Similar to what I am reading below and on other sites, my hot water heater stopped working. I spent about an hour trying to relight the pilot light, which apparently you cant do with this model because it breaks. My first thought and action was to call a plumber to come fix it. When he arrived he said it was reverse thread and that I would have to call Lowes to get a replacement part. When I called Lowes they said they would call Whirlpool and then give me a call back. Two days later I still havent heard back or taken a shower; I am going to the gym tonight. Finally, I got online and called the 800-number and am being sent a part to arrive tomorrow. I asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the plumber since they obviously knew they had a problem (they assumed why I was calling the warranty line) and redesigned the issue with a voluntary recall. Whirlpool, please make this right. I know you license your name to American but it is still your name and brand reputation.

In 2007 our Whirlpool 30 gallon gas water heater began to have issues. Serial number 0425126675, Model Number FG1F3030T3NOV. The pilot light kept going out and would not stay lit.. After several times with replacement parts being sent with the same thing happening, finally in 2010 they replaced the water heater. A new water heater was professionally put in, serial number 1023T412357 Model number BFG1F3030T3noHV.I am having the exact same issue and I was told that the warranty was null and void on the new water heater because it was a replacement. They replaced a defective water heater with a defective water heater. I called the number given to me by Lowes 1/877/817/6750. I spoke with Nichole. I told her that I should not have to pay for replacement parts for a defective water heater. I told her that I was never informed that there would not be a warranty. I live on a fixed income and cannot afford to buy another water heater because I was given a defective water heater in replacement for a defective water heater. I became angry stating, Thanks for nothing and I hung up. So many people have the same problem with these water heaters that something MUST be done.

Purchased Whirlpool gas hot water heater from LOWES on 9/25/2016. After the installation, tried to light the pilot light for 90 minutes. Followed the recommended instructions, I could not get it to light. Called LOWES they told me to call Whirlpool. I did so, and told them I will return the heater to LOWES the next day. Whirlpool customer service very bad. Returned the heater to LOWES the next morning, went to a local plumbing shop and purchased a Rheem heater. After installation it lit very first attempt. Now three weeks later I get a letter in mail from collection agency that LOWES turned me in for stopping payment on the check I wrote them. After reading the many negative reviews and they disregard for my and my familys safety, nobody should purchase a Whirlpool gas heater from LOWES.

Purchased my Whirlpool gas hot water heater. After 1 1/2 yrs, the blinking light shut off, called tech at Whirlpool, made me move hot water heater to outside. I moved it outside and when called back, I was then told to send 4 photos to prove that I moved it, in which I did that. He told me that still was not right... and still he would not help with reset. I live in my parents old home w/ water heater in bathroom for 50 yrs. No problem... it was vented thru ceiling to attic. Now it is outside, unlit, in a steel hub (as directed) and still not ok...I have no hot water and have not for 4 weeks now... Whirlpool sucks... never buy their hot water heaters. Had to pay a serviceman $750 to move heater, run cold/hot water lines and gas line and it still does not work... with NO HELP from Whirlpool. Now I am in process of buying an electric hot water heater and have to pay an electrician to run a 220... I am on fixed income and this stinks... biggest regret... WHIRLPOOL.

This product is unsafe and should be recalled. It has aluminium wires that connect the unit to the 220 Vol Power source. Aluminium and copper wire dont mix. I took a shower and was getting ready to leave for the day when I went into my garage to smell burning plastic and wires. I traced it to the hot water heater and discovered the wires in the Energy Smart were melted and burned. I checked with Two Electricians who told me that the wires in the unit can not handle the high heat and melt. If you have one get rid of it. Had I left for the day I would have lost my home, cars and pets. If anyone would like to see this unit I still have it and photos.

Purchased I assumed a brand-new electric hot water heater from Lowes. It worked giving us hot water for 5 months then it quit. We called the number they have located on the side of the water heater and they sent 3 references such as plumbers for us to contact because everything they told us to purchase didnt work... so after their references, plumber came out. Instead of him telling us what was wrong why all of a sudden we stopped getting hot water he didnt return our phone call. As a professional that sucks!!! So WHIRLPOOL CUSTOMER SERVICE says the hot water heater that had been working for 5 months wasnt up to code and wasnt wired right and WE need to pay an electrician to connect it right... thats **. The electrician did it correct the first time. Whirlpool just dont want to accept the fact that their equipment is faulty!!! But thats good because I will NEVER purchase anything WHIRLPOOL makes. I dont care if they start making water. I will just quit The hell with that company!!! WHIRLPOOL SUCKS!!! Heres the serial number 1626103174130 and if I had read the neg reviews before I purchased the hot water heater I wouldnt not have done it!!!

For many years, I have worked on and tested water heater thermocouples. I have a lot of experience with this. I have checked around many of the wholesale supply houses to find a simple part needed for this brand/manufacturer appliance. Johnstone Supply, a national wholesale distributor, Grainger, etc. cannot get these parts. You must call Whirlpool and wait on the phone and give the operator the full story about what you found and how you tested the water heater only to be told you dont know what you are talking about. I was told that if the pilot lights and stays lit for even several minutes, that it is not the thermocouple but the gas valve and they will not sell me the part and recommend either I purchase a whole gas valve assembly and revised thermocouple or they would not sell me anything.Then I got told that I am on a waiting list to be called for availability of the parts at some time within the next 24 hours. Or just buy a new water heater from us with a warranty. Really? This is why you should not even have wasted your time with these people and move on to a better future. I asked,Can I purchase a box of thermocouples for this type of water heater with a left hand thread? The answer to this was, No, we will need the serial # for each unit that has had any part put on it. Move on, I say. This was a big waste of time by me, the plumber, and my customers happiness.

The pilot light on our hot water heater will not stay lit. We cant find the custom made Replacement Kit at any local retail locations, including a specialty appliance repair store, Lowe’s or Home Depot. So our only option seems to be waiting for the part to come in the mail. Meanwhile, my two little girls have no hot water in their home! Not because we couldnt afford to pay the gas bill, but because of the piece of junk hot water heater that we purchased and the lousy company that stands behind it!

After years, the gas hot water heater model fg1f5040t3nov went out. The plumber had me get a new part. 2-3 weeks ago, it went out again. I am trying another new igniter assembly. If it goes again, Im getting a new heater - not a Whirlpool! My plumber says he can get me a new one for a little more than I spent on the Whirlpool, and its much more dependable.

We purchased a Whirlpool water heater at Lowes for $1100.00. Four years later it isnt working. There are no parts to fix it available at any store in Dallas, TX. We had to call the company. They made us pay the overnight shipping fee for the part. Then the part didnt show up. When we called to find out why isnt the part at my house, they said they found out FedEx doesnt deliver on Saturdays. No one ever called to notify us of this, instead the response was that they would use it as a coaching lesson for not notify the customer. We have now been without hot water in the middle of winter for 5 days. We have no idea when the part will arrive and if it will even fix my defective water heater. We will never buy another Whirlpool product and I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to not buy Whirlpool. They dont stand by their product and have horrible customer service.

On December 21, it became clear that I needed to replace our 13-year old Rheem water heater. We decided to buy one from Lowes, 36 miles away and have a handy man install it. He installed the new Whirlpool 50 gal gas water heater with a 12-year warranty on Friday, the 22nd, but could not get it to stay lit. He called Whirlpool to troubleshoot. They said it could be one of two parts and that they would ship the parts on the Monday after Christmas. He asked who would install and they recommended a local plumber. He called that plumber but they indicated they did not do Whirlpool warranty work and would have to charge.On Monday, I called Whirlpool and was assured the parts would be shipped that day for overnight delivery. I confronted them about the local plumber not doing their warranty work so they set up an appointment with a company called A&E for Wednesday morning. On Tuesday morning, I called Whirlpool to get the tracking number on the parts and was told that they did not get shipped on Monday as promised but would be shipped that day, arriving by the end of the day Wednesday, too late for the appointment for installation.By Tuesday night, my wife got on this site and was appalled to read the numerous identical complaints. I decided that Wednesday morning that I would hire a plumber to remove the Whirlpool and install another so we would not have a lifetime of problems from Whirlpool. The plumber installed a different water heater. It started right up and we have had no problems since. I got an R or RA number from Whirlpool which I think they only gave me because the parts had not arrived on time and I returned the piece of ** to Lowes for a refund. Lowes has a seven-day return policy of these.

I purchased a home in March of 2013. When I bought the home, I noticed it had a new Whirlpool 50-gallon gas 6th sense hot water heater model number ND50T122-403. It was newer and I thought it was a good selling point and would last many years. The original owner had purchased the heater in March of 2011. Three months after I moved in, the control valve went bad - 4 flash eco lockout. I called Whirlpool. They sent out the replacement part. I had to pay for shipping express delivery. Since then the control valve has gone out 2 more times, a total of 3 times in one year. On the third time, they gave me a return number for a replacement. I dont even want this heater for free. I am still required to pay for installation and additional installation parts. This product is terrible. Save yourself a headache. Do not buy this product!

I purchased this water heater (Model# E2F40RD045V, Serial# 1122T461615, Product# 0826354) 1 week ago (Oct. 17, 20011) and it has been installed only after 5 days (Oct 25, 2011). It has yet to heat the water more than warm. I called Lowes (Oct. 21, 2011) and tried to return it only to be told that I would have to get an authorization number from Whirlpool. I called and Whirlpool wanted me to trouble shoot the problem. I had to have an OHM meter and amp meter to do so, which means that I needed to have an electrician present to do these test because I dont own any of these things. I was then told that they could send someone to my house, but I may end up paying for this. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that she would tell me the same thing. The call ended when I told them that I guess I would have to do the best I could because I was not getting any help from them. Out of desperation, I went back to Lowes and got a new heating element to try to fix this problem myself. I installed it and it still did not work. I called back the next day and still did not get any help, I was only told that I needed to have these meters on hand to trouble shoot the problem. Why is it that I have to do this? The lady did not seem to care that I did not have any way to handle this problem. I felt that this problem was my burden and not Whirlpools for putting out a defective product. I have in my home about 5 new Whirlpool major appliances and have been a loyal customer for many years but after this incident, never again. I will also be advising my friends how Whirlpool has treated me. I am very disappointed with your customer service or should I say lack of customer service. I was told that had I said that the water heater was leaking, I would have been given an authorization number immediately! I still do not have any hot water as I sit here typing this complaint. I am sure that Whirlpool is really concerned as you have my phone number and address and your representatives are aware that I am very upset but still no one has even tried to help me other than telling me that I have to trouble shoot the problem. As far as your rating go with me you get an F!

Bought a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes 1/08/12. In May of 2013, it would not work. I had to replace the Gas Control for around $100.00. It was 4 months off warranty! The same thing happens 3/2014. They sent me a new Gas Control Valve free and shipped it overnight. This is no fun to fix. I cannot believe that I need to flush the tank out with cider vinegar every 6 months. That is why I was told it keeps breaking.

I bought an American US Craftmaster water heater in October 2006. I have paid a plumber 3 different times to work on this and the pilot light will not stay lite. I used the replacement parts they sent, followed their technicians directions over the phone, etc. Nothing seems to work. Christmas was not pleasant at my house this year. I’m still taking cold showers.

This Whirlpool Water heater was purchased through Lowes on March 29, 2011. This past weekend, water started leaking out of the thermostat/natural gas control located on the side of the tank. I called a plumber to take a look. He stated that a new thermostat/natural gas control was needed. Although the tank has a 12 year warranty, this item does not. Whirlpool did agree to replace the part but would charge me $30 to overnight the item which still would have taken 4 days because of a weekend. To install the item would have cost me almost $500.00.To purchase a new Rheem Water heater was $999. I chose the second choice as the first choice would have still left me with a subpar water heater obviously already out of warranty. The reason for my review is that I saw the number of complaints on the failure of this part. When I purchased this water heater, it was the better model due to the 12 year tank warranty. What use is the tank warranty when the other items dont last? There should be some type of reimbursement but Im not holding my breath. Please buy a contractor grade water heater and not the cheaper models.

I bought my home four years ago with a Whirlpool 50-gallon water heater in it. It was installed in December 2002. Well, my hot water went out. After being told I could go to Lowe’s because they would supply the part free of charge because there was a recall on the thermocouple unit. I went to Lowes. No luck there. They told me they didnt carry the whole replacement unit and I would need a number from Whirlpool. The guy at Lowes was very nice but said I was the fifth person to come in this week.I called Whirlpool and was told because I was not the homeowner that had purchased the item that there was no warranty on the product and that I would have to pay for the part. It cost $34.98 plus shipping, which was another $30.00 because I had it shipped overnight. Two days with no hot water was enough. Well, I got the part and hopefully there is nothing wrong with it as it was shipped in a box twice as big as needed with no packing what so ever.I just got off the phone with them again but this time spoke with a supervisor that told me there was no need for packing. There was no part of the entire assembly that could have been damaged. Will I ever buy anything with the Whirlpool name on it? Not only no, but ** no! Will I tell everyone I know about this? You bet. I am also going to write to Lowes and ask why they are continuing to sell inferior appliances such as these. I have to tell one realtor friend about this and just placed a call to another to tell him. The first had no idea that appliances that were marked still under warranty did in fact have no warranty at all if its a Whirlpool. I may write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper and hope that they will publish it to inform anyone reading the paper about these inferior products.

Water heater model N40t61-343 - Why does a water heater fail after 4 years when there is a warranty for 6 years? Is this water heater an omen for Whirlpool? I have a wife who is terminal and I trusted the Whirlpool name for hot water. What are Whirlpool going to do about this water heater?

Our hot water heater (Whirlpool Mod # BFG1F404053NOV) stopped working. I called the Whirlpool help line and was advised to change the thermocouple as they had been having issues with this particular model. I was advised to go to Lowes, where we had purchased the heater, to get a new thermocouple at no charge to us. After changing the thermocouple, guess what? It still didnt work. I went back to Lowes and they replaced the heater, at no charge to us (they were great during this whole ordeal so no knocks against Lowes). Well, one year later, it’s the same issue. The pilot light will not stay lit. It’s very frustrating as it never goes out at an opportune time. In the past, the name Whirlpool ensured you were getting a quality product. I guess that’s not true anymore.

I purchased a 40-gal Whirlpool water heater model 40t91-403 last week and paid a plumber to have it installed. The old one (GE 40 gal) worked fine except for a leak. The new one used all of the old connections except the 2-inch in and out pipes. Same connections, hot, cold and gas. At first I got about a quart of hot water and then all cold. Whirlpool changed the valve and cold water pipe (inside the tank) and still the same. They are trying to tell me that the tank is fine - I have a plumbing problem. Two plumbers have told me different, but still they insist. Yes, I am upset. The old GE, even with a leak, performed better!

The pilot light went out on our Whirlpool hot water heater. We followed instructions and were unable to relight. Our plumber was also unable to relight so we ordered new parts with associated overnight express costs. The plumber returned and worked for over an hour. When the pilot light came on the burner assembly burned out the new thermo coupling and that needed to be replaced again. This happened again. I would like to join the class action suit as Whirlpool has known about this problem and consumers are paying more than the original cost of the unit for repairs.

In 2008, I purchased the 40-gal. Whirlpool electric water heater to replace the original unit in my home that had lasted 14 years without issue until it died of old age. After about 2 1/5 years, it died and I was given authorization to return it to Lowes at my insistence. Now after another 2 1/5 years, this one has died. So far, I have replaced both elements, lost a days work, missed out on a date because I could not take a shower and now Im told I have to replace the electrical box on top which wont get here until Monday. Its Saturday and I havent been able to take a shower in my home for 5 days now.The first CSR (Crystal) I spoke with implied that since I had 2 consecutive failures, this was a site problem, not a product problem. Theres nothing special about my site, and my old unit made it 14 years with zero repairs. I would argue that since both of the units only lasted 2 1/5 years, that the product is substandard. I asked to speak to a manager but was told no because they were all busy (no doubt) and her demeanor was unapologetic and unsympathetic. The second CSR (Nick) I spoke with was very nice and at least sympathetic. That goes a long way in customer service, but I was still not allowed to speak with a manager.I am going to try and repair it one more time, but I have zero confidence in Whirlpool and would never buy another Whirlpool product of any sort again. If I get it working, and after all Ive read here I doubt that I will, I will only be using it for the time it takes to get a replacement of another brand. This was my first experience with a Whirlpool product and you can be sure it will absolutely be my last.

Long story short, we replaced a very old Whirlpool water heater with a new one a couple of years ago... We have had nothing but trouble. First, pilot light wouldnt stay lit. Found out that it was defective.... Whirlpool DID offer a no cost conversion kit. Had to pay shipping and installation costs. Have had the plumber out four more times to try to ANYTHING to keep it lit.... No luck. He even spoke to a Whirlpool tech on the phone and followed his advice. I have filed an online complaint with Whirlpool and the site stated that I would hear back within three working days. Guess what.... no reply. I have four other Whirlpool appliances that I love, BUT as they wear out, I will NOT consider Whirlpool.

I could echo all of these complaints and more. I just gave up on the heater, junked it, and went to Home Depot and bought a Rheem. Recommendation: NEVER BUY A WHIRLPOOL!

They stink. Major issues with most all of these Whirlpool water heaters. I have had issues with 3 different units. I own properties and these are pure junk. Cant find parts and have to pay for shipping on warranty parts! 2 years old units junked, Ridiculous... never buy Whirlpool!

Chris from Whirlpool contacted me the same day that I filed my complaint. He offered to replace our water heater at no charge. We will pick up our new water heater this weekend and install it. Hopefully, it is designed better than our current water heater.

we bought a hotwater heater and it gets scalding hot set on the low setting, we had the gas valve replaced by a@e paid for by whirlpool. It still gets above 125 degrees,set on vacation with me using it all during the day.I have contacted them several times, they told me to let the hotwater run about 10 minutes everyday, or just turn the heater off and let it cool off. I bought a water heater to use not light the pilot everytime I need hot water.

This same problem occurred about a month later so I called Whirlpool. They sent out an entire new thermostat assembly which took me about an hour to install. The hot water heater has worked correctly ever since.

Ive had my Whirlpool water heater for almost 4 years now and for the last year and a half, I had to have the pilot light lit at least 5 times. I finally got so frustrated around the 3 times and called the company. They gave me instructions on how to light it and to ensure no draft was around the tank. A couple of weeks ago, it went out again and I called. This time I was told to replace the thermocouple. I did that and guess what? Still no hot water. Im a single parent with 2 kids and weve been boiling water just to bath.A service tech came out and told me I need to replace the tank altogether. I called Whirlpool service and they told me it was nothing they can do. Like many of you, I got this tank from Lowes and they will not do anything about it either. Its hurtful and stressful that doing a holiday season, I have to decide to either buy a hot water tank or give my kids a good Christmas. I know several friends and family who has had their tanks a lot longer with no problem. My problem is its a crappy Whirlpool brand with poor customer service.

Thermal couple went out and nobody has one. You have to get it from whirlpool. This could be a easy fix with buying a $6.00 thermal couple but the one on mine has left handed threads. I took it to several parts places and they all said you have to buy it from whirlpool so you have to call the 1 800 number and they ask you how soon do you want it, 5 to 6 days to take a shower for $10 shipping, or $20 for 3 to 4 days without a shower or $32 for overnight? This ** should be free if they are the only ones that have it. I never heard of this crap before. The funny thing is they told me I should replace my water heater since the warranty is expired. Dont worry I will buy a new one someday and it will be anything but a whirlpool. I will never buy anything whirlpool again and make sure my family never buys whirlpool.

I see that I am not the only one with the same pilot problem. I just purchased this new model that came out last summer. I bought my new water heater in September and just this past weekend, it messed up. I have not had it for 8 months. Whirlpool sent out a technician yesterday and he said the assembly is not good and the pilot would not light. Well they sent me a replacement part and they are coming out today to install it. The funny thing was that the technician said, Oh, these are hard to work with. We have a lot of problems with these models and they just came out last summer. Its the on that has the little box and you push the pilot button in and hold it until the red light comes on. Anyway, he said he didnt carry parts for that one, only the old ones which last longer. The ones that have the black round circle that looks like a thermostat. I said, Really? Well the reason I bought this water heater is because my last one that I bought 2 years ago kept having the same issue. Whirlpool sent me the assembly with the pilot and all 3 times and would never replace it. I got tired of it always messing up so after having it for 2 years, we just dumped it and went and bought this new model. Here we are 8 months since we bought it and the same thing is happening. I am so furious. I am pissed off that they dont recall these if they are defective. Why do they keep selling them if people have problems? My cousin called me a couple of months ago and asked if my husband could check her water heater and its the same type I had and it was doing the same thing. I will never buy another Whirlpool water heater again.

AVOID Whirlpool water heaters - Bought two 12 year warranty water heaters from Lowe’s in 2014. Model NU50T121-403 from Whirlpool. Thermocouple went out within the first 4 months. Called WP, they gave me a number to call for an authorized contractor to come out. Made certain to tell me that PARTS were covered, but not labor. $300 for the labor and two days later, hot water is back on. SAME THING happens again 6 months later, then AGAIN in Sept of this year. So 3 guys have been out to all replace the same part. This morning, hot water is out. Both tanks. Can’t keep pilot light lit. Called WP. They gave me more numbers of authorized contractors. No hot water and now I’ve got another $300 I owe to fix the SAME BROKEN PART. I wonder if this is how their last class action lawsuit got started?

I bought a 50-gal. Whirlpool electric hot water heater about 6 years ago from Lowes. About every two years, something goes bad. So far, I had to replace electronic control board that sits on top of heater twice. Then the heating element went bad. Well, this time, the electronic control board started to smoke and melt. I was home so I smelled something melting and found it. What would have happened if I was not at home? I have dogs that are like my kids; they could have been killed. Whirlpool wants to send the replacement parts knowing this part is no good. Do not buy a Whirlpool electric water heater! Now, Im scared the next time I wont be at home to find the thing smoking. I dont have money to buy a new one. How many other people have the same problem?

Do yourself a favor and do not purchase any Whirlpool gas heater product. There are numerous poor reviews on Whirlpool water heaters. The one I purchased, 50 gallon Whirlpool water heater; I had to replace the control valve three times. After the third time, (the water heater was less than 18 months old) I gave up and purchased another product. Whirlpool would not replace their poor product, but did replace the control valve, each time, which cost $100,00 labor each time. After the water heater was taken out, there were visible leaks on all connections. (A licensed plumber installed it.) Over a period of time, I lost a total of three days work, was w/o hot water three times for two days each issue. I hope I can save the next consumer similar difficulties with this product. Check consumer reports before purchase of this product. There are numerous complaints. Also, local plumbers can advise on how many issues they encounter with this product.

On 12/27/2013 I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes Model NU50T122-403. On 12-13-2015 the pilot went out. When I called tech support on 12-14-2015 they gave number what were call centers or person who returned the calls. So I called a local plumber that I used before. He came out and told me that had to replace the pilot. On the 16th 2015 of Dec. that did not work and told us the heater needed to be replaced. The replacement will happen today I hope with little to no help from Whirlpool. I would advise you to do your homework before you buy a Whirlpool hot water heater.

I have Whirlpool 40 gallon heater 5 years ago. The pilot light went out and I replaced the parts. This has happened three times and I have replaced the entire thermocouple assembly three times. The last time, the parts came straight from Whirlpool. This time, the pilot light will not stay lit. I am on my way to buy another hot water heater for my family because I have had enough.

I have bought two Whirlpool water heaters and with each one have had the same problem: the pilot light will not stay on. I have to continually turn the pilot light on each day. I have replaced the entire flame/pilot/thermal couple assembly several times. Each time I use the unit, it works for about 2 weeks, then Im back to turning on the pilot light every day. Im convinced that there is an inherent design flaw that Whirlpool should be forced to deal with. It seems that this should be a fraud case to sell a known, documented, defective product. Shame on you Whirlpool! Its obvious that its all about the money! Band all Whirlpool water heater products!

I bought a Whirlpool water heater in March, 2008. Last time (not sure if its last year or 2 years ago), I had an issue of the water not heating. They have someone came in to replace a part. Recently a humming sound (scary one) keeps on coming on from time to time. It took me some days to find where the sound is coming from, and there it is, my fairly new whirlpool water heater.They said it has something to do with the orifice. Since I am not a handyman, they recommended a service guy to come in, and I have to pay. I wonder how much more I have to spend on this heater? Yes Im saving gas consumption, but it will be spent for service anyway, and I have the added bonus of frustration. It is not worthy having it. I spent $1,400 for the heater and labor.

This product is JUNK!! We replaced out hot water tank 1-07-11. Worked good for almost 9 months. Then the pilot light keeps going out. We have replaced everything three times already. Now we cant get it lit for nothing. Its blinking 7 times!!! This should not be happening. When you call Whirlpool, you always get some smart ** rep trying to solve your problems over the phone, telling you what its doing. Excuse me, your not here with it, I am. I even had the plumber on the phone, he got so mad at them, he handed me my phone back and said he is not dealing with stupid. They have no clue what they are talking about!! Its crap that we have to pay $30 for them to express mail a part when its the middle of the winter and we have no hot water. Im at my wits end with this hot water tank. Im ready to sue their butts. Sounds like to me by reading all these reviews, a lot of people are having the same issue. We need to do something about this. They had a suite against them but not for my water tank. They were replacing the parts. Ive spent over $1000 from buying it new, having it installed and paying for repairs on the hunk of junk!!!What can we do??? We need to take a stand against Whirlpool. We need to exchange information and contact an attorney and make them pay!!

Purchased a 80 gallon Whirlpool Water Heater with a Life Time Warranty. When it overflowed because the system failed to detect the water temperature, called and they sent in the temp sensor (I paid for shipping). Had plumber replace it. One day later the same thing happened, called and they sent in a board. Same exact thing happened. By this time, Im without hot water for over 2 weeks in dead cold January on the East coast. They will replace the water heater but only a 50 gallon NOT the 80 because they no longer manufactured the 80. Option given by Lowes is to add a recirculating pump to give additional gallons. But, of course Whirlpool said NO. They only can give me the 50 gallon. What a ripoff!!! Please, please DO NOT purchase any product from Whirlpool. Now they change the same to A.O. Smith Signature Premier.

Problem resolved - This is an update to my previous complaint... The repair man arrived this morning and after resetting the thermostat, the water heater started up again. He explained to me that these new water heaters are super sensitive because of the new designs and systems that are required by the State of California. He said that all brands have to have the same system. He said that the new water heaters dont breathe as well as the old ones. In our case, he suspected that after being installed, there were probably some air bubbles in the pipes which tricked the computer into telling it that there was not enough ventilation, when in fact our ventilation was fine, but that triggered a total shut down! In my previous written complaint, I was really upset because I have not had a shower in 3 days and thought this problem water heater would not be fixed until next week. I was furious! My understanding is that basically the way the new water heaters are designed is not very well and there is nothing we can do because about it they are all the same, unless we want to go to a tankless water heater system which plumbing included would cost $4000.00... so we are stuck and hope this will not happen again!

In 2007, I purchased two 30 gal. Whirlpool Flame Lock water heaters (Model: FG1F3030T3NOV) from Lowes for two different homes that I own. I started having trouble with one of them after about two months. I replaced the thermocouple several times, with each one working only about a month. After that, Lowes replaced the complete burner assembly and that, so far, fixed the problem.Now, the second one has (1 Oct 11) gone out. The local Lowes told me that they are out of the burner assembly for this water heater. I called them this evening and was told that they didnt know when they would have the part, but to call back about every other day to see if they had received the burner assembly for this water heater. They said that it could be from two days to two weeks before they may receive this part!In 2008, I also purchased a 40 gal. Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater (Model: BFG1F4034T3NOV) for my house and no problems so far. In 2007, I even recommended that a friend of mine purchase and install one of these in a home that he owned. He did. I helped him install it and it later had the same problems! I am now needing a water heater for my workshop. What can I buy thats dependable?

I filed a complaint late Oct. 4, 2011 about a problem I was having with one of my Whirlpool water heaters. Chris from Whirlpool emailed and phoned me twice within 12 hours! He was courteous and very helpful. He shipped the parts that I needed overnight. They came in this evening, I installed them and everything is working great! Thanks to Whirlpool and Chris, we now have hot water!

Whirlpool water heaters are a disgrace!!!! I have never been so dissatisfied in my life with a product. I bought this water heater 11/2017. Three months later, it was not working. Whirlpool sent an igniter and I had a technician to put it on. This was a short fix because it broke down 2 weeks later. I called customer service and of course they gave me the runaround. I will never ever buy another Whirlpool product. This company is the worst.

I originally purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater in 2005. After numerous problems Whirlpool agreed to replace January 2010. With the new hot water heater, everything was fine for the first two years. Now about every 6 months, we are having the thermocouple and the igniter. Each time you order the part, the part is free but you have to pay $30.00 for shipping. I am tired of dealing with this. We have decided even though we still have a warranty left on the hot water tank we are going to purchase a different one and never ever buy another Whirlpool product. They do not stand behind their products.

I purchased model FG1F4040SEPV Whirlpool water heater from Lowes about 5 years ago and have had to literally replace the thermocouple each year. At least 3 of these years we have had to pay someone to fix this for us until we learned to do it on our own. Im very surprised Whirlpool didnt recall these water heaters and make it right for their consumers. What this did for us was confirm that we will never purchase another Whirlpool item ever again. We are switching over to Kenmore!

5 years and 11 months ago I bought a 50 gallon gas, Whirlpool hot water heater with a 6-year warranty from Lowes. The 2007 water heaters were on sale, so I paid $329 for it. Within 6 months, I replaced the gas valve, and a few months after that, the thermo-couple went out and I replace that. Each time I called Whirlpool and got return authorization numbers for the parts, I still ended up paying for the parts plus labor. A year after that, the igniter went out and I had that replaced. Last year (the day before Thanksgiving), the thermo-couple went out again and I had to have that replaced - and it cost me for the part plus the labor - even though I had a return authorization number. I also replaced the water line connections/hoses to the water heater at that time. The customer service rep for Whirlpool told me at that time if I had another problem with the water heater, they would replace it for free - and the warranty was good until Dec 31, 2013 (this year). NOTE: Every plumber that has come out to fix the water heater and replace the parts stated that they see a myriad of problems with Whirlpool water heaters. They said the parts like the thermo-couples, igniters, gas valves, etc are poorly built and they replace them all the time. On Christmas Eve 2013 (two days ago), the water heater started leaking from the top by the valves - and so much pressure had built up in the heater the new water hose connections burst, spewing water all over the heater closet. I called Whirlpool the day after Christmas (today). At first, they told me they would not replace the heater as it was not in warranty and then I told them what I was told by the service rep last year. She finally agreed that my heater is indeed under warranty and gave me a replacement authorization number but she told me my warranty did not cover labor. I called Lowes. At first, they told me I would have to remove the old hot water heater myself and bring it back to the store in order to get my replacement. I am a 59 year old woman and I take care of my brother, a disable veteran. Although I am in good shape and healthy, I dont have anyone to help me get the gas and water disconnected and help me lift it into my Suburban. The man at Lowes agreed to bring out the the replacement heater and pick up the old one at no charge, but I will still have to pay $299 plus the cost of new hoses to have it installed. By the time the replacement one is installed, I will have paid a little over $1200 for a $329 water heater. I could have installed a tankless one for that, but I cannot see spending that kind of money right after Christmas. If I have one issue with this replacement, I will install a tankless water heater - and it will not be made by Whirlpool or any of its affiliates. My recommendation would be to steer clear of Whirlpool and their products.

We bought an 80 gallon lifetime warranty electric water heater. We get about 20 minutes of hot water and then cold water. Weve had 2 plumbers out and checked our system and said it has to be the water heater, but they dont want to mess with it in case it voids the warranty. Fine. We called Whirlpool and since the alarm system isnt indicating an issue, they say its not the water heater. We now have to do a diagnostic ourselves to find out if it is the water heater. What? It has a warranty! We are not plumbers! How come Whirlpool doesnt think its their equipment? Weve already had ours checked and it isnt us! So frustrating and we will not buy another whirlpool product again! Not good customer service to promote repeat buyers. Whirlpool, shame on you.

Extremely disappointed!! We purchased this water heater about 4 years ago and for the past year we have to manually turn on the burner. Its been a nightmare! We called Lowes to purchase the parts, but they do not sell the parts. There was a nine year warranty. Our last water heater lasted about 11 years. Its such a shame that this one is giving us problems just after 3 years. Im really considering just buying another one. I dont want to continue struggling with this one. Its been a bad purchase and coming to find out that Im not the only one with this problem. If its a defect Whirlpool should at least replace them for the inconvenience. They should take responsibility for selling defective products.

Bought a water heater on May 5th for 539.00 and was unable to get hot water all the time. After many days and dealing with Lowes which did not help and Whirlpool, I discovered that the unit I bought had no dip tube to bring the cold water to the bottom to be heated and thus provide hot water to the hot water outlet on the heater to the rest of the house. People at Lowes had no dip tubes and really have no knowledge of what is going on as the people at Whirlpool whom I called.

I bought a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in 2005. In the first 12 months I replaced either 4 or 5 thermocouples and a total of between 15 and 20 from the time I bought it in 2006 and 2012. Only 1 time did the company replace one of them. When I would call them the rep would say things like, There may not be enough ventilation or Was it installed by a licensed technician? The 1 time they did take care of a problem the technician they sent out said NOTHING was wrong with the ventilation or the way it was installed. Oh yea, Customer Service told me that they did me a FAVOR (exact word) when they did that.In 2012 the hot water heater went out for good. The company would NOT do anything about it. I took it back to Lowes where I got it and they replaced it for me since the manufacturer wouldnt. The new hot water heater went out after only 3 years. I turned the hot water on and it was not getting hot so I checked the hot water heater to see what was going in. I found the pilot was burning, but the burner was not burning. I turned the water heater off and and checked everything out. When I tried to relight the water heater, guess what? It will not light. I am now being told that this heater has NO warranty, this 3 year old heater. There is MORE but I wont go into that now. Just know this has been the WORST product and the WORST company I have ever had any dealings with, PERIOD!!!

Do not buy whirlpool water heater!!! It will only last 3 years.

So, I have a house full of relatives from out of town staying over and as luck would have it, my Whirlpool water heater (model # BFG1F4033T3NOV) which I had installed 15 months ago, decided to stop working. The pilot light went out and would not stay lit no matter how long I held the red restart button. I called Whirlpool customer service and was informed straight away that their computer system was down and they wouldnt be able to order parts if I needed them (great start right?). I explained to the woman on the phone what my issue was and also told her that after searching online, Ive found that this is a common failure with these hot water heaters that Lowes sells where the thermal couple is defective and needs to be replaced. She began to inform me that before any parts was ordered (which she couldnt do because the computers were down), I would have to clean the vent openings on the bottom of the HW heater. No big deal. Then, Id have to have my gas line pressure verified by my gas company (what?). If both were found to be fine, Id have to confirm that my flue is at least three feet above my roof line before they would send me parts to repair my unit. This is about where I lost my mind.I run the RMA/Customer service department in my company and if anyone has issues with our products, we ship first and ask questions later. How can a company with known defective products give their customers the runaround and basically tell them that they are screwed until they can take off time from work for a gas co. to come to their home and will also have to have flue replaced before theyll warranty their product?! Whirlpool should be ashamed of themselves and Lowes should distance themselves from such a crappy company with substandard products and shoddy warranty practices. Ill never buy another Whirlpool product as long as I live and will warn anyone away from this company.

I purchased a 30 gallon gas hot water heater from Lowes in 2013. Within the first 3 months, it went out. I contacted whirlpool who troubleshot the heater 4 different times. Final contact was in early 2014, I requested a tech to look at the heater. Was informed it is now over a year old, it would be at my cost. Replacement parts $30. Shipping the water heater is great if you like cold showers. After a little searching, I find they know this water heater is junk as does Lowes but dont care.

I bought an electric hot water tank from Lowe’s less than 3 months. No hot water so I called Whirlpool. They give me service dept over 150 miles away. They will not come. I need hot water and need help. The hot water tank is half way in the attic and half in the closet.

Absolutely the worst hot water heater I have ever owned. Broke within first year which Whirlpool sent me a replacement valve assy which I had to install myself. That one failed in 3 month and unit was out of warranty so I received no help from Whirlpool. Had a serviceman fix it again and it failed again. So I ended trashing the unit. I would not buy another Whirlpool product as long as I live. The last 5 appliances I purchased from Whirlpool all failed within a few months after warranty expired. This is no joke. Everything they sell is farmed out to other countries than the US and the workmanship and quality is the worst I have ever seen. The service people are nice when they tell you that they cant help you with your problem. Dont waste another dime on Whirlpool! Very bad product.

This is truly a piece of junk! My water heater is 2 1/2 years old and the pilot light will not stay on. Was told that I needed a thermal coupler and paid $30 for shipping. Installed it and still the pilot light will not stay on. Was told again that I needed to replace the main control. Another $30 for shipping. Had that installed and the pilot light stayed on but no hot water. The light was blinking 4x (temperature too hot). WHAT!!? ALL I GOT WAS COLD WATER! Now I was told I need to replace the temperature sensor and they wanted another $30! I told them to I was going to junk it and buy a different brand.

Whirlpool anode rod went bad in 2 months. Called Whirlpool, would not stand behind warranty. Had previous hot water tank (not a Whirlpool) in for 10 years with same well and water conditions. Also noticed Whirlpool hot water tank is not nearly as efficient on energy use. Overall, this is a very poor water heater and even worse customer service to not replace a part that was under warranty.

This is my second water heater in three years. The problem is the thermocouple thermostat. Also, when I drain the water, it comes out of the heater black because of the corrosion in side. I spoke to people in the company, and they were nasty to me. This happened to my two heaters in 2 1/2 years. Please, do not buy a Whirlpool heater.

Warning: Whirlpool water heaters are junk! Spent $553.00 for a high quality ( lmao ) water heater that had a 6 year warranty. Started leaking internally and rusted through, then rusted a hole in the bottom. 6 years and 3 months later they said you are S.O.L. Leak occurred well over 3 months ago, but they said it has to be reported before the 6 years. Do not waist your money on this junk!

I have a Whirlpool Gas Water Heater, product #0733136, that was installed in 2010. The pilot has repeatedly gone out and had to be re-lit. After reading some of the comments, I am amazed that other people were told to verify gas supply with the gas company (done) and clean the air intake (done) and then to call customer service and be told to do the intake cleaning again (done professionally six days ago). I will never buy another Whirlpool appliance, and fortunately, I am in property management and can advise others to avoid this company as well. I am extremely disappointed in Lowes for not doing a better job of providing reliable choices for their customers especially after these many complaints over the years. I have decided to replace the water heater with another brand immediately.

I bought a 6 year warrantied Whirlpool hot water heater Model N50T61-403, product number 0733318, at Lowes Home Improvement Center and for three years the pilot light fails to stay lit. I have talked with Whirlpool 1-877-817-6750, the number on the unit, many times. I went through the troubleshooting checklist and verified all requirements. I paid a plumber $150 to check it out and he said I needed a larger supply line and venting the closet door would help. I did this and pilot still goes out periodically. Whirlpool sent me a new gas valve and it cost me another $150 to have it installed. The plumber said everything is good. But the pilot is still going out. Called Whirlpool again and talked with them for 24 minutes. The woman on the line was telling me I needed a certain amount of oxygen for this 40,000 BTU model. She was giving me minimum requirements for square or cubic feet of house with 8 inch ceilings. Yes, she said 8 inch ceilings 4 or 5 times as we went over the requirements. I got so frustrated asking her what she was talking about and she hung up on me. I called back and asked for a supervisor and a different woman had me hold on, came back and said a supervisor would call me. I did get a call back and the supervisor wanted to send me another gas valve and a burner assembly. I told him the burner assembly is working fine and I have a new gas valve. I asked him to send me a $150 along with it to pay the plumber. He said they only warranty the parts. So, am I supposed to have $450 in labor plus my time in this product on top of the original cost? I said no thank you and asked him if he would accept this as a solution if he were the customer and he said this is not a personal discussion. I know his answer. I am never buying a Whirlpool product again. But now I need to buy a new, good brand, water heater to replace the Whirlpool piece of junk. Bad product, bad company, bad warranty. I got screwed by Whirlpool once but never again.

Purchased 9/23/2013 on 5/20/2014 no hot water. Called Whirlpool, unit has a 6 yr warranty. Brian advised me no one close to our area to service. He told me to contact a local plumber, they would pay for parts and $75.00 in labor. I attempted a couple of calls and could not find a plumber that was willing to come out and let us pay just the difference, after parts and $75.00 in labor and them bill Whirlpool for the remainder. They wanted between $225.00 and $300.00 plus parts. Lowes where we purchased the water heater told me to call Whirlpool back and get an RA# and they would be happy to exchange the water heater. I called Whirlpool and they (Leigh) refused but did say they would pay 200.00 in labor plus the cost of parts. The unit was only $231.23, but they would rather pay upwards of $300.00 than just let us get a new one. I asked Leigh if this made sense to her, she said it did. I guess Im just ignorant because it doesnt make sense to me. Whirlpool COULD NOT even find a plumber that would come out to our small town to do repairs under their OUTSTANDING WARRANTY. I have laughed at these people and cried over this whole situation. I can honestly say I will NEVER buy another Whirlpool product and will let everyone I know and even some I dont know (lol) how horrible this experience has been.

Bought Whirlpool 30 gal propane water heater in Feb, it lasted until May before the unit died. Paid for the extended plan warranty (NEVER do that!). Called support and they said they could send someone out in a little over a week (week with no hot water). The week goes by and on the day it was suppose to be repaired the guy calls and says his van broke down (this was a Friday, getting that early weekend). The earliest they can reschedule is in another week (over 2 weeks no hot water). Called Lowes to see if I can just return it (extended plan and all), no, you need a return code from the whirlpool customer support. Call the Whirlpool number again to ask for a return code, no, it is a repairable problem (even though no one will come repair it). Lesson learned, will never buy Whirlpool or anything over $50 from Lowes again.

Two years ago, I bought two Whirlpool Water Heaters. Like the others who have posted, after one year the first one went out. Last night the second one went out. I just wish that I had read the prior reviews before I bought these replacement water heaters. I also had to navigate a very unfriendly customer experience, first with Whirlpool and then the manufacturer. After that I had to wait a week to get a repair person out only to have to order the part and then be asked to pay for it and the express shipping. Totally amazing! I have decided to buy new water heaters next quarter because I just cannot put up with either the aggravation or the expense of constant repairs. I will returning these two water heaters to Lowes, where they were purchased. Perhaps if enough of us return them, Lowes will decide its not worth damaging their brand to sell a known inferior product. When this many people complain about a product and they all have the same experience its a lack of quality, plain and simple. And I would think that Lowes would not want to go on supporting a known inferior product when even Whirlpool is lukewarm in their response to our complaints.

I had water heater EE3Z50RD0550V installed on 11/3/11 and it started leaking July 29, 2013. Whirlpool gave me Return authorization # and said I have to return the water heater to Lowes (purchase place and original installer) to get a new one. Fortunately, Lowes said I only have to bring them the RA # and they will swap out the water heater. However, there is a $300 charge for installation. Whirlpool says they only cover this the 1st year, except when its a manufacturer defect. But they cant tell me how to prove its a manufacturer defect. Why else would a glass lined water heater start leaking only 21 months after installation?

My water heater stopped lighting. I found out that I needed to replace the thermocouple. I wasnt able to find the right one anywhere. I called whirlpool and they sent me the parts I needed totally free. I was so happy to get it in the mail the next day cause I have gone 1 week without hot water. I went to work and got a call that my kids are dizzy and throwing up. The house had filled with carbon monoxide. The only thing that saved us was the fact that my AC unit for the downstairs was broken, so it could spread the carbon monoxide to where we slept. The gas company said that we most definitely would have not woken up. I now have a notice for hazardous material on my house. I thought we all just caught the flu. I had no idea that we were being poisoned because of this damn water heater. I could scream. Im a single mother with four kids and a sick mother and cannot afford a plumber for this madness.

I just wanted to post a quick response to a problem that so many people are having with their Whirlpool FG1H5040T3NOV Hot Water Heater. The biggest problem is the Pilot Light Wont Stay Lit. Ive had this water heater for many years now (since 2005) and two days ago we didnt have any hot water. I checked the heater and found that the pilot light was out and that when I lit the pilot light with the igniter, it wouldnt stay light. This could have been a number of problems causing this issue but heres what I did to get it fixed. I looked around on the internet and saw that many people had this same problem and several years ago Whirlpool gave out warranty replacement upgrade kits to fix it. I called Whirlpool support, gave them my serial number and mentioned the upgraded kit. Unfortunately, my 9-year warranty expired a few months ago and I am no longer able to get the upgrade kit for free. Apparently this upgrade kit was part of a settlement for this water heater that was sold through Lowes. The upgrade kit has a few enhancements including an adapter to allow the use of a standard right hand threaded thermocouple as well as a larger pilot light window and added safety thermal switch. This is definitely an improvement over the old.Anyway, I looked at Lowes website for this upgrade kit and their description and internal part number is slightly different but it is the same thing as confirmed by Whirlpool. Whirlpools part number is 6910813 for the conversion kit. Lowes calls this part American Water Heater Company Gas Enhancement Kit 5040T NG. This kit is only $35 which isnt bad. So, I went to Lowes, purchased the kit. The instructions are included and are even good for a novice. It took me about an hour to complete the changeover. Youll need to remove the old burner and orifice to use them on the new kit. I then checked for gas leaks. I lit the pilot and when I turned on the heater, the burner lit right up. All is good now!

I bought a 50 Gallon Whirlpool Gas Water Heater with an extended warranty from Lowes, it has not been delivering hot water as it should. I checked with Lowes and they told me I needed to call Whirlpool first and get a number from them before they could do anything. I called Whirlpool and they had me do a water volume and a hot water time test. By their own time test guide, my water temperature fell 30 degrees in 13 minutes and 52 seconds, when it should not have dropped 30 degrees until 18 minutes. When I reported this to Whirlpool I was told that there was nothing wrong with the water heater. I then lodged a complaint with the representative but it sounds as if nothing was going to be done.So I am out $999 for a faulty water heater and an extended warranty. Will update if anything changes. One of the reasons we bought this product was it said: MADE IN AMERICA. We wont buy any product made by Whirlpool again, We feel they dont stand behind their product.

40-gal gas water heater - I own several rental properties and unfortunately put Whirlpool water heaters in them when the old ones go. It is because they are at Lowes and they are cheap. Today, another call came in from a tenant with no hot water. I called customer service and they determined I received the repair kit from an original design defect from back in the middle 2000s. Now 3 years later, it goes out again. Because I have already received the conversion kit taking thermal couple threading from LH to RH, I needed another part number to repair for a grand total of $160! The same part before the conversion kit was $60. I will never buy another Lowes/Whirlpool water heater for as long as I live. I own a hundred rentals and Whirlpool will never again see another cent for the junk water heaters.

I bought a heater from Lowes in south lebanon ohio in feb. 2013. Gas valve is bad. Whirlpool will not replace it because it was put in a utility room with a toilet in. What a bunch of crap. Their service dept. is joke.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater 5 years ago and after one year I had to replace the thermocouple every 3 months. Each time I call to complain, they would just send me a new thermocouple. I asked them several times to replace the item and they refused and just continued to send me replacement parts and refuse to honor their warranty. The water heater had some type of defect, but they still refuse to replace the item and did admit on the phone they have records of several parts that they sent.

I bought 40 gallon gas water heater in June 2004 and had to have it worked on twice, costing more than I paid for it. I am replacing it now because pilot light will not stay on, and it is currently out of warranty, and I have no faith that simple repair will hold more than 1 year stint. Customer service was attentive but product itself failed to meet expectations.

Purchased gas water heater from Lowes in 2012. Had no problems until July 2018. Its under warranty but have had to replace the control valve completely and the burner 5 times and it still is not fixed. Dont waste your money. Buy something else.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in July 2012 and have had to replace the control/pilot light mechanism every 6 months since then. Whirlpools customer service is the worst service in the world. They are rude. I have followed their instructions every time and have been accused of being uncooperative. I paid $350 to $400 for my heater and just spent $200.00 to have a plumber put apple cider vinegar in my tank.I was told by Whirlpool that the calcium sediment was causing the problem... I drained this tank twice and there was no sediment in the tank. This is evidently a common error for Whirlpool tanks. I will never purchase any Whirlpool product again and will tell others that their products are crap. The worst part was the inconsiderate customer service. I dont know who trains them, but they need to fire the entire bunch. Shame on you Whirlpool!

The 12 year warranty, means nothing. The heater only worked for 30 months, and then its upper sensor fault code flashes, and the heater shut down. I called Whirlpool, and they have me use an ohm meter to help troubleshoot the problem. So if you are not handy, you are out of luck. They decided it was my control unit that is defective. They will send me the part free, but I have to pay shipping and installation. What a deal, and what kind of management would dream up of this. The heater is marketed as a 12 year warranty model (only on the tank). Would anyone, having been through this, buy another Whirlpool product?

I bought a water heater in 2008 from Lowes department store. The heater would continually go out causing no hot water. The company had sent several technical repair men out to resolve this problem, and still the problem remains. The Technical Support requested that they will pay for the part and I could install it, not knowing if I am able to do such a job. The technicians who were sent to my home were not able to do the job. How do they expect me to do the job without proper experience? Whirlpool products are not reliable nor is their maintenance contract. Stay away from this company.

Absolutely terrible product. Have had nothing but problems with it since I got it. After 4 months the pilot started going out every couple of days. Would have to vacuum the filter just to get it to light. They eventually sent me a screen to wrap around the bottom, that would only extend the interval to maybe a week instead of going out every few days. Now tonight it wont even relight! So tomorrow Im buying another heater and throwing this piece of junk out, a waste of $750.00 for two years of headaches. Dont, trust me. Dont buy this garbage of a water heater. And like others I bought it a Lowes, done with both of these stores!

I purchased a Whirlpool Electric Water Heater in September of 2008. The unit had a 12-year warranty on the tank and on December 24th 2011, I discovered that the water heater sprung a leak somewhere in the tank shell; not the pressure relief or thermostat or anode port. The tank was never abused and operated well within its design limits. It is simply a piece of junk that lasted about 27% of its expressed life. I purchased the tank at Lowes and went for the longest tank warranty to reduce replacement intervals. I shall never purchase anything with a Whirlpool affiliation. The model number is EE3J40RDO45V with serial number 0741106580.

I contacted Whirlpool on 3 separate occasions. Each time they told me to have the plumber call them so that they could determine what the problem was. Each time he was able to get the water heater going again, but it would only operate for about 3 months and then it would go out again. To date, I have incurred $245.00 in plumbers service fees. My last call to Whirlpool was on 5/14/2013. This water heater was purchased on 1/25/2010 at Lowes in Evans, GA. It went out over the weekend, but the plumber was able to relight it. When I called Whirlpool on the 14th of May, I was told since it was working now, there was nothing they could do. I am tired of dealing with this issue. They wont stand behind their product.

I purchased a new gas water heater and had it installed by a plumber. It worked for 3 weeks then we lost hot water. I called the 877 number and got shoveled around to 3 or 4 people. I got hung up on twice then spent 45 minutes repeating all the instructions that are on the tank to relight the pilot light. They agreed to send a new valve. The first time, I never received the valve (after 10 days) and had to call back. The second time I called in, I spent 20 minutes trying to get another valve sent. The valve I, finally, received had plumbers dope on the back and clearly was previously used. Had the original plumber replace the faulty valve? And lo and behold, the second valve didnt work either. I have no idea why a gas water heater would have any issues after 3 weeks. I bought it brand new from Lowe’s. It is obvious that Whirlpool makes shoddy products. They have very poor customer service and care little for the customers’ time either in correcting the problem or being without hot water. I have spent over 2 hours with Whirlpool. Only to 3 weeks after the initial call, I still do not have hot water from a heater that is less than 2 months old! I called them on the issue of the second valve not working and they put me on hold (after 10 minutes the line went dead and I was disconnected) despite the fact I asked them not to do that!

I bought a Whirlpool water heater in 2009. I paid $588.46 at Lowes. Turns out it is in a class action lawsuit for faulty thermocouple. I was given a coupon from Whirlpool for 2 new thermocouples as part of the class action lawsuit. The thermocouple goes out on it every 1-3 months. You never know when youre going to have a cold shower getting ready for work in the morning. I literally could have bought a new water heater for what Ive spent on thermocouples the last few years. The last two times it went out, I had to replace it twice within 1 day. Im sick of replacing it and have decided to install a new hot water heater. I am disgusted with Whirlpool and tried to contact them about it but have gotten no response. I will never buy another Whirlpool product and would not recommend them to anyone!

Thermocouple failure on a Whirlpool water heater - We are having trouble finding the part to replace it because the thermocouple is threaded left-handed, and Lowes does not seem to have any replacements in stock locally. Meanwhile my tenants are without hot water, and my repair bill is escalating due to labor.

Purchased water heater in 2005 with a lifetime warranty. We had our first problem May 30, 2013. Water would not heat above lukewarm. Called Whirlpool. Our plumber and Whirlpool determined that the temp sensor was defective. Plumber took it off and it appeared it had shorted out as the wires were black and plastic coating had slightly melted in one spot. We had replacement part in 24 hours. Licensed Plumber did repair (2 hours @ $75/hr = $150). Second problem occurred October 23, 2013. Not even 5 months later! No hot water. Hit reset button, turned temp up. No change. The diagnostic light on water heater indicated it was the same problem as before. Called Whirlpool. They sent out repair part which arrived in 24 hours. Licensed Plumber repaired (1.5 hours @ $75/hour = $112.50).I took a picture of the melted plastic caps where the wires screw into, of the housing around the wires, of the melted, charcoal crispy black of the Junction Box in the area that was directly above and covered the wires and sensor panel. It was much worse than last time. Plumber said that the part that screwed into the plastic cap had to be pried out and it broke off. You could see that this might be the spot where the problem started. We feel fortunate that we didnt have an electrical fire start from this problem. Something isnt right. Within less than 5 months, we have spent $262.50 to repair a water heater that has a lifetime warranty. Id like to give this 0 stars. Whirlpool owes us $262.50 and it might be more before this is all said and done.

Whirlpool sent me a different part 3 times and hot water tank only work for a few weeks, then the pilot light goes back out. They never offered any more help.

My water heater was installed in 2007 (model BFG2J5040T3NOV). It has required 3 repairs in 4 years because part failures make the pilot light shut off. The gas controller was replaced in 2008. The manifold/burner assembly was replaced in 2010. This month (August 2011), I have replaced the thermocouple, which did not fix the problem. Now I am having to replace the gas controller again. The part is failing, but not completely inoperable, so occasionally when on the phone with customer support, the pilot light would stay lit. When this happened, the tech would act as if the problem was solved and tell me to call back if the pilot light went out again. The next day, the pilot light would go out again. Thus, I have spent several hours on the phone with customer support running the same tests and answering the same questions over and over again.

I purchased a new water heater in August 2013. The pilot light started going out in October/November of 2013. After calling the Tech Support phone number, (877) 817-6750, I was advised to clean the burner screen. First this is very difficult to do because the burner screen is underneath the water heater and almost impossible to access. Second the closet the water heater is in did not show any signs of debris that could clog the burner screen. I did as they recommended. Several calls, and several weeks later, they finally authorized a technician to come and service water heater. He performed a cleaning even though he couldnt find anything to clean; and he replaced the control module. The new control module worked through the spring and summer seasons and then I started having issues again in the fall, late October. Started calling the same phone number and was told again to clean the burner screen. I convinced them to send out the technician again. The A and E Factory technician came out and only cleaned the burner screen and left before I had a chance to get home. This happened several times and I called Whirlpool every time. The next A and E technician told me to try changing out the draft vent chimney to a different size, which I did. Problem happened Again! I finally asked for another plumber and they sent me 3 names of their authorized plumbers. I called Phil, Philco Plumbing. He told me that I needed to have more ventilation, so I added more ventilation, even though I later found documentation stating I already had more than what was required by the manufacturer. Again, a week later, started having problems. Call back and asked to have my personal plumber come out. This time the rep told me that I have always been free to choose any plumber I wish (why wasnt I given that option the first 10 times I called?). My plumber came out and replaced the control module and the thermocouple, but wasnt convinced that these were faulty parts, he honestly couldnt figure out why I am having this problem, but it was worth a try. That lasted about 1 week and now I am having the problem again!!Whirlpool will FINALLY authorize a new water heater, but they will not authorize installation for the new water heater. I have already spent money on recommended repairs that have not worked. I have taken 15+ hours off of work to watch plumbers do nothing that has rectified my problems. And now Whirlpool wants me to deal with installing the unit myself, OR pay to have it installed! They say they wont cover installation because I purchased it more than 1 year ago. They seem to be missing the fact that I have had trouble with it the ENTIRE time I have owned it!This Flame lock system is garbage. I found on Consumer Affairs that a few years ago a class-action lawsuit settled, dealing with the same issues. I think it is time for another round! I KNOW that I am not the only one dealing with this problem because the plumbers I had out all had similar complaints from many of their clients. Whirlpool wont fess up to the problem, but the problem is real.

I have purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater on May 21, 2005 from Lowes Model number FG1F4040S3NOV, Product number 0730261, Serial number 05181291061. It is one of the Flame Lock heaters that was part of a class action law suit. The lawsuit has been settled however. I have had three thermocouples to date installed and each time the heater has gone out after three to four days. The technicians I have contacted at Whirlpool all have stated something else is wrong with the heater even knowing that this model has been seriously defective from the beginning. They always tell me to do this and that to repair it. I do not have hot water as of the date of this writing. The original problem began June 19, 2011.

We have had this water heater for less than 5 years. It was purchased new from Lowe’s. This is the second time we have had to replace the thermocouple and are told that we have to order the part from Whirlpool. Really? What do we do for hot water in the meantime? This is a very disappointing response from Whirlpool and Lowe’s. I will never again purchase anything from either company. We had to buy a new heater today, pay for installation and permits. This is a rip-off by Whirlpool and Lowe’s.

I purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater from Lowe’s in 2007. It lasted 2 years until a faulty weld on the tank started leaking and flooded my basement. Whirlpool did replace it. However, my second water heater did the same exact thing in a different location on the tank after 2 1/2 years. It also flooded my basement.I am now on my third Whirlpool water heater in 5 years and the one I have now has a bad thermistor. It has cost me about $225 each time the water heater has been replaced. In my opinion, these Whirlpool water heaters are junk and their quality control needs to get out of the break room and start doing their job. Never will I purchase another Whirlpool appliance.

Whirlpool N50T91-403 purchased in Mar 12 had an error code 4. I knew the water heater had a safety installed in it when I was working on the plumbing and allowed it to drain the hot water side down to 16% of capacitance of 50 GL. After the plumbing issue was resolved, I saw the water heater had shut off (thermal protection) but the switch wasnt tripped as far as I could tell. Knowing small processors can only remember anything if they have power, I removed the Honeywell circuit board and with my multimeter probed all of the capacitors contacting them both (-) and (+) and in reverse order. Doing this forces the IC to forget its codes because they require a small amount of voltage to remember them, usually powered by a small capacitor. I reinstalled it and voila! Presto! It works again.

Whirlpool Gas Water heater purchased from Lowes in 2012. Have replaced two thermal couples and three gas control valves. Will not stay lit! Problems began within six months of purchase. Third gas control valve quit functioning today and Im on my way to Home Depot to purchase a Rheem...Im done with Whirlpool!

First of all, I want to thank all of you who took the time to write all your comments. You have helped educate me in many ways. For one thing, I had no idea that Whirlpool made such bad appliances, or at least water heaters. I pretty much grew up in a Whirlpool household. But that was a long time ago. Things change. Anyway, I too bought a Whirlpool from Lowes about four years ago. It was the top of the line 50 gallon energy saver, and it has had problems staying lit for the whole time I have owned it. Because I read your comments before contacting Whirlpool (this time), I knew exactly what to expect. And that is what I got at first--someone trying to sell me parts via shipping costs. I said no to that, and a rep called and offered to replace the unit, which is exactly what Whirlpool should have done for all of you. I am writing this out of courtesy for Whirlpool. They did the right thing for me, and I truly do appreciate that. On the other hand, Lowes wants $700 to deliver and install the new unit. I live seven miles from the store. They set my other water, the Whirlpool I purchased from them, up in my garage. It is extremely easy to get to, and it is all up to code. In other words, even though they sold me a defective product and profited from both the sale and the delivery, they now want to do it all over again by charging so much for the set up. They did not even offer to prorate the new install. Of course, I will hire and pay a certified plumber to do the job, but I am very sorry to lose Lowes. I have always enjoyed shopping there. Home Depot is just across the street, and even though I have learned not to purchase a water heater, or any major appliance there either, I will go there from now on. Losing my business might not worry Lowes a whole lot, but two years ago I bought $5,000 worth of fencing from them, and God knows how much over the years. If you and I and all the thousands of other unhappy customers would stop going there, they might feel a bit sorry for doing us all so dirty. Agreed? Thanks again, you guys.

I have had a plumbing company work on my Whirlpool water heater three times in the last two months. On the third visit, he told me all the problems customers have had with Whirlpool water heaters. I decided to call Whirlpool for warranty purposes. The unit is three years old. I was told that it was the gas valve, and I was given a free one from Lowes. After installing the new valve, it still did not work properly. After troubleshooting with a technician, I was told it was the orifice. I have had to do all the labor myself, and I dont know how long this is going to go on. I have heard Whirlpool will continue to give you the runaround (from the plumbing company and Lowes salesmen) and will continue to give you the runaround and not replace the unit. They are wearing me down. I have been without hot water for three weeks with no end in sight. I am ready to give up and just buy another water heater but certainly not a Whirlpool.

Note that most of the complaints are about gas water heaters, but the electric water heaters dont seem to be much better. Mine, barely made 4 yrs old and both elements and thermostat went. Had plumbers in for estimates in to repair - much cheaper to install a new one (No...not a Whirlpool!). Very disappointed in the product.

Purchased a new Whirlpool Energy Smart 50 gallon water heater from Lowes to replace our existing old one that had gone bad. Never again!! Had it professionally installed by one of Lowes installers. I have no problem with the installer.... the water heater was a piece of junk. From the first day we had sporadic hot water and to get that you had to have a hot water tap turned on full force. If you turned the tap to a lesser flow you got cold water. Couldnt get a hot shower at all. Contacted Whirlpool customer service 4 times by phone and 3 times by email. Horrible !!!! If I had read all the reviews ahead of time I would never have purchased a Whirlpool water heater. Each time contacting their customer service I was informed I had a plumbing problem... probably a cold water line was feeding into my hot water line??? Really??? After living in this house for 20 years all of a sudden I have a cold water line magically connect itself into my main hot water feed? I even set the temperature up as much as it would go. Could easily hold my hand under the hot water without getting burned. Most of their phone reps sounded like they were reading from a check list sheet and no desire to actually listen to what I was telling them. One even sent me a PDF file via email that had nothing to do with the problem I was describing to them. I finally told them after two weeks of this that I couldnt live with this situation and they said Well our technicians are 38 miles from you and we wont send one that far to check it. Asking what I could do they said Id have to hire someone (they werent able to tell me if I should hire a plumber or electrician) and Id have to pay for it and they would reimburse me. Sensing that this might be a fruitless task I resorted to calling the Lowes store where I purchased it and asked their advice. They offered to send out the original installer to check it out and work with Whirlpool over the phone. Like I said, I have no complaints with the installer, he was fast and professional. I stood there while their technician/customer service had him go through a few tests on the unit. All of that proved nothing except in their minds that nothing was wrong with their unit. He got off the phone and told me They refuse to accept any responsibility for the product being bad. I asked him what was I supposed to do. He got on the phone with the manager of the Lowes store and they agreed to swap it out at no charge to me. I of course was very happy but told them after all of this I didnt want another Energy Smart type water heater and that I didnt trust the electronics at all. He agreed to swap it out for a regular type and give me a credit for any difference in cost. Had this all done in one day and am very pleased with Lowes commitment to customer service. The new heater (still a Whirlpool sad to say) appears to be working fine just like my old one did. So much for it being a problem with my plumbing. After reading all the complaints about Whirlpool water heaters, I guess Im not looking forward to much of a life expectancy with this one and Im certainly not even going to attempt to call Whirlpool customer service if I do. This whole thing cost me $700 and as far as Im concerned Ill flush $700 down the toilet before buying another Whirlpool product. I still would love to know how any person with half a brain could tell me I had a plumbing problem when all that was done was removal of an old water heater and replaced with a new one. Thats two pipes people...cold water in, hot water out. I see that there was some type of class action lawsuit filed against Whirlpool. Maybe they need another one filed or forbidden to sell water heaters ever again.

I bought three top of the line 40-gallon Whirlpool electric water heaters from Lowes three years ago. One of the three heaters has already developed a leak. I contacted Whirlpool only to find out that they wont do anything to diagnose the problem. I have to pay labor for someone to come out, diagnose the problem and then pay for the labor to either correct the problem or replace the water heater. By the time I pay the labor costs, I could almost buy a brand new unit.

Replaced an old water heater with new Whirlpool 40 gal. short natural gas water heater N40561-403. Good instruction, very clear directions. Also purchased at Lowes was a Utilitech universal gas water heater installation kit. The nipples provided in the kit screwed very loosely into cold water inlet and hot water outlet. I used teflon tape and finished the installation. When I turned the water on both fittings leaked. I couldnt tighten the nipples any further so I shut the water off and drained the tank a bit and reinstalled the nipples with at least 8-9 wraps of teflon tape. Im not sure if that is normal or if nipples were under size or if the cold water inlet and hot water outlet were larger dia. than normal. FYI.

I replaced our old 50-gal water heater (10 years old) with a new top-of-the-line Whirlpool 50-gal water heater in Feb 2011. The Friday before Memorial Day, the heater went out and the pilot refused to stay lit. I called and jumped through all their hoops and finally figured out that it was the gas valve, because the pilot goes out as soon as you release the button and the milli-voltage reading is ok. They sent me a replacement and it cost $145 to have a plumber come out and install it. We were without hot water for 5 days. Now 9 days later, the pilot keeps going out. This time I can re-light it, but after the water heats up, it is apparently going out again. They refuse to replace a 12-year warrantied water heater that is only 2 years old and I am going to have to hire a plumber again to come out and attest to what we already know. This water heater is extremely loud. When we had it installed, I read the reviews and there were similar complaints (sounds like a mini jet engine). We dont seem to get as much hot water as we did with our old builders grade heater. This is a bad buy and I would advise anyone looking to purchase to look elsewhere.

We purchased a Whirlpool Gas Water Heater (Model No. N40T61-343) from Lowes in the Summer of 2013. 2.5 years later, the water heater goes out as of 01/19/2016. Therefore, I contacted the telephone number on the side of the water heater in order to restart the water heater. We followed the instructions by pushing in the pilot button, as well the ignition button. To no avail, the water heater did not restart. I called customer service on Thursday (01/21/2016) to speak with a representative. She said that we needed another Thermopile and a Gas Valve replacement. So, who is going to put it on? It would cost as much as getting a whole new water heater. Therefore, we are going to Menards to purchase the Richmond Gas Water Heater. We had a Richmond once before; and it lasted from 1999 or 2000, until 2013.After reading all the reviews about this brand water heater (Whirlpool), no wonder people are complaining. Ladies and gentlemen, do yourselves a favor and not buy a Whirlpool Water Heater. The only thing that Whirlpool is good for is only their name. Their Water Heaters in particular are worthless pieces of junk. NEVER BUY A WHIRLPOOL GAS WATER HEATER AGAIN!!!