I bought a Whirlpool water heater not even 3 years ago, and I am already replacing parts; thermostat,thermocouple, and as of yet, no fix. We contacted Whirlpool, and they said that everything has been tried, and if the thermocouple doesnt fix it, well have to hire a plumber at our expense. Its kinda ridiculous. The water heater that we replaced, had been in the home for almost 17 years.This one didnt even make it to 4.

I have the same pilot light problems as everybody else. I pulled the burner unit out, and cleaned, and blew everything out, and took a wire brush to the openings on the floor of the unit. I called customer service, and was asked about ventilation. I didnt mention that the heater still didnt work, even when the door to the tin water heater was removed, so venting is not the likely culprit. She authorized a repair that will likely do nothing from the comments I see.The real problem with their customer service, is the apparent stupidity of the computer system. She asked me for the model and ID number. I had to cut through the extra insulation blanked on the tank to get it. However, when I gave it to her, she then asked me if I was ** and if I live at **. If this information was already in the computer, why couldnt there be a search by my name and address, to get the model and serial number. Obviously, I had registered the water heater in the past. Isnt being able to get this information the reason to register in the first place?Now, I have to replace the extra insulation, all because of a stupid inability to create the necessary searches in their customer database. Yes, I could have written the numbers down, but why have the customer registration at all, if it isnt to be used for anything, other than data mining of the customer base.

Bought the hot water heater, installed it. It leaked from bottom. Whirlpool warranties it. Replace it with new heater. It too leaks. I Google problems with Whirlpool hot water heaters. Found over 1500 complaints.

Mind you, Whirlpool products that we have purchased in the past have been satisfactory, but gas hot water heaters, no! About four years ago we purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater that went out in a little over a year. After spending many calls and time, we found out that the HWH was on soft recall. Whirlpool credited our account, but this was to purchase another Whirlpool, which we did. We paid for installation. About 2 years later, it has gone out. Same problem. Lowes says not their problem. Whirlpool says it will pay for the part only. Plumber will cost 150-200 dollars. All the plumbers I have talked to will not repair them, then they are held responsible when it goes out! As a disabled Vet I cannot afford to throw 400-600 dollars away. And, Whirlpool tells me that if they give me an RA number to replace the HWH, it will have to be a Whirlpool from Lowes. Great! Whirlpool quarterly report looks very good. Mine doesnt look as good. What can be done about a poor working product? Or is this too big to fail? Let me know.

Bought a whirlpool water heater less than two years ago and it has already failed. I could not find parts for it and was told by a lowes employee that I would have to call whirlpool on the 5th of July (three days away) to order any parts. I tried three plumbers in the Indianapolis area and they all told me that I would be better off replacing it with a different brand. I just put in a new rheem in its place. I will never buy another thing from whirlpool. They are no good.

I am a Licensed Plumber in Oklahoma, have been for 25 years. Our company will no longer work on Whirlpool water heaters, heres why. I diagnosed a water heater that the pilot would not stay lit, the thermocouple was bad. Whirlpool Tech Support told me to go to Lowes and buy the parts and send them the receipt and they would reimburse me. The customer was furious that I charged them for the part and I told them when I got reimbursed, I would send them the money. Well, I not only never got any money from Whirlpool but I never got paid from the homeowner who was mad at me and I didn’t even sell it to them. Beware, buy Rheem.

I purchased a Whirlpool 40 gallon gas water heater from Lowes approximately 4 years ago. As of yesterday, the pilot will not light. I assume the t-couple is bad. But in the process of doing some research, I could not help but see that there is a quality problem with heaters manufactured around the time mine was. I dont have the model number with me at the moment. I would like to know what the permanent fix is for these heaters.

I bought this piece of junk heater (serial no. 0804T411536) from Lowes and had their contract plumber install it in or about 2008. Since that time, I have had nothing but trouble with it. It just doesnt stay lit. Every plumber who works on it tells me that they have numerous problems with them and they cannot repair them - the customer has to get the part from Whirlpool. And today the woman I talked to told me that I had to pay the shipping charges, which vary according to how quickly one wants hot water! I personally find that a true rip off. If you cant guarantee the product you put on the market, then dont put it out there. I will never buy another Whirlpool appliance or shop at Lowes!

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

Bought a propane hot water heater and 2 years after buying it pilot wouldnt light. Had to buy a conversion kit because they didnt make the part anymore. Now had to buy a gas valve and it didnt work so went to Lockes and bought a new water heater and now they wont refund my money for the part $300.00 with shipping. They said they could only replace it. Well I dont need it now because I bought a better product. Whirlpool is junk and you have to buy the parts from them and RIP you off. Way to take care of your customers Whirlpool. Buy something else with your money.

I bought Whirlpool water heater model #FG1H5040T3NOV about 5 years ago. Burner assembly was replaced two years ago and now, thermocouple was replaced yesterday.

In October 2009, I purchased a Whirlpool Energy smart gas water heater with flame lock safety system.$509.00 I had it installed on 5/4/2009 by Westmoreland Affordable Plumbing, $218.00. On 10/15 called Whirlpool stating that the upper thermistor was coding as a failure. They sent me another one to replace it on 10/19/2009. On 10/19/2009, 1 and 1/2 hours later, the tank was coding a bad gas valve, called back and told Whirlpool what had happened and that I smelled gas. I shut off the gas to the water heater and waited for a valve replacement to arrive. On 10/21/2009 I had E.H. Plumbing to install the new gas valve to the water heater, $150.00. On 10/28/2009 the new gas valve went bad. I contacted Whirlpool and argued with them until I had them replace the hot water tank. With their approval I went to Lowes and tried to get the same water tank but they no longer sold that model anymore. I was given their equivalent to the one I had purchased earlier. I had it installed on 10/29/2009, $150.00. I now see a class action suit was filed against Whirlpool for the model in 2008. They were still selling this model after the lawsuit???? I spent $1027.00 for a $509 hot water tank and a lot a days without any hot water. I have all my receipts and returned codes for this transaction. Is it possible to get my $300.00 back (for two extra installations) as a result of this problem? I also kept the old gas valve thermostat.

I purchased this heater in 2009. I have had so much problems with the pilot staying lit or the thermocouple. Had to have that changed, have to clean under heater monthly. I have called Whirlpool numerous times because the pilot light goes out. Now I have a problem with it staying lit. Whirlpool tells me I have to pay for service labor. They sent out a technician who broke the igniter and I am being told I have to pay labor cost to have this fixed. THEIR TECHNICIAN BROKE THE IGNITER BUT THEY WANT ME TO PAY THE LABOR COST TO FIX WHAT HE BROKE. I have had it with Whirlpool. This heater is a piece of garbage as far as I am concerned. I am tired of having no hot water.

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

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

I owned a Whirlpool water heater and the only thing I have with it is problems! The pilot keeps on turning off. Since I am a 64-year-old lady, I have no idea on how to fix things (widowed). I keep on paying for the plumber to fix it. It started with flooding all my front yard because of a faulty valve. I paid $165.00. After the pilot went off, I paid another bill to fix that. And it turned off and on again (lost count of times). Today, I found another pool of water (the valve again? ). What a piece of work! Please, can you help me? Im heading to the store to buy a new one, not a Whirlpool!

I bought new hot water heater. I installed it did and it did not work. I called them, and they sent a new part. A service man installed it, and it still did not work - he was unable to get it working. They said my gas supply line 1/2 od was too small. I had it replaced to 5/8 od 1/2id, and it still did not work. I called them again. They offered to send more parts and try again. This is a brand new water heater, never fired. I asked if they would give me a ra number so I could return it to the store. He would not give it to me. He insisted he send some one out to try to repair it. Meanwhile I have had no hot water for 2 days. He told me do what I have to do and hung up on me. So I removed the heater and took it back to Lowes, where they were glad to give my money back. But still, I lost a day of work and paid the gas yo bring it back. I went to home depot bought a GE hot water heater. I had it installed in about 15 minutes and it is working fine.

I bought Whirlpool hot water heater with the Honeywell part in 2014 and the thermal box went out. No flashing lights, no way to reset. I understand that Whirlpool had a class action lawsuit after researching. Still selling this product to consumers. Whirlpool should be held responsible, and be made to give an allotment to replace homeowners with hot water tank of choice! If lawsuit is active please add my name.

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

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater Model # ND50T122-403 on March 4, 2011 from Lowes. I had it installed by Lowes and it included a 12 YEAR Manufacturers (WHIRLPOOL) WARRANTY, plus I purchased an additional 11 YEAR EPP (Extended Protection Plan) WARRANTY. About 3 weeks ago I had no hot water so I went down to my basement to check the water heater and it displayed 7 single blinks followed by a 3 second pause, which is a flammable vapor sensor lock-out code. I made sure there was no flammable vapor in the area, turned off the gas and pulled out the plug then called Lowes since I have an active warranty with them. They said I had to wait 3 business days for them to call back to set-up an appointment to have it repaired. I waited 3 business days including the weekend and no one called me back by the end of the 3 business days, so I called Lowes back and they set-up an appointment for a video store owner with a plumbing license to come over and try to fix it. Finally I thought I would have hot water after over 2 weeks without it, but the plumber started taking it apart and about an hour later said he needed to order a part and he would be back another day when he gets the part. He came back 2 days later to install the part and fix it, but he could not fix it. He called Whirlpool to report the issue and Whirlpool told him they would not honor the warranty because my basement was not safe. He then told me he would call Lowes to let them know about Whirlpools position and call me back. So when he called me back he said Lowes said the current warranty was under Whirlpool and their warranty was only effective after the initial 12 year manufacturers warranty was up, so they would not help any further. So after only 4 1/2 years with a 12 year manufacturers warranty and an additional 11 year extended protection warranty that I purchased from Lowes, Whirlpool will not honor the warranty that came with this water heater. I am going to take this to small claims court. Whirlpool and Lowes have terrible customer service policies. I will NEVER purchase another Whirlpool product and I will NEVER again shop at Lowes. Please do NOT EVER buy a Whirlpool water heater! TAKE YOUR CLAIM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT FOR SATISFACTION! Maybe an attorney will put in another class action suit against Whirlpool and/or Lowes.

Bought a brand new 40 gal water heater from Lowes. Installed it and it worked fine. Next day no hot water... After doing all the tests with tech support. This smart mouthed CSR explained to me how her uncle is a master plumber and she knows what shes talking about. Still couldnt tell me what was causing it to not work. Other than the reset being tripped. I have had good luck with Whirlpool products. But customer service has always been poor.

Water heater purchased in 2011 and is already broken. Called the hotline and they were rude. Told me I need a $199 part. I read all the reviews and it seems that Whirlpool has made a bad name for themselves with the water heaters. They were not willing to work with me.

I bought my Whirlpool water heater from Lowe’s in 2010 and now 2 years later, the pilot light keeps going out. When I tried to buy replacement parts from Lowe’s, they stock parts for other brands but no parts for the brand they sell. The water heater is junk and Lowe’s is no help. I will not buy from Lowe’s again.

The Whirlpool water heater I bought 2 years ago at Lowes has had continued problems with its thermocouple causing the water heater to shut down. At first I would have to relight it about every 2 weeks, now I had to do this everyday. I was going to replace the thermocouple until I read numerous sites explaining that several people did this and experienced the same problems.

Purchased first water heater in 2008 with 6 year warranty. In 2011, pilot light would not stay lit. Whirlpool told me to go to Lowes and get a new one at no cost. But I had to pay for service to identify the problem and installation of new one, costing $250.00. A year and a half later on a six year warranty, the same issue the pilot light not staying lit. They send a pilot light assembly and we pay the shipping and installation cost of $130.00.Two years later, the same issue begins again. Calling tech support, they determine it needs a third pilot assembly at $30.00 for shipping and $265.00 service installation fee by a certified Whirlpool technician. Worked one day! Im so done with this company!!!! I was promised a call from a supervisor with Whirlpool which Im still waiting on days later. Probably for the best at this point. I think I would feel better if I could beat the crap out of a Whirlpool CEO with it! Im cutting my losses and going with a different provider. I will NEVER again purchase another Whirlpool product!

Water heater was defective from the factory with a pinched wire between the thermostats. After replacing everything on the heater Whirlpool would not reimburse any parts or labor for the unit... Whirlpool is dead to me now, and forever and I love to tell my story to prospective buyers of their products!!! So far, to date I have cost them about 14 sales of major appliances (and still counting!!!). After reading some reviews… Im (sorry, I omitted the personal insults) in respect of your review guidelines.

I bought Whirlpool gas water heater on July 2009. It keeps going out. It is not working. I found out you cant even get parts for fixing it. The dealers told me its junk. I was told to buy a new one. Then, I found out its been in class action lawsuit. How did I get to buy it after it was recalled? I dont know what to do.

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

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

Owner of 20 apartments, 16 of them have electric water heaters and 4 have natural gas units. Have replaced over the years all 20 water heaters. 19 of them were replaced with Whirlpool units bought at our local Lowes. It is my opinion that they are very unreliable. The tanks rust out in NO time. The electric units last just a little better than the gas units but still terrible. Of the 4 gas units so far I have had to replace 3 of them and the longest one lasted 6 years and 7 months!! One of them was just over 6 years and the other was 9 days away from warranty expiring. They replaced that one. If you have no other choice make sure to buy extended warranty if available. They just dont last!!

Purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes. Heater has 6 year warranty. Hot water heater is 1 year old and the pilot would not light. Contacted Whirlpool warranty department to what the failure cause. A new control was sent and replaced by a qualified journeyman plumber; still not working. Called whirlpool warranty department, told control valve must be faulty. We have gone 5 days with no hot water. I am not waiting another 5 days to get hot water. I am having the plumber take out this worthless Whirlpool heater and haul to the scrap metal business. That is where I should have sent it from the get go. Dont purchase a Whirlpool product. The money should be spent on a product that works and will last.

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

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

I purchased Whirlpool electric hot water tank in May 2011 (model no. EEZ80HD055V). The water tank was working fine for four months. It does not work anymore. I tried to get a hold of Whirlpool customer service. But I couldn’t get a hold of customer service at 877-817-6750. It is motel business without hot water. We could not open the business. We tried the best we could, but there is no contact or support from Lowes or Whirlpool. We have no other choice other than replace the hot water tank. We tried to find the right phone number to explain the situation to Whirlpool customer service rep.

Electric hot water heater model E40H6-45-100 - Purchased at Lowes. Husband installed, tank filled, no hot water coming through house lines. Called support center several times after trying each recommendation that did not work. They kept saying it was a plumbing problem. My husband is very smart when it comes to electrical and plumbing. He has done numerous repairs to our homes over the last 30 years we have been married. He knows what he is talking about and told the support tech that he believed it was a faulty water heater. She immediately said the units are all tested before they leave the factory. The final step was to remove the nipple that the hot water flows through out of the tank and remove the two black bellows. Now my husband can see directly through the piece but also decides to put his finger through the the open whole on the top of the tank and cannot get his finger through - it is blocked. He gets a flashlight and a screw driver. Puts the screw driver through a thin plate that was blocking where the water should be coming through. He can now actually see the water in the tank. This was the whole problem! So they could not have tested this tank. They did give us a ref number to take parts back to store to replace parts we already bought and cannot use. Its the time and energy on whats suppose to be an easy job that counts. Will not recommend Whirlpool products to anyone and probably will not purchase any in the future. Ours was not as bad as most of the other reviews I read but wanted to advise others who may think about what brand to purchase.

I bought a 40 gal. Whirlpool water heater from Lowes. It was just outside the 6-year warranty when the pilot light went out and wont relight. I called Whirlpool. They are about as worthless as box of rocks. They refuse to replace the thermocoupling free of charge or at least no shipping charge, when they know in fact there is a problem. It was because no class action lawsuit was filed. Its too bad for the customers. I wished they would have just said: “lady, please take your business somewhere else.” It would have made things easier. Or, better yet, they should just put a sign on their water heaters in the store stating: “If you have problems with our product, sorry about your luck. ** you and have a nice day.”

We purchased the Whirlpool model# BFG1J4040T3NOV 40 gallon natural gas hot water tank in the spring of 2010. The pilot light went out this weekend, 2011. And it will re-light but does not stay lit. This was bought at Lowes, rated as a 9-year warranty on the tank and parts. This is premature failure of a product that is listed as 9 years. Due to all the other similar complaints of this Whirlpool hot water tank, I would like my money back plus installation. I do not want the Whirlpool replacement as obviously it does not work. I will use a different brand and vet it much better in the future. We almost purchased at Home Depot but decided it would be a better bet to go with the Whirlpool reputation and name and Lowes than with the only Home Depot option, which is the self branded water heaters. It was a big mistake!

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater BFG1J5040T3NOV from Lowe’s and have had numerous problems. The biggest issue is having to replace the thermocouple three times. It works fine for about a year then I need to replace it again. This is tiresome and wasteful and Whirlpool should be ashamed. As a company that once had a high reputation, this is sad. I would not recommend buying anything from them, especially their water heaters. After repairing this one, again, I will look elsewhere for the next one.

Update: My water heaters pilot light would not stay lit. After seeing the large number of similar complaints on this site, I contacted Whirlpool and asked whether they would cover the cost of labor in addition to the parts, which were under warranty. The representative was very understanding and agreed. The thermocoupler and gas valve were replaced a few days ago. It seems to be working fine. Additionally, a representative contacted me directly in response to my Consumer Affairs complaint, not knowing I had already gotten approval for the repair. He wanted to make sure I received the help that I needed and called to follow-up after the repair. Im very pleased with the response.

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

I am experiencing problems with keeping my pilot lit too. I checked the screen and this is not the issue. I have just returned from Lowes where I purchased the water heater and they informed me Whirlpool supplied kits for this issue and it was widespread. They mentioned a class action and went on to tell me they and all surrounding Lowes stores are out of the free kit and arent expecting anymore. Am I to feel lucky my water heater water didnt fail sooner only to feel unlucky all of the free repair kits are now gone? Lowes provided me with the Whirlpool phone number for help and they have just informed me it will cost me $35.44 plus shipping. I now see how widespread this problem is. This isnt right. I am very disappointed in the handling of this known problem! What is my next course of action?

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

BFG2F4040T3NIV IS HORRIBLE. This water heater is JUNK. The release valve has released and flooded my basement 3 times in the past 2 years and the recovery time on water is terrible. Whirlpool needs to step up to the plate and refund everyone who purchased one of these. Every review on this unit is horrible. DO NOT PURCHASE a WHIRLPOOL water heater!

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

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

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

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater for one of my properties that developed an issue outside of the warranty period. My initial CS complaint is with Whirlpools IVR system, which was far less than a desirable experience. After tricking the system, a CS agent answered promptly but was not able to address my concerns. I asked to speak to a supervisor and received a return call from Chris within minutes. I found Chris to be patient and understanding of my issues. Chris promptly assisted me with my issues and offered an equitable resolution. Chris is whats right with American companies and domestic customer support.

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

We purchased a water heater at Lowes. Our old water heater had an issue but we always had good water pressure with the hot water until we made the horrendous mistake to purchase at LOWES - the worst possible place to buy a water heater. They sent the water heater and we had to look for someone to connect the WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATER (the runaway water heater). When it was installed the water pressure at my home was so bad that only one shower can be used at a time. This never happened before with the old water heater, there was no pressure at all.We called LOWES the WORST PLACE TO BUY A WATER HEATER, they did not accept any responsibility and they sent me to the Technician that Lowes has in DENVER to fix the problem. This bad company (WHIRLPOOL) sent us a crooked technician who wanted to charge us $600 dollars to repair something other than the water heater. We did not trust this person and we called another technician who told us that the water heater is not working properly. There is no one at LOWES and NO ONE at the Whirlpool customer service who can help us with this disgraceful water heater.DONT BUY WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATERS. DONT BUY AT LOWES!!! They are crooks! They do not respond for their products. They do not want to exchange the damn water heater as HOME DEPOT would. Buy everything at HOME DEPOT! Run away from Lowes! They dont stand behind their products, they send you all the work and if you have something wrong with your purchase they will not help you.

I have owned Craftmaster 30-gallon hot water heater and the only things reliable about it is trouble and aggravation. I purchased this in 2004. I have had to replace the controls, valves, wires, etc. three times in 10 years. And Im now looking at doing it a fourth time. The design of these parts are utter crap! Cheap plastic! After replacing these parts, this hot water heater works great for a few years, then invariably starts acting up. The pilot light goes out when the heater is supposed to kick on instead. Getting the pilot light lit again, is an exercise in futility! The red reset button once released, immediately extinguishes the ignition flame. Supposedly, after holding it down for 1-2 minutes allowing gas to build up, it should light the coils... and if it doesnt, youre supposed to wait 10 minutes to try relighting again. You can repeat this process for 12 hours, and if you finally do get this temperamental piece of junk to light, youre lucky. Customer Service has been useless in assistance. All they want to do is send you e-mail, and get you off the phone. Not to mention, Ive been told by many a rep that the hot water heater extinguishes itself, if water is overheated, and that it must be my fault for setting the temp too hot. Baloney... Ive been told that the underside vent must be cleaned every few months, so that air flow is accurate. Makes no difference one way or the other. And recently, Ive been told by a rep, that my 40-yr-old house likely doesnt vent exhaust out through the roof properly. This product is inferior and unpredictable. Its great when it works, and the pilot light stays lit. God forbid it ever goes out though! It is next to impossible to relight. I have spent more money on service technicians attempting to repair/replace parts, than it would have cost to simply by a new hot water heater. I miss the old days, when it was easy to light a hot water heater: Strike a match, turn the gas on, and instant hot water. No muss, no fuss. Having owned many properties w/ hot water heaters over the years, I have never encountered such repeat problems, as with this product. Its simply not reliable, and not worth the $$$. Never again, will I buy a Craftmaster Product. And I had no clue that there was a Class Action Suit filed, and a settlement involved in these faulty units. Whirlpool/Craftmaster should have notified everyone, who purchased one of their units. Now Im stuck w/ a constantly broken unit, and zero recourse. I will never buy anything Whirlpool/Craftmaster again, as a result.

My hot water tank wont stay lit. I replaced the heating element, and the thermo couple. It will light up now but it only stays on for about 10 minutes.

This has been our second Whirlpool Hot Water Tank in our home in the past 14 years. The first was installed by the builder, when it went out we purchased a larger capacity one from Lowes. It was professionally installed and now, after the extended warranty coverage period is expired, its expired as well. I would think you should be able to get more than 7 years out of not one, but two Whirlpool hot water tanks. No wonder they are no longer manufacturing hot water tanks - they sucked at it. Also, if you do have one, you have to get parts from Whirlpool and pay $30 shipping. No thanks, for the cost of parts to replace everything youre better off getting a whole new unit.

My contractor purchased a Whirlpool NU50T61-403 water heater at Lowes. After several months the gas valve stopped working. Whirlpool sent a replacement gas valve which stopped working after a month. When I complained they offered to send another replacement, which I declined. They also offered to have it repaired by 2 firms which were very poorly rated on Yelp. Whirlpool stubbornly refused any other remedy. As I needed to resolve this right away because tenants were depending on having hot water. I replaced it with another hot water heater. In summary I wasted $570 for 9 months of use.

Pulled a track home water heater out to replace with a Whirlpool 12 year smart heater. Well within 4 years with tank flush every year the water coming out of my hot water tap looks like mud. We have whole house water filters and when you drain the sink there is a layer of rust. I called and asked them what I should do and they told me to flush it with apple vinegar. Did this but a week later it was back. Called again and was told to do it three times with apple vinegar. There was nothing about this in the care manual about apple vinegar. I will never buy Whirlpool again NEVER!

I purchased a 50-gallon Whirlpool natural gas water heater (12 year warranty) from Lowes approx 2.5 years ago. Just before Thanksgiving, the pilot light started going out once a day, then twice a day. Now, I can light the pilot light in Pilot mode but as soon as I release the red button, the flame goes out. I called Whirlpool and received phone troubleshooting support resulting in a recommendation to pick up a new thermocoupler from Lowes which I did. While searching for someone to install (unfortunately Im not that handy), I ran into the thousands of complaints filed about the very same problem Im having over a number of years and right up to todays date. I called Whirlpool back and got the same song and dance. Theyd be happy to help me troubleshoot if I can get the required meters etc. to test devices, do draft tests, etc. They claimed the problems were fixed with the newer model that I have but certainly cant explain why I have exactly the same issue. What they are not willing to do is stand behind their product and get me hot water. Tried calling Lowes and got the response that I have to deal with Whirlpool. It appears that this newer BFG model is just as flawed as the older model and the warranty is pretty much worthless other than getting a few parts. I used to think that Whirlpool products were reasonably good, however, I will never purchase another.

I purchased a 12 year warranty, high end Whirlpool WATER HEATER (OR SO I THOUGHT AT THE TIME) through Lowes in 2014. Model ND50T122-403. Six years and multiple service calls later it is broken again, this time for the final time. I am ripping this garbage out. So livid with this company that could give a rip about their customers. Three years in to my 12 year warranty it started giving me problems. Horrible HORRIBLE customer service. They will insult your intelligence. Whirlpool will not honor the warranty or stand behind their product. They just take your money and basically give a shrug of the shoulders or worse blame you for THEIR TERRIBLE product failing. It may be unscrupulous and unethical but I guess saves them a pile of money which is what they seem to only be out.The Service Tech that came for the 4th time to repair it says they see this all the time in Whirlpool water heaters. Its a Design Flaw they say. I dont know about all that. I just know when I have been swindled. The electronics are garbage. The pilot light when it goes out is not easily reset as others have mentioned on this site. Will stay lit for while and then shuts down. Whirlpool says, despite reams of evidence to the contrary it must be a safety issue in the install, which they have absolutely zero evidence of therefore, they are not honoring the warranty. They are Blaming the installers, according to our service techs who tried to order the part thats supposed to be under warranty.The original installers, by the way were from Lowes, the outfit that sold me this hot mess. Another Class action lawsuit seems ripe. Or perhaps the consumer protection division from each states Attorneys General would be interested in protecting their citizens from practices like this. Lowes is complicit in allowing it, failing to protect their customers and not calling Whirlpool out for it. I cant think of a more deserving target of consumer protection than Whirlpool. A truly horrible, expensive experience. See the Whirlpool logo and RUN - - DO NOT WALK -- THE OTHER WAY!

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

After Hurricane Katrina, six years ago, the gas water heater in my house had to be replaced due to the house getting flooded. For the past six years, the pilot light and/or igniter for the gas water heater has had to be replaced if not once a year, twice a year because it will not stay lit. Each time, Whirlpool would send a new igniter and/or pilot light part and would reimburse me the cost of labor to have the part(s) replaced.Now, after six years and exhausted of fighting with Whirlpool to stand behind their product and make it right, they are finally giving me an authorization to get a new gas water heater. However, now they are telling me they will not cover the cost of labor for replacing the entire water heater. My plumber will have to pull the defective water heater out of my house, take it to Lowes, pick up the new water heater and install it in my home. And Im supposed to accept their not paying for the labor of replacing their faulty water heater? I questioned this and told Whirlpool they paid for labor for the parts to be replaced for the past six years. Whirlpool then said they would pay up to $100. This is not acceptable. I was reimbursed more than $100 for the labor to replace a part that fits in a shoe box. (Multiply $100+ times 6. They paid more than $600 over the past six years.) The cost to replace an entire water heater, picking it up from the store included, will cost more than $200, if not $300! I would not have to pay anything if the Whirlpool product was not defective!I told the manager I was speaking with at Whirlpool I wanted to speak with his boss or someone who had more authority than he did. He refused. I asked him, Was he telling me no I could not speak with someone above him? He finally said he would have someone call me.I believe I should be reimbursed for the entire amount of labor to replace the water heater since the water heater is a defective product and I have to have it replaced not by my choice but out of necessity and safety. If it is defective in one area, who is to say in trying to light the pilot light, one day it will not do something worse than just not light up. What if it decides to explode? Defective is defective and I feel my family is in danger from a defective product and it should be replaced at the cost of Whirlpool not mine.

Just like a lot of other people, I bought a Whirlpool hot water tank because of the good name. And just like the other people, my tanks pilot light will not stay on, it will be on for a few days and then you get up and no hot water.

I just bought this water heater on 2/12/12 and it has already started having problems. I got a self diagnosis of the gas valve needing to be replaced. I think that if this becomes an ongoing problem, whether I have a warranty or not, I’m going to trash it and go with another brand. I shouldn’t have to pay to have the gas valve replaced.

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

My gas hot water heater failed. The pilot went out and could not be relit. The Whirlpool water heater has a 12 year warranty and we are in year 5. Sears said they could not send anyone to repair it because there was no service in our area. We live 30 minutes from Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. They offered to replace it even though I had a plumber on standby, ready to replace it. They said they could not let me do that if they had one in stock. After waiting a week for the delivery, they called at 4:45 pm to claim that the delivery truck would not start. They would not put it on another truck or help in any way. Then they said it would be another week before they could deliver it. All this time we are going without hot water, trying to cook, clean, take baths, do laundry etc. They had no sympathy and refused to provide compensation so I could proceed with installing a new water heater. I could have done this if I knew a check was in the mail but they refused to allow me to do this. This happened to me at another big box store years ago and they sent a check immediately. The customer support in the hot water heater dept at Sears was terrible. If they cant send someone to repair and they cant provide a replacement within a few days, it is only reasonable to offer payment so that the customer and move forward with repairs. I will never buy another appliance from Sears after this nightmare. On December 4th Im supposed to get the delayed hot water heater but if the truck doesnt start, who knows how long I will have to wait. I am reasonable and flexible but lack of hot water is something a customer should not have to wait two weeks to get resolved.

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

Whirlpool Water Heater bought May 2011: Water heater not heating. I called Whirlpool and they stated the equipment is under warranty but not the labor; $137.50 for 1st hour of service. Troubleshooting is a joke. It just doesnt heat. Waiting on the 3 plumbers to call me back. They are busy. Water heater went out Sat morning and Whirlpool doesnt open until Monday. Its Monday at 5pm and Im still waiting on a call back.

On May 15, 2017, I purchased a new Whirlpool Water Heater, unknowingly made by American Water Heater Co., from Lowes (receipt attached). Model Number ES40R10-55 with a 10 year warranty. The water heater was installed using the directions in the owners manual. Upon turning on the current to the water heater after it was filled with water and all air removed from the plumbing, the module gave a code stating the top element was not working. Called the Technician Assistance Hotline and they gave me a RA number to get a new top element from Lowes. Got that on May 16 and had to call the plumber that is contracted by American Water Heater Co. to come to the house and inspect the heater to make sure it was installed correctly.The water heater worked once the new element was installed. On Oct. 3, 2017, had more issues with the module stating the top element was not working. Called the Tech. Assistance Hotline and they gave me another RA number to get another top element. On Oct. 4, got the top element and installed it. The water heater started working again. On Oct. 6, the module stated the bottom element was not working. Called the Tech. Assistant Hotline and had the plumber come out. He determined that he could not find out why it was doing this and also said that both elements were good along with the element that I removed on Oct. 4, which I still had. Since then, the module has been giving codes stating that both elements are bad and I have not had any hot water since Oct. 7. American Water Heater Co., Whirlpool, and Lowes all refuse to give me a refund for this piece of junk! All blame the other for the problems and none will take any responsibility for the water heater not working. I will never buy another appliance with the Whirlpool name and definitely will not buy anything made by American Water Heater Co. I also will never buy another appliance from Lowes as they are not willing to help me in this matter. If you do not want to experience the headache and frustration of owning a new appliance that does not work, I would suggest that you do the same!!!

I have a Whirlpool gas water heater that failed after only three years of operation. My previous water heater in the same spot lasted 18 years. The problem is a defective thermo coupler design that burns out if a filter you cant access isnt cleaned every three months.

A whirlpool water heater model FG1F5040T3 purchased from Lowes five years ago developed problems, which could not be fixed. My problems started two weeks ago when the pilot light would not stay lit eight hours at a time and then nothing. Having a service plan through our utilities, they were notified not once but as it stands now, 6 times. Six techs have been out to my house and replaced the thermocouple twice and a complete gas control valve. The pilot still will not stay lit. Supervisor contacted Whirlpool on Thursday. Now its Saturday and no word from Whirlpool and no hot water. Try to get assistance from Whirlpool after work hours and it is impossible. This tells me that they do not care about their customer or the product that they make. Do not buy Whirlpool products!

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

Late on the evening of Monday, January 27, 2014, after springing a leak in my 8-year-old water heater, I purchased a new Whirlpool model N50T61 replacement from Lowes. Installation went smoothly and the unit lit off fine the first time. It heated the initial tank of water rather quickly, but the next morning, I noticed the status light on the control unit was not blinking, which indicated the pilot light had gone out. I relit the pilot light, the water heater fired off and appeared to be working properly. 12 hours later, the status light was out again. I relit the pilot, but within 20 minutes, it went out again.On Wednesday, the 29th, I called Whirlpool customer service and explained to the representative what had been happening. He stated that since the status light was not blinking a code, the problem was either an air supply or venting problem, and he couldnt help me. I relit the water heater again and performed the match smoke test described in the owners manual on the vent connection. It did exactly what the manual said it should do, so I assumed that was not the problem. However, while performing this test, the water heater went out again. This time, being right there when it shut off, I saw the status light blink twice about 5 or 6 times before it quit blinking all together. The two blink error code indicated low millivolt signal from thermopile.I called customer service again and explained to the representative what the first person had told me and also told him the results of my test and that this time, I had observed the two blink error code. He asked if I had a multimeter (which I do), so he had me disconnect the wires for the thermopile, connect the meter to the wires, light the pilot and read the voltage. My meter is an old analog unit, and not capable of reading millivolts (which is what the thermopile output is), and I informed the rep of this, but he had me do it anyway. As I suspected, I saw absolutely no reading on the meter. The service rep stated that he believed the error code and decided to send me a new thermopile assembly. However, their shipping department was closed for the day and I should not expect to see the new part until Friday. This was unacceptable, but he stated that this was the only option available to me.After thinking about this situation for a while, I again called Whirlpool customer service and told the representative that I was not satisfied with the solution previously presented to me and that I wanted a return authorization to take the water heater back to Lowes for replacement. The rep stated he couldnt do that, but said that there were a couple other things I could try. He attempted to explain these procedures to me, but wasnt able to do so clearly. He stated he would email the instructions to me. As of this writing, I still have not received the instructions.In the meantime, I did some internet research and found that Whirlpool water heaters have numerous chronic problems, including the issues I was experiencing. I decided this was not a product I cared to own. I called the Lowes store where I purchased the water heater and spoke with the manager. I explained the entire sequence of events to him, and he told me to bring the water heater back for a full refund. Since my local Lowes store only sells the Whirlpool brand, I took the money and purchased a different brand of water heater from another home improvement store. Needless to say, it will be a cold day in hell before I ever purchase another Whirlpool product.

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

After reading endless stories regarding Whirlpool water heaters, I ended up here and read numerous complaints and every company response had the same message from Chris-- Go to whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/help. I went to the website and called the number (877) 251-1679. I spoke with the most helpful gentleman (Lenny) who helped me troubleshoot some things and even called me back to inquire regarding success and gave me other tips to check if the problem occurs again.

I had the biggest nightmare with your sorry company. On 01/05/2013, I purchased a new 50gal electric water heater from Lowes in Waco, TX. I got the unit installed and the damn thing would not heat. I followed your lame support instructions. I contacted your support tech and diagnosed everything possible. I was told I needed to have an electrician to verify that I was getting enough power. That cost me $75.00 bucks and everything checked out. He was not able to check the water heater since he was not a Whirlpool licensed tech. So I called Lowes to return the water heater. Now this is where your policy at Whirlpool suck! Lowes is not allowed to take back/exchange your crap without an RMA number. I had to get it from Whirlpool directly! I called Whirlpools customer service. They flat out refused to do so. They stated that I need to get a certified Whirlpool tech, but it was up to me to contact one! Their nearest one was from Dallas (2 hours away) and could not come out until later next week! I told the tech that its unacceptable! She even refused to get a supervisor! Plus now I blew up on this one. I had to pay the tech $75.00 up front plus the $75.00 an hour to which it would take 2 1/2 hours for repair. Meaning, I would pay more in a damn service call than the actual cost of the new water heater! Oh, but they would refund me in 60-120 days. I would first verify the work was done and if any overcharges, it would not be refunded! So I say to Whirlpool/GE, your warranty policy is a bunch of **. This includes your customer service team as well! I will never ever purchase a Whirlpool or GE product again. Samsung now has my business. May your company fold! Youre a worthless corporation that continues to rip the Americans off!

We bought a gas hot water heater from Lowes on Dec. 31, 2010. In July 2011, there was no hot water. After much yelling and headaches, Whirlpool agreed to send out a technician to look at it, since I refuse to go in the attic and I will not work on gas appliances. After 7 days with no hot water, they replaced a valve that failed, they said, because our attic was too hot. The old unit never complained. Eight months later out, the unit went again (and we had an attic fan put in). This time, Whirlpool sent out a local plumber (and I paid for the call) though we had a warranty and extended plan with Lowes?! This time I was told no problem it was too windy and it blew out the pilot. Its funny we never noticed the attic being windy even during the hurricanes. Four to 5 months later, well, you guessed it but this time my husband just re-lit it. Then the next time, 5 months later, my brother-in-law did it. That was August to September 2012. See, this morning, there is no hot water. I had to fight with Lowes since we have the 5-year extended plan. I cannot get anyone to explain why it makes sense to them that a 2 1/2 year old hot water heater has to be re-lit every 4-6 months. Then I went online. Now I know why Lowes and Whirlpool are ignoring the issue. So, anyone know a good lawyer or what are they doing to get satisfaction?

I bought a whirlpool water heater at Lowes 4 months ago, and it has stopped working. I called the customer service number and was treated so unjust. I told them that I had just had it looked at by a plumber and he said that the water heater needed to be replaced, I told the whirlpool represented if what the plumber had just advise me. So I asked them if they could just replace it, the customer service representative told me I had to call another number to have their service people look at it and that wasnt for another 10 days. At which time I asked the representative what was I to do without hot water for 10 days. She told me that they could only schedule it that way. So Im here to tell you all please please please dont ever Buy anything from whirlpool because they will not back it up! I on the other hand just lost $500 and went out and bought a Rheem water heater instead.

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

August 26th 2014 purchased a NG (NO GOOD actually natural gas) Whirlpool water heater from Lowes. Model No. N40561-403. Installed it and everything was fine until this morning August 29th 2014. The indicator light was out and so was the pilot. Tried to light it without success. Called Whirlpool and they are sending me a new controller that now needs to be installed. Called Lowes and they will not take it back. Wish I would have found this site prior to this costly fiasco. Waiting on part now and I will keep you informed as to my progress. I have a feeling this is going to be 2 days wasted and $367.00.

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

The heater was bought in March of this yr, 2013! Already, it quit working! Error message... we got the replacement part after much hassle! It was replaced and still doesnt work! Its going on day 11! I am furious! The unit needs to be replaced and I get, Well, you have to pay for labor, etc. You have got to be kidding me! It has been in my house for 3 months! I will call the media, our local guy who investigates, if this is not replaced asap! I already know I will never buy anything Whirlpool and will tell everyone on my media not to either!

Whirlpool water heater FG1F5040T3NOV - I noticed that when I was taking a shower, my hot water wasnt working. I went downstairs and the pilot light on my water heater wasnt on. I tried to restart it. The pilot light wouldnt work or relight. I gave up and contacted a plumber. I dont feel I should have to pay for a plumber when its a product flaw!

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

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

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

Talked to tech & checked the manual for testing the thermocouple on my natural gas water heater. Everything checked out fine but pilot wouldnt stay lit. Tested thermal switch.... everything. They said replace the valve/thermostat. Still no dice. Turns out the thermocouple was cracked on the inside near the burner assembly & would give passing readings on the voltmeter 9 out of 10 times. If you have any pilot problems, replace the thermocouple first. Was only 10 bucks. I keep a spare now. Dont forget to vacuum any dust from the fine mesh screen on the very bottom. Fresh air supply.

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

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

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

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

Replaced the “brain” twice. No hot water for 2-4 days each time, waiting for part to arrive. Now I have to replace the nylon drain valve because it won’t shut off. Gonna use brass replacement. Fortunately I have it drain to a sump pump so house isn’t flooding. Don’t buy Whirlpool water heater from Lowe’s unless you enjoy this kind of thing. Consolation: the folks at the help line always answer the phone and are knowledgeable. And they’ve heard these same complaints over and over. One guy even said to buy AO Smith as they are made in Tennessee instead of China.

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

I was sold a gas water heater that had my water smelly like rotten eggs in less than 6 months. I bought it in January 2016 and by June the anode rod I am told was no good. The only thing Lowes could do for me was sell me 2 anode rods, one the plumber thought was bad. I also had to hire a plumber. I was eventually told I was out of luck because the area the old anode rod was in was too damaged to come out.

People should consider themselves lucky to get 2 yrs, 1yr, 6 mos out of these pieces of junk. Mine replaced an 8 year old Bradford White that was originally installed when the house was built. Funny thing, we had the exact same BW in our last house. Same problem after exactly 8 years - tank leaked. Anyway, this Whirlpool 40 gal gas was installed by a professional plumber ($200) and ran fine for 6 days before the pilot went out the 1st time. In the next 10 days it went out 9 more times until it wouldnt stay lit at all. I would light the pilot and it would be out in 5 min or less. I watched for the error code the last time - 2 flashes which indicated thermocouple low voltage. This is totally ridiculous. After research - which I should have done before I bought - it looks like a total bad design problem with associated customer service nightmares and much additional cost to the customer. AND EVERYONE WHO MAKES AND SELLS THESE THINGS KNOWS ABOUT IT. Attempting to fix this thing - even IF labor was included - looks like throwing good money after bad. When are these companies going to be held accountable for producing cheap poorly designed products and then let the consumer foot the cost of labor and/or replacement. You can say all you want about less government but this is just a small example of what you get when you have less government. Doing further research, it looks like NO manufacturer of gas water heaters can produce a reliable product now. So now, Im installing a Bradford White ELECTRIC water heater. Thats and extra $250 for the electrical service that needs to go in. AND additional for the actual install by a plumber. At least Lowes is not giving me a hard time about getting all my money back for the Whirlpool since its less than 30 days since the purchase. I guess I should consider myself lucky it malfunctioned almost immediately. Total out of pocket on the initial Whirlpool install: $560. Total out of pocket with reinstall of BW Electric: $1000. My time spent on this mess: priceless. At least we will have hot water, even though it will cost more per month in electricity to do it. Thanks Whirlpool - stay classy.

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

Received power bill and it had doubled. Went straight to water heater. Bought water heater 02/11/2011 and 12/25/2013. The brain they call it on top of the heater has a screw that has blown through the metal plate.They do not sell this type of heater at the stores so this must be a problem with all this type heater.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater and after working fine for about 2 1/2 years, I began having problems with it staying lit. I dealt with troubleshooting beginning in January of 2012 and finally in March of 2012, I was sent some replacement parts. The unit worked fine through the summer and once the weather started getting cold in October of 2012, I began to have problems with the unit again. After a couple of months complaining and threatening to file a BBB complaint, I was sent all of the parts left to change on the water heater. And I was told after the parts were changed if the unit still did not work, that it was probably a venting issue and that I would be responsible for that issue and the unit was not defective. I received the parts on 12/04/12 and they were changed out the same day. Now the unit will light when I hold down the button to light it but once I let go, the pilot light goes out. At least before changing out the parts, the unit was able to be turned on and sometimes it would work and other times it didnt, but now it will not light at all. This is very frustrating because the unit is under warranty and Whirlpool has for an entire year fought me tooth and nail just to send me the parts for the unit, only for the unit to still not work. I have a family and it is discouraging to not know when you are going to have hot water, having to constantly fix the unit or to call Whirlpool to troubleshoot and finally for the unit to still not work after replacing the parts. It looks like I will not have any hot water at all now.

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

New water making loud pinging noises when burner shut off. Whirlpool referred plumber. Plumber stated this is normal. After few months heater would make loud humming noise when burner turned on. Called Whirlpool again. Said I had to pay for plumber to troubleshoot and if part needed I had to pay labor to replace part. Would never recommend this product to anybody.

I had an addition added to my home in 9/2007, which included a new bathroom. A whirlpool hot water tank was added. This week, I woke up to no hot water, so I called the whirlpool customer number regarding the warranty on the model FG1F4034T3NOV. T hey told me the serial number shows its out of warranty, although I may have only had it since 2007. They also said there was a screen that needed to be clean under the bottom of, it that if not clean, would make it stop working. Since homeowners where not cleaning it, they have made a replacement door part that would fix it, and do away with the problem, but I would have to pay $35 for it. I asked them, since the serial number shows that the part has not been replaced on this unit, why not just send it to me, and I pay to have it put on. The person said no, you will have to pay for it if I wanted the part to fix it . Although my builder did not give me the receipt for it, thats just not right. If a manufacturer knows they are having problems with their product, which require a part replacement, and they have produced one, they should be willing to give the part to everyone with the product that request it. On top of that, this model has the left hand threaded thermocouple, which no one around seems to carry. I am totally disappointed with Whirlpool, and right now would not consider buying, or have any more of their products installed into my home.

I bought a new Whirlpool gas hot water 40 gal tank from Lowes. I Installed it, but the pilot light would not light. So Cal Gas Co came out and said they did not like the new design, but that was how they were now making them. Gas is shot out from a pipe into the tank, however its fairly open. The pilot ignitor is similar to the one on barbarques that often do not last. You cannot get to it to light it manually. Several calls were made to Whirlpool and they sent a repair man out to fix it. You can imagine buying a new hot water heater and having it work part time. The repair man explained that the unit needed a new thermopile, but he could not put one on until whirlpool authorized it, which they would not. After a rather heated conversation with whirlpool they agreed to FedEx a part overnight. Of course the repairman could not wait for me to call and had to come back again. The pilot light still does not stay lit, and Whirlpool now wants to talk about how the tank is vented. This has nothing to do with the pilot light, nor did putting in a new 1/2 gas line and valve as per Whirlpools request. Whirlpool has a problem and they refuse to acknowledge it. However, it is Lowes that chose to buy from whirlpool and they do little if anything to stand behind their product and gain consumer confidence. My suggestion would be dont buy whirlpool, and shop at Home Depot.

Water heater failed to maintain temperature. ** heads (more than 2) sent out by Whirlpool couldnt fix it! Calling the company was a waste of time! They run you in circles. Will never waste my money on a Whirlpool product again!!!! This was not my first problem with this company, but it is my last!

I purchased a gas hot water heater from Whirlpool. I have had problems with it since it was new. Whirlpool kept sending repair parts, which I installed, until the warranty expired. Now they say “Sorry Charlie, the warranty has expired.” The water heater has never been fixed. They just dragged it along until the warranty expired. Whirlpool has no complaint department or the repair place will not give it to you. They told me there would be no use for a complaint department. They would just tell the same thing the repair was telling me.