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.

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.

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.

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

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

I have had to replace my Whirlpool 50-gallon hot water heater 2 times. First time it broke, it caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damages plus Im out a $760.00 deductible. I had the last one just over 1 month and couldnt exchange it at Lowe’s because it’s a few days over a month. So I had to get return authorization before I could return it again. I went through speaking to a hateful CSR. After calling back again, the lady, a real nice lady, helped me. I will never buy another Whirlpool product again, and if anyone is smart, they will stay away from them too. Hateful, hateful CSR. Beware.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater several years back with every bit of the Bells & Whistles that Lowes could bestow on it paid for and documented on the tank; Limited Lifetime Warranty and Lowes Professional Installation. It failed after several years with multiple problems. First, the bottom heating unit failed at the same time, noticing a leak from the top heating units external cover where a supporting screw had popped out, leaking down to the floor. Not only was the Whirlpool 800 number a scham of silence, with no estimated wait time and after approximately 20 minutes, a rep picks up as I could hear their legal department on an alternated line instructing and listening in, then dropping off when those crooks felt I had been placated enough to go onto to the next sucker. I have all Whirlpool Gold & KitchenAid Superba appliances in my kitchen and never thought I would be saying this but I will never purchase another Whirlpool Appliance or shop at Lowes again!

Whirlpool N50T61-403 - I bought this thing today 8.21.14 from Lowes. It is a Whirlpool 50-Gal water heater (6th sense) and was going to have it installed by their installer, but elected after seeing it was very similar to lining up with my old unit. I got it in and then filled it. After filling, I lit the pilot light per the instructions then turned the knob for heating it up. Success, the flame spread across the burners...then went out. The steady blink changed to the 2 blink code indicating a bad thermopile. It did not work - right out of the box. No plumber near me carries the part. Whirlpool has thus been pretty good about it offering to have someone come out at their cost... But if no one has the parts, that is no good. I am moving from this house so if we can get it to work, its the problem for the next owner. If not - Ill have to get an RMA and go back to Lowes... Then try the Rheem from Home Depot. Will see if they will overnight a part tomorrow. I found the other reviews - and I dont like it that this thing appears to have difficulty right out of the box.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater about 9 months ago. The thermocouple went out and was replaced, but about three to four months went out again. Very disgusting.

I bought it on 11-24 13. I called Whirlpool on 1-29-13 and got no response. I called 3 or 4 times and still havent heard from them. Its now 4-1-13 and still nothing. I tried many times and got the runaround from them. They owe me money for repairs to the heater. I will not ever buy from them again. Just thought you all should know about this.

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.

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.

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 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.

I bought a 38 gal. low boy electric Whirlpool water heater from Lowe’s. It was replaced because of a leak around the upper heating element after only one year. Now, the replacement heater is leaking in the same place, and it has been leaking so long that the electric terminals are rusted, water is standing in the cover plate, and the lining is soaked. I cannot see behind the plate and dont know it until the water finally made its way into the drip pan beneath the heater. When we saw the standing water, we turned off the electricity and shut off the water to it to stop a fire hazard. The warranty is up on my water heater, but my concern is that this could cause someones home to burn.

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

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

I am having problems with my Whirlpool Water Heater. The pilot light goes off often and now it wont stay lit at all. I checked the thermocouple and measured the voltage, it is 19+ mV. So according to the manual, the gas valve/thermostat must have gone bad. I called the company and they gave me a name of the contractor but asked me to pay for the labor cost. This is a 50 gallon, 12-year rated heater bought from Lows in 2008. The heaters model number is BFG1J5040T3NOV. This thing has some serious quality issues.

Over the course of the 9 years that I had this hot water heater, I had to have the smart control box on top of the water heater replaced 3 times for burning up. The wires in the smart control box literally burned up and melted together. I am thankful that I was home each time it occurred, because if I had been at work when it burned up and not able to shut off breaker to it, as I did every time this happened, my home may have burned down because of it. I did just get Whirlpool to replace this hot water heater with a brand new one. However I have now paid installation costs twice. Thats not right. I had to pay a plumbing company $725.00 today to just install this new one. I bought the highest priced hot water heater that was also considered top of the line 9 years ago. I did this because Whirlpool is a reputable company and it came with a lifetime warranty. This doesnt make me happy and satisfied though when I have had to pay to have it installed twice. The installation costs more than the price of the brand new hot water heater! I also called around and did my homework first. The company that installed it was actually the lowest price of all of them.

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 purchased a Whirlpool Flame Lock gas water heater with a 12 year warranty from Lowes in November 2011. It lasted almost 6 years. Called Whirlpool Support and no one in my area is a certified repair facility. Closest one is 45 miles away, and he wont drive up to check out my water heater because Im too far away. Called someone in town. He came out, looked at it for 2 minutes, and said he never saw a water heater like this, but Sears may carry parts. Charged me $50 for service call. Sears couldnt find the model number in their parts catalogs. I dont have a manometer (What is it?) so I cant do diagnostic tests on it myself. Cant find out anything about them online except complaints from other steamed customers about this crappy product. Whirlpool Support wouldnt do anything else for me except say they were sorry I got stuck with a bad product of theirs. It was made for Whirlpool by US Craftmaster Water Heaters Co.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

I bought a Whirlpool water heater a few years back and have had nothing but headaches replacing the thermocouple every 1 to 3 months. The last one only lasted for 4 days. I did have a small flood in my basement well after the problems began. There are no visible signs of water damage to the unit, but Whirlpool has dropped my warranty completely. They sounded like they intend on not helping me anyway.

I purchased the Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater (model BFG1F4034T3NOV) in May of 2008. Within a little over a year, it stopped working. I was able to get the manufacturer to send out a repairman and install a new kit. It worked great for 2 years. Now, here I am again with the pilot light going out daily. So I went to Lowes and purchased the thermocouple, and a friend installed it. We still have to light the pilot light twice a day to have hot water for showers.

We had Lowes install a Whirlpool model Nu40T121-403 natural gas water heater early October 2012. The temp controller went out in October of 2014. I replaced the controller myself at a cost of $30 for overnight UPS from the manufacturer, American Water Heater. The controller went out again almost exactly one year later and I again replaced it for the $30 shipping charge. In both instances the customer service person told me the malfunction was probably due to my not flushing the heater annually, causing a sediment buildup. The water to the heater not only flushed annually, but is filtered through a water softener and there was absolutely no evidence of sediment in the drain water or on the part of the control that is in the tank. Now it has stopped working a third time. I called Lowes about replacing it, but they only carry Whirlpool, so wont be buying a replacement from them.

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 a 40 gallon water heater at Lowes and installed about 3 years ago. A couple of weeks ago, it got an upper sensor failure code on the gas valve. It would heat by resetting (turning valve off, waiting a minute and then lighting) but after a few minutes, it would fail again. I called the customer service and they mailed out a new upper sensor. When it came a few days later (I paid for shipping), I installed it but the same failure code. Again, the only heat I could get was by resetting the valve several times before a shower. I called customer service again, told them what I did and they said, Oh, the problem is the gas valve then. So they mailed out a new gas valve unit. It then came a few days later and I installed it according to the enclosed directions to the letter. Still got the failure code and still had to keep resetting it to get any warm water before a shower.I called customer service again, told them what I did and he said, Well, did you flush the water heater with apple cider vinegar before you installed the new gas valve? I said, No, it wasnt in the enclosed directions to do so. He said, You should have done that and it would have worked. I will send out a new gas valve. At this point, I blew up. Two weeks with no reliable hot water. I told him I want a new water heater and he refused. I asked to speak to his superior. He said no. Dont ever get a Whirlpool product. Some other crappy company builds these turds.

Whirlpool Water Heater Purchased at Lowes - Like all the others I see on here. I Purchased a Whirlpool water heater at Lowes Model# BFG1H4040T3NOV. Pilot will not stay lit; customer service tells me to replace the thermocouple which did not solve my problem. This is the second time in 2 years same problem. First time it was fixed under warranty but now since it was replaced once it is not eligible for replacement so I now must decide if I want to pay someone to figure out the problem and I must pay to repair it or what I am starting to think is that I will likely junk it and buy a quality unit and be done with the games and run around and just have hot water, which is all I really want. I will never buy another Whirlpool product in my life and will encourage everyone I know to do the same.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

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.

I posted about our problem with the Whirlpool water heater on the 20th. Chris ** of Whirlpool called me back. He totally took care of the problem and got us back working. After 3 years, our problem is resolved. I am grateful to Chris for finally resolving the problem. He was professional, courteous and knowledgeable. Thank you.

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.

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

Purchased a new Whirlpool water heater from Lowes. Two days into the reset switch kept tripping, Whirlpool wanted me to wait for someone to repair it. Lowes exchanged it for me. When I called Whirlpool service myself, Jessie was in technical support could have careless about my business and was dismissive about any issues or concerns I was having. This will be my last Whirlpool product ever.

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.

A Whirlpool hot water heater in an apartment I own would not stay lit. A plumber came to service and told me I needed a part from Whirlpool and that no one in town carried them. I called Whirlpool and after providing all information about the unit, she informed me that she would not send me the part because the serial number was not registered in my name. I explained to her that I purchased the building and did not install the water heater that a prior owner had installed it. All I wanted was a repair part. The Whirlpool rep refused to sell me a part unless I could provide a bill of sale where I purchased the tank. The part cost $41 which I was more than happy to pay for regardless of any warranty coverage. I have an obligation to provide services to my tenants. Being unable to repair the tank for a problem which appears to be commonplace for this brand, I had to replace with a new tank at a cost of $1380.00.

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

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

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.

The gas water heater that we purchased has been a headache. Pilot went out several times. When we contacted Customer service they informed us that we would have to have a new kit put on it. We ordered that and it worked a while and then we started having the same problem. Just recently we had to purchase another part and once again we have cold water. Fed up.

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.

Be very careful when you buy this heater. It will go bad within a short time, and you wont have any hot water heater. You call Lowes, they wont take it back, they will tell you to call Whirlpool who may send you a part or send someone to fix it. No hot water for many days. Again, after a short time, it will stop working and by the time you get it fixed, again no hot water for a long time. This is the pattern with this piece of garbage. So you get disgusted, rip the thing apart and take it to Lowes for a refund.. Sorry Dude, they wont take it...it is stated in their receipt or on the literature that came with the heater. Your best bet... put a bunch of dents in the heater and tell them it was damaged when you opened it... Lowes will be obligated to refund the money. With so many complaints on Consumer Affairs and other web sites, why is Lowes still selling this heater and no other brand??? Maybe Superbowl tickets or a trip to Hawaii for the buyers...who knows...but one thing for sure, since Whirlpool does not respond to these complaints, I will guarantee you that their other products will suffer in sales because, I for one, will not buy another Whirlpool product.

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

Purchased a Whirlpool hot water tank from Lowes 5/12 and have had NOTHING but problems with it since day 2. The tank I replaced was around 20 years old, never a drip, never a problem, it just finally rusted through.. Well this piece of JUNK I had installed is just that JUNK.. I have been in contact with this company many times, they ALWAYS have a new story. I replaced my old thermal expansion tank 3 months after buying this JUNK because I was told it could be that. Well that didnt fix anything and cost me $60.00, then it was pressure relief valve, ok, another $20.00, nope not that. Well back on the phone and emailing this company, now they tell me I am not vented correctly, because with all the repairs being done on this tank, my Son noticed the top plastic pieces melting. Well back on the phone I go, and of course Whirlpool tells me, its me again.. Had piles going into my chimney replaced, no help, replaced thermal expansion tank again, no help, replaced pressure relief valve, no help. So sick of cleaning up water I want to throw up. Well I now know why they say, do not return to store where you purchased it, because it is bad business to have Lowes parking lot, looking like a Whirlpool graveyard for their product. .

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

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

Hot water heater goes out. Try to relight it as instructed. Pilot light goes out as soon as I release pressure. Call tech support. After a 10min hold time, I was instructed to rest unit, wait 10 to 15 min and try again. Did not work. Called back and was told it was the thermopile. Had it shipped and replaced at $45.00. Still did not work. Was instructed to go thru the same process of lighting it, still did not work. Then I was given a ref# and was told that my PARTS was warranty and not labor. Okay now one time I was told I WILL BE CHARGED WITH A DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF $99.00 and still no hot water. Next step LAWYER.

I bought a 40 gallon Whirlpool water heater product no. 0733336 and it completely broke down after one year and three months. No pilot light even. I called the number on the unit and was informed that only the cost of replacement parts would be covered by warranty. I still have to pay someone 60.00 an hour to come out and fix it. Never again will I buy a Whirlpool product.

3-4 years ago, I had replaced my hot water heater with a Whirlpool, which was purchased at Lowes. On 10/23/11, I awoke to a flooded basement from the said water heater. When I entered the basement, I was able to verify that the water was spraying right from the casing of the unit. Who knows how long it had been spraying, but the place was a complete mess. The water was about 10 inches deep and many things were ruined. I proceeded back to Lowes and purchased another exact unit. This morning I awoke to the sound of what seemed to be water bubbling, only to enter the basement and see exactly what I saw just three weeks previously... another flooded basement from water just pouring out the side of the unit. This is an obvious defect in craftsmanship. Now I find myself with a flooded basement, no hot water, and a decision to make. Do I fight for another replacement or give up on the brand? A replacement water heater will solve my lack of hot water but for now, the question is for how long? Not to mention the cost and time spent with the clean up I did twice.

After proudly bringing home a new Whirlpool gas hot water heater NU40T61-403 day 2 no hot water. Wait 10 min and reset. This became a 3 times a week habit and now it will not relight. The repairman they sent out wanted us to rebuild our house to conform to code. Our old heater worked fine in this location. After talking to their tech, they sent us new parts overnight. Still cannot get this thing to light. All we want is hot water!!! Calls to the tech line end one way, it has to be your fault. I worked for The Gas Company!

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.

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!

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?

11 months after purchasing my Whirlpool 40 Gal Gas Water Heater N40T61-343 I woke to cold water one morning and found the LED flashing 4 times - high temperature shutdown. Unable to find any reset I called Whirlpool and after a couple questions, was sent a replacement control unit. Happily it arrived 2 days later. I was told then that it was because I had residue in the tank. I had no idea how he determined that because none of his questions even touched on that. Anyway, I had hot water.Nearly a year later now to the day and again I have no hot water. This time the pilot burns very weakly when I try to light it and then goes out. After three attempts I get 7 flashes on the LED - Gas Control Valve Failure, part of the same unit I replaced a year ago. Am calling tomorrow since its too late to go through any tech support steps over the phone that Im reading about on this site and seeing on Youtube. Honestly, I didnt replace the last heater because I had nothing better to do than replace parts on this one annually. No, I will not purchase another Whirlpool unit especially after reading all of the similar if not identical issues others are having.

I Purchased 9 year warranty, Whirlpool water heater and installed it. Started having problems in the first month. It started giving a water temp too high error code, yet water was barely warm. Called Whirlpool. They had me do a bunch of diagnostic checks. Determined it was a bad control module. Sent me a new one. I installed it. Within a week or two, same problem. Called Whirlpool. This time they sent a Tech out. Everything on water heater tested normal, nothing wrong with any part. The tech finally, found a TSB that indicated that you couldnt have any re-circulating valves or systems connected to the water heater. We had one to keep hot water at the taps. So I removed the re-circulating kit and water heater worked for a few months. Then same problems, it keeps going into error. Error code indicates water temp too high, but water is barely warm to cold. Call whirlpool several times, they send out another control module and heating elements and I replace them. All work temporarily. Finally replace control module again, and it works for several months. Then back to error codes. Not always the same code. Sometimes it is water temp too high, other times it is check one of the heating elements. We have lived with it like that for about 3 years. We get hot water by resetting the water heater several times a day. Well, about 3 months ago it started tripping the circuit breaker in the electrical panel. I called Whirlpool and explained what has been going on since I bought their piece of junk. They will not do anything unless I call and pay for a service tech to come diagnose and repair the problem. They will provide the parts for the repair. I am not a certified appliance repairman, but I do handy man repair work for a living and do appliance repairs quite regularly. I am capable of doing every test that the repairman will do, but Whirlpool insists that I pay to get their defective product repaired. Then if I have problems again in a couple of months, I will have to pay a service tech again. I have friend that had this same water heater. I replaced the control module on his once. I was telling him about my woes and he told me he got fed up with all the problems and ate the cost and got a new water heater, not a Whirlpool. I am going to call Whirlpool one more time and then I am sure I am going to do what my friend did and put the money I would spend on a service tech into a new water heater. It will not be a Whirlfool.

Product number 0733318 Terrible water heater - Check valve went after 2 years. Replacement has to be shipped from TN. $30 to next day it or else I can take cold showers for a week. Warranty does not cover shipping or installation. My opinion, buy puts on WHR. Absolutely crappy product.

I purchased the Energy Smart Gas Water Heater about a year and a half ago, intending to install right away as part of our upgrades. Just now, I was able to install this replacement to our 30-year-old water heater that was showing problems. When trying to start the unit, I kept getting the response that the lower sensor unit failed. We contacted plumbing companies. We were told they would not work on any Whirlpool models purchased from Lowe’s, because they were the worst hot water heater ever made. I called Whirlpool support. They wouldnt put me through to a tech support person until I was registered in the system. I gave up trying after many minutes of frustration.

I completely forgot that I wrote a review on our Whirlpool hot water heater model FG1H5040T3 Nov in 2010 until I received an email telling me how many people read my post. Surprise, Surprise guess what we are having problems with again. You know how nice it is to have hot water anytime you need or want it. Well, not at my house. The hot water heater worked for about a year (Im probably being nice with the time here). Heres our problem now, once the water heats up the pilot goes out. It will not stay on. Ive noticed that if its full the pilot light will not come on, so we have to run some water to be able to light it. Well I called customer service, a waste of time. The guy told me that my heaters warranty expired last year and his suggestion is to go buy another heater. REALLY! All I wanted to do was order a part for it. He did send me an article with suggestion of things to check. Sorry, we already did everything in the article, another waste of time. It seems we are not the only ones (model #) with problems with Whirlpool. Whirlpool used to make good products but its not anymore. I will NEVER buy another Whirlpool product again.

My 4-year old water heater has upper/lower sensor issues for the fourth time this year. The rep was supposed to send replacement parts to arrive today (day four with no hot water), but the wrong ones were shipped. A different rep called and offered to exchange the unit for a new one. The expense to me will be $350-$450 for the plumber to uninstall my unit, take it to Lowes and bring the new one back to install. The plumber suggested I take my $450 and just buy a new non-Whirlpool unit. He knew immediately that I had a Whirlpool hot water heater because its the most common repaired vendor. Whirlpool should be covering this expense for re-installation of their inferior product. Poor customer service. Day 4 with no hot water during the holidays with no solution in sight short of me purchasing a new hot water heater. Whirlpool finally got the right parts to me and I paid a plumber $190 to install. One week to the day later, my pilot light will not stay lit. No change in ventilation since it has been installed. I will say I have been dealing with their rep Chris on the phone who is extremely nice and I feel sorry for him. But we all have the exact same issue which is not being resolved.

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

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

I purchased a 50 Gal. Whirlpool gas water heater on Saturday, 12/31 to replace a 20-yr old unit that had failed. The unit was installed that day and it started right up but I noticed the burner had gone out about an hour later and the status light indicated FV Sensor Lockout. I tried calling Whirlpool but their customer service was closed. I tried troubleshooting myself using manuals and Internet forums without success. Everything I could find indicated that an FV Sensor failure could not be repaired and would require replacement parts. I called Lowes and was told they could not help me and I would need to talk to Whirlpool.I called Whirlpool again Sunday, 1/1, but they were closed again for the Holiday. I called two plumbers and both told me that the Whirlpool units were problematic and that if they did come out, there would be little they could do except charge me a lot of money and recommend parts to order as Whirlpool does not let them stock parts. Both plumbers also suggested that I consider buying another brand.So I went to Home Depot and purchased another brand with similar specs. I installed it that day and it fired up right away and has been running fine ever since.I talked to Whirlpool on Monday, 1/2, and they told me they would not issue an RMA for a unit that they considered usable. They also told me there was an FV Sensor reset procedure that they would have walked me through had I been able to talk to them that would have bypassed the sensor until a replacement could be installed. I told them that if they would publish this procedure in their manuals or on the Internet, I would have certainly done that. Im now fighting with both Whirlpool and Lowes to get a resolution to this problem. Im not sure about other Whirlpool products but their Water heaters seem to be very problematic.

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!!

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

I purchased the original Whirlpool water heater from Lowes in April 2008 for $372, and an installation charge of $443, grand total - $815. In February 2012 the tank leaked profusely, enough to ruin a section of hardwood floor in the room behind the garage where it was installed. Whirlpool provided me with return authorization, and Lowes provided me with a replacement water heater. So far so good. Since the original installation was done through Lowes, the replacement had to be as well, according to Whirlpool, but now they charged $500 with tax to install the replacement water heater! Grand total now is $1315. Fast forward to May, 2014 and the replacement water heater, just barely 2 years old, shuts off with a code of Bad gas control valve/thermostat. I call Whirlpool and an extremely rude 20-something staffer tells me the unit is out of warranty by one month! The replacement unit has no warranty at all - nada - only the original one does... Is this unbelievable or what?! BUT, they would be glad to send me the replacement of the defective part for $200 PLUS overnight shipping charges, and I would be responsible for all labor charges to install it. Had I opted for this my original $372 water heater would have wound up costing me in the neighborhood of $1800!! I told her in no uncertain terms what she could do with the repair part, and now I am going to go shopping for a water heater that will last me more than 2-4 years, and you can bet it wont be a Whirlpool, and it wont come from Lowes.

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

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.

I have the model FG1H5040T3NOV water heater and had found this message board. I called the number posted by Chris with American Water Heater and provided them with my serial number. They shipped me the replacement assembly next day and after about an hour, I had it installed and working again. Im not too happy with the fact that it failed, but it does appear they have their act together in getting the replacement parts distributed.Based on the discussion with the person on the phone, my only real gripe is this: the cause of the component failure was potentially caused by a dirty-flame trap that supposedly needs to be cleaned regularly. Since the trap is underneath the water heater and is in no way really accessible, relying on people to see the fine print in the manual (which hardly anyone reads) isnt sufficient. At an absolute minimum, a very clear and apparent sticker should be included on all water heaters indicating this needs to be cleaned and a clear description of how to clean it properly to prevent this sort of unnecessary headache in the future.

I replaced my hot water heater after 22 years and no problems. We got a 50 gal. gas heater from Lowe’s in 6/2008. In 1/2012, we had no pilot light and an alarm on high temp sensor. Whirlpool sent a new sensor and control valve to replace the bad unit. Here we go again, on 3/2013 - same parts same problems. We now have the cost again to have the parts installed for the second time. I have spent 1/2 the cost to have the parts put in than the cost for the heater. I will never pay for any Whirlpool product again. They are plain junk!

Our water heater pilot light has started to randomly shut off leaving us with cold water to shower in on numerous occasions. We hired a local appliance company that we are familiar with to come out and look at it. The tech thought that replacing a part would fix it. It didnt (which I will take up with them). After doing what Whirlpool asked us to do it still is not working. I called them back to warranty the tank and the rep keeps repeating it is a limited warranty so basically I have to pay the service call and labor charges to look at, repair or replace which is going to cost nearly as much as it will to just buy a new one.

I purchased a Whirlpool 12-gallon point-of-use water heater as a booster when I was going to get a tankless and when we decided that we didnt need a tankless, I tried to get an RA number through the manufacturer so that the store could give me credit, as it says directly on the water heater, Do not return to store. They said there is nothing that they will do and it cant be returned to the store. So, what am I supposed to do with this water heater now? Before I knew this was going to happen, I purchased a 50-gallon Whirlpool water heater as well. So now, I have the 50-gallon that I have had to replace the element for already and I have only had it for less than a month and a half, and the 12-gallon is just sitting in my garage. Im completely irritated with this company and do not recommend anyone to go with this company! This is the worst customer service!

19 gallon Electric Whirlpool water heater Model #e1f20us015v - Purchased this water heater from Lowes to provide hot water to small apartment with no kitchen for my son, built in my garage. Had unit professionally installed within 1 foot of bath to provide hot water for shower and sink in bath only. Hot water lasts only 5 to 6 minutes and takes approx. 2 hours to recover. My son cannot even take a normal shower! ntacted Lowes who was unable to help and told me to contact Whirlpool. Contacted Whirlpool after my model number would not even come up on their website. I asked tech what was the normal expected amount of time before hot water depleted. She did not know. I asked what was the normal recovery rate. She did not know. I asked for information on the energy rating. She said there was no information available. I asked how I could receive a refund. She said that they could only send a plumber to check unit and that nothing would be done if it was heating water. I asked to speak with a supervisor. She said none were available and said one would call me. I never received a return call. VERY DISSATISFIED with Whirlpool on this issue. It appears my only recourse is to purchase a new water heater and scrap the present one.

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

I bought 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.

I just purchased a new Whirlpool 6th Sense hot water tank #333570. This unit is a piece of garbage. Whirlpool should be ashamed at the quality of product they make. This unit came with a bent temperature and pressure relief valve, which required a piece of copper tubing to be bent awkwardly just to remedy the situation. Also, the control box is set at 12 (most other brands are 14, which is common), forcing the gas lines to be re-piped (very expensive). This unit also is extremely noisy, runs really, really hot and is not energy-efficient at all. Shame on me for not researching this product more closely. If youre buying a new hot water tank, steer clear of Whirlpool products.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater 2010 and it started having problems 2014. I called customer service. They informed me my 6 year warranty was only for parts and I had to pay for a certified repairman to come and do diagnostic tests and they will pay for parts only. I said the repairman is half the price as the hot water heater and then he has to come install it. Woman on the phone was just as ready to get off the phone as I was! Save yourself and just buy a new one NOT WHIRLPOOL!!!!!!

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 have had too many problems with the thermocouple beginning about two years after I purchased the water heater in 2003. Whirlpool keeps replacing the thermocouple, but I have to pay for the plumber to come out and repair the unit. This runs me about $180 each time. The thermocouple has burned out three times since September of this year. The plumber didnt charge me anything the second time it went out. But it went out for the 3rd time today and he recommended that I replace the unit. Of course, it is out of warranty and Whirlpool was happy to tell me that I could purchase a new thermocouple at my own expense from them. I have paid for this water heater three times over with repairs. Whirlpool knows that there is a defect with the design of the water heater. There is no way that a regular consumer can get inside the water heater to clean it. I will never purchase any Whirlpool products ever! I advise anyone reading this to follow suit.

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 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 technician that was here to repair my propane water heater called Whirlpool to get help with the problem. The pilot would not stay lit, they would not help him. I told him it was installed in a mobile home and he had to cap the gas to the heater, it was still under warranty. Later I found out there was a recall on this heater and that probably was the reason they told him that. I ordered a water heater just for mobiles and am in the process of getting it installed. I kept the old heater for now and will still pursue this issue under the warranty.

I brought a water heater from Lowes in 2011 and I had a 6 year warranty on it which will end November 2017. Well now the water heater is leaking and they wont replace it because of the location of the water heater and they saying I need to get a direct water heater. Well what is the use of having a warranty if I cant get another water heater. I will never buy another water heater from Whirlpool! I cannot afford to get a direct water heater.

Whirlpool has been an absolute nightmare from day 1. We bought a brand new 50-gallon water heater from Lowes. It did not work. We went back to Lowes and were told to contact whirlpool. We contacted Whirlpool and were told to conduct a number of test and all test passed, so they said we needed a plumber to come look at it. Remind you that this water heater is brand new and has not worked since day 1. They said the plumber would cost $130 and they would pay for parts. Why am I having to pay when my water heater has never worked. Paid the money. Had them come. They replaced a part, did not work, replaced another and it did not work, so the plumber requested a new water heater. Whirlpool refused. What is the point of paying and they are not going to fix it.Whirlpool insisted it was our ventilation even though all test proved that was not the problem. So out of pocket again to fix the ventilation and it did not work. After 2 months of no hot water with a two-year old at home we had someone we know come look at it and fixed the main pipe. Whirlpool took my money and didnt fix my problem. HORRIBLE SERVICE.

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

It looks like I have the exact same problem as everyone else. Purchased an Energy Smart Whirlpool water heater at Lowe’s. Now I need a new controller. Hope they send me the non-catching fire type of controller.I am going to predict that the company will provide a response that says something like” “Hey, we really want to help you get your hot water back! Just contact us privately so we can discuss this without everyone being able to see what we tell you to do.” So far we are just out of hot water while we went through their diagnostics. They told me that this often happens and the best way to fix it is to let the hot water run in the shower for 20 minutes, then hold down the reset button on the controller for 5 seconds, and do that every time I experience this problem. I hope mine doesnt catch fire. Fire is bad.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water gas heater with a six-year warranty. It only lasted three years. When I called for an RA#, I was told, Well, well send you a part after you get a plumber and pay for it. Meanwhile, there is water all over the cellar floor. I called again and was told the same thing. Two weeks of no hot water and no help from Whirlpool. I will never order anything Whirlpool ever again. They stink.

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