor at all, even for defective product. When asked whether pro-rated labor cost will be reimbursed, I was told that warranty does not cover labor, like talking to a machine. Defective, yet the consumer has to pay for re-install; quite a scam. Unfortunately, the replacement water heater had to be the same model Bradford White too. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop in less than 6 years. If and when that happens, no Bradford White for me or anyone else I can persuade and talk to about water heaters.

We switched from an older, gas powered water heater when we did a renovation. The water heater wasnt malfunctioning, we just wanted something more efficient. We got a Bradford White direct vent water heater. In the space of one year we have had to replace a sensor twice and replace an entire module as well (the control box on the front). Our old water heater was set it and forget it - this one is set it and pray...

My wife and I purchased a new home in 2013 and during the first year no complaints. On 10 May 15 Mothers Day I had to replace my Bradford White water heater because the internal seal burst. On May 22 I had several walls and carpet dried and repaired. The morning of 24 May 15 the new Bradford White water heater burst again... Another insurance claim to repair my mechanical room and basement. Since the heater is less than a month old it is under warranty and will be replaced at no cost. There is still the issue of labor cost to pay for the licensed plumber. I will never again purchase a Bradford White product nor should anyone reading this.

My Bradford-White Defender gas water heater blew 6 yrs. and 3 months after installation. They have a 6 yr. warranty - and wouldnt offer me a dime toward replacement costs!

I had a Bradford White water heater installed 19 months ago by a lic plumber. The unit failed and flooded my garage and had to be replaced by another lic plumber that Bradford White warranty dept referred me to. It cost me $840 to have it replaced. Bradford Whites warranty does not cover labor which I was fully aware of. However, my complaint is that no one there seems to care or have any empathy or capacity to apologize or make things right with the consumer who has spent this kind of money on labor twice in 19 months. Very poor service experience. No one in the warranty dept even wanted details of my experience with their product. How can they possibly improve and make a better product when they dont care why it failed.

I purchased 2 of their small 6 gallon electric hot water heaters to replace the same size Rheem units in my office. I decided to spend the extra cash on the Bradford White instead of a direct replacement from Rheem, thinking Id rather buy a quality unit now and not have to worry about it for another 10 years. Only one of my Rheem units failed after the 8 years, but I figured the other was sure to go soon so I replaced both. What a mistake it was to go with the BW units. After 3 weeks the element on one unit blew out, I called for service. They told me I would have to pay their tech to come out and diagnose and if it was deemed a defect, they would cover the repair. Knowing this would end up being a useless expense because they could always find a million reasons to say it wasnt them, I replaced the element with an aftermarket - unit worked good for a while until now the thermostat crapped out. (It was working fine after element replacement and did not cause it, I cycled the temp adjustment to make sure it turned on and off properly and checked with a multi-meter.) I replaced that with an aftermarket too. So I basically bought an overpriced tin can because the electronics are trash. Thinking maybe one unit was just a rotten apple or something went wrong on install, I figured all is well now that I replaced the parts. A month later, the element on the second tank went in the same fashion. Ok now Bradford, either man up and stop patting yourself on the back with your BS quality awards or change your name to Bradford and Wong, because these have to be manufactured in China or something. Two separate tanks, on two separate water lines with the same exact problem??? Highly doubtful that this is MY problem. Well it is my problem, but definitely not my doing - well maybe its even my doing for buying a BW in the first place. However I called customer service again for the second unit and got the same speech about paying their tech... It just wasnt worth it to get suckered in again by this company for a repair tech to diagnose (aka Yep its broken - heres your bill) and replace a part they would probably weasel their way out of paying for anyway. I ordered the part online myself for $15 because I already know what the problem is. The problem is BW making garbage products... I replaced two Rheem units that lasted 8 yrs under the exact same conditions, both Bradford and Wongs died within a month or two of installation. Thankfully Im handy enough to diagnose and fix these problems myself. Now I know what youre thinking, youre not a plumber and probably installed them wrong. This is a direct replacement of a unit - its 2 pipes and 3 color coded wires, not much room for error there. My Diagnosis - Bradford and Wong makes a garbage product, your bill is in the mail.

40 gal MI403S6FBN - All 40 gallons emptied into our finished basement. Considering that the water heater is 4 years old, this should never have happened. Will never buy Bradford White again. And will make sure to advise friends and family of the same.

These are garbage. Ours leaked flooding our basement and they will not replace under warranty. Stay away from this companys products, the tank was not even 4 yrs. old.

My 14-month old Bradford White Hot Water Tank, model M240S8DS-INCPP, had a defect in the drain valve. The valve blew apart, and left me with a water damage claim. The local supplier says there have been 2 other failures on the same model tank since the beginning of the year. Is this a known defect?

Our trusted installers, Snell & Son Heating and Air Conditioning, said this is the only brand they install and recommended it. It never quite worked right providing warm (not hot water) after 5 minutes of showering. The valve broke and cost us $689 to replace, 6 months after the warranty expired. Including labor, the charge was going to be $915. The new valve WV8840A1001 only has a 1-year warranty. We made a mistake installing this heater and increased that mistake by trying to fix it.