We have had a Whirlpool hot water heater for 6 years and 14 days. Note the 14 days. It has been nothing but trouble and we have called the company repeatedly for help. It finally stopped working altogether 14 days after the warranty ran out. Thank you Whirlpool for nothing! It had a filter on the bottom of the heater that constantly had to be cleaned which was next to impossible. We had to buy a special brush to try to reach it. My husband had to take it apart several times a year and clean it to keep it running. Whirlpool should have replaced it within the first year but instead offered many suggestions about cleaning and etc. so they would not have to replace. Today it is out of my house for good and I would advise anyone reading this to beware! Horrible product!!!

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.

In 2013, my husband purchased a Whirlpool Hot Water Heater model #E2F40RD045V 40 gal. from Lowes in Vancouver, WA. On 12/12/15, had to call a plumber, the hot water heater was intermittent hot/cold. He flushed it, checked all power connections and changed the elements. On 3/18/16, NO hot water. Having a 6 year warranty, I called Whirlpool. They gave all kinds of excuses and told me to try a bunch of tests. By the time I got back to call them they were closed. I called them again on Monday 3/21/16 and said nothing worked and it had popped the breaker. They said change the elements. I told them I had just changed the elements 3 months before. I told them it was faulty wiring. They said the top element must be faulty. I gave up at that point and called the plumber. He came right out the next day. I had purchased a Rheem hot water heater to install and asked him to check the Whirlpool hot water heater elements he installed before he removed it. That is when it was discovered that under the insulation around the bottom element it was all scorched from FAULTY wiring. I called Whirlpool again and told them I could send them a picture and they said dont bother and immediately gave me an RA to return the hot water heater to Lowes. I told them I had already purchased another hot water heater and it was not a Whirlpool. I am going to request a refund.

Two water heaters three yrs old that went kaput. Thankfully, they are under warranty. However, the tech that I called out said that his company doesnt work on Whirlpool because they are junky and they try to blame the tech if something doesnt work. I called to get new part, and of course now, I get to pay for labor. The lady on the phone actually suggested that I hire an electrician and replace a breaker instead of receiving parts for Whirlpool. Unbelievable. Needless to say, I echo all of the same concerns as the other posts. Im done with Whirlpool.

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!

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!

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.....

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

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

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.

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.

We purchased a 50 gallon water heater that claimed to come with a 6-year warranty on parts. Its been a little over two years that we owned the product, and we noticed rust on the bottom. We checked to make sure if water or even moisture is visible from the outside - nothing. The problem is obviously coming from the inside. Since we have warranty, we called them and got nowhere! We were told that it is just cosmetic. They refused to send out a technician to take a look at it. We even emailed them pictures (see pictures) and still nothing, no service. Their warranty is a joke. We will never by any Whirlpool product ever again. Dont believe the sticker that claims you are covered for a certain amount of time. When it comes down to it, they will not do anything for you.

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.

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

I bought a water heater in 2008 from Lowes department store. The heater would continually go out causing no hot water. The company had sent several technical repair men out to resolve this problem, and still the problem remains. The Technical Support requested that they will pay for the part and I could install it, not knowing if I am able to do such a job. The technicians who were sent to my home were not able to do the job. How do they expect me to do the job without proper experience? Whirlpool products are not reliable nor is their maintenance contract. Stay away from this company.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

We bought a whirlpool water heater about two and a half years ago and started having problems with the pilot light going out. The gas company said that these have been recalled but he was wrong its the 2005 year. Sure we will have to buy a new water heater soon.

I purchased the unit in May 2012. Right out of the box on the first day, the tank was leaking water from where pressure relief valve screws into the tank. Whirlpool replaced the part from my local Lowe’s store which I had to go get on my dime and install myself to solve the problem. Its now the 2nd week of January and the water heater is dead. I didnt even get 8 months out of this water heater that has a 12 year warranty. The electronic thermostat died, and I will be going 3 to 4 days without hot water until Whirlpool can ship me another thermostat. Nothing like taking an ice cold shower in the middle of winter. Like I said, buyers beware!

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

A couple of years ago, we had 2 natural gas hot water heaters installed. We immediately had a service call to replace the thermostat on one of them. Then recently, the other one had to be replaced because of the leaky tank. It was still in warranty, and we had to pay $425 for the old one to be removed and the new one installed. Now, this one has a bad thermostat and the A & E Factory Service is coming tomorrow to install the new thermostat. We have been inconvenienced by this for a couple of weeks as we have no hot water in the master bath. We were just lucky that we had one hot water heater working in the other part of the house. I think that Whirlpool should have paid the $425 for the installation as the original hot water heater was in warranty. Now, I hope that tomorrows visit will be covered by the warranty. Next time we need an appliance, we will not be purchasing a Whirlpool.

After 22 years, I replaced my Whirlpool, electric, 50 gallon water heater, due to age and it was still working well. Went to Lowe's and they do not carry Whirlpool any longer, so I purchased and installed an A.O. Smith water heater, electric, 50 gallon water heater, model ES12-50R55DV110. Hoping for as good a product now, as I had from my Whirlpool. Also, I installed myself.

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

My wife and I bought a Whirlpool water heater NU50T121-403, SER# 0733323 as we researched online the best efficient water heater for the money... which was actually more than we budgeted for. We purchased it from LOWES and our Plumber had to return the first heater due to a huge dent on the outside of the body once it was removed from the box. LOWES replaced it, no problem and he installed it. GREAT, HOT water for about six (6) months. Pilot light went out and has continued failing after relighting numerous times! Now we have the four (4) blinks indicating that the Honeywell gas control needs to be replaced only after 27 months of use. Whirlpool offers 12 year warranty on tank & parts, but come to find out, not this part. We were both raised on Whirlpool products and thought we based on our parents successes of various Whirlpool products, we were buying quality brand. We were soon disappointed and will never buy another Whirlpool manufactured Brand again!!

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

We had purchased an 80-gallon hot water heater less than five years ago. The tank started leaking, so the whole hot water heater had to be replaced. The previous unit we had was at least 10 years old, if not more. We are extremely displeased with the quality, and very upset with having to outlay such a large amount of money within five short years. Whirlpool has certainly not earned our trust in their workmanship.

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.

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

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

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater on 9/30/2011. It is leaking at the point of cold water entry and is spewing a brown colored watery substance, leaking on the floor.

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

I 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.

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.

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.

We purchased a brand new Whirlpool water heater from Lowe’s two years ago. The water heater is not heating properly, and I contacted customer service to inquire about their great warranty. I was very disappointed with their poor customer service, but above all, their warranty. They emailed instructions to run a test, which did not resolve my issue since I still run out of hot water halfway through my shower. Mind you, its only one person in the house for a 40-gallon Whirlpool water heater. I have replaced the heating elements and thermostat, and it is still not heating. I contacted Whirlpool customer service, and they are refusing to replace it, stating that the water heater is working. I will never buy any Whirlpool appliances again. They do not back up their products, and their customer service is worthless. My recommendation is not to buy Whirlpool products.

I purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater from Lowe’s in 2007. It lasted 2 years until a faulty weld on the tank started leaking and flooded my basement. Whirlpool did replace it. However, my second water heater did the same exact thing in a different location on the tank after 2 1/2 years. It also flooded my basement.I am now on my third Whirlpool water heater in 5 years and the one I have now has a bad thermistor. It has cost me about $225 each time the water heater has been replaced. In my opinion, these Whirlpool water heaters are junk and their quality control needs to get out of the break room and start doing their job. Never will I purchase another Whirlpool appliance.

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.

Whirlpool Hot Water Tank Thermocouple - This is the third thermocouple we have had to replace on this hot water tank in the last six years. Granted the part isnt that expensive, but the service call and replacement have cost us dearly. This is faulty tank and Whirlpool needs to recall this tank and replace them with new tanks. The price of this original tank and replacing this thermocouple three times has cost us over $800.00 total. I am not sure angry is the right word to describe our dissatisfaction with Whirlpool.

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.

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

I purchased this water heater (Model# E2F40RD045V, Serial# 1122T461615, Product# 0826354) 1 week ago (Oct. 17, 20011) and it has been installed only after 5 days (Oct 25, 2011). It has yet to heat the water more than warm. I called Lowes (Oct. 21, 2011) and tried to return it only to be told that I would have to get an authorization number from Whirlpool. I called and Whirlpool wanted me to trouble shoot the problem. I had to have an OHM meter and amp meter to do so, which means that I needed to have an electrician present to do these test because I dont own any of these things. I was then told that they could send someone to my house, but I may end up paying for this. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that she would tell me the same thing. The call ended when I told them that I guess I would have to do the best I could because I was not getting any help from them. Out of desperation, I went back to Lowes and got a new heating element to try to fix this problem myself. I installed it and it still did not work. I called back the next day and still did not get any help, I was only told that I needed to have these meters on hand to trouble shoot the problem. Why is it that I have to do this? The lady did not seem to care that I did not have any way to handle this problem. I felt that this problem was my burden and not Whirlpools for putting out a defective product. I have in my home about 5 new Whirlpool major appliances and have been a loyal customer for many years but after this incident, never again. I will also be advising my friends how Whirlpool has treated me. I am very disappointed with your customer service or should I say lack of customer service. I was told that had I said that the water heater was leaking, I would have been given an authorization number immediately! I still do not have any hot water as I sit here typing this complaint. I am sure that Whirlpool is really concerned as you have my phone number and address and your representatives are aware that I am very upset but still no one has even tried to help me other than telling me that I have to trouble shoot the problem. As far as your rating go with me you get an F!

We moved into our house about 5 years ago. We didnt know how old the heater was so 2 years after moving in, we replaced it with a Whirlpool Electric Water Heater. (2009) Last August, (2 1/2 years after installation) we found our carpet soaked in the room adjacent to the water heater and discovered it had been leaking into my finished basement for who knows how long. We contacted Whirlpool and they said they would replace the heater but I had to pay for the install because it was over a year. Mind you I had just paid 300 bucks 2 1/2 years before to put that one in. So I paid another 300 bucks to have a plumber come out and install this one. I had extensive damage to my basement, rug, walls with mildew and possible mold from the water. I went through my homeowners insurance and had almost $5000.00 worth of damage.So about a week ago my husband calls me downstairs and guess what, my brand new rug that I had replaced 11 months ago due to a leaking Whirlpool Water Heater was soaked again. This heater, 11 months old, leaked yet again!!! Needless to say Im beside myself, especially when I call Whirlpool and they will replace it, again, but who the hell wants to have damage to their finished basement every year??? When I called and asked them to pay for the damage this time because I cant possibly put another claim in with my insurance in less than a year for the same thing, they just say that they will have the labor charges dismissed as a courtesy. As a courtesy??? I said its been less than a year so they owe me the labor charges; she said no that it goes by the original warranty from 2009. What??? Thats utterly ridiculous and how is it possible that they can get away with this. That has to be against some state statue or law, to use the previous warranty on a defective product. So now Im left with about $2000.00 worth of damages this time to my brand new refinished basement all at the hands of Whirlpool. I had to get another one of their heaters because they wouldnt even give me the money for the heater so I could buy a different kind. I will NEVER buy a Whirlpool product again and Id advise to anyone who will listen to spend a little extra to avoid this hassle!

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.

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.

I bought 40 gallon gas water heater in June 2004 and had to have it worked on twice, costing more than I paid for it. I am replacing it now because pilot light will not stay on, and it is currently out of warranty, and I have no faith that simple repair will hold more than 1 year stint. Customer service was attentive but product itself failed to meet expectations.

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.

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.

On Dec 18, 2015, my hot water heater located in my garage started spewing water out into my garage, driveway, and into the street. I called Lowes, whom I purchased the water heater in Jan 2011, in which it was still under warranty. I was told to call (Whirlpool) 877 817 6750, the order was placed for a gas shut out valve after going through a check system. I was then given the names of two local preferred technicians to repair water heater, whom was not available. The representative from Whirlpool (American water heater) told me I can get the plumber of my choice, authorization number was given. I had to call the (Whirlpool) (American Water Heater) back and was told the part was ordered 2 times. The first part will come on Dec 19, 2015 by UPS, and that the second part will come on Dec 21 by UPS, that a prepackaged label for return will be attached, and to tape the 2 boxes together to send back to the company--one box with the old part, and one box with the new. So, I sent the boxes to an address in Junction City, Tn. But I was not sent prepaid label, so I kept by word and spent $14. I will not be reimbursed according to American Water in which I followed their directions to a tee. So the walk away, the customer is always wrong, staff is not being trained the right way, and as a customer I am out of money and making adjustments to the way of customer service. No service. Just a waste of time, effort, and money.

After seven long years of one issue after another, about once a year replacing one part after another, draining the unit to replace parts, waking up to cold water, I finally gave up and replaced this Whirlpool water heater, model model # FD1H4040T3ENOV unit. Never to buy a Whirlpool unit again. Thanks for the memories.

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.

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

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.

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 would not buy any Honeywell electronic water heater thermostat. Has failed two times. I have to pay for a new one to be mailed and for repair. A bad product from all the reviews. Honeywell is claiming they do not service it anymore and gave me a Sears telephone number. Servicemen have said it is a crap product and fails all the time.

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

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.

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

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

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 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.

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.

I purchased and had professionals install a Whirlpool 30-gallon water heater in 2007. Since that time I have had issues with the unit not staying lite, but have been able to deal with it myself. Then in November 2011, it wouldnt work. After paying a plumber to come out and check everything, we got on the phone with Whirlpool who goes through their generic checklist, and after all that they agreed the control was no good. They sent a replacement part out at which time I had to pay to have put in. Now, March 2012, the same thing is going on with the unit. Customer service is their same polite self and have to go through their checklist, but unfortunately we were cut off. This was followed by calls and trying to get the same operator, who was supposed to call me back. It didnt happen. I then called and was hung up on. Finally, I had to work with another operator who again wanted to go through her checklist! She finally agreed the same control unit must be bad and is sending me a new one so I can pay to have it installed! They will not admit the unit is bad and replace it completely. I guess when buying Whirlpool you need to understand they dont back their products. It appears to be normal that a control unit from Whirlpool only has a life expectancy of 3 or 4 months. Last Whirlpool I ever buy!

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.

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.

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

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

I 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.

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

Bought Whirlpool 30 gal propane water heater in Feb, it lasted until May before the unit died. Paid for the extended plan warranty (NEVER do that!). Called support and they said they could send someone out in a little over a week (week with no hot water). The week goes by and on the day it was suppose to be repaired the guy calls and says his van broke down (this was a Friday, getting that early weekend). The earliest they can reschedule is in another week (over 2 weeks no hot water). Called Lowes to see if I can just return it (extended plan and all), no, you need a return code from the whirlpool customer support. Call the Whirlpool number again to ask for a return code, no, it is a repairable problem (even though no one will come repair it). Lesson learned, will never buy Whirlpool or anything over $50 from Lowes again.

I’m getting the run around with service. No one comes to our area to check our new Whirlpool hot water heater. The hot water heater has not worked right since I installed it. I need a service tech to come to my house at Whirlpool’s expense and check the damn thing and get me taken care of. Does Whirlpool want to retain a customer or not? Its that simple. My cell phone number is **.

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

I purchased a Whirlpool 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

Our Whirlpool 40-gallon electric hot water heater, purchased in 2008, has performed fine, until today when it flooded our basement and, of course, did not provide hot water. As the paperwork says, it has a 12-year warranty. What options do we have for repair or replacement, preferably replacement?I was unable to contact anyone on the 877-817-6750 number due to the bad weather. The model # is EE3J40RD045V, the serial # is 0742130246, and the product # is **.

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

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 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.

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!

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

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

In 2010 we had to purchase a new hot water heater. Went to our local Lowes store to see what they offered. We decided to buy a Whirlpool energy smart electric water heater. It was large, 50 gallon. We have a large family and didnt like running out of hot water so we thought this would be great. Worked fine until yesterday when I kept smelling an odor like something melting. Could not figure out where the smell was coming from until this morning I got in the shower and had very little hot water. Went downstairs and seen the water heater was not working. Got the user guide out to see if we could pinpoint what was wrong. It said no power to control board. I checked the breaker box and found no problems. I got a flashlight to look at the control board and discovered it had overheated and melt the top of it. Have been on phone with Whirlpool nonstop with just a recording. The heater has a lifetime warranty so Im trying to get the replacement part for it that will cost me $115 plus shipping. I am really concerned that with this overheating it did not trip the breaker. Grateful it did not start a fire and worried if we repair it will this happen again and possibly not be as fortunate. I have seen on this site of another complaint with the same problem. Shocked there hasnt been a recall issued. Be careful!

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!

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

I found this site while looking for a part number for the thermocouple. Lowes had one, but not for the FG model. I decided to call the number on here from Chris to see where I could buy the correct one with left-handed threads. I was told that they would sell me the conversion kit, but I couldnt get just the $8 thermocouple. Then $47.90 later and the conversion kit is on its way. Im not happy about it but at least I got 6 years out of my water heater before the thermocouple failed. The plus side is next time, I can get the $8 part from Lowes and not be without hot water for a week.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who took the time to write all your comments. You have helped educate me in many ways. For one thing, I had no idea that Whirlpool made such bad appliances, or at least water heaters. I pretty much grew up in a Whirlpool household. But that was a long time ago. Things change. Anyway, I too bought a Whirlpool from Lowes about four years ago. It was the top of the line 50 gallon energy saver, and it has had problems staying lit for the whole time I have owned it. Because I read your comments before contacting Whirlpool (this time), I knew exactly what to expect. And that is what I got at first--someone trying to sell me parts via shipping costs. I said no to that, and a rep called and offered to replace the unit, which is exactly what Whirlpool should have done for all of you. I am writing this out of courtesy for Whirlpool. They did the right thing for me, and I truly do appreciate that. On the other hand, Lowes wants $700 to deliver and install the new unit. I live seven miles from the store. They set my other water, the Whirlpool I purchased from them, up in my garage. It is extremely easy to get to, and it is all up to code. In other words, even though they sold me a defective product and profited from both the sale and the delivery, they now want to do it all over again by charging so much for the set up. They did not even offer to prorate the new install. Of course, I will hire and pay a certified plumber to do the job, but I am very sorry to lose Lowes. I have always enjoyed shopping there. Home Depot is just across the street, and even though I have learned not to purchase a water heater, or any major appliance there either, I will go there from now on. Losing my business might not worry Lowes a whole lot, but two years ago I bought $5,000 worth of fencing from them, and God knows how much over the years. If you and I and all the thousands of other unhappy customers would stop going there, they might feel a bit sorry for doing us all so dirty. Agreed? Thanks again, you guys.

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

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?

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