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.

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.

I have had my water heater for 5 years and the repair is going to be close to $300.00! Whirlpool offered to send me the part and if I want hot water tomorrow I can pay $30.00 for shipping! $10.00 for standard ground! My other water heater was builder grade and lasted 12 years! Go figure.

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.

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.

This product is unsafe and should be recalled. It has aluminium wires that connect the unit to the 220 Vol Power source. Aluminium and copper wire dont mix. I took a shower and was getting ready to leave for the day when I went into my garage to smell burning plastic and wires. I traced it to the hot water heater and discovered the wires in the Energy Smart were melted and burned. I checked with Two Electricians who told me that the wires in the unit can not handle the high heat and melt. If you have one get rid of it. Had I left for the day I would have lost my home, cars and pets. If anyone would like to see this unit I still have it and photos.

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.

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. .

This same problem occurred about a month later so I called Whirlpool. They sent out an entire new thermostat assembly which took me about an hour to install. The hot water heater has worked correctly ever since.

I am on my second Whirlpool hot water heater within 7 years and both had a 9-year supposed warranty. Upon replacing the pop-off valve (at my expense), I paid $98 to replace the gas valve (part was issued by Whirlpool). Still having problems with pop valve and now the pilot light wont stay lit. Upon calling the number (877 817-6750) I was finally told they would replace the heater. When I stated that I did not want another faulty Whirlpool heater and that I would take the faulty heater back to place of purchase but that I wanted a local plumber to install their own heater, I was told that I had to have a thermal expansion tank or they basically would not do anything. Why would I want a third Whirlpool product? The second one is ruining my tiled basement floor as it is. So after spending over $600 for the faulty heater, now I have to spend $700 to replace it.

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!

I bought my Whirlpool 50-gallon gas water heater from Lowe’s 10 years ago. After the first year, it was nothing but problem. The thermocouple was replaced so many times and there’s the inconvenience of not having hot water. Customer service sucks and they continue to send you to Lowe’s to pick up the part for free. I have 2 more years on the warranty and Im replacing it after its over! 3 days ago my water heater stopped working and now again I will replace the thermocouple. Dont buy Whirlpool products: they are junk!

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 bought the Whirlpool gas water heater less than 1 year ago from Home Depot. It does not work. The pilot light will not spark to ignite the gas. Customer service is never available when you call, you get a message machine. Going forward, I will never buy a Whirlpool product and I will recommend friends and family to boycott Whirlpool. The 6-year warranty is worthless. You cant rely on the warranty. You cant rely on the water heater. You cant rely on Whirlpool to stand behind their product. The water heater is junk.

Purchased on 04-26, professionally installed on 04-29 into a clean, large, well-ventilated area within the garage. Has turned itself off every day since then. Flashes code 10, screen is dirty... Pull the burner and the screen is clean. Called Whirlpool. They tell me to clean it again, so I do. This goes on for weeks... I can now pull the screen and clean it with my eyes closed. I get up a half hour early every morning to complete my water heater re-lighting procedure so my family can take a warm shower!!! Whirlpool gives me a phone number to a repair company. They tell me the repair person will have parts on the truck. I wait four days, guy comes out and says, You need a control valve.... did they send it to you? So I had to call Whirlpool back and order the valve... three more days... Very next day after repair, the thing shuts itself off again! I call Whirlpool and they try and push me off to the repair company, saying they are now responsible for the repair, but in the same sentence the tech says the heater needs a burner assembly. Okay, so you know it needs a burner assembly, but you ask me to contact the repair company to come out and fix it knowing they DO NOT have the parts on the truck? Only after I change my tone and raise my voice does she offer to send the part ahead of the repair appointment! In my opinion, Whirlpool has reached the top of a list shared by other mega companies like Bank of America and Time Warner Cable... Too bad the accolade is for the worst product and customer service. DO NOT BUY Whirlpool.

We purchased our Whirlpool Water Heater about 2 years ago. Three weeks after we bought it, it stopped working; the pilot light would not light. They sent a tech out to replace the thermostat and the thermocouple. Now, it has stopped working again. My husband and I have spent nearly 20 hours on the phone with the WP customer service girls and replaced nearly every part but the tank it self. We have not had hot water for over a week and are at wits end! My husband finally got them to authorize us to get a new water heater from Lowes after they told him there was nothing else they could do to help us. Ive read pages and pages of complaints from other people having this same problem. Why do they put you through all the torture if they know its not going to work? Its very frustrating! We are almost to a point of ripping out all the gas lines and going electric! Will the new one we picked up today have the same problems? Only time will tell!

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 purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater in August of 2008. The unit had a 12-year warranty on the tank. On January 21, 2012, I discovered that the water heater sprung a leak somewhere in the tank shell; it’s not the pressure relief valve, thermostat or anode port. The tank was never abused and operated well within its design limits. Not sure what caused it to start leaking into the catch pan and out onto my laundry room floor.I purchased the tank at Lowes and went for the longest tank warranty to reduce replacement intervals. I sent Whirlpool an email on 1/22/2012 explaining my problem and I referenced this site. The next day 1/23/2012 I receive a call from Whirlpool (Chris) asking me about my problem. I explained again and they gave me an RMA number and told me to go to Lowe’s and they would replace my hot water heater. I went straight to Lowe’s customer service and within an hour I was on my way home with a brand new hot water heater. Thank you, Chris, Whirlpool and Lowe’s. I am very happy with my outcome on this issue.

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 purchased (from Lowes) a Whirlpool water heater in 2010 unaware of the recall and problems a lot of customers were experiencing. I have changed (6) thermocouples the most recent yesterday 2-10-2014. The heater still does not work. Is there any compensation I can receive at this date. If Lowes were aware of the problems with the heaters, how can they still in honest sell these water heaters to the public.

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

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

I 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.

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.

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

In 2007 and 2008, I purchased 7 natural gas heaters: 1 for my home and 6 for rental properties. I have had nothing but problems from all of them. Two of them failed this weekend (one 40-gallon and one 50-gallon). I called the 800 number and have to pay $63.50 for parts for the 40-gallon and was given a PO number to pick up parts for the 50-gallon at Lowes. They do not have the parts. I have spent over $250,000 at Lowes since 2000. I have all Whirlpool appliances in rentals and my own home. The discussion I had at two Lowes stores today really showed me how they take care of their customers. I told both stores that I will never buy the Whirlpool brand again!

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 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 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 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.

I bought my 50 gallon gas water heater in December 2015. When kicks on it rumbling. I called warranty and they said We will send tech out but I will have pay the labor. Why do I want pay for a tech if the quality issue is the water heater. Need pay $180 for person come out say its defective. No sense to me. Then when they tell me need new water heater pay them for install. You can check my accounts I used to shop Lowes and will no longer do it because of this service.

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.

Purchased a Whirlpool water heater (model ND50T122-403) through Lowe’s in Dec 2013. Later discovered online it fraught with breakdown issues. 11 months later ours broke down. Whirlpool Customer Service first told us We dont have any authorized plumbers in your area. Went to Lowe’s the next day - they called on their hotline and we got a call back from Whirlpool that afternoon. Told us part would ship out immediately (arrived next day - no complaints there) and gave us an authorization for 2 plumbers. Both are over 35 miles away and one is out of state. Called once the part arrived... First one said hed try to get to us in the next 4-7 days; second one said We get to warranty work as fill-in work. Well put you on a list and call if were going to be in your area. While we did a bit of web research before buying this water heater, we really should have taken the model number, gone home and googled it before buying. Wish wed gone with a unit from a real plumbing supply place. They were a lot more expensive but you get what you pay for.

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.

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.

NU40T61-403 have had problems since day one. First problem was while heating up would make loud humming noise. Whirlpool sent out plumber. He adjusted plate under tank. That worked for about 2 months. Then pilot started going out. They send same plumber out again, also sent replacement part. Problem was fixed however about 2 months after that started leaking and flooding our garage. Called company again, was told that is no longer under warranty and stated we need a thermal expansion tank. I stated “why would we need this? This unit is only a little over a year old. Im not going to purchase another tank. A water heater should not overheat like this.” Long story short my husband has been burnt severely from the pressure build up as he was out in our garage walking past the tank when it decided to release pressure even though no water was being used at that time. He ended up at the ER with 2nd-3rd degree burns. I called Whirlpool again and was only told we need to install the expansion tank. Im so unhappy with this product I will never buy anything made by whirlpool again.....

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.

Whirlpool N50T91-403 purchased in Mar 12 had an error code 4. I knew the water heater had a safety installed in it when I was working on the plumbing and allowed it to drain the hot water side down to 16% of capacitance of 50 GL. After the plumbing issue was resolved, I saw the water heater had shut off (thermal protection) but the switch wasnt tripped as far as I could tell. Knowing small processors can only remember anything if they have power, I removed the Honeywell circuit board and with my multimeter probed all of the capacitors contacting them both (-) and (+) and in reverse order. Doing this forces the IC to forget its codes because they require a small amount of voltage to remember them, usually powered by a small capacitor. I reinstalled it and voila! Presto! It works again.

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.

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

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

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

I just bought a Whirlpool 50-gallon water heater from Lowes because my old one took a turn for the worse. I brought it home, installed it just as the directions said, and immediately got an FVS fault detected code as soon as I plugged it in and tried to ignite it. This is by far the worst experience I have ever had with an appliance. And wouldnt you know it whirlpool service center is closed on weekends. What an absolute piece of trash. Im draining it and taking it back ASAP. Lowes and Whirlpool just lost my business for good.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I had the junky gas water heater for two years and cant keep the thing lit. Calling Whirlpool does no good. They give you the runaround; the store cant do anything. They know they have a faulty product and keep selling it. Some companies are only out for the money. If that wasnt the case, they would discontinue the junk. They will send you replacement parts but if you know nothing about them, you have to put out more money for someone to come and fix it. I would love to send them the bill! I would not recommend this brand of anything to anyone.

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

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.

Got a Whirlpool hot water heater 5 years ago has 9 year warranty. The threads on the nipple are rusted out and it’s leaking. It has rusted out so badly that it’s leaking. They are refusing to replace it saying it’s a plumbing issue even though the nipples that they installed are what’s leaking.

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

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

I 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!

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?

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.

Ive had my Whirlpool water heater for almost 4 years now and for the last year and a half, I had to have the pilot light lit at least 5 times. I finally got so frustrated around the 3 times and called the company. They gave me instructions on how to light it and to ensure no draft was around the tank. A couple of weeks ago, it went out again and I called. This time I was told to replace the thermocouple. I did that and guess what? Still no hot water. Im a single parent with 2 kids and weve been boiling water just to bath.A service tech came out and told me I need to replace the tank altogether. I called Whirlpool service and they told me it was nothing they can do. Like many of you, I got this tank from Lowes and they will not do anything about it either. Its hurtful and stressful that doing a holiday season, I have to decide to either buy a hot water tank or give my kids a good Christmas. I know several friends and family who has had their tanks a lot longer with no problem. My problem is its a crappy Whirlpool brand with poor customer service.

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

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

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

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!

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.

Our Whirlpool water heater needs a burner assembly replaced. Second time within the warranty period of six years. Parts have to be ordered, so you will be without hot water for several days to a week. The worst part is reaching them. Between my wife and I, we have almost 4 hours invested in sitting on hold waiting for someone in three different calls. They never answer the phone. They give an option to call back. They never call back. Im so frustrated. No Whirlpool products ever again. Im sitting at my desk, hoping someone will eventually answer the Whirlpool line. I dont even have the part ordered yet after two days of no hot water. Who knows how many more hours I will need to sit here and listen to this music on hold. It is incredible in 2021 a company can remain open while offering this kind of customer experience.

Purchased at Lowes and within days of installation the water would heat up so hot that it would spit and spew out of kitchen sink (10 away) and be so hot you couldnt hold your hand under it. Returned to Lowes and they reluctantly replaced it. I should have bought a different brand but I felt confident that it was just a faulty thermostat. Second one did the same. Tested different settings and it seemed to work ok but a few days later it was scalding hot again. Tech support kept telling me that water heaters are intended to be used or they are like a kettle of water sitting on a flame. I told them they were crazy to think a small pilot light could heat 40 gallons to scalding temp.Guess what? I left the heater on the pilot setting and with 40 fresh cold gallons in it. I returned 24 hours later to find it scalding hot again. I got down and looked through the view window and I couldnt believe the size of the pilot light. It is the biggest pilot light I have ever seen. It blows like a mini blow torch! And there is no adjustment. This is a serious engineering flaw and extremely dangerous. This heater is at my father-in-laws house and he probably doesnt use 5 or 10 gallons a day but still, NO WATER HEATER SHOULD EVER HEAT WATER TO A SCALDING TEMPERATURE WITH ONLY A PILOT LIGHT!!!

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

I bought a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in 2005. In the first 12 months I replaced either 4 or 5 thermocouples and a total of between 15 and 20 from the time I bought it in 2006 and 2012. Only 1 time did the company replace one of them. When I would call them the rep would say things like, There may not be enough ventilation or Was it installed by a licensed technician? The 1 time they did take care of a problem the technician they sent out said NOTHING was wrong with the ventilation or the way it was installed. Oh yea, Customer Service told me that they did me a FAVOR (exact word) when they did that.In 2012 the hot water heater went out for good. The company would NOT do anything about it. I took it back to Lowes where I got it and they replaced it for me since the manufacturer wouldnt. The new hot water heater went out after only 3 years. I turned the hot water on and it was not getting hot so I checked the hot water heater to see what was going in. I found the pilot was burning, but the burner was not burning. I turned the water heater off and and checked everything out. When I tried to relight the water heater, guess what? It will not light. I am now being told that this heater has NO warranty, this 3 year old heater. There is MORE but I wont go into that now. Just know this has been the WORST product and the WORST company I have ever had any dealings with, PERIOD!!!

Extremely disappointed!! We purchased this water heater about 4 years ago and for the past year we have to manually turn on the burner. Its been a nightmare! We called Lowes to purchase the parts, but they do not sell the parts. There was a nine year warranty. Our last water heater lasted about 11 years. Its such a shame that this one is giving us problems just after 3 years. Im really considering just buying another one. I dont want to continue struggling with this one. Its been a bad purchase and coming to find out that Im not the only one with this problem. If its a defect Whirlpool should at least replace them for the inconvenience. They should take responsibility for selling defective products.

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.

Our Whirlpool gas hot water heater was purchased and installed (through Lowes) in April 2008. In February 2009, the thermostat failed. Because the failure happened less than a year after purchase, Whirlpool replaced the part and paid for labor.The hot water heater failed again three weeks ago, and we contacted Whirlpool. We were once again provided with another thermostat, and were charged $135.00 by a plumber to install it (even though the customer service rep stated that there were known issues with this tank model). The tank is still not working properly. We (with our tenants) have tried troubleshooting according to their instructions, to no avail. It has been three weeks now, and no resolution.The heater has a six-year warranty. Not sure what this means if the product is defective to begin with. We pay to attempt to repair it?We will not be spending any more money on labor to install parts that may or may not work and have demanded that Whirlpool replace the heater. Whirlpool has refused to pay for any labor costs and told us that we must take the heater back to Lowes. So I suppose that means we have to pay to have a 3 1/2 year old heater removed from the gas and water lines, transported to Lowes, and a new one installed. What a deal.Stay away from Whirlpool.

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

I have fought with this issue hundreds of times over the last 3 years. My old water heater work fine until it started leaking, I bought a Whirlpool 40 gal gas hot water heater from Lowes. Worked fine for the first month, then this pilot light issue started popping up intermittently. Now the damn thing doesnt want to light at all. I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER WHIRLPOOL PRODUCT THE REST OF MY LIFE, and I will tell everyone I know that WHIRLPOOL Products are not quality products. DO NOT BUY. There have been so many class action lawsuits about this product and Whirlpool keeps on selling this junk. Im so frustrated with WHIRLPOOL customer support I cant think straight. To reduce your headaches in life, do not buy Whirlpool products as they are junk and their customer support is terrible also.

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 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.

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.

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.

After reading many of the 1,500 +/- complaints about this inferior product, I guess I should consider myself lucky. Ours didnt fail until this past Saturday, March 22, 2014. We purchased this Whirlpool (American Water Heater Company) water heater FG1H4040T3NOV at Lowes, and had it professionally installed, in October 2004, and we have had no issues until this past Saturday when we woke up to no hot water. After checking for the obvious, and finding no apparent cause for the failure, I considered it a fluke and relighted the pilot. The pilot took a few attempts to light, but it lit, and the burners came on.Three days later, we woke to no hot water again. This time, we placed a service call to the company that did the initial install. The technician came out, and after his inspection he informed me that the thermocouple/burner assembly needed to be replaced. He also informed me that this is a well-known issue, and Whirlpool has been sending out free updated replacement parts. He called Whirlpool, only to be told that they are no longer offering free, updated parts. Whirlpool also cited that the water heater was out of warranty (by less than 5 months). He gave me Whirlpools number, so I could contact them myself.As I smelled a rat, I began to do some online research about this issue, and, to my chagrin, I found out that I was far from alone with this issue. As of this writing, 1,500+ consumer and professional complaints, a settled class-action lawsuit, etc., etc. I contacted Whirlpool, explained my situation to the support rep, and, he proceeded to tell me that he couldnt help me with free replacement parts, due to the warranty being expired (less than 5 months). I argued with him, stating that this is not a warranty issue, but is in-fact a design/manufacturing defect issue, that has resulted in a redesign/re-manufacture. I cited the myriad of online data and negative testimonials, and I reminded him about the settled class-action lawsuit on this very topic. He acknowledged all of the above, was unimpressed, and offered to sell me the parts.After 15 minutes of back and forth, I asked to be escalated to the next level. But, of course the supervisor was unavailable, and If Id care to leave my name and number... yeah, right. Bottom line, Im very angry! I paid good money to Lowes for Whirlpools product, with a nine-year warranty. I had it professionally installed, and we have no hot water due to poorly designed parts. And... I am being forced to purchase the redesigned parts. Its truly unsatisfying to be an American consumer these days!

Within a few months after I purchased my gas hotwater heater, I started having problems with it not wanting to stay lit. It was purchased in 2004. I see that this is an ongoing thing with Whirlpool. Every time I would call them, they would give me stupid answers on what it could be. One lady got hateful with me. I have replaced every part several times and Im having problems. About every two to three months, Im replacing thermal couple. As of right now, Ive been without hot water for eight days. I called and he told me about a trip button that is in the little white thing that has wires going to the thermal couple. I push in on it and then tried to start my heater and it worked. They have never offered to replace it or even give me a discount on a new one. No one should be having so much trouble out of your hotwater tank. This is not normal. These are defective and should be recalled. This company is ripping the consumers off and we need to stick together on this and do something about it. Im afraid to buy another heater because I can see that the new ones are still junk. What do you do?

I contacted Whirlpool on 3 separate occasions. Each time they told me to have the plumber call them so that they could determine what the problem was. Each time he was able to get the water heater going again, but it would only operate for about 3 months and then it would go out again. To date, I have incurred $245.00 in plumbers service fees. My last call to Whirlpool was on 5/14/2013. This water heater was purchased on 1/25/2010 at Lowes in Evans, GA. It went out over the weekend, but the plumber was able to relight it. When I called Whirlpool on the 14th of May, I was told since it was working now, there was nothing they could do. I am tired of dealing with this issue. They wont stand behind their product.

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 have recently installed a Whirlpool water heater and was thankfully home when I heard a pop sound and my water heater had exploded inside. The heating element also caught fire. I called customer service and was not satisfied with the response from their customer service team.

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

Purchased a gas hot water heater from Lowes in October 2015. Installed the hot water tank and two months later started smelling a faint gas smell coming from around the Honeywell box. Called Whirlpool and they thought it was the gas valve and replaced part, but had to pay $30 for overnight shipping. Had plumber install new part and did not fix the issue. Called plumber back out and he found a small pin hole size leak behind pilot light. Patched the leak and still had a gas smell coming from around the Honeywell box. Called Whirlpool back and after some back and forth was able to get hot water tank replaced, since it was only two months old and should not need any maintenance that soon. Replaced water heater with new tank and this tank has a gas smell coming from around the Honeywell box as well. We replaced all our lines and even had the fire department check out our gas lines. Could not find anything. I am still baffled as to why this tank has a gas smell coming from the Honeywell box. I cant seem to find anyone else having this issue. Whirlpool or Lowes has not been any help. Ready to unhook it and buy another brand. Anyone have this issue?

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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 bought a heater from Lowes in south lebanon ohio in feb. 2013. Gas valve is bad. Whirlpool will not replace it because it was put in a utility room with a toilet in. What a bunch of crap. Their service dept. is joke.

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

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.

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.

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.