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.

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

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.

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

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.

Im glad to see that Im not the only one that is dissatisfied with Whirlpools products. Three weeks ago I found my basement to be flooded and you could tell that it was from the hot water heater that was installed in 2005. The plumber changed the release valve. I thought that was it. This past Wednesday I go down the basement and find another flood. The plumber said pilot was not lit. The explanation was wind could have come down the chimney and blew out the pilot. Pilot was relighted and within 12 hours there’s cold water again. I called the plumber again and said that the thermal coupling must have gone bad. I went to Lowe’s to get a replacement and found that Whirlpool is sending a free replacement but I would have to pay shipping. All well and good, but what do I do in the meantime for hot water? If Whirlpool made a mistake, why didnt they send the replacement parts to the businesses that sell their products? I guess that would be the simple solution; instead, they expect me to pay $30.00 for shipping and be without hot water. Well, let me tell you: Im tired of this hot water heater. Whirlpool can go out of business for all I care because they dont stand behind their products. Im going to buy myself a Rheem and Im sure Ill be a lot happier. Need a new hot water heater? Don’t get a Whirlpool!

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.

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 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.

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

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.

The pilot light on our hot water heater will not stay lit. We cant find the custom made Replacement Kit at any local retail locations, including a specialty appliance repair store, Lowe’s or Home Depot. So our only option seems to be waiting for the part to come in the mail. Meanwhile, my two little girls have no hot water in their home! Not because we couldnt afford to pay the gas bill, but because of the piece of junk hot water heater that we purchased and the lousy company that stands behind it!

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

I have had a Whirlpool hot water tank now for about 7 years and all I have had out of it is trouble. It wasnt even a year old and I was putting a thermocouple in it a few months later I put another one in it. All I do is put thermocouples in it. I have saved the old ones. This heater is a piece of junk and I am the one whos paying the price for it. I just put a thermocouple in it on January 9, 2012 and I am putting another one in it on January 15, 2012. I have replaced all parts and it still does it. They are going to buy me a new one someday. I’m tired of this. This should not be happening. They are ripping people off. If the pilot light does not light, you have to replace the thermocouple in it.

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

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

I 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.

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My house was built in 2004, therefore the Whirlpool water heater was installed in June 2004. The water heater broke down (It flooded my garage) in 2007. I didnt have to pay for the water heater at Lowes (It was under Warranty), but I had to pay for the delivery and labor. Now, I had to call customer service, because the Whirlpool water heater installed in 2007 has problems too. The pilot light would not stay lit. I have to pay a certified technician $180, just to come to my house to fix this problem, when this is a recurring problem, with this Whirlpool water heater that was purchased at Lowes. (The heater has a six-year warranty. Not sure what this means if the product is defective to begin with). Im very disappointed with this product. It has too many problems, and I have to pay for a defective product. I would stay away from Whirlpool if I could.

We been having the same issues as all of the people that have consumed the water heater. We have replaced the pilot more than 3 times and other parts of this water heater! Well, we are a family of 9 and the only way we can shower is by heating up water like everyone that has the same issue.So I would never recommend this (Whirlpool) water heater to anyone!

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.

The pilot of my Whirlpool hot water heater (model FG1H5040T3NOV) suddenly went out and I called in a plumber to check it out. He managed to restart the pilot and we had hot water again, but it went out again within 12 hours. He mentioned that I would most likely need a part called a thermo coupling and I should start looking for it. Well, I found this site and read one of the positive reviews that provided the WP toll free number, so I called. Talk about great customer service! Ben was amazing – he took down all my info and was very helpful. Even though the warranty expired years ago, he overnighted me the replacement parts I needed at no charge. And there’s no charge for shipping either! My plumber is completely anti-Whirlpool HWHs and now he will change his mind when I tell him how efficient they are. I also hope he doesnt charge me a bundle to install the replacement part.

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

On 12/27/2013 I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes Model NU50T122-403. On 12-13-2015 the pilot went out. When I called tech support on 12-14-2015 they gave number what were call centers or person who returned the calls. So I called a local plumber that I used before. He came out and told me that had to replace the pilot. On the 16th 2015 of Dec. that did not work and told us the heater needed to be replaced. The replacement will happen today I hope with little to no help from Whirlpool. I would advise you to do your homework before you buy a Whirlpool hot water heater.

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

This morning is the fifth morning I had to take a cold shower. My hot water heater keeps going out. When we call, we are told to dust the underneath better, as it sucks dust. Are you kidding? The hot water heater is still under warranty, which means I will have to spend around $200 to have repaired again. So much for top of the line.

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

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?

Purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater from Lowes. Installation was a nightmare trying to get the 3/4 pipe nipple fittings to seal. Once getting the two nipples to seal using extra thick Teflon pipe wrap, found the tank was leaking also. The return with Lowes was painless. Got another Whirlpool to replace, but angry about having to do the job twice. Wish I viewed this site first. Never would have purchased Whirlpool.

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

Hot water heater model #0833T402747 purchased late 2008 - Several service calls had to be made to a plumber, due to this unit not working. The door assembly was shipped to me by Whirlpool. I had to pay again for the plumber to install this part. Hes been here 3-4 times since I bought the unit. Last Wednesday, May 2, 2012, no hot water again. The same plumber came out and said the door assembly had again gone bad. Whirlpool was contacted on Thursday morning and would not agree to do anything. They were given my plumbers name and number and I never heard back from them. I contacted Lowes in Acworth, GA and they agreed to replace the hot water heater. So now Im forced to pay for another install. I requested that Whirlpool pay this expense, and their representative, **, said no. I intend to sue them for all monies spent on this lemon and due to this lemon, I will never buy another Whirlpool product of any kind. I have told family and friends and theyve agreed that due to the bad product and worse customer service, they will also stay away from purchasing anything made by this company. Whirlpool certainly wont be hurt by me and me alone. But Ill make sure that anyone I run into at Lowes or anywhere else is even looking at a Whirlpool product will get an earful from me. This is the type of customer service that consumers dont have to put up with anymore. There are many resources on the internet to get the word out and I intend to spend a great deal of my time doing just that.

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

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

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

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!

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

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

I bought 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.

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!

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 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.

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!!!

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

I 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.

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!

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

I see that I am not the only one with the same pilot problem. I just purchased this new model that came out last summer. I bought my new water heater in September and just this past weekend, it messed up. I have not had it for 8 months. Whirlpool sent out a technician yesterday and he said the assembly is not good and the pilot would not light. Well they sent me a replacement part and they are coming out today to install it. The funny thing was that the technician said, Oh, these are hard to work with. We have a lot of problems with these models and they just came out last summer. Its the on that has the little box and you push the pilot button in and hold it until the red light comes on. Anyway, he said he didnt carry parts for that one, only the old ones which last longer. The ones that have the black round circle that looks like a thermostat. I said, Really? Well the reason I bought this water heater is because my last one that I bought 2 years ago kept having the same issue. Whirlpool sent me the assembly with the pilot and all 3 times and would never replace it. I got tired of it always messing up so after having it for 2 years, we just dumped it and went and bought this new model. Here we are 8 months since we bought it and the same thing is happening. I am so furious. I am pissed off that they dont recall these if they are defective. Why do they keep selling them if people have problems? My cousin called me a couple of months ago and asked if my husband could check her water heater and its the same type I had and it was doing the same thing. I will never buy another Whirlpool water heater again.

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

I bought two Whirlpool (Model: bfg1j4o4t3nov4o) natural gas water heaters. The pilot light would go out to so I re-lit it and sit in the attic until the water got hot and the burner go out. But before the burner went out, I could see the flame go from blue to yellow and hear the water dripping down on the burner. So, after the burner goes out, the water would drip down on the pilot light putting it out.They sent me a thermo coupling for free but that was never the problem. The problem is that the water heaters are poorly insulated which causes the water to drip down on the pilot, putting it out. To make a long story short, no part they send will fix these heaters. I have a GE heater in my house for 20 plus years and it is still kicking. I should have went back with that same heater.For some good news, I got my money back from Lowes. I raised so much hell in that store that the manger gave me my money back just to get me out of his store. I made them realize that all we want is our hard-earned money back from a product that does not work.

Thermal couple went out and nobody has one. You have to get it from whirlpool. This could be a easy fix with buying a $6.00 thermal couple but the one on mine has left handed threads. I took it to several parts places and they all said you have to buy it from whirlpool so you have to call the 1 800 number and they ask you how soon do you want it, 5 to 6 days to take a shower for $10 shipping, or $20 for 3 to 4 days without a shower or $32 for overnight? This ** should be free if they are the only ones that have it. I never heard of this crap before. The funny thing is they told me I should replace my water heater since the warranty is expired. Dont worry I will buy a new one someday and it will be anything but a whirlpool. I will never buy anything whirlpool again and make sure my family never buys whirlpool.

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

I bought 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.

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

Having multiple apartments I have some experience with water heaters, with that being said, old school water heaters would last 30 years with basically no maintenance. Since those old, manual no BS flashing light codes were replaced with Whirlpool brand, I see constant problems. Honeywell valve/motherboards was the worst thing that could have been put on any equipment. More or less they all failed within few months past warranty expiration date. Replacement part is cost almost half of what brand new product costs. When called customer service, they are aware of said problem but will not help, or recall above product. There are plenty of videos and forums of people complaining about the same issue. Being poorly treated by customer service, I know that I will no longer be spending my money on whirlpool brand. 3 years off of the water heater is a joke.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

I bought 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.

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

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

My husband and I purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes about three years ago. We have had trouble ever since! The pilot light will not stay lit. We have done everything imaginable to try to repair it. Every time I call Whirlpool, I get the same reply. They email me some instructions on how to repair this piece of crap. I dont understand how they can make a product that they do not stand behind. Whirlpool use to be a reputable company, not anymore! I will never buy another Whirlpool product ever! And I will tell everyone that I come in contact with not to buy from them either. I am also considering filing a lawsuit against them for making such junk! Do not buy Whirlpool water heater.

I purchased a 50-Gallon Electric Water heater in 2006, sure it lasted and worked well for quite a few years; however, in August 2014 my power bill started to rise dramatically, I live in Arizona and $300-$400 power bills are the norm in the summer months; however, a $700.00 bill will immediately be noticed. I contacted the power company and they sent a tech over who performed a lengthy diagnostic and determined that my water heater was running constantly thus accounting for the great increase in power, I contacted Whirlpool and received 2 heating elements (no charge) which my pricey plumber replaced.The problem still remained and I contacted Whirlpool again and again trying to get this issue resolved. I paid less than $400.00 for the heater installed and since Ive been having the issue Ive almost paid another $400.00 in labor costs trying to get a resolution. Ive decided to get another system and my only reason for posting this is to inform all that the Whirlpool heaters seem to be very problematic, like others Ive had plumbers decline my business when I inform them that I have a Whirlpool tank with the Energy Smart module.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

I bought 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.

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

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

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

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

I purchased 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.

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 my water heater at Lowes and had it installed professionally. I suspected something was not quite right on numerous occasions because the hot water recovery time seemed excessive. I finally called Whirlpool and they gave me the names and numbers of two companies that were on their list. The first asked for the model number and normal information and never called back. The second showed up spent five minutes charged me 78 dollars and said they could not get the part (gas valve) I needed. And if I could get it from Whirlpool they would charge me 250 to put it on. They also said Whirlpool made horrible water heaters and I should save myself the trouble and just replace it. I have since heard from additional plumbers and the gas company to stay away from Whirlpool. I did have the water heater replaced. When they did it and they drained the old water heater it had so much sludge in it draining it was very difficult. The sludge is mystery since I have a softener in my home and it should have prevented that. The individual from that gas company said that was just one of the many issue others had experienced with these heaters.

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

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

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

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

I 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.

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

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