Reliance Water Heaters

I purchased a 40 Gal. Reliance Gas Water Heater with 6 year warranty on 12/21/2011 from Grover's in Vancouver, WA. I hired a plumber on 12/23/2011 to install the product. After installation, the pilot light would not light at all. My husband called Reliance customer service and they told us we had no warranty so they would not replace it. After only 48 hours? My plumber flipped out and said that was terrible of them not to take responsibility. My husband said that he would try to take it back to the store and the customer service rep was snooty and said "If they take it back at all."

She offered to send a part that would take 4 days and would not pay for the labor. What about the labor we already owed our plumber for installing a tank that had a faulty pilot light? Thankfully the store manager at Grover's pre-authorized a return over the phone. My husband and our plumber took it back and the salesman who sold it to us refused to help us. Really? The store manager told another sales person to help with the return and we purchased a 50 Gal. Reliance floor model. It works. I just hope it will continue to work. After reading this list of complaints I wonder.

About 6 years ago, we bought a Reliance Water Heater for our mobile home, from our local dealer, Slavens Hardware. It worked for about three months and then we could not keep the pilot light lit (Model #AMSIZ21-10-1 CSA 4-1-2004). We have contacted the dealer three times and they will only refer us to Reliance. Obviously Reliance isn't very reliable. We have contacted them numerous times with no results.

We have changed parts, paid plumbers and we are still without hot water. Today I went online and tried to bring up their website and was unable to do so. I don't even know where they are located and they are no longer answering the phone. Our warranty runs out soon, so I guess our only option is to sue them and Slavens. I would never buy another thing from either one of them!

I also purchased a Reliance (Model: 606 640YORT) water heater and I began having issues with the pilot light going out after the main burner shut off. I have replaced the thermocouple assembly and that fixed the issue for about eight months. But now, the same problem has come up again. I have cleaned the screen at the bottom of the water heater and I have made sure that there was enough air flow by placing extra vents in the wall of the utility closet. I have brushed the screen under the water heater and this did not fix the problem.

I called Reliance and the lady told me she needed the gas flow reading on the valve at the time the main burner was burning (other than a plumber who has a anemometer to check this). She told me that the gas valve was probably at fault, but could not tell me for sure until I called back with the gas flow reading. I have figured by the time I pay a plumber to come and check the gas flow ($75.00) and find out that I need a gas valve ($100.00) and I have already put a new pilot assembly on the POS ($45.00).

I would probably be money ahead by putting in another water heater making sure it is not a Reliance brand and just in case the new water heater will not have a White Rodgers gas valve to make sure I do not have this problem again. I will look for a water heater that does not have a sealed combustion chamber because I believe that this could be a part of the problem also. I will tell everyone that I know to stay away from Reliance water heater because they are nothing but trouble. I just installed a new water heater in my parents' house and it was a Richmond water heater. I will see how these heaters do.

I purchased a Reliance 909 water heater in 2007 from a local hardware store, Daniels Hardware. The first two years after I installed the unit, it operated great with no problems. Since then, I have a problems with the pilot light that will not stay lit and it is getting worse. This unit is a little over four years old and it has been a constant headache. I know I am not alone, in fact, Daniels Hardware decided months ago to stop selling Reliance products because of constant problems with these water heaters and dissatisfied customer.

I have replaced the burner assembly and clean the unit frequently, and still have the ongoing problem. Reliance customer service is horrible and offer no help form their pre-programmed reps. I am leery about having to pay for a service repair only to continue having the problems. These units are poorly designed and the manufacturer should make good on replacing defective water heaters instead of offering to reimburse for replacement parts.

I purchased the water heater from my local ACE hardware on 8/2007 (model 606, model # 640GORT) and the second water tank replacement on 3/2009. I noticed the pilot was going out and also heat scorch marks on the outside of tank. After repeated pilot lightings, it wouldn't light. So I decided to remove the bottom panel and peaked inside the burner area. To my surprise, the burner was completely buried in rust chips! Enough rust chips to almost fill a 5 pound bag of sugar; therefore, knocking out any means of burner operation. I called ACE and they were very helpful and replaced the tank the next day after showing the manager its condition.

Now it is 12/2011 and I have the same problem, rust chips dropping off onto the burner. This time I vacuumed out the burner area so I can get the burner running again, but only to find a few weeks later rust chips accumulating again. The tank has a 6-year warranty. This product has defects and I want to be compensated to buy different brand. Buyer, beware of this unit. I will never buy a Reliance tank again.

Overall poor experience. I purchased 606 8/2007 in April of 2011. I had to have service call regarding pilot not working. I waited 3 days to have pilot igniter replaced. It cost $100.00. Now, 12/4/2011, it went bad. I have been waiting for 3 days to have a service repair. As of now, there's still no hot water. I called Reliant. They can do nothing except pay for part, which will cost us another $100. I don't know the consequences. I'm still waiting for service. They say buy local and stay away from big box stores. That's bunk. At least you can get quicker resolution. I never will buy local again. Overall experience is bad.

I purchased a Reliance water heater on June 28, 2011. On October 6, just 4 months later, I had to replace the element. It cost me $31.27 for the element and $30 for a plumber to tell me what the problem was. I called Reliance and they said to send them all the bills. Three weeks later I received a check for $31.27cents. They refused to pay for the plumber. I believe I should have been given a new water heater .The consumer affairs should look into this company. Whoever heard of a water heater going out after 4 months?

I wrote to ACE Corporation office and they did nothing at all. While they are still selling this junk, the American public is being fleeced. I will never shop in ACE. The manager in Pahrump, NV said she had had no complaints. I told her to look on the Web, there are lots of complaints. All in all, I had a brand new water heater that went out after 4 months. My advice to the American public is don't buy Reliance Water Heaters and don't shop anywhere where the manager doesn't want to help you, in my case ACE hardware Johan **, Pahrump, NV.

I've never had any problems with a Water Heater in my life, until I bought a Reliance 909 Self Cleaning Unit. The bottom is leaking water all over and the Pilot won't stay lit on top of it. 2 years 11 months old and already junk!

Pilot light keeps going out and won't stay lit. Called Reliant and they said they were cancelling the warranty on my unit because it was located in my bathroom and wouldn't be able to give me any troubleshooting information until I relocated the unit. My house was built in the forties and the water heater has been in the bathroom all these years.

I have the same problem as all the other plaintiffs . The pilot keeps going out and I only had the heater for 4 months customer service is no help. They are not allowing me to return the product. They rather send parts to try and repair the heater. I feel that the product should be recalled and what about the lemon law policy.

My Reliance 606 began having pilot shut-off problems after 4 years. I vacuumed out the heater and storage closet but it kept on shutting down. Eventually, I removed the entire 3 tube and 1 wire burner assembly (but not the thermostat) and cleaned out all of the lines. It worked for a few months, but then, problems started again this week.

I tried to redo what I did the last time but found that the main small gas line no longer had a pinhole, so I guess the hole got dangerously bigger. Fortunately, the thermostat assembly did its job and kept shutting down when the flow of gas increased. It appears that these heaters are all breaking down about every 3 or 4 years.

I've been in touch with my dealer since the original problems began and he's been great. He told me to contact him and he'll replace the heater for free during the 6 year warranty period. I just have to provide him with a copy of the receipt and the model sticker off of the water heater. I don't even have to bring in the old heater. I'll be doing that today! I'd rather replace the heater while I can rather than buy the replacement assembly for 45 bucks.

My complaint is about the people who are complaining that their Reliance 606 Gas Water Heater will not stay lit. It is a high efficiency unit and says right on the side. You must clean the air inlet every 6 months or it will not stay lit. Clean It! If the vent cover has been removed, then lay down with a flashlight and look underneath. You will see a circular dust area under the burner. Brush it off with a small wire brush. Then, clean out the dirt from underneath the unit. Relight it and enjoy the hot water. Then, in 6 months, clean it again like the directions say.

My water heater pilot won't stay on. I have to keep turning it on. I called the 800 Number but got no results. They keep telling me to clean it. I have called 2 times but received the same answer.

I too have the pilot light go out. I can't seem to find anyone in the area that has the "burner assembly" part. So, again, it will be another night of cold water! And of course, the warranty ran out last year.

This company does not stand behind their products; they have the worst customer service I have dealt with. Our complaint is that on our 606, it appears we all have the same problem with this heater: the pilot/thermocouple is faulty and the tank just quits heating. Our tank is almost three years old, so I guess we are luckier than most not to have had a problem until half the life of the warranty. We won't purchase anything from this company again.

It's a terrible experience that the pilot light of our Reliance Water Heaters won't stay lit. Many called the company due to dissatisfaction. According to the other reviews, a lot of people are having the same problem.

I have a Reliance 606 water heater in my apartment. The pilot light will not stay on and we have to relight it so often that it cause the gas shut-off valve to break off and cause a major gas leak in the apartment. I had to evacuate until the gas company got there. Maintenance won't replace the water heater because it was only put in four years ago.

I'm so sick and tired of cold showers and cold baths. The company really needs to recall these water heaters.

The pilot light on the unit kept going out in our rental home, which is 4 1/2 years old. We had a technician go out to repair it 4 different times. The company sent a new gas control valve kit, which we installed & this still did not fix the problem. Our technician even called the company & they were rude to him. They blamed the problems on not enough airflow in a 20'x10' room. Its' not like it's' in a closet.

Bottom line is this thing is a POS and after 4 1/2 years, it's junk. Next step is small claims court after reading lots of complaints from people having the same problems.

I bought this water heater from Home Depot, expecting a quality product, and now only four years later I am experiencing the same problem as others with this appliance. The pilot light is faulty, and continues to go out.

I also have a Reliance 606 water heater and the pilot keeps going out. After reading all of these complaints, I see that I will get nowhere with the company. Is it safe for me to attempt to replace the pilot assembly on my own?

we bought a reliance 606 hot water heater. it has been a total nightmare. the pilot light will not stay lit. we have to relight it several times a day. i have read all the complaints about this product. i feel that reliance has a problem and that they should recall these heaters and should stand behind their products better or stop selling them. to be blatantly honest their hot water heaters are a total piece of crap and a waste of money.

The pilot light on the Reliance 606 Gas Water Heater kept going out on 2 of my units. We kept lighting the pilot light and the tank would heat. After the tank got to temperature and the burner stopped, the pilot light would extinguish. After several minutes of attempting to diagnose the problem, we discovered that starting with a tank of cold water, 2 to 3 minutes after you light the pilot light and the burner is running, we began to hear a hissing sound. Looking through the view glass, we could see water dripping on the burner. We waited until the tank reached temperature. The whole while, water was dripping on to the burner causing a very yellow flame and hissing sound. When the burner turned off, the dripping continued until the tank cooled off. This extinguished the pilot light every time. We purchased 9 of these Reliance 606 Water Heaters and so far 2 have failed, that's 22% failure rate.

I called Reliance to ask if there was a recall or problem with their water heater model # 630yort, they said there wasn't. I then googled Reliance water heater recall and found no less than 19 complaints from people with the same exact problem I'm having. I believe they know about this problem but won't admit it. I have lit the pilot at least 30 to 40 times, also cleaned the air intake several times with no luck. Sometimes it will stay lit for a week, sometimes I have to light it 3 or 4 times a day. I am so sick of this piece of junk. I will never buy anything that says Reliance on it.

I purchased a Reliance hot water heater from Atwood in Crossett, Arkansas in August 2009. It had a 3-year warranty. It went out completely on Christmas Eve. I contacted the company via e-mail and their response was the warranty was voided because of improper installation. I had a licensed plumber to install it. I am dumbfounded how they can determine that without ever seeing the thing. There is a page after page of complaints for this company. I have filed complaints with the BBB of Tennessee, the Tennessee Attorney General, and the Arkansas Attorney General. I urge everyone with a complaint against this company to do likewise.

First, I want to make it very clear. Branneky is not at fault with this problem. They have agreed to take back the Reliance Model 640 GORT 200, 40 gallon gas hot water heater, and give full refund. This was installed on 12-12-10. The major problem is running out of hot water. This occurred several times in the first few days, running out of hot water after taking a shower for 15 minutes. Today, 12-20-10, we decided to time our showers. The first one lasted 11 minutes. Approximately 30 minutes later, a second shower was taken, and within 15 minutes, the water ran cold. This was the pattern we were having. The temperature was set at 120 degrees. We increased the thermostat to 130, and now we have hot water coming out of the faucet that's too hot.

We are going to replace this water heater, but the question now is what brand of 40 gallon gas do we purchase. We have one bath/shower, washer, dish washer, and two people household. I have found favorable comments on Rheem, but I'm not sure.

I got a Reliance Water Heater that keeps dying on us--the pilot light goes off frequently. (Reliance Self Cleaning 909, Serial # 1005T003944). We called the plumber who installed a pressure valve tank costing us $300. We also called the gas company to check it out and light it up again. Again, the plumber came back for another time and cleaned the air flow. For this service, we were charged even if it is the authorized repair service for Reliance. Still, the pilot light went out today. This has happened many times. The company should fix this problem or not sell it at all.

I purchase Reliance 606 water heaters (two of 50 gallons cap. each.) In January 2009 it became in use. March 2010 pilot light went out frequently, in one water heater. Reliance refused to cover any work as it was more than one year. I called Plummer, he called reliance they shipped regulator and it was replaced with in 4-5 days. In November 2010 (with in eight months) I had same problem. I called reliance again the refused to cover labor but can supply parts if their authorized Plummer requests so. The provided me Plummer's phone. I called Plummer he asked $95.00 to come and find the problem and $95.00 to install it.

But cost maybe more according findings. Again called the reliance and told that I can pay $200.00 or more every 7-8 months for the same work. Their product is defective they have to fix it or replace it. But Reliance personnel's are very stubborn they do not listen, just want to dictate only. I think we can win to "GOD" but cannot deal with these people. I told them I will never ever buy Reliance water Heaters in my life. But reliance people do not care. (What ever happened with me is true but I do not want to give my info. so I used Fake Address and phone numbers, I am sorry. At this point I am very upset.)

I have a Reliance 606 Gas Water Heater that was purchased after the flood of 2006. In July of 2010, the pilot light went out. I clean the filter about every 6 months so I know that there was no air flow problem. We contacted Reliance and we were told that it was an air flow problem even though I clean it every six months. I purchased a new thermocouple and had that installed only to have the same problem. We complained again to Reliance and we're told it was air flow problem. After several more complaints, I was sent a new gas valve which we installed and the pilot light continues to go out. I will be replacing this product with a Bradford White and will never purchase Reliance again.

I spent my own money on thermocouple, and had the neighbor install new parts on his time (he does heating and cooling for a living for the past 20 years).

Three days ago, one of my tenants called saying the pilot keep going off on the water heater. This was at 8:00 at night. He said he had been having to relight it for the last three days. This house is on the same street where I live and my plumber also lives on my street. He went to the house, changed the control and a thermo coupler. He said it now works fine. These were not original parts. The next day, he called and told me he could not locate the genuine part.

So today, I called reliance and spoke to Tanya. She said she needed the serial number and the readings..oops. I know my guy that late at night did not get any readings. She explained that it was company policy and the readings would indeed tell them what exact part was wrong. Anyway, she took all of my information then put me on hold for maybe one minute. When she came back on the line, she said that they would be able to ship me the parts but that because I did not have the readings that they would charge me for shipping, $10.

I know that every company has warranty procedures and policies but they stepped up and took care of me. For me, I think they did a fantastic job. I own seven houses and have reliance water heaters in all but one and that one was because it was an emergency job. My next water heater will be the 909 model. I am buying one and storing it for the next emergency.

I purchased a Reliance Water Heater model number 606-YORT on March 15, 2006, and it has been nothing short of a nightmare. The pilot assembly has been replaced a total of 4 times to date. I have done everything the company has suggested. And when I went online to check their complaints, I found page after page of people with the same exact complaint as I have. The pilot light will not stay lit. We light it from 15-20 times within a 24-hour period. Every time the burner needs to kick on, out goes the pilot.

I called and I e-mailed and what I get is mostly rework and it's always someone else's fault never theirs. This has been going on for three and half years. I complained to the dealer where I purchased it, Vassar Plumbing in Cushing, Oklahoma, until they quit handling Reliance and they told me to deal with the company that they were sick and tired of all the complaints about this model of water heater. So am I. I continue to call and complain and sometimes they agree to send a part, other times it's some lame excuse. Who are we to believe? Somebody who sits behind a desk with a book in their hand looking up what might be the cause, or a certified plumber who charges $90.00 an hour and has been in business for 35 years?

I have the Reliance 606 40-gallon water heater. It works great. I bought it in August 2007. After about 14 months, the pilot light went out, after relighting a couple of times, I looked inside as the pilot light was burning and noticed it was a yellow flame which indicates not enough fresh air. Since the water heater has a closed combustion chamber, I figured the air vent must be clogged with dust. I used a portable air tank, rigged an air hose with a two-foot piece of tubing to be able to reach far into the bottom of the tank. I blew out the dust and it started working like new again. Now about every 14 to 16 months, the pilot light goes out and when it does, I blow the dust out and it works like new again.

I see in the complaints a couple of people say they were told to clean out the air filter but no one says that they did clean out the filter. Could the main problem be that people are not cleaning the air filter like they should? Reliance cannot be responsible for the dust in everyone's home. The service tech person should know to clean the air filter instead of replacing parts, but then they do make more money by replacing parts.

I bought a home that had a Reliance 606 hot water heater installed. One week after moving in, the hot water heater went out. Myself, somewhat familiar with home repair, I re-lit the pilot and needless to say, it would lit and the heater ran for a few minutes and went out. After lighting the heater several times, I called their customer service number. The heater was under warranty and they sent me a gas control valve to replace the one on the heater and tried to tell me to do the work myself.

I instead called my licensed plumper who has been in the business for over twenty years and runs a very reputable business. He came to my home and saw the heater. He immediately told me I was going to have a problem with this company. He was right, after replacing several parts, the heater still does not stay lit and even though the heater is under warranty, the company refuses to replace it. Do not buy their products, I have reported them to my state Attorney General's office for consumer affairs.

Pilot light fails repeatedly even after installation (at my cost) of new parts (unit still under warranty-if you can call it that as it only covers parts and their authorized service co. charges $90 an hour plus a $17. Trip charge-which is one reason I didn't use them. Repeated plumbing costs to me, frequent periods without hot water for my tenant (hope I don't lose her) and I, time wasted talking to the company, waiting for new parts, then having the same problem even after I pay to have new parts installed.

I bought a Reliance 30 gallon LP heater for a ranch rental house, and it was a total nightmare. After installing it myself, I lit the pilot. Once the burner lit, it only burned yellow. Being aware that LP, like natural gas, should burn blue and that any LP-burning appliance is especially dangerous, I double-checked my ventilation, gas in, and fresh air intake. And after all my efforts, I called Reliance.

After being told that Reliance does not take returns, unless I have had their approved plumber in the area look at the unit, I called McCoy's where I purchased the heater. They stressed that I must deal with Reliance and that they could not take the heater back without Reliance's approval. Well, as luck would have it, I had another plumbing problem and had my plumber take a look at the heater.

He immediately determined that it was defective. The wire for the pilot striker had been routed in the path of the burner, so it quickly burned through after a few minutes of the burner being lit, causing the pilot to never light again. In addition, the unit didn't breath correctly causing the flame to dance around the bottom of the tank and eventually flame out.

We called Reliance again, and now, their staff commenced to argue with my plumber, saying that he wasn't qualified because he wasn't on their list of approved contractors. When I heard them giving him grief, I took the phone and informed them that I wasn't paying a master plumber with 14 years of experience $65 an hour to argue with some Reliance slacky with a book in front of them making $9 an hour about their out-of-the-box defective product.

What really drove me over the edge was when the Reliance employee told me "it could be fixed, and they would be willing to ship me a cleaning kit.. I lost it and not so politely informed her that the onus to repair their product was on them and not on me as the consumer. I also informed them of the fact that it could be fixed was good news for Reliance, because they could "fix" it and unload their POS on some other unsuspecting sap who was unfortunate enough to purchase a Reliance product, unsuspecting that they would be responsible for correcting Reliance's design flaws just in order to get their brand-new product to work.

After calling McCoy's and firmly reminding them about state lemon laws, McCoy's finally agreed to take the heater back after I brought my plumber along in tow to address any reluctance to do the right thing. I gave McCoy's mixed reviews, thumbs up for taking the unit back without too much resistance and thumbs down for carrying such a complaint-riddled line of products.

Reliance, on the other hand, has absolutely the worst customer service I have ever experienced, beating out my previous number one, Sprint, which I never thought could be surpassed in arrogance, uncooperativeness, and obtuseness. Berating customers who refuse to tolerate ice cold showers while awaiting "repair" kits so that they can "fix" the inherent design flaws in their out-of-the-box pieces takes the cake. Reliance: The absolute worst customer service experience ever.

Will not replace/repair defective Reliance water heater I purchased from them last year. Reliance 606 gas water heater known for bad pilot lights.

This is about Reliance 606 water heater. Looking at this website, I see numerous complaints from all over the country for this exact same problem: pilot light goes out, will not re-light, no hot water. I have survived this so far by manually re-lighting the pilot twice a day to get warm water. There is no hot water now even after manual re-light. The company technician was virtually useless. Judging from all the complaints, they knew the problem but would not admit it to me. Do not buy from this company!

Since purchasing the water, have had the switch to the pilot light replaced 3 times and still will not stay on. The company should replace this defective product with a properly working water heater.

I bought a Reliance 30 Gallon Model No. 530 Norto C Water Heater from Home Depot back in the early 1990s. I had it installed professionally by a local plumber. It served my family well for over 15 years. Fast forward to May 2010, I had a work related trip out of the country for three and a half weeks, I came home and found that it had ruptured from rust and leaked from several different locations spilling and spraying hot water which damaged my house beyond your imagination.

The insurance clean-up crew figured that it had been dumping hot water in our house for at least two weeks. Needless to say, when I purchase our next water heater, I will stay clear of a Reliance as it has proved not very reliable! I lost at least 90% of our furniture, all electronics, walls, floors, and ceiling. The estimated time from insurance to move back home is 8 months.

It seems I'm not the only one out there who is having problems. Pilot light goes out on water tank and will not stay lit. I have a 2 year old and a pregnant wife who need hot water. I'm scared that gas will leak in the house and cause harm. From the reviews I have read, it sounds like the company is fully aware of the problem and is doing nothing about it. I would really just like Reliance to step up and fix the issue. We shouldn't have to stress about if I'm going to have hot water to take a shower after work or to give my son a bath. There's really no damage, but we're tired of dealing with it. I don't have 5 to 6 hundred dollars laying around to replace a 3-4 year old water heater.

Now it is gonna be 6-29-2010 before we have hot water. Even then we are not sure if the part will arrive in time. Even when I was looking up the company I found numerous complaint on this hot water tank for the exact same problem. I would not recommend this tank to anyone. To beat it all the company told they knew the part was faulty. Reliance dont seem to care about their customers or care about the kinda products they sell. Only about the money. Real [bad] if you ask me. Ive sent an email to the company, this site, then Im going to BBB to lodge a complaint as well. We have 5 kids and 2 adults in this house, not to mention clothes, laundry, dishes, drinking etc etc. With almost 100 degree weather it makes it rough.

I purchased this 1 1/2 years ago and the pilot light stopped working. You can re-light it and burners will bring water up to temp. but then the pilot goes out again. Purchased from Morton lumber co. in Borger, TX. They said they'll replace it with another brand free of charge. It's good to deal with a reputable business. Of course this happened on Friday after working hours so being out of hot water for 3 days (still out of commission) is hard when you have 2 little grand kids.

We've had our Reliance 606 gas water heater for three years. It is actually the second one we've had in five years. When the first one began causing problems, we complained to the company enough that they actually replaced it with a new 606. However, this one seems to actually be worse. Once lit and the water has heated, the pilot light instantly goes out again. It's unbelievable that these things are still on the market.

Water heaters are junk. The filter system for combustible air stinks. It is almost impossible to keep the ceramic filter clean. I have to loosen the cover up, to keep the pilot on. It's not worth the money or hassle. It's nice for the plumbing companies to make money on.

The pilot light does not stay lit, when the heater is barely two years old. I never know if we are going to get hot water. We called company, did what they told us to do and we still cannot get it to stay lit. Now, I have to pay plumber to come over and check out water tank again.

I have the water heater since two years ago and have problems with it. It doesn't stays on.

My husband bought a Reliance heater that is barely 2 years old. The problem is that the pilot light is constantly going out. Lately, the pilot light goes out just about every day. This not a good situation because we have laundry, dishes, and we like to shower everyday. My next complaint will be to the BBB.

This is what I found out after going to the hardware store where the tank was purchased in 2005. I was told it would only be replaced under the 6 yr warranty if it's a "leaker", otherwise to call Reliance. You can call Reliance at 1-800-365-4054 and choose the option for technical assistance. I was lucky enough to speak with Kathy who explained there is a filter under the tank that needs to be cleaned or otherwise, the pilot goes out due to lack of fresh air. She explained how to clean the filter and told me I could see a video at hotwater101, choose "hot topics" then "gas model" then "filter cleaning". She also mailed a free fancy-dancy cleaning kit which included a long handled brush, vacuum attachment, and filter cover to go around the bottom of the tank to keep dirt out. After "standing on my head" to clean the filter which is located under the center of the tank, I re-lit the pilot. So far, a week later it's still lit. It seems like a manufacturer defect. I never had to do this on any other tank I've owned. Hopefully you will save $400 for a new tank like I have. Good Luck!

Reliance water heaters are the biggest piece of junk you can buy for a water heater. Its pilot light keeps going out, stays lit for a couple hours and goes out. Reliance pilot light might stay on and then again it might not. Stays on sometimes for weeks and then goes out again. I replaced my pilot light unit several times, still doesn't work properly. I talked with representative from True Value Hardware where this junk was purchased and he stated there were problems with these water heaters.

He also stated that you might have to clean out around the bottom where the screen is. Take a shop vacuum and blow all the dust out from underneath and around the inside of the heater. This seems to work for a while, however, it starts doing the same thing by going out, never knowing if you're going to have hot water or not. This is all a real joy, let me tell you. The representative at Handyman True Value said nothing more could be done about this, especially when getting a different hot water replacement. I'm tired of changing pilot light kit, I'm sick of this water heater, and I'm tired of hearing my wife **.

It is time for Reliance Water Heater Company to fess up to having a problem and have a recall on these items and pay to have new water heaters installed instead of my expense of around $500.00 dollars. Why does it always cost the consumer? I guarantee one thing, I'll never buy another Reliance Gas Water Heater and nor should anybody else

Purchased a Reliance 606 30 gallon hot water tank in 2006 with a 6yr warranty. What junk; after only 2 years of operation, the pilot won't stay lit. The company blamed improper installation in a bathroom and will not replace parts or honor the warranty. They will not even sell me the parts. I've lit the tank so many times it is a joke. It stays lit for 2 days at a time. Two major design flaws in the tank; poor performance and they left off the UN in front of their company name UNRELIANCE. I will replace it soon with anything but a Reliance tank. I saw the internet complaints; this is not a coincidence.

I bought a 650Hort water heater 22 months ago and it has never worked properly. The pilot will not stay lit. I have spoken with the Company several times and always have a different solution, none of which have worked. This is a faulty product.

I was wondering if anyone has had a problem with Reliance 640 Electric Water Heater? In two years I have replaced several elements and at times it just doesn't reheat the way it should. This doesn't happen often but enough to make it noticable. i.e. Shower and 3 hours later just luke warm water.

There's a reason why contractors use this brand; no call-backs. Econimnic damage may be to my wallet if I PAY for a BRADFORD WHITE at a contractor supply store. Mental damage knowing I can't take a hot shower, clean dishes, etc. during winter...until I get that damn thing replaced!

i bought a brand new Reliance 606 40-gallon water heater in July of 2008. In December of 2009, it just stopped working. First it was hard to light and when lit, wouldn't burn long; then it wouldn't light at all. I went back to the hardware store where I bought it and was told that the product is a lemon, that everybody had bought one had the same problem after a year or two. I was also told that even if it were fixed it would happen again down the road. A little research on the Internet revealed a chorus of unhappy Reliance 606 customers.

I called the Reliance company and was grilled by a woman in the warranty department who after reading for awhile from from the encyclopedia of warranty stipulations, finally found one that voided my warranty. She wanted me to wanted me to put weatherstripping around the door and take pictures and send them to her before she'd send the replacement pilot mechanism; meanwhile I hadn't been able to shower for two days and wouldn't be able to for many more if I complied with her request. At that point I decided to just replace the entire defective water heater at my own expense. That company should own up to their defective product and recall these water heaters NOW.

reliance 40 gal gas hot water heater. ran fine for two years, now the pilot light keeps going out. replaced the thermocupler after a week have the same problem. have had two plumbers look at the unit they have no idea what is wrong. reliance has just run me in circles for months. as soon as I have the money it will be replaced. o not buy anything from reliance co.

I do not know what to do about this! We can not run our dishwasher and we have to take cold showers. It is hard when you have kids that NEED to have baths cause they go to school.

12 yr. warranty, again self cleaning. I installed the unit, light the pilot light & now I expect it to continue on serving someone else after I'm gone as I'm now 75 yrs. young!! So in closing I'd say Reliance does make good if not great water heaters.

pilot light and control box not working, only one year old. need fixed. given run around by company. fyi--a lawyer paid for this product so i do not need to speak with one--know law and you need to repair or replace the water heater ASAP. no hot water for several weeks now, no bath, not able to wash dishes, water heater sitting there not able to use

What is [their] company going to do in reguards to this. I see that there are many complaints about this tank. Small grandkids in home. Can't give baths have to heat water on stove to wash dishes.

I bought a Reliance water heater in July of 2005. The model number was 640YORT. On Sept 19, 2009, for the third time since I bought the unit, the pilot light went out. I tried to relight the pilot but it failed to relight. I did a search on the internet and I found several other people who have reported the same problem. I think it would be a good idea for people to buy a water heater from a different company.

i bought and installed 12 of these units model 606 and 10 of them have failed i replaced 3 of them and then the place i was buying the replacements from quit selling heaters this is a small town so we only have to places to buy them and both sell that brand. i would have to drive to billings 220 miles from here to get another brand, i called them when we first had trouble and they spent a lot of time telling me how it was my fault and how to vacume the screens so i quit talking to them but now the customers are threating to take me to small claims court so i tried to talk to them again today, the lady i spoke wit tried to find why it was not their fault if it has a 3 in flu stack it is to small if it has a 4 in it is to big and if it ties into the flue with a t instead of a y then it it my fault anyway then finally referred me to a service center in org.. 2000 miles from me and when i called him,, he just laughted and told me there was nothing he coud do for me,, remember when you call them the person you talk to has a job,, and it is to find out why it is not thier fault and why they don't have to warrenty it,, so don't tell them anything you did to try to make it work..

I resubmitted this complaint because I put the wrong phone number.

It was a weekend so customer service with Reliance was closed. I contacted them through email. They refused to an exchange because there was not a good enough reason to replace it. They ask me if I had a someone come out to repair it. I said yes but they still did not think there was any reason for an exchange.

On October 05, 2007 we purchased a reliance water heater from Ganahl Lumber. On Saturday, March 21, 2009 it would no longer heat the water and on March 22, 2009 I went back to Ganahl and purchased another reliance water heater . This was the second time this water heater did this. A week or two before March 21, it would not heat or ignite. I had a plumber come out the first time this happened and he got it going but told me that if it happened again to call the manufacturer because it should not being doing this. It was a weekend so customer service with Reliance was closed. I contacted them through email. They refused to an exchange because there was not a good enough reason to replace it. They ask me if I had a plumber come out to repair it. I said yes but they still did not think there was any reason for an exchange.

We have purchased two Reliance Water Heater Company's 40 gallon water heaters because the first one would not stay lit and neither will the second one. We have called and complained and have called the place we bought it from (and who installed it) and everyone just shrugs it off. We have to light it 10-20 times a day and we never have not water. Complaints don't get us anywhere. Every time I call Reliance to complain, they are hateful and rude and blame it on the installer. The place we bought it has quit carrying this brand of hot water heaters because they had to replace too many and have had nothing but trouble with them. We have had this one for one year and have done nothing but made calls to complain, with no solutions. We want to have this replaced, but no one will claim responsibility for the expense of replacing it and we WILL NOT pay one more dime. We feel the True Value in which we bought it should be responsible, as should the reliance hot water heater. We DO NOT WANT A RELIANCE appliance again.

Cold baths, not able to use our dishwasher, having to stay in hotels or at our parents' home, not able to stay at our house for Christmas b/c of no hot water. It's very frustrating, especially with an infant and during cold winter months.