I purchased a rental home with a Whirlpool hot water heater. In the home inspection, it was deemed to be in good working order. The first day the tenant moved in, I received 3 service calls for no hot water. My contractor told me I needed to replace the start up assembly and it needed to be ordered from Whirlpool directly, as it is not available in stores. When I contacted Whirlpool Customer Service, the operator, Stacey, was rude and unhelpful. She told me that the warranty was void because I was not the original owner, even though it does not state that the warranty is not transferable. She also told me she could not help me order a replacement part without the item number.

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.

After reading endless stories regarding Whirlpool water heaters, I ended up here and read numerous complaints and every company response had the same message from Chris-- Go to whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/help. I went to the website and called the number (877) 251-1679. I spoke with the most helpful gentleman (Lenny) who helped me troubleshoot some things and even called me back to inquire regarding success and gave me other tips to check if the problem occurs again.

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 originally purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater in 2005. After numerous problems Whirlpool agreed to replace January 2010. With the new hot water heater, everything was fine for the first two years. Now about every 6 months, we are having the thermocouple and the igniter. Each time you order the part, the part is free but you have to pay $30.00 for shipping. I am tired of dealing with this. We have decided even though we still have a warranty left on the hot water tank we are going to purchase a different one and never ever buy another Whirlpool product. They do not stand behind their products.

I bought Whirlpool hot water heater with the Honeywell part in 2014 and the thermal box went out. No flashing lights, no way to reset. I understand that Whirlpool had a class action lawsuit after researching. Still selling this product to consumers. Whirlpool should be held responsible, and be made to give an allotment to replace homeowners with hot water tank of choice! If lawsuit is active please add my name.

I bought an American US Craftmaster water heater in October 2006. I have paid a plumber 3 different times to work on this and the pilot light will not stay lite. I used the replacement parts they sent, followed their technicians directions over the phone, etc. Nothing seems to work. Christmas was not pleasant at my house this year. I’m still taking cold showers.

Whirlpool sent me a different part 3 times and hot water tank only work for a few weeks, then the pilot light goes back out. They never offered any more help.

On the 10-05-05, I purchased a Whirlpool natural gas water heater from Lows Orem. The unit has a 9 years warranty agreement. Lows sales S0178JC3 647605; cost $378. Model number FG1H5040T3. Serial number 0515140765. Following installation, the unit has failed repeatedly. Since keeping records of the failures, the unit failed either by the gas control valve or the thermocouple on December 2011, November 2011, April 2010, February 2009, and April 2008. Whirlpool has at all times supplied the parts but denied that the parts are technically faulted. Whirlpool has further rejected all requests to refund me for defective product. The major consequences have been an unreliable water heater. There were periods without hot water. Time was spent involving undertaking repairs.

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.

Whirlpool hot water heater - The water coming from the faucets when it is hot is red. Therefore, I contacted Whirlpool and was informed that the anode has failed. The anode is not covered because, according to this company, it is not considered a working part. It baffles me that the anode is not a working part since it keeps the tank from rotting. I have only had the hot water tank for three years and this part has failed causing my hot water to be red. Since this company contradicts itself, I either have to live with red hot water (rust) or replace the part on my own. Unlike your company, Lowes has customer service. They apologized and will be paying for half of the expense for the part. Unfortunately, I still must pay for an employee to replace the part. This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous. I will never be purchasing another item from your company and in addition to that, I will tell everyone I know to avoid this company at all costs. You should strongly consider revising this policy before you lose all of your customers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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

I 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.

We bought an 80 gallon lifetime warranty electric water heater. We get about 20 minutes of hot water and then cold water. Weve had 2 plumbers out and checked our system and said it has to be the water heater, but they dont want to mess with it in case it voids the warranty. Fine. We called Whirlpool and since the alarm system isnt indicating an issue, they say its not the water heater. We now have to do a diagnostic ourselves to find out if it is the water heater. What? It has a warranty! We are not plumbers! How come Whirlpool doesnt think its their equipment? Weve already had ours checked and it isnt us! So frustrating and we will not buy another whirlpool product again! Not good customer service to promote repeat buyers. Whirlpool, shame on you.

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

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.

Purchased water heater in 2005 with a lifetime warranty. We had our first problem May 30, 2013. Water would not heat above lukewarm. Called Whirlpool. Our plumber and Whirlpool determined that the temp sensor was defective. Plumber took it off and it appeared it had shorted out as the wires were black and plastic coating had slightly melted in one spot. We had replacement part in 24 hours. Licensed Plumber did repair (2 hours @ $75/hr = $150). Second problem occurred October 23, 2013. Not even 5 months later! No hot water. Hit reset button, turned temp up. No change. The diagnostic light on water heater indicated it was the same problem as before. Called Whirlpool. They sent out repair part which arrived in 24 hours. Licensed Plumber repaired (1.5 hours @ $75/hour = $112.50).I took a picture of the melted plastic caps where the wires screw into, of the housing around the wires, of the melted, charcoal crispy black of the Junction Box in the area that was directly above and covered the wires and sensor panel. It was much worse than last time. Plumber said that the part that screwed into the plastic cap had to be pried out and it broke off. You could see that this might be the spot where the problem started. We feel fortunate that we didnt have an electrical fire start from this problem. Something isnt right. Within less than 5 months, we have spent $262.50 to repair a water heater that has a lifetime warranty. Id like to give this 0 stars. Whirlpool owes us $262.50 and it might be more before this is all said and done.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

Chris from Whirlpool contacted me the same day that I filed my complaint. He offered to replace our water heater at no charge. We will pick up our new water heater this weekend and install it. Hopefully, it is designed better than our current water heater.

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!

Update: My water heaters pilot light would not stay lit. After seeing the large number of similar complaints on this site, I contacted Whirlpool and asked whether they would cover the cost of labor in addition to the parts, which were under warranty. The representative was very understanding and agreed. The thermocoupler and gas valve were replaced a few days ago. It seems to be working fine. Additionally, a representative contacted me directly in response to my Consumer Affairs complaint, not knowing I had already gotten approval for the repair. He wanted to make sure I received the help that I needed and called to follow-up after the repair. Im very pleased with the response.

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

I 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.

I purchased a gas hot water heater from Whirlpool. I have had problems with it since it was new. Whirlpool kept sending repair parts, which I installed, until the warranty expired. Now they say “Sorry Charlie, the warranty has expired.” The water heater has never been fixed. They just dragged it along until the warranty expired. Whirlpool has no complaint department or the repair place will not give it to you. They told me there would be no use for a complaint department. They would just tell the same thing the repair was telling me.

I 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!

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!

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

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

I bought a whirlpool water heater at Lowes 4 months ago, and it has stopped working. I called the customer service number and was treated so unjust. I told them that I had just had it looked at by a plumber and he said that the water heater needed to be replaced, I told the whirlpool represented if what the plumber had just advise me. So I asked them if they could just replace it, the customer service representative told me I had to call another number to have their service people look at it and that wasnt for another 10 days. At which time I asked the representative what was I to do without hot water for 10 days. She told me that they could only schedule it that way. So Im here to tell you all please please please dont ever Buy anything from whirlpool because they will not back it up! I on the other hand just lost $500 and went out and bought a Rheem water heater instead.

Bought a water heater on May 5th for 539.00 and was unable to get hot water all the time. After many days and dealing with Lowes which did not help and Whirlpool, I discovered that the unit I bought had no dip tube to bring the cold water to the bottom to be heated and thus provide hot water to the hot water outlet on the heater to the rest of the house. People at Lowes had no dip tubes and really have no knowledge of what is going on as the people at Whirlpool whom I called.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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!!

I purchased a home in March of 2013. When I bought the home, I noticed it had a new Whirlpool 50-gallon gas 6th sense hot water heater model number ND50T122-403. It was newer and I thought it was a good selling point and would last many years. The original owner had purchased the heater in March of 2011. Three months after I moved in, the control valve went bad - 4 flash eco lockout. I called Whirlpool. They sent out the replacement part. I had to pay for shipping express delivery. Since then the control valve has gone out 2 more times, a total of 3 times in one year. On the third time, they gave me a return number for a replacement. I dont even want this heater for free. I am still required to pay for installation and additional installation parts. This product is terrible. Save yourself a headache. Do not buy this product!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Do not buy whirlpool water heater!!! It will only last 3 years.

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.

BFG2F4040T3NIV IS HORRIBLE. This water heater is JUNK. The release valve has released and flooded my basement 3 times in the past 2 years and the recovery time on water is terrible. Whirlpool needs to step up to the plate and refund everyone who purchased one of these. Every review on this unit is horrible. DO NOT PURCHASE a WHIRLPOOL water heater!

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!

We purchased a Whirlpool Gas Water Heater (Model No. N40T61-343) from Lowes in the Summer of 2013. 2.5 years later, the water heater goes out as of 01/19/2016. Therefore, I contacted the telephone number on the side of the water heater in order to restart the water heater. We followed the instructions by pushing in the pilot button, as well the ignition button. To no avail, the water heater did not restart. I called customer service on Thursday (01/21/2016) to speak with a representative. She said that we needed another Thermopile and a Gas Valve replacement. So, who is going to put it on? It would cost as much as getting a whole new water heater. Therefore, we are going to Menards to purchase the Richmond Gas Water Heater. We had a Richmond once before; and it lasted from 1999 or 2000, until 2013.After reading all the reviews about this brand water heater (Whirlpool), no wonder people are complaining. Ladies and gentlemen, do yourselves a favor and not buy a Whirlpool Water Heater. The only thing that Whirlpool is good for is only their name. Their Water Heaters in particular are worthless pieces of junk. NEVER BUY A WHIRLPOOL GAS WATER HEATER AGAIN!!!

Purchased I assumed a brand-new electric hot water heater from Lowes. It worked giving us hot water for 5 months then it quit. We called the number they have located on the side of the water heater and they sent 3 references such as plumbers for us to contact because everything they told us to purchase didnt work... so after their references, plumber came out. Instead of him telling us what was wrong why all of a sudden we stopped getting hot water he didnt return our phone call. As a professional that sucks!!! So WHIRLPOOL CUSTOMER SERVICE says the hot water heater that had been working for 5 months wasnt up to code and wasnt wired right and WE need to pay an electrician to connect it right... thats **. The electrician did it correct the first time. Whirlpool just dont want to accept the fact that their equipment is faulty!!! But thats good because I will NEVER purchase anything WHIRLPOOL makes. I dont care if they start making water. I will just quit The hell with that company!!! WHIRLPOOL SUCKS!!! Heres the serial number 1626103174130 and if I had read the neg reviews before I purchased the hot water heater I wouldnt not have done it!!!

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

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

I 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.

We have had this water heater for less than 5 years. It was purchased new from Lowe’s. This is the second time we have had to replace the thermocouple and are told that we have to order the part from Whirlpool. Really? What do we do for hot water in the meantime? This is a very disappointing response from Whirlpool and Lowe’s. I will never again purchase anything from either company. We had to buy a new heater today, pay for installation and permits. This is a rip-off by Whirlpool and Lowe’s.

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

I purchased an 80-gallon electric water heater in 2009 with a Lifetime warranty. When the unit failed in 2021, I was told that Whirlpool no longer manufactures an 80-gallon tank. I was provided an R/A# and was told that Lowes should honor it with a like-kind replacement unit. Lowes originally suggested I order an AO Smith Hybrid online, (at my expense), return my old tank, and they would reimburse my account. When I went back to confirm this offer, it was adjusted to a $200 credit (suggesting that was the value at the time of purchase). Later, Lowes again adjusted their offer to cover $650 toward a replacement 50-gallon tank with a 6-year warranty and 30-gallons less capacity. Other manufactures do produce 80-gallon tanks and Lowes does have AO Smith tanks available online only. I would have to pay the difference beyond the $650 offer.I purchased the original 80-gallon tank because I need the capacity and I assumed the Lifetime warranty would allow for an even trade if/when something went wrong. The proper solution would be for Whirlpool/Lowes to offer a replacement value for any comparable 80-gallon tank regardless of the manufacturer. Currently, similar tanks average $1300-1500. (Westinghouse w/ Lifetime warranty at Home Depot). Lowes should also be able to order the tank for in-store delivery as opposed to having me order online at my own expense. Meanwhile, the current tank is leaking and will soon be out of service...

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

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

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.

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.

I bought new hot water heater. I installed it did and it did not work. I called them, and they sent a new part. A service man installed it, and it still did not work - he was unable to get it working. They said my gas supply line 1/2 od was too small. I had it replaced to 5/8 od 1/2id, and it still did not work. I called them again. They offered to send more parts and try again. This is a brand new water heater, never fired. I asked if they would give me a ra number so I could return it to the store. He would not give it to me. He insisted he send some one out to try to repair it. Meanwhile I have had no hot water for 2 days. He told me do what I have to do and hung up on me. So I removed the heater and took it back to Lowes, where they were glad to give my money back. But still, I lost a day of work and paid the gas yo bring it back. I went to home depot bought a GE hot water heater. I had it installed in about 15 minutes and it is working fine.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

I 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 bought a 50-gal. Whirlpool electric hot water heater about 6 years ago from Lowes. About every two years, something goes bad. So far, I had to replace electronic control board that sits on top of heater twice. Then the heating element went bad. Well, this time, the electronic control board started to smoke and melt. I was home so I smelled something melting and found it. What would have happened if I was not at home? I have dogs that are like my kids; they could have been killed. Whirlpool wants to send the replacement parts knowing this part is no good. Do not buy a Whirlpool electric water heater! Now, Im scared the next time I wont be at home to find the thing smoking. I dont have money to buy a new one. How many other people have the same problem?

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 purchased a new water heater in August 2013. The pilot light started going out in October/November of 2013. After calling the Tech Support phone number, (877) 817-6750, I was advised to clean the burner screen. First this is very difficult to do because the burner screen is underneath the water heater and almost impossible to access. Second the closet the water heater is in did not show any signs of debris that could clog the burner screen. I did as they recommended. Several calls, and several weeks later, they finally authorized a technician to come and service water heater. He performed a cleaning even though he couldnt find anything to clean; and he replaced the control module. The new control module worked through the spring and summer seasons and then I started having issues again in the fall, late October. Started calling the same phone number and was told again to clean the burner screen. I convinced them to send out the technician again. The A and E Factory technician came out and only cleaned the burner screen and left before I had a chance to get home. This happened several times and I called Whirlpool every time. The next A and E technician told me to try changing out the draft vent chimney to a different size, which I did. Problem happened Again! I finally asked for another plumber and they sent me 3 names of their authorized plumbers. I called Phil, Philco Plumbing. He told me that I needed to have more ventilation, so I added more ventilation, even though I later found documentation stating I already had more than what was required by the manufacturer. Again, a week later, started having problems. Call back and asked to have my personal plumber come out. This time the rep told me that I have always been free to choose any plumber I wish (why wasnt I given that option the first 10 times I called?). My plumber came out and replaced the control module and the thermocouple, but wasnt convinced that these were faulty parts, he honestly couldnt figure out why I am having this problem, but it was worth a try. That lasted about 1 week and now I am having the problem again!!Whirlpool will FINALLY authorize a new water heater, but they will not authorize installation for the new water heater. I have already spent money on recommended repairs that have not worked. I have taken 15+ hours off of work to watch plumbers do nothing that has rectified my problems. And now Whirlpool wants me to deal with installing the unit myself, OR pay to have it installed! They say they wont cover installation because I purchased it more than 1 year ago. They seem to be missing the fact that I have had trouble with it the ENTIRE time I have owned it!This Flame lock system is garbage. I found on Consumer Affairs that a few years ago a class-action lawsuit settled, dealing with the same issues. I think it is time for another round! I KNOW that I am not the only one dealing with this problem because the plumbers I had out all had similar complaints from many of their clients. Whirlpool wont fess up to the problem, but the problem is real.

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.

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

Water heater model N40t61-343 - Why does a water heater fail after 4 years when there is a warranty for 6 years? Is this water heater an omen for Whirlpool? I have a wife who is terminal and I trusted the Whirlpool name for hot water. What are Whirlpool going to do about this water heater?

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 called customer service because my pilot light would not stay lit on my 2005 Whirlpool water heater. I was told that I needed to install the upgrade kit and that the water heater was malfunctioning because of a lack of air and that it needed to be cleaned at the bottom. I paid for the shipping of the kit although I believe it is called an upgrade or conversion kit versus a recall for this water heater to save money and to get the consumer to pay for replacing defective parts. A certified technician installed the kit but the pilot light would not remain lit. He replaced the thermocouple, although new parts had just been received. This did not help either. The technician and I called customer service, which didnt resolve the issue. I also asked for a manager who would only agree to send out another conversion kit. There are three years remaining on the warranty but I am being told to keep replacing new parts with new parts until it works. That is unacceptable. Also, I was not informed that my problem is a recurring problem with this Whirlpool water heater that I purchased at Lowes.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!!!!!!

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

I purchased a 12 year warranty, high end Whirlpool WATER HEATER (OR SO I THOUGHT AT THE TIME) through Lowes in 2014. Model ND50T122-403. Six years and multiple service calls later it is broken again, this time for the final time. I am ripping this garbage out. So livid with this company that could give a rip about their customers. Three years in to my 12 year warranty it started giving me problems. Horrible HORRIBLE customer service. They will insult your intelligence. Whirlpool will not honor the warranty or stand behind their product. They just take your money and basically give a shrug of the shoulders or worse blame you for THEIR TERRIBLE product failing. It may be unscrupulous and unethical but I guess saves them a pile of money which is what they seem to only be out.The Service Tech that came for the 4th time to repair it says they see this all the time in Whirlpool water heaters. Its a Design Flaw they say. I dont know about all that. I just know when I have been swindled. The electronics are garbage. The pilot light when it goes out is not easily reset as others have mentioned on this site. Will stay lit for while and then shuts down. Whirlpool says, despite reams of evidence to the contrary it must be a safety issue in the install, which they have absolutely zero evidence of therefore, they are not honoring the warranty. They are Blaming the installers, according to our service techs who tried to order the part thats supposed to be under warranty.The original installers, by the way were from Lowes, the outfit that sold me this hot mess. Another Class action lawsuit seems ripe. Or perhaps the consumer protection division from each states Attorneys General would be interested in protecting their citizens from practices like this. Lowes is complicit in allowing it, failing to protect their customers and not calling Whirlpool out for it. I cant think of a more deserving target of consumer protection than Whirlpool. A truly horrible, expensive experience. See the Whirlpool logo and RUN - - DO NOT WALK -- THE OTHER WAY!

I purchased a water heater Model # UG1H50400TBN, Serial # 0913T400920, from Lowes in Corona, CA. 05/07/2009 for $528 plus tax. I have replaced the following parts: 02/10/2010 Thermostat Valve, 07/23/2010 Thermostat Valve (2nd time), 08/10/2010 Burner assembly, 02/10/2011 Thermocouple, 02/17/2011 Thermostat Valve (3rd time), 12/17/2014 Thermocouple (2nd time) and 03/20/2015 Burner assembly (2nd time).Today I called WHIRLPOOL Customer service (877) 817-6750 because my water heater water is warm. I told the tech support agent that the pilot light was on so we agreed that it was the thermostat valve AGAIN. He wanted $30 for overnight delivery and I refused to pay. Now I have to go out and buy this part because Whirlpool like the Banks is too big to fail and they have license to RIP-OFF the consumer without penalties. Whirlpool has all of information and they can verify everything I wrote here just by the serial number.

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.