We have a 75 Gal Bradford White hot water heater that is just at the end of its warranty (6 years)... We started experiencing very yellow - almost brown hot water. Had numerous discussions with Bradford White reps here in Canada. Their solution was a new anode rod which I had installed (not covered under warranty). When I read my warranty it clearly states they do not cover rust or coloured water!! I have also heard from a number of plumbers that the new anode rod will work only for approx 6 months to a year. I have checked other water heaters and they have longer warranties and cover yellow/brown water issues. When I replace this unit - will NOT purchase another Bradford White!

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!

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.

My neighbor installed a Bradford White water heater and the exhaust was vented into my yard. The sound is an annoying loud white noise like a leak in an air compressor. I looked on their website for a noise suppressor and there is none. In fact, they dont care. Their response to some a question on this included the statement Give the city building department a call, explain your problem and ask them to come out and take a noise measurement. If youre within the city noise guidelines you can tell the neighbor to get lost. . Based on the customer reviews on their units they dont care about their customers either. Out of 65 reviews I looked at 60 were at the lowest rating. I will need a new water heater soon and I would not be encouraged with a dealer who even carries these units.

I just Googled Bradford White to see what models are available as my husband and I are almost finished building our vacation home and want to install a Bradford White unit. Im shocked to see the reviews posted by others because they couldnt be further from our experiences. Our first home had a Bradford White unit that was brand new and outlasted its 10 year warranty by 2 years. We bought another Bradford White when it came time for replacement. Our next home had a Whirlpool water heater that was 9 years old with a 12 year warranty and it leaked within 4 months of us moving in. So, we replaced it with a Bradford White. Weve had nothing but great experiences with Bradford White, but there is something to be said about who does the installation of your water heater. We frequently refer family and friends to get Bradford White and weve yet to hear anything negative at all. Which is why Im so shocked to see the reviews posted here.

A little less than five years ago we purchased and had installed a Bradford White Hydrojet Water Heater. Yesterday the element in the heater apparently short circuited and caught fire. We were very lucky not to have had a major house fire. In any event, we were told that product was still under warranty and would be replaced. However, once the company found out that the heater wasnt leaking and in fact had caught on fire, they said that they would no longer honor the warranty. Apparently the warranty only applies to water heaters that leak, and not those which spontaneously burst into flames! This is a terrible and dangerous product with an equally terrible warranty. Stay far away from Bradford White!

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 am asking everyone that has a problem with Bradford White products to call the distributor where you purchased it from and let them know that you are unsatisfied with the product and customer service. The first water heater first leaked within three years and needed to be replaced and the second needs a new gas control valve and is just out of warranty. After many hours of complaining to Bradford White about their inferior products, they just hid behind the warranty and denied my claim. Amy told me that they gave great customer service because the first CRAPPY water heater replacement was free. But that free water heater cost me $900 to install and the new one will be over $600 to repair. They have obviously dealt with many warranty issues and complaints before and if they actually honored their warranties THEY WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS. So Sad!!!

New water heater installed in September 2019 and was leaking water just 18 months later. A licensed plumber discovered that due to the leaking the pilot light would not stay lit. Had it not still been under warranty for replacement I would not have never purchased another Bradford White.

The top part of the tank leaked and corroded the whole thing. The insulation on the inside was shot with moisture! A very high price for only seven years old! Not happy, we have to buy another one so darn soon!

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 bought four of these recently for a residential complex. One of the water-heater anodes was severely corroded fresh out-of-the-box from the manufacturing plant. The water heater produced gas in my water lines. The manufacturer describes this phenomena when anaerobic bacteria produces sulfate that reacts with their magnesium anode to produce hydrogen sulfate, a flammable gas. Their workaround is to change the anode from magnesium to aluminum-zinc alloy to minimize the phenomena. This is assuming that your water supply is contaminated. But my other three units are feed by the same main water line and did not do this. There must be a problem within their plant, because others (if you google thoroughly) have complained about the same problem from Bradford White water heaters for years. I will never again advocate buying their units. I have been using GE/Rheem for years purchased from the big box stores without issues.

Bradford-White mod# MI40T5LN10 - I must say that after reading previous reviews on BW hot water heater I just stood up and jumped for joy. I have two gas BW heaters and have not had not one issue with them. OH BTW both are 22 yrs old... yep thats correct... the original heaters that came with the house. A few weeks ago the gas company had to shut off gas to do some repairs and they re-lit both. We went on trip and didnt notice before we left but one heater wasnt heating. Today the gas company came back out to re-light. It stayed on. Now we wait and see if it was a faulty fire up the first time or if the thermocouple is out and needs replacement. But, really whatever. 22 yrs... Been happy happy happy!!!

Had a top of the line Bradford White high efficiency propane water heater installed in our new construction home in 2006. Model M1TW505S6FSX. Within 2 years we had a huge water leak, our installer came and replaced it and said it had an internal crack. Today, now 2014, water heater is spraying water out from the top. Warranty starts from original install, even though it was a faulty product. No assistance offered from company. Spent too much $$ on this water heater for these problems.

Had replaced the conventional water heater with BW tankless water heater in 2017. In 4 years, there were two major repairs. One was 2 yrs in and the second one was just two weeks ago. Both times the fuse was blown and the control board needed to be replaced. The fan also caused issues and needed to be replaced twice two weeks ago. The first replacement fan failed the second day. Both times we were without hot water for almost a week. The second repair cost me a little under $1,700. Less than two weeks after that second repair, the unit failed again. I have had it with this BW unit and decided to change back to the conventional water heater. I had filed a claim with BW. So far BW has not responded. My advice is to avoid Bradford White tankless water heater.

Bought a Bradford White water heater from MEWS in Athens, Alabama September of 2009. Less than four months out of warranty unit began spraying water. Appears to be bad weld on top of unit. No help offered. Will not buy another one made by Bradford White.

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.

We installed a commercial grade expensive water heater when the restaurant was built four years ago, the heater started leaking past week. We called two different plumbers and they both are saying that the tank is rotten from inside and therefore leaking, there is no way to fix it and needs to be replaced. They are estimating the cost to be between $4500-$8500. When you buy such an expensive high quality water heater, you expect it last at least 10-15 years. I would like to request a new replacement water heater at no cost, I will pay for the labor which could be anywhere from 1000-1500 dollars. Thanks.

We had two Bradford White water heaters that one after 1 1/2 years and one after 3 years, produced dark rusty water. They were not leaking yet. Our plumber went to Ferguson plumbing with no results to even have the factory representative call him. My husband called Bradford White home office. He got the runaround. Dont believe their 6 year Warranty. We purchased two new water heaters brand name RUUD. These have a 12 year warranty.

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.

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.

I had a Bradford-White Defender water heater professionally installed. After 3 years, it failed and is going to cost me $400 installation fee plus another $149 for another technician visit to diagnose the problem. I have a pressure maintenance valve set at 70 psi, tested and working, as well as an expansion tank, so I know it isnt a problem with the water pressure being too high. I also have a professionally installed water softener, so I know it isnt a problem with hard water deposits eating away the tank. I have been reading numerous negative reviews on this site as well as Amazon with the same story Im telling.

50 gal propane water heater - This unit is five years old. Every year the pilot light goes out at least four times. Sometimes I can blame it on the wind, but not this year. In this last week, it goes off every other day. I might get a good hot shower in before it shuts off, if I take it right after I have relighted the pilot light! This isnt convenient at all - must I relight it every time I need hot water? Its still suppose to be closer to brand new. My first one of a different brand lasted 15 years! What am I suppose to do, rebuild the damn thing! Yes, I am disappointed!!!

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.

This device was sold to me as a premium product that would last for years. Instead, it failed in under 6 years and had to be entirely replaced. Besides making a mess in my basement, I was also responsible for the labor for replacing the device. This cost over $1000. For that, I could have just put in a new hot water heater. What a waste of money and what poor quality of product. I called the warranty department to tell them how upset I was about the amount I had to spend because of their shoddy product manufacturing and they didnt care and werent willing to contribute to the high labor costs I had to incur. Dont buy their products, they are the worst.

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!

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.

I installed lots of Bradford White heaters as a licensed plumber, but in the past 5 years this company has gone to the trash heap! I have had nothing but problems with their electric and gas heaters. I recently put in a 50 gallon electric in a customers home. In 3 weeks the element on this unit leaked all over the customers basement and did a lot of damage! Bradford said they would give me a new heater and pay for my time to install it. Great! NOT!!! they have given me nothing! And they are not responding to my customers request to make a claim for the damages caused by this garbage??? They have made promises and delivered nothing! Lies and deception. What kind of a company would do this??? Off to the court system we go! And all they had to do was follow up, and make the claim.

Bradford White water heater installed into purchased Pulte home/tank develops leak in 5 yrs from purchase date. Customer relations denies the warranty. Tank was leaking from the insert nipples at the top for over a year and rusted out a hole at the top. Tank was slowly leaking but could not be detected because of the outer jacket. Customer relations was not concerned/not interested in my problem, showed no support, were indifferent, rude and said I was wasting his time. Non sympathetic to homeowners, could not communicate properly... poor choice of words. Only interested in companys liability and made no effort to help. Customer Relations is a joke!!! Bradford White is a joke. Do not buy water heaters from them. Much better alternatives. Pulte stood behind the warranty and offered compensation. Bradford White are only interested in profits according to the poorly articulated customer relations manager. He needs some speech therapy for his position. I am also writing a letter to the company to review the recorded message and evaluate this IDIOT!!

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.

This hot water heater lasted 4 1/2 years. It started leaking, causing the electrical unit to burn. Had we not checked the water heater before we went to bed at 11:00 p.m., our house would have had major damage. When we went out, the garages were filled with smoke and odors. The bottom unit was aglow and I dont know what would have happened during the night. We made sure the unit was unplugged and tried to release all the pressure. This is the worst experience I have had regarding hot water heaters and I am now 70 years old. I will not recommend this product. I am very, very upset.

I am a plumber from Phoenix AZ and I have had a 50% fail rate with all of the Bradford White Gas Water Heaters I have installed in the last 7 years. Most of the failures are due to the Honeywell Gas Controllers. Both Honeywell and Bradford White should be ashamed of themselves for building such a pile of crap. I have also had quite a few leakers within the first year of installation too. I have switched to RUUD Water Heaters and so far I have had zero warranty issues. The Ruud Residential Gas Water Heater has White Rodgers Gas Controllers and that seems to be a bulletproof control valve. These water heaters make me look bad. I am a native of Michigan and Bradford White Resides in Michigan. It makes me glad I moved to Arizona so Im not in the same state with such an incredibly poor manufacturing company.

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 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.

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

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.

Purchased a Bradford White Gas Water Heater 6 years, 9 months ago. The top of the tank is now leaking and we do not have hot water. Plumber told us we need to replace it. The Warranty on the water heater is only good for 6 years. Called Bradford White customer service and person was very rude and did not care about our concerns. I am very uncomfortable with buying another Bradford White Water Heater.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Bradford White has to be the worst water heater in existence. A terrible product! Ive had 3 Bradford White electric water heaters in 10 years. It seems like its the only water heater that plumbers carry and I think its because they know they wont last and can make money constantly replacing them. Anyways I had a 15 year old Rheem replaced with a Bradford White. Within two years it started leaking. The water heater was under warranty, but installation costs werent, so I had to pay to have it replaced. This one lasted about 2 years before it started to leak too. Same story - under warranty, but had to pay to have it installed.Next water heater lasted 6 years before water started pouring out of the bottom heating element door. This water heater is no longer under warranty and I cant find any plumber who doesnt carry anything besides Bradford White. Why would a plumbing company carry such an inferior product unless they plan to make money on service calls? Avoid these water heaters at all cost!!!!

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 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.

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???

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.

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?

We own a mobile home park and rent homes. One of the homes had a Bradford White 30 gallon water heater. Our plumbing company, Horizon Enterprises, determined that the water heater was defective. Bradford White diagnosed the problem over the phone and slowly sent some parts. These did not repair the water heater. When the plumbing company reported this Bradford White refused to further honor their warranty. We will never purchase their product again.

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.

Purchased and installed a Bradford White water heater on 12/3/2020 and found out on 1/11/2021 (had to call a plumber) that we had a bad part (T&P valve), the plumber purchased a new valve and installed it for $350. When I contacted the Bradford White warranty department I found out (like other reviews stated) they will not deal with the actual consumer who paid all original costs plus repair cost, they will only deal with the contracted plumber through the supplier (Ferguson, as an example). So I am out $350 for something that should have been covered by Bradford White, this is not right!

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.

I purchased my first home back in 6/2010. 6 months later my water heater was leaking and my home warranty ended up replacing with brand new Bradford and white water heater which I came out of pocket 275 for. I was told the unit comes with 6 year warranty. On 8/27/15 the gas was shut off temporarily then pilot would not light. Had plumber come out to light pilot but was told valve would need to be replaced and they would confirm warranty. Bradford informed plumber that unit was no longer under warranty because Bradford had unit as a replacement and rolled over warranty of original unit from a different company.Bradford would not honor the 6 year warranty of the new unit which I feel is unacceptable especially when they are aware of the faulty valve on these particular units. I will continue to expose this unethical business practice until there is a resolution or correction made. My children and I have been without hot water for a few months now while I continue to get the run around.

I was upsold this Bradford White (50) Water Heater Model # MI5036FBN, 02/09. The unit just went out, and its still under warranty. The same plumbing company (Yes Plumbing) charges me a service fee ($79) to evaluate it. They determined the water tank is no good, and its under warranty; the warranty replacement fee is $1,000. They have got to be crazy. The purpose of my purchasing this supposedly top of the line water heater recommended by your company with lovely warranty, and now they don’t want to honor it unless I’m paying $1,000. They are crooks. Whether the water heater was a bad unit or not, honor your warranty claims and services agreement. Who pays $1,400 for a unit to have to pay $1,000 for warranty swap out? Companies are supposed to stand behind the product they sell! I will be contacting Bradford White Company after this.

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.

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 recently purchased a home with a previously installed Bradford White Defender gas water heater. The water heater was installed in the second floor attic space above the kitchen. We were not happy with this, because my husband works in the plumbing industry and these are notorious for breaking. We made plans to expand the washroom and bring the water heater down to the main level, to avoid any problems. We had the washroom addition done, and were just planning to move the water heater the next weekend. Literally, the next day, October 21, the thermal couple blew and flooded the kitchen. I dont know how long the water was running, we were home, but I was sick in bed, one son was sleeping, (he works nights) and the other is blind. When we found it, there was water pouring through a hole in the ceiling, and inches of water on the kitchen floor, it was even coming out the exterior joints in the slab. Fortunately, I had a very large threshold on the kitchen door which kept it contained to that area. A restoration company came out and treated the entire area and left fans and dehumidifiers to dry it out. I now need new sheetrock, insulation, cabinets, flooring, and part of the appliances. Water also seeped into the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, but that was minor compared to downstairs, and I have already corrected it at my own expense. I filed an insurance claim, but the adjuster has not gotten back with me as to whether they are going to cover it or not. He did state that mine was the third that week for this same issue.Images show defective part versus a new part. (The bottom one is not mine, I didnt think to photograph mine before it went in.) The water heater was still within the warranty period, so Bradford White covered the new part, but there was no compensation for the installation. We are thinking the water heater was about 2 years old, during which one year the house was vacant, and the other, it was occupied by an elderly disabled man. In other words, very little usage, it should have been good for years. My pressure is set at 40. (Extra low, just until we can replace the water line; not because its bad, but because we dont know.) Theres really nothing we could have done to prevent this.In my dealings with the supplier, I have found that the defective part was manufactured by Honeywell. The problem came from a little plastic piece that protruded from the box into the unit. Mine was split right in two allowing water to just flow out. The supplier thought that Bradford White might be in litigation with Honeywell, and that my flood might be covered under their insurance, but I suppose that would require a lawsuit on my part. I did notice on the replacement part that the plastic piece has been replaced by a metal piece, so hopefully this will not happen again. I would also hope that they would have stopped selling heaters manufactured with that plastic part inside. There really should be a recall on these water heaters.

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.

We recently had our 2nd Bradford White water heater installed. The old one lasted 20+ years and was still working. We decided it should be replaced before something else happened so it made sense to get another one when the contractor, Service First in Newtown, PA, recommended it. Love that they're American made.

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.

Had a Bradford-white water heater installed on March 9th of 2020. On March 17th, we were closed for covid shutdowns. This water heater never operated correctly and the company is not standing behind it. I would never purchase from this company again!!!

Good news! Bradford White replaced my water heater. Luckily the six-year warranty still had three months left. I still believe it should have lasted longer, but at least, I didnt have to pay the $2,400 Roto-Rooter wanted. My total out of pocket amount was $454.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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???

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.

My tank quit producing hot water. I called a plumber who replaced the valve. Two weeks later, the tank has no hot water. Plumber returned and replaced the valve again. Third time around, the plumber assured me he replaced Bradford White tanks and that they would authorize it; they were an excellent tank. This is not true. They refused. I contacted Bradford White personally and Amy ** at BW sent out a BW-certified plumber who told me my problem was a little plastic piece that had been broken - wrong. Three days later, I have no water. BW was contacted again; plumber returned to inform me that he missed that my tank was installed incorrectly and that my tank is ruined and I will need a new one. Apparently (although the warranty book DOES NOT SHOW ANY SUCH THING), I should have an expansion tank converter placed on it. Bradford White says this is a plumber problem and I am out of luck. I will not be replacing this tank with a BW and have turned the matter over to my attorney.

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.

I had replaced my hot water heater after 19 years of having an AO Smith hot water heater. I had the Bradford White only 14 months and we were having problems with the bathroom smelling like rotten eggs when the hot water was ran. My plumber diagnosed it to be the anode in the heater. When he removed it he said it was a generic part in it. I called Bradford White and they would not help with the part or the labor. It cost me $275 to have this part repaired. I would never purchase a Bradford product again.

The internal breaker cuts power after a couple uses if there is hot water in the hot water tank and doesnt reset for days, weeks, months. Worst purchase of my life. Screws dont even work when accessing the reset and temperature dials.

Bradford White just know their products so well. The warranty period is just a little bit shorter than the actual life of the water tank. Just like some other consumers, Bradford White customer service offers no help at all. Its hard to believe that expensive 75 Gal. water tank (PDX275) can only serve 2 people for less than 7 years.

I installed a Bradford White hot water heater in my sister house on December of 2009. The factory supply nipples moved inward causing the soldered couplings to leak. Of course BW is denying any water heater malfunction. Just trying to get the word out for future buyers. I have pictures also.

Natural gas Water Heater failed after 3 years of service. Serial # HK15769973 Model # MI403S8FBN. Hot water tank started leaking form the base, no emergency service available from local service provider. Product is clearly defective and as I understand it, replacement not completely covered under warranty. Not a product which I would recommend to anyone considering replacing their current water heater.

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.

Six years ago, I purchased and had installed a 50 gallon Bradford White electric hot water heater. After 2 1/2 years it shorted out and caught fire. BW replaced it under warranty. This weekend 3 1/2 years later the tank on the replacement gave out (replacements are not covered by warranties). My instructions to our plumber was to get me a new new one as long as it wasnt a 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!!!

The AO Smith water heater that came with the house lasted 18 years before it needed to be replaced. I got a Bradford White that failed in just 18 months and had it replaced under warranty. After only a year we had to put in a new anode in the warranty replacement water heater. 12 months later that water heater ruptured. No warranty for a water heater replaced under warranty. I guarantee that I wont be getting a third Bradford White.

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.

I am really surprised by all the bad experiences with the Bradford White water heaters I am reading here. We have a 40 gal electric model #m240s6ds2, if I read it right. Its a beautiful model and was installed in 2005 by the owners before us. We purchased this house (built in 1978) in 2006. We have never had a problem with it at all but because the year it was installed, and everyone says most last for 10-12 years, I am thinking at getting a new water heater before this one starts going bad or falls apart (even though it still looks brand new). I certainly dont want to have a big mess on my hands. I am now afraid to get another Bradford White because of what I have been reading here. Was the company sold since 2005… or are the contractors not as good/experienced as they were before. I mean something had to change for these newer units to be so messed up! Or are these complaints only from folks that got gas water heaters? I dont know a friend told me to just get a Rheem from a local Home Depot and forget about it. I have to say I am going to miss this beauty though, its been great for us.

New BW tank has good performance for the cost. The 1st hour rating is much better than most other brands. Tanks have changed since the last time I had to replace a water heater 15 years ago. Since I used another Bradford White the connections lined up perfect.

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.

Have only had this gas Bradford White gas water heater since March 1, 2016, and it is already out. No hot water for 2 days now with a household of 6 people. Lee Company who installed it is trying to work me in today to check to see what is wrong & if it is under warranty.

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.

Bradford White URG250T6N 50 gal water heater. Installed by plumber. 10 year warranty. Started gushing water in 2 1/2 years and flooded my garage. They honored the warranty on the water heater, but Im still out $500 for a plumber. Very unsatisfactory. Customer service said they would not cover the labor even though the unit only lasted 2 1/2 years. Thats not really standing behind your product.

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!

Would not buy this brand again. Since I got this BW HW heater 1.5 years ago, the temp control has been terrible. Its either way too hot or not hot enough. Move it just a scootch, and it changes unpredictably. I had the installer check it and they said nothing they can do. Very annoying. Either I have to have way too hot water, and be paying to have it way too hot, or not hot enough. Terrible quality.

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.

My plumber installed a Bradford White water heater, Model No. URG240T6N, on January 29, 2020. It immediately leaked because the factory-installed nipples didnt work. He told me that he had to remove them on every Bradford White water heater he has installed, that it is a problem with the product. I called my plumber when I saw that the water heater was leaking (thank goodness its in the garage) and he came out and removed the factory-installed nipples and the water heater stopped leaking. But, then, the water never came out hot. At the factory recommended setting of Hot, a bath would only be at 88 degrees. I called and said there was something wrong with the water heater. The plumber came and changed out the thermostat. Still no hot water. I called the company, Ferguson in Santa Barbara that he purchased it from. They said there was nothing that they could do. I needed to call Bradford White.I called Bradford White Warranty Dept. and told them that I had a defective water heater. They immediately began arguing with me, telling me that it wasnt the water heater and that I must have faulty plumbing. I told them that the plumbing had been fine in my house, for 12 years, until the new water heater was installed. Then, they told me that it was my plumber. I told them that I had been using my plumber for 25 years and never had a problem with him. I also told them that he had already changed out the thermostat and it still wasnt working right. I also said he had come to my home three times to try to fix it. They told me that I wasnt getting the full story from my plumber and Fergusons. I told them that I had spoken with both of them and that Fergusons had directed me to the warranty dept.I told Bradford White that it was defective and I wanted a new water heater. The woman continued to argue with me. It was THE RUDEST call I have ever had with a company. And, then, she said shed send a factory rep. to check it. I told her that I had taken cool baths/showers for over a week and I wanted it fixed immediately. I asked her for the name of the President of the company because I was going to write a letter. She said she didnt know the name of the President of the Company. I asked her, again, You dont know the name of the President of the company for which you work? and she hung up on me. I know she hung up because she had my number, which I had confirmed at the beginning of the call, and she never called back. Plus, she NEVER sent the rep.I ended up talking with a rep from Bradford White. He told me that he realized I had lost faith in the company and he was going to give me a refund so I could get a new water heater and a different brand. This was over a week ago. Two days after our call, I called him after no word and he back-pedaled on his offer and that they were going to send a factory rep. I told him they had promised me that over a week ago and no one had arrived. To this date, no factory service rep has ever called or arrived.So, now, it is February 19, nearly three weeks, and I am still fighting my water heater issue. I ending up having to call an attorney. I am also filing a complaint with the Consumer Fraud division of the State of California and am going to call our local television station which has a service that tracks down companies who arent upholding business standards. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH BRADFORD WHITE COMPANY EVER AGAIN. This is definitely a Buyer Beware Situation and the appropriate state/federal business regulating company should be after the company.

Im a contractor and have found Bradford White water heaters failing at an alarming rate over the past six months (believe to have had four with the fifth coming today). Most of my problems seem to be with the Honeywell control either leaking or not working right (overheating). I have one customer that I replaced Honeywell control because it was overheating, 2 months having same problem and now out of warranty. Todays customer has a water heater that I installed 1/19/16 and has a leak. Bradford White is no longer my water heater of choice.

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.

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!

I paid top dollar for the best 50 gal. water heater they sold. 1 year later and the pilot light goes out everyday. I called about the 6 year warranty. What a joke. They will replaced the part for free BUT I have to hire an Authorized plumber that charges $300.00 per hour! Wish I had checked the reviews first. I will never buy their products ever again. Should have gone to Home Depot or Lowe’s.

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.

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!

I replaced an AO Smith water heater in 1996 with a Bradford White. The AO Smith lasted five years. I first thought the AO Smith was made in the USA, I saw one at a business I was working and it said made in USA. After that was installed, I looked at the info on the unit and found it was made in Mexico. I guess they decided to move to Mexico for cheap labor.So I wanted a new water made in America. The only one I found then was the Bradford White from a local plumbing company. So I bought a 50 gallon one. I just replace it in 2016. Yes it lasted 20 years. It started to leak at the bottom so I knew it was time to replace it. The plumber that replaced it told me the tank inside had dropped two inches, but it did not burst. The company that has install the Bradford White in my area no longer carried them. So I bought a Whirlpool from Lowes that was made in America and came with an 8 year warranty.

Four years ago I purchased a Bradford White gas water heater. In less than 2 years the temperature of the water could not be controlled, as I kept turning it lower and lower as it stayed very hot. When I called the company I was told to set it at pilot which I did... still too hot. A plumber looked at it and told me everything was fine because the blinking green light was blinking. I suggested that maybe something was wrong with the blinking light! This patient person finally ran out of patience and called another plumber. The temperature of the water on just the pilot light was 134 degrees. The plumber has changed out hundreds of the sensors in these water heaters because they only last about 2 years... about $200 part. If you dont mind the built-in obsolescence expense every 2 years and poor customer service, by all means purchase a Bradford White water heater.

Only 3.5 years and the unit cracked. Now, Im out the full cost of removal and replacement. They only cover the tank AND they dont reset the warranty period. It only lasts the duration of the original. Makes sense as this junk isnt likely to last any longer. AND you are (practically speaking) stuck with the original installer who recommended this shoddy, poorly made product. ASHAMED it is made in the USA. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED TOO! I spoke with the customer service supervisor, Mr. Mike ** and he was no help. Just reiterated the warranty and refused to consider that 3.5 years is UNACCEPTABLE water heater life. GARBAGE!

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!