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.

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.

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

The damper switch at the top of my water heater, one I purchased at Lowes stopped working. I talked to someone at the local store, and I was told I had to contain the manufacturer. I called the number on the front of my unit. The tech talked my husband through the restart process...not once, but on two separate occasions. We were told that because it was intermittent, something they decided Over the Phone, they could do nothing. They would neither send a replacement part nor a technician. By the time we had to call back two days later, restart was impossible. JUST to get the part, a specialty piece, we now have to pay for expedited shipping! And either install ourselves, or wait 5 days After Arrival (!!), to get the stupid thing fixed! If they had sent the part out originally when we asked, we wouldnt have to wait for hot water or pay anything for a warrantied piece! Its a racket. Stay away!!!

My 3 year old water heater failed and the service line would send us the part but the install was my responsibility. Shipping was free but would take 3-5 BUSINESS days. Whole has a week to wait with no hot water, $35 for expedited shipping (which took 2 days), $175 for the plumber (authorized by Lowes (1star also) for installs). 2 days later the unit is cold again... Plumber comes back, plays with wiring and gets it fired up again. Says if there is a problem again to refer the techs to the plumbers office for new tank. Well now Whirlpool says they will only take the word of their own plumber AUTHORIZED HEATING 24 hours wait for a service call. You will be the 1st job Wednesday morning. Wednesday 930 call from AH we are backed up. Hope to be there between 1 and 4 pm. How did you get backed up if I was 1st job? Never again will I buy Whirlpool and nothing from Lowes as well. Still no hot water day 3 second time in 2 months.

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.

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.

First of all, Whirlpool is fully aware of the problems with water heaters and intentionally places requirements on the consumer until they give up. This info from a distributor. I bought 30 gal. gas water heater 7 months ago. Six days ago the pilot light went out. Went to Lowes (purchased there) and bought a replacement. Wrong one. Returned to store and was told they dont stock repair parts, call factory. Monday called warranty number. They offers to send thermopile, it would arrive in 5 days. I paid $30 for overnight. Plumber installed new part. Still doesnt work. Whirlpool says have the plumber call them theyll walk him through troubleshooting. I ask, Whos paying the plumber? They reply, You are. Plumber calls Whirlpool. They tell him to clean the screen. He does. They tell him to disassemble the burner. I stop plumber. I ask Whirlpool, What if its not the burner? They reply, Then well troubleshoot something else. Meanwhile Im 5 days without hot water. I go to Lowes where heater was purchased. The manager thought it funny Im another victim. I ask, Why doesnt Lowes stock heater parts? He says because Whirlpool doesnt let them carry parts. Im beat. I surrender. Parts from Whirlpool would take another 5 days and theres no assurance itll work. Lowes refuses to assist.I go to Sutherlands and buy a $450 Rheem on recommendation from plumber. Manager from Sutherlands hears my sad story and writes on receipt: Any warranty failure and Sutherlands will replace water heater free. He signs his name on receipt. I pay plumber to swap out heaters. Anybody want a 7 month old Whirlpool water heater. Like new. Cheap! By the way... I originally went to a major appliance parts store asking for a thermocouple for a Whirlpool. The three guys at the counter started laughing Hey we got another one looking for Whirlpool parts. They didnt have them either. Lesson learned.

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.

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.

Gas control not working. I have replaced the thermostat twice in three years. Now, the hot water tank pilot will not light. The igniter works; a new thermostat has been properly installed, and the pilot will not light. The gas is on, and the tank has functioned. I just want a new gas control.

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!

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.

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

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 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.

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

I 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 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.

Having a Whirlpool gas water heater for less than 2 years and having a 6 year warranty one would think you are safe to believe this large company will treat you as well as you treated them when buying their product. Think again. No one is allowed or has the authority to issue credit for failed parts, you cant return the product to place of purchase, you are hung out to dry. Whirlpool, I will never buy nor recommend any product you create or sell. I will make it a point to anyone having a conversation about your products just how youre untrained, read by the manual uninformed technicians really are. I will explain just how over inflated your prices are for such cheap engineered to fail products are. Have a nice day.

I have a whirlpool water heater. This is the third or 4th time that the upper sensor failure code has come on. Our water heater turns off all the time and we have to fire it back up. In the past few months, it has started pouring water out from the long tube on the side of it anytime we turn it on for more then 10 minutes. The last time we called a plumber, I was trying to get a quote on a tankless water heater. Ive been so fed up with ours and I thought that would be a better route to go. The plumber explained the negative sides to a tankless water heater and explained that our water heater was a really nice, really expensive and fairly newer model. I told him that I had just gotten it about four years ago. He said he could just fix that one. So after looking at it, he acted as if he didnt know what an upper sensor was and told me it was under warranty and that I should call for the parts. Every time we have called for the parts, they send the same box thing on the front of the heater and every time, it doesnt fix it for long before it says the same thing. And now, like I said, the water heater has now added the problem of pouring water out of it. I need help. I dont know what to do. Im tired of not knowing if Ill have hot water or if the water heater is going to pour out water. Im pregnant and worried that if we cant get this fixed Ill continue to have this problem along with having a baby to take care of. Please help.

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.

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

We purchased a new Whirlpool water heater April 2013 at Lowes and every 3-4 months the pilot would go out. My husband would simply re-light the heater, I guess he didnt think it was a big deal. However, in September 2014 the water heaters pilot went out and would not re-light, so I contacted Whirlpool about the warranty. It took 4 telephone calls (two of which involved a plumber, per Whirlpools request), and several days of cold showers for an authorization code to purchase a $8 part (thermo coupler). The hassles that Whirlpool put me through, no one should have to endure. Who ever heard of a technician telling you that they have to talk to the plumber, when you call them to explain a problem with your water heater, such as, the pilot will not stay lit and the plumber said it is the coupler (I couldnt remember the whole name of the part, but surely they should have understood what was wrong). Secondly, providing a plumber (unless youre married to one) to converse with them involves more money. Now I have a plumber at my house so I call Whirlpool and this technician insists that the plumber perform a test on thermo coupler to make sure that it was faulty before she gave the authorization for a new one. Yet again, when I called to Whirlpool with the plumber, while I was voicing my problems in resolving the issue of my water heater with this technician, and she just hung-up on me. So as not to be defeated and having already invested in the expense of the plumber, I called Whirlpool again and requested a manager. The technician asked if she could help and I informed her of my previous encounters. She apologized and took my information to have a manager to call me later; however, she did give me the authorization code for the thermo coupler without delay. When I went to purchase the part, I didnt have the old part (as trade; the plumber hadnt removed it), so I paid for it out-of pocket, to return the old part later.

N40T61-343 Whirlpool Hot Water Tank - Purchased this hot water tank and had problems keeping lighted. This hot water tank has never worked correctly, every week the burner needs removed and cleaned or the flame burns under burner. The wires burn up and you need to buy a new burner. I have bought two new burners and am fed up trying to have hot water with this Whirlpool unit. The gas company has been here three times, they blame a poor design.

I call them. Lowe's gave me #. Spoke to man there at CS. He took care of me. I was a Lowe's within 30 mins. Gave them PO. Home within 45 mins. Whirlpool you the best in Johnson city TN. You're just like Lowe's. I pay for Whirlpool because you make it. Thanks for all you do. The best. #1.

I purchased a water heater in 2011 and have had the thermostat replaced at least 5 times! Now, not only does the heater not heat the water, but it has rusted through and ruined my floors! They say they will replace the thermostat (oh yeah, yet another one!) but what about the crappy thing in the closet. I will NEVER buy anything that says Whirlpool on it. They dont stand behind their product and have made no efforts to correct the issue. There has to be a lemon law clause that would be applicable in here somewhere.

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!

We purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater at Lowes - model no. FG15040T3NOV, serial no. 0434120861, product no. 0730267 & weve still been having issues keeping the pilot light lit. We purchased the bottom unit piece that Whirlpool said would fix the problem but weve still been having problems with the pilot light going out. The water heater isnt under warranty anymore, so last night was the last straw & we finally decided to get another water heater that wasnt a Whirlpool. Ive done a research on the internet and found out that a lot of consumers are still having this problem to this day.

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

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.

After the pilot light on my water heater would no longer stay lit, I contacted the Whirlpool technical support number listed on the unit only to be told my unit was still under warranty, but I would be responsible to pay a $65 diagnostic fee and any labor associated with a repair. The technician came and said my ventilation system was the problem and didnt even touch the unit. He then sent a report to Whirlpool that the unit was flooded which voided my warranty. He did not submit photos to substantiate his water damage claim and now Im being told the unit is unsafe and must be replaced at my expense. This all sounds like collusion to not honor the warranty! I will never purchase a Whirlpool product again!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 received two bad Whirlpool Water Heaters from Lowes. In the course of a few years, I have received two defective heaters (new). One was even a replacement for one several years old that had failed. Lowes insists that you call an 800 number where someone that speaks poor English tells you that you have done something wrong. I am returning the water heater to Lowes, and purchase a water heater elsewhere. This is a perfect example of how sometimes something that is initially cheaper is not the better value.

My 50 Gallon water heater is still under warranty, model #051718153. The water heater shuts down after a few minutes. Theres a sound of a leak inside the tank. They would not replace the tank; theyd only replace parts. We have already replaced the outer control box and the double burner, and theres nothing else to replace except the tank, which they refuse to do so. If I had called them and said theres water coming out from the heater, theyd have agreed to send me a new tank, but honesty doesnt work.

We purchased a Whirlpool Energy Smart Electric Hot Water Heater with a 12-year warranty from Lowes on August 30, 2010. The water heater stopped working and the green light was flashing three times. We contacted Whirlpool since it was less than two years old and they were very rude to us. They told us it was the sensors and we would have to change them out. We waited while they sent the sensors to us. We installed them and it still would not work. It continued to flash three times just as before. We contacted Lowes where we purchased it and they were extremely apologetic and said they would be glad to replace it if we could get an RA number from Whirlpool, but that many others have been having a hard time dealing with Whirlpool. We contacted the rude people at Whirlpool again. They said they were not surprised that the sensors did not fix it. We asked for an RA number so we could get a replacement (after all, it did have a 12-year warranty). Now we were days later with still no hot water. Now this rude technician said it was probably the control board. I asked him if we were going to have to be without hot water until we changed every part on the unit. At this point, we just took the hot water heater out, put it on the curb, and went and purchased a different brand. Whirlpool has lost us as customers for life. If their other products are as horrible as that hot water heater, I wouldnt take any if they paid me to. They were by far the rudest and most hateful people we have ever dealt with and life is too short to be treated that way. I predict they will be out of business in no time with the garbage they are putting out.

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.

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 had to turn the gas off my water heater and when I tried to turn it back on, it refused. I called the number on the heater and somebody answered. The guy told me to take the pilot gas hose off to make sure there was gas in the line. I did this but after spending 1/2 hour putting the pipe back in, the pilot light did not go on. I called them back and they told me to push a white switch and hold it down for 10 seconds and retry. That didnt work either so they told me to call a repair man and gave me the phone number of a local plumber. Trying not to give up, I removed the pilot light pipe off and tried blowing and sucking on it. I couldnt get air through the pipe so I figure that somehow it was clogged. I tried taking the whole assembly off (there are 2 screws to remove) but couldnt get that out. I called Whirlpool again and asked for a manual to be sent over the internet but I couldnt open that either. The water heater is only 3 years old and already Ill be paying to repair it.

I purchased my water heater from Lowes about 11 months ago. The heater worked just fine for about 3-4 months then a popping noise started like a drum. I called Whirlpool and got this song and dance story with several email telling what is needed to do. Whirlpool said it was a water knock and I needed to install some devices on my water line or a tanks which cost a few hundred dollars. I called the plumber and he replace the main control valve. Same problem again so I called several other times and a plumber came and said it was my water pressure in which his gauge was incorrect. I went Lowe’s to complain and they said they would check into the situation and call me. It’s been several days and no results. Still the same problem. The Heater is a piece of trash and would not suggest anyone purchase one. It a total piece of trash and will replace with a premier heater very soon. Requesting Lowe’s replace or will take to Small Claims Court along with reviews pointed here. By the way, they want $450 to install the items on my water line - almost half the price I paid for the heater.

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.

I have a model FG1F4034T3NOV water heater that was a problem since day one. The pilot will not stay lit, and apparently, there was some sort of class action lawsuit due to a defective part that I missed out on because I didnt know about it. The telephone representative is quick to point out that it is out of warranty due to the date of manufacture and that it needs about $200 in parts because I cant find the receipt from 4 years ago, when I bought it from Lowes. The company flat out refused to do a courtesy replacement for parts or discount them.

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

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 contacted Whirlpool in regard to one of their water heaters we purchased from Lowes. It came with a 5-year warranty. At the end of 3 years, the lower element went out. Our plumber took the part back to Lowes, where he stated they normally just do a part replacement with them. On ours, he was told the owner would have to contact the manufacturer. I contacted them and supplied them with the plumbers bill and copies of the front and back of our canceled check, along with all my contact info. Their website states theyll get back with you within two days. I contacted them on March 13, 2013. Today is April 7, 2013 and they havent emailed, called or snail mailed me. After reading these consumer reports, the air has been let out of my balloon. No more Whirlpool products for me! Integrity in our country used to be extremely high. Today it is extremely low as demonstrated by the complaints on this website and now mine. Hey Whirlpool, you suck!

DO NOT purchase a WHIRLPOOL hot water heater!! The gas valve temperature sensors on these units are faulty. Our technician has replaced several of these defective sensors. Costs $250.00 to install - water tank is only a year old! WHIRLPOOL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM!! We bought this particular unit because of the reputable name brand. They dont live up to expectations. Dont waste your money on a Whirlpool - youll be replacing it soon! Very disappointed in this company!

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 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.

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.

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

My family has been without hot water for two weeks. We have the same water heater, we have been to Lowes where we were told the recalled parts were no longer available, unless we wanted to drive 3 1/2 hours to Arkansas to get it. Whirlpool wants to give me a free part for $36.00 worth of shipping and handling! All the local suppliers say I have to go through Lowes, or the manufacturer. I dont want to give whirlpool another dime. This has been a fiasco. How much more can a company disrespect their customer, than to make us pay for a faulty product replacement? It is unacceptable. This is ridiculous. It is December, and I have a family of 7, including a child in a wheelchair.

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

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 have 2 rent houses. I purchased 2 Whirlpool gas water heaters with a 6 year warranty, from Lowes in 2010 and 2011. The warranty just expired on 1 and almost expired on the other. I read the reviews and decided I would not spend my time to get a part, I did not want to put any more money into a bad product. Both water heaters leaked at the Honeywell gas control valve without any warning and flooded both properties. I replaced these with Rheem gas water heaters from Home Depot.

Whirlpool 500galaxy gas water heater - First week ran great. Now Im lighting every day. Called Whirlpool and just getting run around. Had it a month today, still lighting every day. Cant afford to buy another.

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.

I can not find parts for 50-gallon Whirlpool hot water heater. The left hand thread thermocouple quit functioning so I have no hot water. I have called every plumbing concern in a 50-mile radius and everyone said that it was some kind of class action suit because you can not replace the part of the thermocouple and that they only make right-hand thread couple now.

Pilot light will not lit. I called Whirlpool. They said they could ship me a replacement for $34 or I could go to Lowes and get one for free. Lowes said they were out of type C kits and they have not received replacement kits for 6 months. Lowes informed me about the recall for this part. If its a defective part, Whirlpool should be sending this to me for free. I will not be buying a Whirlpool water heater next time.

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

I recently purchased a new Whirlpool propane water heater. Dependable name, dependable product, years of trusted service, right?! We have bought many Whirlpool products over the years but never again. Got it home and installed it. It sounded like a plane taking off, and that was in the garage. Next came the lack of hot water. Mind you, we replaced a 40-gallon tank with a 40-gallon tank and the last one we had lasted 18 years without a problem.Well, same showers as usual, and we were turning up the heat mid-shower and again and again during the shower. Even turning up the heat on the water heater didnt relieve the problem. We are not happy with the product. And, no, there is nothing mechanically wrong with it; its just sub-par. Our water heater from 18 years ago worked more efficiently than this newer model. We called customer service, and we were told that unless there was something mechanically wrong with it, such as a defect, there was nothing we could do. There’s simply no recourse.Shame on Whirlpool for not making a quality product and standing behind it. This was a very expensive purchase - over $500.00. We thought we were buying a quality appliance. Very disappointed, and I will be returning it. I’m never buying another Whirlpool product again. I can only hope that the company we bought it from has a better customer service policy. Very frustrated and disappointed.

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!

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 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.

Purchased a whirlpool water heater 04/08/2005 and it worked for a short time. It had a 6 year warranty. I had to replace the thermocoupler assembly 1 time and it worked fine until last week. 09/02/1011, 4 months after warranty ran out, the unit started leaking severely from the top ? (Could of understood the bottom) here. After investigating further and being told to basically pound salt by the warranty number I called, I removed the top cove r(glued on by spray in insulation) and carved away the spray in insulation. All the bosses/threaded fittings for the inlet outlet and anode rod were all leaking under the insulation where it could not be seen! I know for a fact this unit was leaking long before the warranty expired! But because of the way it is built it is impossible to see it!. I strongly feel this was a manufacturing defect and there are hundreds if not thousands of these units in people houses all over the country!

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.

We purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater approximately 4-5 years ago and have had problems with the pilot staying lit. I contacted Whirlpool and their trouble shooting included doing a draft test (I am a teacher not a plumber) and removing the closet door that houses the unit. I am very frustrated by this entire ordeal and would like if they would replace the entire unit. At this point I dont want another Whirlpool product. The plumber made a service call at 12 noon and by 3:30 we had luke warm water and by 6:00 pm the water was ice cold! I will never recommend any Whirlpool products.

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 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 purchased for over a thousand dollars a whirlpool propane hot water tank. Three months later the safety heat thing that turns it off is defective yet I have to pay for shipping on this. Then again every three months. Its been a year and a half and the damn thing just blew up and almost took my house with it. I paid for a product that works not one that needs replaced yearly. But do they care? Nope. 2 weeks before someone can even look at it. I plan on reviewing until whirlpool isnt purchased by anyone again. This is a brand that was supposed to be quality, instead its just a scam!

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!

We purchased this water heater (Whirlpool 50 gallon, 9-year warranty, Regular Electric Water Heater, Model Number ES50R92-45D) in July 2015 when Lowes had a special financing offer. Doing other remodeling in the house, we didnt have it installed until the beginning of November. A local licensed plumber installed this for us and we havent had a hot shower since. We have called Whirlpool at least five times. Theyve had us replace the elements, replace the electronic thermostat AND the regular thermostat, then they even had us call a warranty plumber they use to inspect the tank and authorize what needs to be done next. When he arrived, he said he hadnt ever even SEEN this model before. Being fed-up with cold showers, I called Lowes to see if we could just take the thing back to the store, but they said that since it was after the 90 days, I would have to get an authorization number from Whirlpool. I just spent another 20 minutes on the phone with Whirlpool explaining my situation and they said that they cant authorize the return of a tank that can be repaired. I then asked if we didnt have a money back guarantee and the guy said, Unfortunately NO. He then suggested I call the plumber they had recommended to come out and look at it again. The guy was from Tampa and when he was here, he just wanted to get home since it was nearly 5 PM AND hes the one who said he had never seen this model before. What would be the point of calling him AGAIN??? When I buy a BRAND NEW product still in the box from a reputable store, I do NOT expect to have to troubleshoot and fix it. IT SHOULD WORK. Well, I have learned another valuable lesson from the school of hard knocks (and cold showers)...Always read the comments on a product before purchasing.

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.

We bought our house in December 2010 and the water heater (fg1f4034t3NOV) just started to give me fits. I had the same pilot light problems everyone else encountered. The person at the 877-251-1679 number gave me a good tip and that may have fixed the problem in the short-term. They told me theres a screen for venting on the bottom of the unit and to use a bottle brush after turning off the unit to clean the screen. I did this yesterday and the pilot light has stayed lit. I called the toll-free number and was told the water heater was out of warranty, but they could send me the part to fix the heater at half-price. I ordered it and they waived ground shipping. I hope to have the situation fixed soon. I’m very pleased with the level of service.

I had a 6 year warranty on the new Water heater and about only 4 years into it the tank began leaking. Whirlpool replaced it but of course I was responsible for Parts and labor to replace it. The replacement only lasted just over only 2 years and just outside the total of 6 years from original purchase date on the first. Whirlpool refused to discuss it since it was a few months out of warranty. If someone else has purchased this heater it would have failed at 2 years and they would have had to warranty it anyway. I will never own another Whirlpool appliance because of their substandard products and warranty. I only wish I had reviewed the reviews of others and taken their experiences into consideration and not purchased Whirlpool. I am now out for another heater and reinstallation charges again.

Some years ago I bought a whirlpool water heater from Lowes and the thermocouple went out. No big deal, so I thought. I went to Lowes, picked up a new one and tried to replace it. It wouldnt thread even though the package stated it was for my model. I went back to Lowes and they gave me another one, same problem. So I called Whirlpool, they said it was a left handed thread and they discontinued it, but they could send me a conversion kit at my cost. So at that point I was 2 wks out so I paid for the kit. I received the same thing I bought from Lowes. I was so frustrated I ripped the thing out and got a new one. That was 2 yrs ago and now I am having the same problem. I called whirlpool and they want me to pay for the replacement part. Mind you, the heater has a 6-yr warranty. I went to Lowes and they wont replace it. They sell items that they dont stand behind. I will never buy another whirlpool item and I will never shop at Lowes again.

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

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.

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

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 apparently am one of the lucky ones to have an electric water heater. My unit started giving me failure codes during the Christmas holidays. Each time it would fail, I would get a different failure code indicating the upper element, the lower element, and a sensor failure. After testing all 3 of these components, it was determined to be a controller issue. After speaking with Chris on the phone, he overnighted a new controller to me. I installed the new controller and had no more failures. Hot showers for New Years! Thank you Chris.

Recently had a Whirlpool gas water heater installed. Would smell gas every time the heater kicked on. I inspected the vent, all the new fittings, with no luck. Leaving the windows open didnt help. Finally found the problem: the factory-installed line from the gas control valve to the tank was leaking. Should have kept my old heater. It was still working flawlessly after 20 years. You would think a new heater would at least be inspected before hitting the market.

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!

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.

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 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.

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.

In 2012 we purchased a Whirlpool Nu40T61-403 water heater from Lowes that I installed due to us not being able to afford a plumber. I have since become a plumber. This morning while attempting to shower I noticed that the water was lukewarm with the shower valve turned all the way to hot. I got dressed and inspected the heater. I began to diagnose the problem. Pilot was out and Gas control valve signal light was off. Lit the pilot and it appeared to be functioning normally. My first thought was the thermopile had failed but seeing the pilot stayed lit this proved to not be the case. I was extremely relieved at that point. Turned the temperature control knob to high and the burner kicked on. At first it appeared to be functioning fine. But within about 20 seconds I began to hear detonations within the sealed combustion chamber.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes. I had trouble with it from day 1. It never worked correctly. Their service department is terrible. All they want to do is sell you extended coverage policies on it. Every time I have it fixed, its never covered, and I have to pay again. You will be sorry if you buy a Whirlpool water heater.

My water heater burner went out after just over 3 years caused the pilot to go out. I was worried that although all parts were covered for 12 years and labor for only 3 and the labor would be very expensive. When I called and told them about the problem they said the part was covered and would ship it next day air but 10 minutes later another rep called and said they would cover the labor as well and to check a nearby service company as they might have the part in stock. Long story short without having to scream and yell my problem was corrected within 8 hours and all I have to do is drop off the new burner at the service company when it arrives. I have been lucky and haven't had many warranty problems in my life but none that I have had have been resolved so painlessly. I will never buy anything but Whirlpool from this day forward. Thank you Whirlpool.

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.

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.

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 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!