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Bradford White Water Heater Warranty
Bradford White water heaters come with a limited warranty that covers the replacement of the water heater if it fails due to a defect in materials or workmanship. The length of the warranty varies depending on the specific model and type of water heater.
Typically, Bradford White offers 6 years limited warranty on residential electric water heaters, 6-9 years limited warranty on residential gas water heaters, and 6-12 years limited warranty on commercial gas water heaters.
It's also important to note that the warranty can be void if the water heater is not installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with the instructions provided by Bradford White. Also, if a part is replaced under warranty, the remaining warranty period will not be extended.
It is recommended to keep the original purchase receipt and a copy of the warranty registration card for future reference. If you have any questions about the warranty on your Bradford White water heater, you can contact the company's customer service department for more information.
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My husband and I have lived in our home for about 14 yrs now. It is a 2 family. We kept one old water heater, but replaced ours when purchasing the home. Needless to say, the old one which I would imagine had to be about 20+ years old is the one that was changed. So we were told by our plumber to purchase a Bradford White. The first one didnt even work, I should have run at that point, and went to another manufacturer. We did get another Bradford White put in for it to only break after 7 years. I called their warranty department to get absolutely nowhere. We paid a lot of money for this product, and honestly if we knew it had the longevity of 7 yrs we could have gotten a cheaper product, or had gone to our local Appliance Home Store. Seriously, if you ever come across this product do not buy it. I believe this manufacturer should have at least helped the customer out perhaps even discount a new one. Now wouldnt that make a lot of sense.... Well nothing folks, nothing. Rest assure we purchased another product from another manufacturer. Also, my plumber is no longer using Bradford White!
50-gallon hot water heater was 55 months old and suddenly started leaking. Warranty was for 72 months BUT did not cover labor or any ancillary costs for delivering a new boiler, paperwork, etc. Total cost to replace my warranty covered unit... SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.
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.
Less than 2 years ago I had a Bradford White water installed by my plumber. Yesterday (12/28/15) the burner went kaplooie (technical talk for stopped working). I called my plumber who said he needed the part. I then call Bradford White and confirmed that the heater was still under warranty. However, they had stopped manufacturing that model and had no spare parts. I called the distributor and they had no parts. I called Bradford White with my tale of woe. They told me that they understood and felt very badly about my predicament, and would especially manufacture the part. I should get it in several weeks. I went up the ladder and finally found someone who said they could make the part and ship it promptly. I should have it by Friday, New Years Day. I suggested that it might be better to replace the whole heater rather than manufacture the part specially and make me wait an unconscionably long time, and pay a plumber holiday rates to come out on a holiday, New Years weekend. They told me, No!! Thus I have an obsolete water heaters that is still under warranty.
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.
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.
I had a 14 year old water heater that leaked badly. I had to call an emergency plumber who ONLY had Bradford White water heaters. Same thing for the other plumber I called on Labor Day at night. I should have done a few seconds research and just gone to Home Depot myself to by another brand. The water heater and installation cost $1500. Within TWO YEARS, I came home to find water all over my garage and in my house. I only got a $200 credit from Bradford White. I have a rental house in Los Angeles. The tenant said its not working properly. Had them look and its also a Bradford Water heater only 3 years old. Now its not working properly and appears completely broken. Absolutely outrageous how expensive their heaters are, yet in two cases, they only lasted 2-3 years. This is totally unacceptable. Dont EVER use Bradford White under ANY circumstance. They have very poor ratings!
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!!!
Our Bradford White gas water heater was installed in 2002 when we had the house re-piped. Our house is a 50s-vintage mid-century modern style. The water sits in the garage (semi-attached) and serves the dish washer, clothes washer, and sink. There is another heater for the other end of the house that serves the two bathrooms. The garage unit started leaking yesterday and will have to be replaced ASAP. But from 2002 to yesterday, no problems, leaks, or anything. Good stuff.
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!
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!
50 gal model #450s6en12 in 5 bedroom 3 bath home... Not a single problem for the last 18 years. Will definitely buy another... tankless water 4 system at almost 4 times the cost to replace with another equivalent system. Cant touch this.
Licensed plumber installed BW Eco-Magnum Series w/Hydro jet 75 gal water heater on August 2016. Failed this week April 2020. Two pinhole leaks on lower sidewall approximately 6 from bottom, near the vent holes left of the Honeywell temperature regulator. The leaks were right at the weld areas. The insulation was completely soaked. Did not last 5 years even after routine flushes. Either tank defect or possible issues with the Honeywell regulator that may have overheated the unit. There was an attempted class action lawsuit regarding the Honeywell regulator. Water pressure valve and water pressure checks out. Plumber coming to replace on Monday April 6, 2020.
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.
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!
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 bought a new B. White tank, and gas flow valve, which were defective within 1 month of purchase. B White is trying to charge me $450.00 repairs to replace gas valve.
I am going on my fifth water heater! First one installed Model # MI5036EN10 on December 23, 1999. Second water heater installed on December 16, 2003 Model #MI5036FBN, third installed on December 17, 2008, Model #MI5036FBN, fourth water heater installed on November 7, 2012, Model # MI5036FBN and now today May 16, 2016 yet another water heater bad. The same plumber has been replacing these water heaters (under warranty) but I have to pay the installation charges! Really Bradford White something for sure is very wrong here and not listening to us consumers with these issues is terrible consumer relations!! The warranties have gone from 10 year down to a 6 year warranty! Clearly they must see a problem and not fixing the problems!!
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.
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!
I am a Bradford White customer (personal home and 2 rentals) and a plumbing heating and cooling contractor that installs Bradford White in New Mexico. Your build up of black debris sounds like what happens when a water heater that is set up for natural gas is put on a propane system. I have seen the same thing happen on gas burning equipment around here when an unqualified contractor installs equipment meant for natural gas systems is installed on a propane system without converting it.
We switched from an older, gas powered water heater when we did a renovation. The water heater wasnt malfunctioning, we just wanted something more efficient. We got a Bradford White direct vent water heater. In the space of one year we have had to replace a sensor twice and replace an entire module as well (the control box on the front). Our old water heater was set it and forget it - this one is set it and pray...
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
Eight years ago we put in our home a Bradford White energy saver 50 gallon hot water heater and it started leaking last month. Shouldnt hot water heaters last longer than 8 years?
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.
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
A hot water heater was installed last year, 50 gallons LP gas. Today I felt smoke coming out from that room. I open the door, I saw the control box (gas valve) engulfed in flames, not from the burner, just the box in front of the tank. Thank god I was still able to shut of the gas and avoid a catastrophe, but this is a very serious matter. It is very dangerous, it should get the attention of public and safety regulators.
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.
Eco Defender HOt water heater U140T6FRN - For last 3 months, pilot light goes out periodically. Easy to relight, but a pain. Unit is 6 years old. Two years ago a plumber replaced the whole controller. After reading these posts, Im going to do all the DIY stuff I feel comfortable with, and, if that doesnt work, Im buying a new one -- obviously not Bradford White. The next plumber coming out on this matter will be bringing a new water heater. Period. Thanks to all for posting your complaints and issues. If BW does not read and take to heart these complaints, theyre not a business. Theyre just some kind of ** up revenue stream.
Dont purchase a Bradford White! Initially I was thinking buy American. What a mistake! Our 50 gal. BW with a 10 year warranty self destructed just short of four years with a catastrophic failure! The water tank cracked. Hot water began spraying out of the pressure relief valve connection then pouring out of the base. My past experience has been that water heaters begin with a drip under the tank indicating its time for replacement. Our Bradford White just let go creating an instant flood. With 6 years of existing warranty remaining I found the customer service dept to be useless especially when you need a new hot water heater immediately. If you are considering a Bradford White my recommendation is STAY CLEAR of this brand.
50 gallon electric. 7-year warranty and it failed three to 6 months after it was out of the service contract. I will be looking for a new hot-water heater and I promise Bradford White I will not look at one of their products ever again and will also tell everyone I know to do the same. How can something with the highest price and recommended so much be so bad? What a piece of **.
Had 2 - 40 gals twin water heaters in attic on 2 story house. Both eventually started leaking from the thermostats. Took both of the thermostats out of tanks and found that the plastic covering both probes had split and it is where the water came back thru the thermostat housing and leaked thru my ceiling down to the first floor. Obviously a defective water heater assembly and thermostat from Honeywell.
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.
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 to replace a Bradford White water heater in 4 year old house - replaced with a Bradford white. Now 3 yrs later motor has died. Paid $363 to have plumber out to replace parts not covered by warranty. He has to source new motor which we hope is covered by warranty - then another plumber visit cost! Have owned 7 or 8 homes in past - have never had these issues with any other water heater - not reliable and very expensive to replace and install.
I 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.
Our trusted installers, Snell & Son Heating and Air Conditioning, said this is the only brand they install and recommended it. It never quite worked right providing warm (not hot water) after 5 minutes of showering. The valve broke and cost us $689 to replace, 6 months after the warranty expired. Including labor, the charge was going to be $915. The new valve WV8840A1001 only has a 1-year warranty. We made a mistake installing this heater and increased that mistake by trying to fix it.
I have had a great experience with Bradford White. Weve had two Bradford White water heaters in our home and have been very satisfied with them. The first one lasted almost 16 years before it went and the current one is 19 years going on 20 years old with zero issues! Great quality products from an American company!
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!
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.
There are only 2 adults at this location. No problems until we would go more than 2 days with no use of hot water. Had strong sulfur smell. Neighbor suggested pouring bleach down well head. Cleaned smell after 2 days. Worked a couple of times. Now, after 7 years stinks all the time. Read that the problem is the anode. Why should this happen? Makes no sense to me. Out of warranty 1 yr ago. A 50-gallon tank for 2 people should last more than 7 years w/o repair. Not happy. Would not recommend.
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.
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.
Failed in less than 1 year in a residential home with only 2 senior citizens using hot water. The mode RE380T6 was supposed to have a 6 year warranty. The only way theyll honor a warranty is for parts exchange only and your plumber has to deal with the paperwork at the distributor. Try calling a plumber and telling him to deal with this and see when hell come. So lets say the parts are $50 and the plumber charges you $200 to do the install. In other words, the warranty is useless and in order to get the water heater fixed timely you have to pay the $250. Ill never buy anything from Bradford again.
Thermal Coupler is bad after 4 years. I contacted Bradford White after having plumber from Mike Diamond let me know the unit is under warranty. After contacting BW, I was told to contact Ferguson Plumbing Supply. After waiting for about an hour to let a new employee figure out how to handle a swap of a warrantied product, I was told I owed $25 for a handling fee. What the heck was he talking about? BW told me it would be a swap at no charge to me. I contacted BW and they told me it was up to their supplier. I told BW I will NEVER buy another BW product and he didnt seem to care. What a ripoff! I could go to Home Depot or Lowes and pay about $6 for a thermal coupler and install it myself with any other water heater, but NO... not with BW. I guess were going to get rid of this unit and get a tankless water heater. Thank you, BW, for helping us speed up the process to purchase another mfgs tankless water heater!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
After debating whether or not I wanted to have a tankless water heater installed I finally decided to replace my old water heater with another Bradford White. Great water heater. Tankless would have been nice but I plan on moving in 5 to 8 years and just dont know if Ill see the return on my investment.
I 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.
According to the plumber the heater has a small leak which caused the gas line to corrode and rupture. Even though you are made in the USA. We as consumers, have certain rights when you buy something that says made in the USA. I expect poor quality coming from other countries. The labor bill was $600.00 to replace the heater. Yes the parts were free, so-far. My customer experience with this company was horrible, I would never recommend this product to anyone, just because of the crappy customer service experience. Poor quality control standard can be fixed, yet when you get on the phone and they basically tell you to **-off. There has to be a line drawn in the sand.My recommendation on this product is less than 1 star, just on the customer experience when dealing with the manufacture and problems that occur, and that may cause potential health issues, injury, or even property damages to something that you will be paying on for the next 15 to 30 years. I hope everyone takes heed to this warning and if your plumber or home improvement store recommends this product, go elsewhere. Oh, by the way, welcome to your new home, that will be $600.00. DONT BUY THIS MANUFACTURERS PRODUCT.
My Bradford-White Defender gas water heater blew 6 yrs. and 3 months after installation. They have a 6 yr. warranty - and wouldnt offer me a dime toward replacement costs!
I had my home warranty company, First American, vendor, Round The Clock, install a Bradford White water heater/serial #HC14703352 D/N 394 on 4/3/2011. Three weeks later, they had to come back because of a gas leak. We have had Southwest Gas out to our home, 3 times since, because of the smell of gas. Last Tuesday, June 19, the gas company turned off the hot water heater, saying it was too dangerous to keep on. The home warranty company will not return my calls. The vendor, Round The Clock, came out to fix the power box, and put a hole in the tank. Now, they said that it is out of warranty. I called Sheila **, Service Manager of Bradford White, phone number 1-800-900-3364 to complain. She will replace the water heater only, will not pay for labor. So, long story short, I will have to pay for labor, again. If you had a car that was leaking gas, the vendor would fix at no cost to you. It is called liability. Where is the conscience of this American business (Bradford White)? Why, as consumers, are we constantly being robbed?
Bradford White water heater leaked after 3 yr, replaced by warranty but labor was $600.00. The product was a lemon when installed. My email to warranty division was useless. I would like an email address to the president of this company.
ZERO Stars. Like so many others, I have also experienced multiple failures of multiple tanks in a span of just a few years. Might be covered by warranty but youre still stuck without hot water and stuck with large labour invoices for parts and/or entire tank replacements. I can’t see how any of their competitors could be any worse so it can not hurt to take the advice of so many people and avoid Bradford White.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
We had A B-W 50 gal. water heater installed when we built our home in 2001. It started leaking and was replaced in July 2013 by another B-W 50 gal. water heater. In Sep 2017, the replacement started leaking. A call to B-W requesting the heater be replaced under warranty was a joke. They wanted me to buy another B-W heater and when they had a chance to inspect mine they would issue a refund. So they will only warrant the heater if you buy another one from them. Why would anyone buy one of their water heaters, when they only last four years? I submitted an email to B-W and they promised to get back to me in 48 hours. Its been over a week now, I dont think its going to happen. Their warranty and their word are worthless. I urge you to avoid their products as I will in the future.
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!!!
3 years and 360 days, we had installed a 40 gallon gas water heater and it started leaking from the bottom. Called company who installed it. They came out and told me it is a total tank failure. The water heater is still under warranty but the cost of installation is again on me. I do not want nor will I have another Bradford White in my house. I refuse. Bradford-White will not give me another warranty on their own product and I am afraid to put another in my home. I thought living in Michigan Id buy a Michigan made product. Bad choice and Bradford-White was not my first choice but I could not find a company that carried my first choice. So the kicker is the company that did the install no longer carries Bradford-White, and for a good reason, but they now carry the brand I originally wanted. Ironic. Never again a Bradford-White product.
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!!!!
Got a 10 year warranty water heater. 3 years then fail. Company is like pay a plumber we appove of to convince us it was our failure and we will provide a free replacement part 2 weeks after the failure. You are okay waiting 2 weeks for hot water and trust us to decide on the failure right? I mean just because we dont answer our phone and you have to wait 20 minutes doesnt mean we are not honest? Cmon its just normal not to tell you the specific details of our warranty.
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???
I purchased water heater in 2008 that failed under warranty a few years later. The company agreed to replace it under warranty free of charge with the exception of labor. This newer unit is now having issues and I paid for the repair of two thermostats because it assumed the remaining warranty of the original failed unit, and no longer has a warranty. Customer service informed me that they may have been willing to offer a discount on price of repair if I would have called them before it was completed. Not available though after the repair. It is difficult to understand how the newer unit does not also have an original warranty. Now penalized twice for one failed unit and one that is also malfunctioning after a few years. I will not purchase this brand again and will be very clear about when a warranty starts and ends when I purchase a replacement.
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.
The Bradford White Gas Power Vent water heater failed without warning overnight causing extensive flooding and water damage to a finished basement. Water heater was almost 10 years old. Should be built with a safety water cut off valve that ceases water supply to water heater if incoming water rate is greater than exiting flow.
Our plumber installed a new Bradford White water heater in our new house. Two months later, it started making a very loud buzzing/rattling noise. And then it started spilling water into the tray below, eventually flooding our laundry room. BW replaced the faulty heater, but they refused to pay for the reinstallation. So I ended up paying ~$600 to install the same water heater twice in about 3 months. My understanding is that their competitors have better warranties for when things go wrong. Would *not* recommend buying a BW heater.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
My heater was installed right around 10 years. Water sometimes hot, sometimes cold for a while. Now its leaking at the top. Called the rep, she asked for warranty card. But I only have receipt and installed label for 10 warranty info that prove I paid for it. She said thats the policy, could not do anything.
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.
Purchased new 40 gallon Bradford White hot water heater. Within 5 months the unit quit working. Some parts were replaced and it worked for about 5 weeks. A plumber came out sent by the supplier - Edge Supply - he said he couldnt find anything to be the cause so he replaced all of the valves etc. - it worked for about 3 or 4 weeks and quit again. I could light it but it would run for a few hours and then quite again. Upon checking it, the flue was entire covered with black debris. The burner when lit appeared to be yellow - I was told that the burner was not burning properly. After no closure I purchase another brand - hooked up on the same plumbing and it has not failed yet - now I am out several hundreds of dollars and no refund or new replacement from Bradford White.
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.
We have a Bradford White. Within 5 years, it started leaking and stopped working. It is still under warranty. Bradford White asked me that I would have to pay for the replacement unit and a warranty fee of $35 first before they would even process the warranty. This seems like a ploy to get me to buy a new water heater. I am willing to wait until the warranty is approved before I get someone to install a new water heater but they said that their process wont allow it. If I pay for a replacement unit and pay for labor to get it installed, and then if they dont even honor the warranty, what should I do then?
Cost of the 50 gallon gas water heater 5??? Function for 4 years 5??? The day I needed parts to fix my water heater absolutely a crap show! I do not recommend their customer warranty department whatsoever, if you are buying a tank water heater buy a Rheem or Ruud. This is a joke. You have to go through a supplier for replacement parts, really ridiculous. I gave them my model and serial number and explained to them that I have a new style pilot light assembly and still sent me the copper wire style assembly. Out of hot water for over a week. Never will buy anything with this brand name! If you are buying a Tankless buy a Rinnai.
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 have BW water heater installed in my house and every 4 years it always leaks, they have very poor warranty and I ended up spending double plus I have to pay for the plumber, they have very poor customer service too. I will never buy this brand of water heater again. This BW I had broke in 2009, 2013 and now its 2017, just within 4 years time this BW leaked and it flooded all over my basement. The same exact problem that I had way back 2013. So to other customers who are planning to buy a new hot water heater I advised you guys not to buy this brand because its just a waste of money, its a crappy product. Thank you all for reading this review and this is an honest review from a concerned person. Thank you to all again.
Purchased Bradford White 5years - 358 days ago, model m265r6ds-1ncww. Install and all repairs done by licensed plumbers. Its an electric water heater. Actually service life has been semi OK since we live in an area with very hard water and water treatment depends on regularly supplying expensive salt to conditioning unit. We are on well water. So I recognize it can cause some build issues over time.However contractor quality unit installed when I built house in 1994 lasted 14 years and was only replaced due to heating unit and wifes desire for larger capacity heater. So six years for the Bradford White seems like a short life for heating element and thermostat set (comes as two t-stat set). When it went out 3 days ago I called plumber this morning after original calls went unanswered by first plumbing co. This plumber was able to arrive today and quickly found the issue. Wed had a short period of very hot water followed by the failure of the heating element so he suspected faulty t-stat set. $230 later it was fixed and I asked him about warranty from Bradford White. He basically told me I could pursue it but he felt they wouldnt pay anything and he didnt have time to take my failed parts to the wholesaler which is what BWs warranty policy requires. I emailed and phoned BW and was basically told the plumber would have to take the parts to the wholesaler. Well, he isnt going to take his $100/hr. time and truck to get me an adjustment for parts that cost about $50 and I dont blame him. I told the BW people that and got the old story about well thats the policy. After some further exchange they said I could call the plumber and find out who he got the BW parts from and then I could call BW back and let them know....At that point I cut the conversation off as it was clear they werent going to do squat unless I jumped through all their hoops which are well designed to foil any attempt to get satisfaction under warranty.In summary, they won because it simply wasnt worth my time to jump through all their obfuscating hoops to get a warranty claim paid. Of course they dont cover any of the expensive part...the labor of replacement. They act like it was my fault, their part went bad before the warranty expired so I should bear the cost of labor for replacement. What fricken planet do these people live on?? Based on comparison with original heater, I would rate the BW product below average and their warranty as the worst Ive ever seen. The wholesaler for this area, Western States, gets such bad reviews I didnt ever bother to contact them as people with much worse problems are getting nowhere or worse screwed by BWs process. NEVER AGAIN BRADFORD WHITE! Just tell the truth that you will fight warranty claims with every ounce of effort you can muster. What goes around comes around. Below average product in my experience and non existent warranty even though they claim to have one.
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.
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.
16 years working and still going.... I am looking to replace my current 40 gallon hot water tank Model #MI40T6EN12 to prove the age, because of a possible dip tube deterioration issue, and this only started after a plumber put in a new copper pipe from the tank to our kitchen in 2015. So nothing has been confirmed yet by a plumber but they tell me once the dip tube breaks away it’s only a matter of time. Yet we still have hot water. I wish I knew where this product is sold in the Cleveland, Ohio are because I would definitely purchase another.
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.
I had to replace my water heater @ 4 years ago (that one had served me well for 14 years, never an issue) and the company I was dealing with only used Bradford White which I had never heard of before. Well it failed after only 4 years in September of this year. I was shocked and disgusted. I had paid extra for a 12 year warranty and with them based in Michigan I was lulled into thinking I was purchasing a quality product. The original company replaced the water heater which I grudgingly consented to because they said the only way the warranty would be honored would be to get another Bradford White. However I had to pay the labor cost of $330 plus the cleanup I endured is priceless in my hours and effort. Timing was atrocious as well (was to leave on a trip that week so that was a negative shadow) so all in all an awful experience and huge disappointment! The installer found no cause except that the Bradford White water heater of only 4 years was defective! I thought innocently that when Bradford White was aware of this they would compensate me for the labor costs. I called in October and got a front line employee who told me, “Well it does not work that way, meaning I should be happy that it was replaced. I said, “well what about this concept, that you produce a quality product that will last longer than 4 years. I would have been happier with that. Now my warranty does not revert back to 12 years, it is only 8 with the deduction of the 4 years. I kept going up the chain and ended up speaking with Dustin Bowerman who is the CEO. Initially he seemed nice and concerned and had me send photos, personal info, model/serial #s but then responded back that they do not want to set a precedent. The water heater failing was bad enough but to waste my time with the false hope that they would offer some compensation was I thought especially cruel. He stated that they are an Employee Owned Business which based on my personal experience they are #1 certainly not the Customer so stay away. Go with a cheaper product and if there is failure you are not as committed financially! Here was my response to Mr. Bowerman but never got one word back which was not surprising.I have no confidence in your product after my one and it remains to be seen negative experience. I went out of my way to give you and your company the opportunity to turn the awful and unexpected experience into a fading memory which would not dictate my future purchasing choices but you have failed terribly. I would have appreciated you not wasting anymore of my time truly when we spoke Dustin if you planned on using the dont want to set a precedent rule. I sent you a lot of personal information so very form to say the least. No wonder I am in the minority and price is the primary focus because there is no loyalty in either direction so thank you Dustin for creating my present and future cynicism on how employee run businesses do business! The employees are first and foremost number one and the customer is expendable as well as the quality controls to produce a reliable and sound product.. Shameful but I cannot dictate your conscience, only you can. Thank you for stepping upon my kindness so now you are in the minority.”Never heard back from Mr. Dustin Bowerman and it has been a month so if I had to do all over again I would have Run from Bradford White! Unfortunately this USA company does not inspire or contribute to confidence in their product nor customer service.
My Bradford White water heater is going on 20 years. As a former plumbing associate at your local big box, I knew about and performed maintenance on my own tank. After reading many of these reviews, it appears that repairs are being made willy nilly by people who dont have the service manual and are just replacing parts randomly. BW has an excellent service manual that an informed service tech/plumber or advanced homeowner can follow along and make systematic diagnoses based on methodical testing. It sounds like that was not done in many cases. So before you threaten with a lawyer, get an informed plumber to do this testing. Some complaints appear to have been poor wiring on the part of the installer, not the companys fault. Based on my experience, I would buy another BW and I do not own stock or know the VP of sales or have any other connection other than having experience working on my own unit.
I called a plumbing company to look at my Bradford White water heater which is only a little less than 3 years old. He told me to call and have the replacement part sent to me under the warranty. I called the company/warranty department and was told that as the home owner I am not allowed to order the part, only the contractor who worked on the unit! Ridiculous!! Why wouldnt the homeowner be able to order the control unit as the contractor requested I do so??? I am so upset as I havent had hot water for days.
Ours died just after three months. We installed it July 2021 and here we go with no hot water October 2021. I have two blinks on the diagnostic light. Reading online it looks like a faulty pressure switch. Everything else running off natural gas in house works fine. My cheap big box water heater lasted at least 3 years before it started having problems. Well see what the service company says in the morning.
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.


