Rheem

Failure in 5 years and 10 Months and a 6-year warranty not honored: The Rheem water heater was installed when the house was finished in July 2006. The water heater failed in May 2012, having rusted through the bottom. The product was designed to fail shortly after the warranty date. Water heaters used to be considered durable goods, and that level of quality needs to be our expectation, given the nature and cost of the product.

Rheem confirmed that the unit was still covered under warranty. However, the warranty terms and the procedure for replacement are unconscionable to the point where it would be more cost-effective to replace the unit at your own expense. So, we have a non-durable good and a difficulty to enforce warranty. Both of these conditions are illustrative of failure (and indicative of our national culture, which encourages corporate theft through planned obsolensce).

I have sent a certified letter to Rheem on these issues and concerns. Let's see if the company will stand by its products. The reviews on this site and others don't give me much hope in this regard.

Similar to some of the stories I have read here, I had the displeasure of owning a Rheem Power Vent water heater. There was trouble from the start. I've previously spent close to $700 on labor for "covered repairs." Today was the last straw. The blower was gone again! It's another $350-400 in labor to replace. We told them to yank the Rheem and give us something that would work. Here is the list: a blower (twice), a valve that went bad, and something with the electronic unit all inside of five years! Sure, the part is covered, but I can't afford this piece of junk. Until this water heater, I had owned three others at various homes over 17 years and never once had a repair. Please pass the word about Rheem water heaters. They should be making things right.

replacement of unit. However, aside from the six year limit, this unit has been defective from the start with major replacement parts, motor, vents, etc., which are on file with Rheem. Now, the water heater itself is leaking a few weeks over warranty. This unit is defective and should have been replaced. Does Rheem considers 6 years to be the normal working life of their water heater? Since I have been informed by the plumber that this is the only water heater that can be installed, I have no choice but to replace with inferior Rheem water heater again. I would have expected to be compensated by Rheem for the water heater, especially since this is the only model which can be used.

I am very dissatisfied with my tankless water heater. Our problem of no hot water started in June of 2011 and we continue to have this problem. Tankless water heater would work for few weeks then start flashing error code 11 or 12 on the monitor, and no hot water. This issue continued on and off for a while and now, it has gotten worst. We've contacted Rheem customer care several times and each time, they all seem to tell us different reason for our problem. It really is a challenge trying to see if we will have hot water each day. Just recently, Rheem representative told my husband the gas line pipe is the wrong size. That's not true because we've already checked the line, valve, gas flow, etc. They don't know what the heck they are talking about. They must read the problem manual given to them when they were hired.

We've also had Rheem authorize repairer looked at it. They have no idea what or how to fix this problem. Between Rheem customer care and Rheem authorized repairer, I don't know which one is worse because they are just one sorry ** after another. My husband and I are seriously thinking about switching back to the good, old-fashion water heater because we never had any problem with it. When our friends talk about installing tankless water heater, we tell them don't get Rheem tankless water heater because it sucks!

I am very dissatisfied with my tankless water heater. It cost 5 times as much as a regular water heater and 3 times as much to fix. I will never, and I mean never, buy another Rheem product again. I've had my water heater for three years and about three weeks ago, it started flashing an error code and the plumber has been here three times and still the piece of crap doesn't work.

So that's over two weeks with no constant hot water and a bill that I could have bought two regular water heaters with. I guess I was the ** one for choosing this product. Never again. I called and asked if there was a contractor they could recommend and he's over 30 miles away. Anybody who asks me about this product, I only have negative things to say to them now.

Read the reviews, then run as fast as you can to find another supplier. At 15 years old, my old water heater was running fine, but I decided it was time to replace it before it died. I contracted for a Rheem Power Vent unit (a requirement in my situation), which made it quite expensive at $1,300 with installation. It lasted 30 months, and died with what turns out to be a common problem with the valve. The installing contractor sent the repair over to a Rheem specified service organization, who was not very responsive. It took me a day to get a call back, and they totally blew off a 3PM to 7PM arrival window scheduled for the next day, and called 8AM the following day (3 days) acting dumb, and said "can we come now?"

They found the failing valve, but only after I stopped him from leaving, when it started up (as it always does), and the repair guy says "see, its working". Sure, just wait 5 minutes for it to start ignition failure recycling every 2 minutes. Finally he saw that, went and got the part, and fixed it. I just got the bill. 3 hours at $125 (should be one hour) and $356 for the "Smart Valve". Sure it's smart for Rheem and the repair guy. Me, I've just spent over 1/2 the cost of a new unit, to fix one that is only 30 months old. Where is the "warranty?"

We installed in January 2010 an RGRM 95% efficiency brand new furnace with an authorized contractor from Rheem. In September of 2010, we had to call the dealer to help turn the furnace on. We are once again unable to get the furnace to turn on this October. The Rheem technician is asking us to call the dealer back in and pay for labor.

This is a brand new furnace, why should we have to call the dealer in every September/October to help start this furnace? Obviously, we have a faulty unit that Rheem is refusing to help us with. An older 30-year-old furnace did not give us any problems. This is supposed to be a brand new furnace and Rheem is asking us to purchase an extended warranty

On Oct. 3, 2011, I ordered a part for my 4 year old water heater. It was because my repairman said that Rheem will not send them to repairmen so they can repair it, and that I can only get one part replaced. If it goes bad again, I have to replace the water heater. It's not good. So, we contacted Rheem and ordered the part at approximately 2:00 pm. They said it would be shipped over night. It wasn't. I called them the next day. They said it was not going to get here until the next day. I thought that by buying a name brand water heater, it would be reliable. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Whatever happened to customer service? The people I talked to were just a call center, so they really didn't care.

Rheem does not honor their warranty. My plumber installed two Rheem water heaters in my two family and it worked great for two years. Three months ago, one of them burst at the bottom and flooded my basement. It was not a problem because I got 6 or 7-year warranty on the product. I then called Rheem they confirmed that the product is under warranty. They gave me a return number and advised me that I should take the defective heater back to where I purchased it.

The contractor took it back but the distributor where it was originally purchased said that they will not exchange. I contacted Rheem and they told me to try another distributor--same thing, no exchanges. I called several more and asked Rheem if they could ship me one they said no. This has been ongoing for three months so I eventually contacted the BBB. Rheem said that they would give me a fair market value. This turns out to be about $400 when a new heater cost is about $800--not fair at all.

Please do not purchase from Rheem because they do not honor their warranty. I purchased a different brand to replace the defective one. You will get ** when your heater fails. I had to pay an additional $400 for a new heater.

I purchased a new 12-year water heater in December 2009 from Home Depot. Less than two years later (21 Aug 11), the water heater broke down, the pilot light failed to light and there was no hot water. I called GE/Rheem service line and instructions were given to re-light the pilot. I got it going for only five minutes before shutting off again.

Then, I called Pacific Gas and Electric Company on the next day, 22 Aug 11, for unbiased diagnostic check. PG&E came on 23 Aug 11 and determined that the water heater was properly installed, the air vents were clear and no obstructions but, again, the pilot light failed to sustain or remain lit for more than six minutes.

I called GE/Rheem service line and described the sequence of events. The phone technician quickly stated that she would send a "gas valve control" which would "take care of the problem." I asked if there were problems with these heaters but I did not get a clear answer. She stated that she would send out the part via FedEx to arrive the next day between 10-12 noon. It's already 5:00 p.m. but there is still no part and it is too late now to find a plumber to come install.

Meanwhile, it has been four days without hot water. I checked the Internet and found an incredible amount of complaints regarding the specific product of GE water heaters and many of them were purchased from Home Depot.

My 50-gallon water heater leaked all over the lower floor of my home while under warranty. I spoke with Rheem and they told me because I replaced my heater with another brand heater, I violated their warranty.

So if it were up to them, I would have called them instead of a plumber.

On 3/24/2009, we bought our 3rd GE/Rheem water heater. The 1st one leaked after 4 years and we replaced it with another GE/Rheem water heater. We also bought the warranty for this water heater. This second water heater started leaking on 3/24/2009 at which time we had it replaced again with another GE/Rheem water heater which was the only way they would cover the warranty. This 2009 GE/Rheem water heater started leaking on 8/3/2011. GE/Rheem would not honor the warranty unless we replaced it with another GE/Rheem water heater which means that we would be replacing it again in another 2 1/2 years. This water heater had a 12 year warranty but that is not honored. We purchased a different brand of water heater.

Since we had this house built and moved in 2002, we had a new GE side by side refrigerator, a GE dish washer, A GE microwave oven and duel GE electric ovens installed. So far, we had to have the refrigerator worked on, the dish washer replaced, the microwave replaced and the ovens don't keep a good heat (he ovens will range from 350 to 450 when set at 350), and now 3 water heaters. I would advise people not to buy any GE products. They are a bunch of junk!!

I purchased/installed a 40 gal GE hot water tank from Home Depot just 1 month ago. It's a model SE40M12AAH, w/12-year warranty, and while it's a GE brand believe the mfg is Rheem.

When the top element is "on" the tank makes a loud hissing noise and you can almost hear it heating the water. This noise is constant when the hot water was just used, or is running. I can't even stand to work down my basement anymore because of this obnoxious unbearable noise. Sure am glad it's not installed on a first floor living area.

I called GE/Rheem technical support and the rep asked me what kind of water supply I have? I told him well water but it's filtered, doesn't have any iron/sulfur/minerals, and is as clear as spring water.

He told me the the top element probably has sediment built up on it and I need to remove it/clean with beach. I told him I've lived here for 26 years, have had 3 hot water tanks, and none of them ever made this loud noise. I also asked how sediment would build up on the top element since if there is any it would build up at the bottom of the tank? He said I will still need to pull the element out and clean w/bleach. I asked him what tool I needed and he said I need a 1 1/2" deep-well socket to remove the element or a plumber's element removal tool. Think this is called a element winch. Regardless, I don't have one and he told me I will need to get one.

The tech did say he would send me a "complementary" replacement top element.

I can't believe after just 1 month of use I'm expected to work on this new hot water tank. Should I expect this every month??

I purchased the more expensive 12 -month warranty hot water tank since I thought it would be better and last longer. It's already turning into a nightmare and wish now I wouldn't have gone with GE/Rheem.

In looking over the warranty there is a 1-year full warranty where they are supposed to send someone out to replace defective parts free of charge. I sure wasn't offered this service and I saw nowhere in the warranty where they mentioned well water may be a problem. It sure wasn't with the other tanks I had including 2 which were Rheem brands.

It should also be noted this tank is listed as a "self-cleaning tank" so how could any "sediment" be building up on the elements already?

They sure don't build them like they used to. I also miss the exterior bottom thermostat control knob for turning down the temp up/down as needed, or down when you are on vacation. Now you have to remove the bottom thermostat cover, and insulation, to turn the temp up/down with a screwdriver.

I've yet to contact Home Depot on these hot water tank problems and it will be interesting to see what they say.

It's kind of ironic Home Depot raised the price on this tank to $366 from $319 a month ago. Nothing like paying $47 more for a hot water tank I'm already having problems with after 1 month of use.

I bought a GE (Rheem) water heater in Dec. of 2006. It replaced a water heater that was at least 30 years. It is leaking from the top casting hot water line and the lady that I talked to on the phone, tried to say that my plumber didn't use tape to seal the screw connection. It was leaking below that area! I am going to purchase another brand, so, I wouldn't even want a "free" replacement. I am sure that it would not last!

I purchased and installed a GE (Rheem) water heater (Model SG50T12TXK00) in September, 2008 (12 year warranty). On December 28, 2010 the burner/pilot light failed. I called GE/Rheem and they overnight mailed a new burner assembly. To install the burner assembly the drip pan had to be cut out to gain access to the assembly (Draining the tank and removing the vent and water supplies was too much work). The thermal couple, piezo, pilot tube assembly was charred and is stamped: Mexico. I had no hot water for two days.

The day after Thanksgiving, I discovered I had no hot water. My gas water heater tank was empty, standing in its pan full of water that had not completely drained. A plumber inspected the tank and declared the problem was a leak, that everything else was OK. The tank failed just a little over a month after its 6-year warranty expired. The plumbing company called Rheem to see if they would honor the warranty anyway since the tank failed so close to the date. No way! That tank replaced one that lasted from 1983 to 2004 with no problems. I will not replace the tank with a Rheem product. The company also has a bad attitude.

I've had the propane water heater in my house replaced in 2008 with a rheem. It is now leaking all over the floor from the bottom. I called the propane company that put it in and they say call a plumber. It has a 6 year warranty.

Too bad rheem only last 2 years and why would I have to pay a plumber by the hour to tell me its no good. What a waste of money, not to mention I cannot afford to hire a plumber. The propane company couldn't even tell me if it was dangerous or not. It's propane if it fails, I worry about carbon monoxide or worse it exploding. I will never buy a rheem again.

The water leakage ruined 3 boxes of wood flooring and is constantly running under my washer and dryer which will ruin the floor. This gas water heater is in my garage and we don't want to die by a failing(exploding) gas water heater we cannot afford to replace or fix.

We had a Rheem water heater installed a little under six years ago as part of a re-pipe. The water heater failed, causing it to leak and cause structural damage to our home. Our previous water heater lasted for well over 25 years, despite hard water conditions. Apparently, Rheem water heaters are characteristic of this. Rheem water heaters are known for leaking; particularly where there are hard water conditions.

Once the water heater leaked, Rheem denied that it was still under warranty, declaring the commencement of the warranty based on the manufacture date instead of the installation date. This is just a pure violation of the terms of the warranty. However, the option is to deal with "call center hell" and listen to the myriad of excuses from the Rheem cliche playbook. I just decided it's not worth it. Rheem took our money. We got a bad product. Now we are cleaning up the mess.

I installed a brand new Rheem water heater in 2008. It quit working, so I pressed the reset button. I got shocked to the tune of 220 volts! And was burned by the sparks. I switched the circuit breaker off and called Rheem. They said only parts are covered under warranty, not labor. Being somewhat handy, this was okay. They told me to go to Home Depot to buy replacement parts, because they manufacture parts for Home Depot. I bought 2 new elements and a thermostat and replaced these items. I then called Rheem for a reimbursement and was told that they won't reimburse me! The lady further questioned whether I even called Rheem beforehand! So now Rheem is screwing me and calling me a liar!

The hot water heater is 15 months old. It no longer works and is under warranty, but for parts only. That should say enough! But the story goes on; we are required to pay labor hours to a plumber to stay on the phone with tech support at Rheem. Oh, and let's see, Rheem decides it is the part the plumber already knows and then they mail only half of the required parts. Oh, and then it is Saturday, and they don't ship and then when we get this part on Tuesday (remember this is under warranty). Still doesn't work, the tech support's answer is that now we need a "blower". Guess What? Your customer who still has a warranty hasn't had hot water for 5 days!

Economic harm? I am paying for the labor. So far, it is in exceeds of $300.00 for something under warranty. And, I actually do have a professional job, and who would think that are health reasons to have no water for days after installing a hot water heater only one year ago. For a well known company, with what I thought was a good reputation. They actually suck!

I had a new Rheem 4 ton heat pump installed at my personal residence in April 2010. Less than two months later, the unit fractured the bleed line from the condenser orifice. I had it repaired costing 481 dollars. No parts were changed, just the line repaired and 15 lbs of freon. This line vibrates badly when the compressor starts and will probably break again if something is not done. I talked to Rheem and they had nothing to say about. I have heard of many other units with the same problem.

Water heater leaking for over one year. I bought a new condominium and have occupied it since August 8, 2004. I believe the company should honor the warranty beginning when I started using the heater and not when the builder purchased the product.

New home (3yo) came with 4 ton Rheem central air. It started blowing hot air the week before Memorial Day. Tech was here fast and found a coil leak and bad valve. Unit has 10 year warranty. Cordova HVAC checked and no coils are available anywhere. Rheem says it has to manufacture one and it'll be on the 11th (3 weeks). Nope. Now it's the 28th (5 weeks). No labor is included so my warranted unit will cost over $600 to repair, if they can find a coil. Memphis has been regularly running 100-110 heat indexes with no relief in sight. As I work out of my house, it is not a pleasant place to be.

I purchased a 82uh40-2 model date 11-2004 with serial number RH 1104B27346. I was real happy with my hot water for the first few years, and then out of the blue, a terrible odor came from my tank. Too gross! I don't know what to do about it. I was a supervisor in the The Villages Florida for several years and noticed this was a problem for some of the residents there also. I don't know whom to contact to help with this problem. Do I have to buy another tank or can I drain in hopes that it won't happen again? I will appreciate any advise I can get on this problem.

On April 28th, our hot water tank burst. The tank was only four years old. The tank was purchased from Home Depot. After talking to GE/Rheem, they decided to replace the tank since the tank actually burst from inside and was not an overflow problem. The tank was a top of line 50 gal 12-year tank. Since the tank didn't even last a third of its guaranteed life, I called Rheem to see what compensation they would provide. After getting the blah blah runaround, I finally was put in touch with Daniel. He stated that it would be "morally wrong to provide any compensation for their faulty tank." I then asked to be connected with someone who had the authority to resolve my problem in my favor. I was directed to a Philip who was not available.

The next day, he left a message saying he was calling to hopefully resolve the issue. When I recalled Rheem, he has on every following call been unavailable and has not called either my cell phone or home number. If this same situation happened to the president of the company, I know for sure that he or she would have had the problem taken care of, no questions asked and certainly at no cost to their selves. If the rule is no help, then I know someone further up the corporate can make the decision to make an exception to the rule ruling. I am not necessarily looking for a large amount of money, simply, that as a good corporate citizen, they would cover the install cost of the replacement tank after three and a half years. Both Home Depot and GE/Rheem had the opportunity to do the "morally" right thing and come up with at least some cost covering expense.

Pilot light goes out at least twice a year. It finally refused to stay lit longer than one minute. Plumber looked at it and said, "Yeah, you're going to have to call Rheem to get the warranty validated". They got some type of safety sensor in there. In order to validate the warranty, Rheem tech support requires me to "remove a safety feature and send it in", and if it is bad, they will send me another one.

So, what do I do about no hot water for four days, while we mail this, and mail that around? Did you ever try telling a nurse that there's no hot water for her? Do you know what part of the bear is sore? I think that this is just a really neat way for Rheem to avoid any warranty coverage that they have.

Hey Rheem, you want to run a business right? Send the sensor out first and require the old one be returned. Or better still, how about some reps that can fix your junk? This is just one more prime example of how bad business has got in the US in the last five years. You'll never get me to buy one of these, or a rude, again.

Please be advised that I am requesting your assistance concerning what I feel to be a defective GE/Rheem hot water heater. Also my licensed plumber does not accept Rheems answer of pressure issues for many reasons. First, there are no other pressure issues within the entire house. Second, all homes in the area have same pressure and I've discussed this matter with my neighbors, and the utility company and no one else has reported pressure issues to the St. Lucie County Water and Utilities. I would hope that you as a company they would want to investigate this matter beyond a few pictures sent via the internet.

I've purchased a replacement and this morning, my licensed plumber installed the replacement. He again today called Rheem and stated that within his 40 years of experience he's only seen this happen once before and it was on a much older model and make of hot water heater. Rheem ignored his explanation and requested for a Rheem representative to investigate beyond a few pictures. We asked this not only for warranty issues but for the safety of other consumers. I would think they (GE/Rheem) would want to investigate for their company's liability and I truly feel I have a faulty and defective product.

You have been sent numerous pictures of our defective hot water heater. As you can see from the photo the bottom of #1102B24278 has expanded from the bottom causing the copper tubing to actually be lifted up. I have been trying since Friday March 12 to seek resolution. Today at 2:45 pm, my plumber spoke to Jose and since that time, I've been calling (cell phone usage) and emailing pics today alone for two hours, not to mention paying for a plumber. I would appreciate your assistance before the pipes burst and flood my garage and/or house.

We moved into our home in December 15, 2003. We had the home built and had 2 hot water heaters installed, one for the kitchen and laundry and one for the bathrooms. Both were Rheem 40-gal with 6-year warranties. In November 2008, the first one failed. Water poured out of the vent on top of the tank. Rheem authorized a replacement tank, but I had to pay over $200 for the installation.

Last week, March 12, 2010, the second failed exactly as the first one, with water pouring out the vent on top of the unit. I called Rheem as the unit is only 3 months out of warranty. They refused to replace the unit under warranty and would not acknowledge a manufacturer defect, which I believe is the case. Both units have a manufacture date of February 2003.

They insisted that it was my fault, as I had not had an annual inspection of the anode rod. They were arrogant and rude and refused to investigate the possibility of a manufacturer defect. Rheem has lost a customer, and I would certainly not recommend their product to anyone else. They do not care about the consumer.

I purchased a Rheem heat pump in May of 2008. All summer I had no problem with the air coditioning, but, as soon as I started using the heating system, I had problems. I called the original contractor that installed the system, E. Wrenn Heat/Air, Scott **. He tried several times over the winter to fix the problem, to no avail. My problem was that the external fan was making a terrible rattling sound and I kept getting a horrible smell through the vents (dirty sock syndrome).

Finally, after consulting with a local Rheem tech., they came to the conclusion that certain parts needed to be replaced. After weeks of waiting and several phone calls about it, I was told by Scott, that he couldn't get cooperation from anyone and they kept telling him that the part hadn't come in. By this time winter was over, so, I decided not to push the issue right now, because even if they did fix it, I wouldn't know til next winter when I used he system. Of course by the next winter, around November 2009, the problem started again.

Again I called Scott. He again tried to look into the problem. Very shortly after that, my external fan totally quit working and nothing but ice cold air was coming through the vents. The only way I could get heat was to use the emergency heat strips. I knew this would run my electric bill up, but, I had no choice. By this time I was dealing with Rheem directly. Problem is they kept giving me the run around and putting me off. Meanwhile, my electric bill more than doubled, of which I cant afford to pay.

Finally, now that this winter is about over, on 2/17 they had another contractor to come out and replace the parts that they thought was causing the problem. Everything worked fine until 3/3, when I started having the same problems that I had originally had. I, of course, called David the next day, no answer, as usual. Finally got him on 3/5, and he said he would have the new contractor get in touch with me right away to come back out. Another week went by and no word from anyone.

Finally on 3/11, I called David. He returned my call app. 5.30 pm. He proceeded to tell me that I had two options. Either let Brian come out again and check things out and they would pay for that, or they will replace the system, but, I would be responsible for getting and paying someone to install it. I agreed to let Brian come out for now, but, it is not acceptable that if unit needs replacing that I have to pay a penny more to have it installed. I don't have that kind of money. I need someone to completely fix the problem now.

I also has talked to David about getting some compensation on my high electric bill, but, he told me that there was no way they would do that. Again, not acceptable. My electric bill would have never gone that high if I had had a system that worked properly. It's not my fault that their system was faulty. I think they should be held responsible.

My parents had a Rheem 3Ton 10 Seer Pkg. H.P., MN RQKA-A036JK015-541, installed by Kimbro which is now Interstate AC on 12-30-03. This unit is 7 yrs old and we were told it needs to be replaced. They paid $4,397.00. My father has passed away in November 2009. My Mom and myself are very unhappy with this product. People should get more than 7 years out of a new unit.

My Mom noticed it was cold in the house and then she noticed it was running all the time. Interstate told us the compressor had leaked out all the freon, he supposedly patched it and filled it with freon and charged $275.00 on February 5, 2009. A week later my Mom noticed it was not shutting off again and cold. Interstate said she needed a new unit.

We got a second opinion from another company they agreed it has to be replaced. For two months her light bill was three times what it normally is. Which is great since she doesn't have any income coming in yet due to my father's death. She will have to buy new unit out of her savings which is what she is currently living off of.

I purchased and installed a Rheems Water Heater in Jan `09. It had a 12 year warranty. Last month (Jan), the unit leaked and caused $400 in water damage to a shelf in my garage. A plumbing contractor hired by Rheems to handle warranty matters, determined that the leak came from the water heater (it leaks only when it's on and the water is heated), and replaced the defective unit with a new one; he took the old unit away. I've requested payment of $400 from Rheems insurance carrier, Esis, but Karin, the adjuster has refused my claim on the grounds that I have not shown that the leak was caused by the water heater.

She did offer a reduced amount $200 to settle, which I refused. I am now considering filing a small claims suit. Physical damage to shelf and wall where the water heater was - I hired a local contractor to repair the water damage at a cost of $400. I also incurred additional expenses amounting to approx. $200 which I have not pursued as I don't have the receipts.

I had a 12 year 50-gallon water heater installed in 2006. A number of years later, the tank goes flooding my finished basement and creating a mess. I called the number on the water heater, gave them the serial number, and they said no problem, go to Home Depot and exchange it out. Wow, I thought great. So I contacted Rheem with a bill from the plumber to unhook the old water heater and install the new one and to and from travel for the exchange. I sent the bill in figure having the rug shampooed and the cleanup and throwing out water/rust damaged stuff and the told me a 12-year water heater is 1 year parts and labor and an 11-year prorated exchange policy unless you have pictures of the heater where the seam burst on the tank and an engineer do an analysis proving the product failed.

You have to be kidding me. I went to the BBB with it and Rheem basically said, "It's your problem, not ours." There are so many other companies out there that will stand behind their product, not like Rheem. If you like on the Better Business Bureau, they have hundreds of complaints and don't think they need to do anything about it. Do yourself a favor, do not buy Rheem products unless you are looking to have a headache! It's cost me $500.00 out of pocket to replace the 3-year-old water heater. I lost a box of pictures that can't be replaced and throw out numerous toys that were damaged, and paid $200.00 to have the rug cleaned! Thanks Rheem.

A new Rheem hot water heater was installed in October 2006. In Jan. 2010, just over 3 years later, it stopped working. When it first broke, we contacted an authorized service provider and also called Rheem to see exactly what was covered under warranty. We were told we needed to diagnose the heater with device from a home improvement store, report results, and they would ship us the correct part. This was such a strange way of handling warranty repairs. We assumed that maybe we had reached the number authorized service providers use to resolve warranty issues. As an end consumer with no expertise in the area of plumbing or gas and given that improper DIY repairs of this nature could be devastating, we should simply work through our Rheem authorized service provider.

The service contractor has ordered parts twice and twice has received the wrong part from Rheem. The service provider has given Rheem the correct part numbers and information, but Rheem continues to send the wrong part. This is the fifth day without hot water. I will never buy another Rheem water heater again as long as I live. And I will tell every single person I know to do likewise.

"At this time, we are looking into a condensation problem with a part of the water heater that may have loosened over time. Please wait for publication until we have the final word."

In any event, a company representative from the manufacturer, Rheem, made no effort to help us troubleshoot and told us we needed a new heater, as well as discouraged a second call to Home Depot. Home Depot's representative demonstrated excellence and thoroughness in customer service and referred us to General Electric (GE). GE's troubleshooters are now making every effort to help us with the problem. In fairness to GE, again, please do not publish until we have a final result. We will be in touch, so that we can make a final report.

The water heater that came with my home lasted for 26 years. I installed a Rheem water heater to replace it. It has to be replaced after only 6 and a half years.

We purchased our home in Arizona in 2004 and had the water tank replaced in 2005 under our home warranty.

As it was replaced at no charge we didn't get a receipt but did get a copy of the "Consumer Product Ownership Registration" and a copy of the Water Heater Warranty.

I called Bob this morning with my request for "in-home" service as stated under the 6 year limited warranty where customer pays for the parts and customer pays for the labor which I attached to an email. He said I needed to get a multi-meter, test which part was out. He suspected it was either a heating element or the thermostat. Once I used the mult-meter and diagnosed I was to call him back and they would send out the part I needed for me to install.

As we are at our vacation home only until after Christmas, doing my own testing and ordering the part makes no sense and we would probably be gone by the time the part arrived and be outof water for several days.

I read this warranty language stating that they paid the parts on in-home-service to no avail. He kept saying that in-houme-service parts replacement is only available during year one regardless of what my warranty says it doesn't work that way.

I have called a local repair place and will have it repaired today and will be sending them a copy of the receipt so they can honor their writeen warranty agreement.

I purchased a GE/Rheem 38 gallon LoNox gas water heater in Nov. 2008 from The Home Depot. The water heater had a 6 year manufacturers warranty; 1 year full warranty which included parts and labor, and a 5 year limited warranty which includes parts only. Two weeks after the full year warranty ran out in early Dec. 2009, the water heater developed a problem with the gas valve. The pilot would not stay lit. I tried appealing to both Home Depot and Rheem to honor the 1 year warranty as the failure occurred immediately after the full warranty had expired. I was told by both I was covered for parts not labor.

My wife made some phone calls and was able, after great effort, to get Rheem to cover the labor. Which was great, however the parts took two days to arrive. I was without hot water for a total of 4 days. My main beef is with the quality of the product and the surly and unhelpful people at Rheem customer service. A water heater should last for years without service. I had a Sears Kenmore water heater in my previous home from which I got 20 years of trouble free service before it failed. I was told by a service technician who works for an independent Rheem dealer and service center that gas valves on Rheem water heaters fail routinely.

You'd think Rheem would get a clue and fix that issue. Rheem's customer service people are unfriendly and much less than helpful. They are not empathic to the plight of a customer who has gone days without hot water. I found out after several calls when asking for the name of the person who had helped me on a previous call that there are 3 call centers that answer the same 1-800 number. The customer service representative would tell me there is no person at this call center with that name. I was told that information as if I should have known it. Rude, surly, condescending and arrogant are suitable descriptives. I will never buy another Rheem product.

Had the local So.Cal Gas company come to our home for annual checkup on our gas appliances. The gas man found a bad gas leak from the GE Water control valve (which is only 1year and 10 months old). He immediately shot off the gas. Needs to be replaced. So I called the Warranty Dept. to report the problem, they said they would sent a new control valve, labor not covered. I ask why I have to pay for labor service since this a very serious matter A GAS LEAK. Their answer was "thats the warranty covers". Only the first year. I became very upset. They "did not" seem to understand that this was a very serious problem. My major complaint is that if I did not have this annual check on our gas appiances. There would have been a VERY BAD GAS LEAK. I feel they should pay for the labor costs. I feel this could be a major problem to other people who should be made aware of.

This is my THIRD Rheem water heater, I had had to pay installation for in 2 years and not to mention the damages. They tell you to keep the product stickers. Well the plumber needs them to replace the water heater. All they mention is home owners insurance and I am out 900 in installation fees...

Don't buy one it is not worth the torment or unexpected expence to replace a product three times and not know if your going to do that how many times.

When we bought our home, it had a Rheem water heater. Five years into the 7-year warranty, the heater went out and flooded our basement. We had to have the carpeting and paneling replaced. The damages were $10,000. Rheem sent us a replacement heater. Less than 5 years later, the heater split at the seam and flooded our basement again. When we called Rheem, they told us that our replacement water heater was only under warranty under the first heater and they were not going to do anything for us. We had to pay for a new water heater (definitely not a Rheem!). We are still waiting for the final cost of the repairs this time.

I called Home Depot to install a water heater. They sent a plumber and a Rheem water heater. It was 50 gallons, gas, came with a 12-year warranty, and had a no need to bleed warranty. I noticed a slight decease in my hot water amount. I called a plumber to repair or advise. He advised me that the entire basement was flooded.

The entire basement was flooded. There was mold on the walls. They had to be removed as well as the ceiling and carpeting. Home Depot gave me a new tank. Rheem advised me to contact my homeowner's insurance. They stated that they would pay the deductible on the phone. I received a letter stating that I must provide color photos of the plumber installing the tank and numerous other ridiculous requirements.

Rheem gas water heaters came with the house we built in 2001. One failed in 8/2007, the other is working, no sign that it will fail or is going to fail. The water heater that failed caused over $5K in damages, etc. They denied my claim because they did not get a chance to review the water heater.

I have a report from the plumber that installed the original water heater and they installed the replacement water heater saying that the water heater failed due to manufactory defect because they way it failed, the erosion were from the inside out. As a result, it caused undue pressure to build up and explosive escape from whichever avenue it can escape from. In my case, the pressure escaped via the top of the tank. The plumber said that it could have been just as easily escape from the welding seam. It just happen that it did not on this particular water heater.

Looking at it from afar, you would not know anything was wrong with it except for a few eroded spots on the top of the tank. Rheem try to blank the damage to my property on a catch-pan, which didn't come into play when the water is spewing from the top of the tank causing damage to the surrounding area of my attic, which leaked into one of my Jack-N-Jill bedroom and closet. Damage to everything in that closet and 1/3 of the room, then leaked down to my dining room causing damage to my chandelier, shades, rug, table cloth and various chairs. Not to mention, the newly installed bamboo wood flooring.

Approximately every 3-4 months the heater stops working. To return the heater to service requires me to remove the burner assembly and use a vacuum cleaner and shop air pressures to suck and blow out the shut off damper air passages due to the design limitations. Rheem refuses to accept responsibility for the heater not working, claiming the enviroment around the heater is too dirty for the unit to operate properly in. The heater is in my basement in the same location a previous gas water heater that operated with no problem for 13 years. Rheem has installed a shut off damper through which all air must past to the burner for safety reasons. I propose the damper membrane holes are too small and become easily plugged which blocks off the air supply. The new design hot water heater I have will not operate in a normal home enviroment as would the old design without the damper assembly.

Rheem refuses to stand behind their product and is not a supplier I would recommend. I have filed a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission concerning this product.

I purchased a 19 gallon water heater 3 years ago. After three elements, I put a new one in. 3 weeks later it burned an element out, it was set to factory heat settings.

When the unit starts running there is a bad odor coming from the vents this just started happening and the company came out and put a part on the unit and charged me 300.00 dollars and the problem is still there

my home is unbearadle with this smell to live in plus i was out $300.00 for nothing

I purchase a Rheem tankless water heater model RTG-74DVN-1. It was professionally installed in Sept 2008 by a Mechanical Engineer BSME Iowa State University. The water heater would log a vent plugged computer code C8-13. From October 2008 to Feb 2009 Rheem tech support recomended the following changes.

Inspect vent for blockage (NONE)

i am a mobile home contractor.a customer called ,needed a new hot water heater,i went to my supplier,got the heater ,instaled it,it keeps going out,put two roof jacks on,still going out.a rheem tec. went out to the home,still doent work.called 1800 #.talk about rude!well my customer is still without hot h2o. i will never install a rheem product.

i have had to pay my help.my gas,my time,home owners unhappy and bad word of mouth spreads fast.RHEEM AS MADE ME LOOK BAD FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!this is not the first time BUT it is the last.i will tell evevryone i know in the mobile home bussiness.and post on the net about the inability of this company to stand behind there products

While Rheem sent a replacement baffle (did not pay for the installation of it) they refuse to respond to my concern that the problem will happen again. I suspect that this is an irresponsible company and should be avoided.

The defect in this water heater could well have caused the death of my family, had the utility company (NSTAR) not come to the house immediately and found the problem.

I purchased a Rheem tankless water heater rg53 dvu. This unit was defective upon installation.Rheem maintenance order # 1601986 Rheem tec asst claimed they would send a cust rep to investigate situatiuon. They refuse to take responsibility, only to tell me to seek satisfactio from the distributor

I paid $1200 for installation only to have to disconnect and reinstall my old gas heater for hot water.

I purchased a Paloma tankless water heater, which was installed Nov. 2007. On July 10, 2008, I awoke to find I had no hot water. My husband called the 800 # in our manual. Rheem made a service call to a local plumbing co. The plumber came on July 11 and determined that a gas valve was defective. Rheem said that they would overnight the part to our home for a Saturday delivery.

After waiting all day for Fedex, I called Rheem back, they had no tracking info for the part but assured me it was ordered and I would receive it on July 12. Needless to say today is July 14 and I still have no hot water. When I spoke to Rheem on July 12 they told me the only info they had was that the part was sent for Saturday delivery. when I called this morning they told me that their computers show that the part was shipped today 7/14.

I have been without water for 5 days. I have had to boil water for baths for myself and my 4 year old daughter. My husband has been taking cold showers. I think this is ridiculous. They have very poor customer service. I was told by Ms F that they are under no obligation to ship this part overnight and that it was done as a convenience to me. What convenience? I'm still waiting, even after they told me I would have it on July 12. I just want others to know about my experience.

I paid over $1000.00 for their product and am not at all happy with not having water for 5 days and the poor customer service. Rheem also told me that they do not have Senior technical support operators on the weekends. So I guess if you have a problem with your water heater you'd better hope it happens on a weekday. I also feel that since they are aware that they will not be able to ship parts on the weekend, that when a consumer calls on a day that falls close to the weekend(in my case a Thursday)that they should send a plumber the same day, to assess the problem, and then the part can be shipped immediately not after the weekend. When calling Rheem also be prepared to wait on hold for a long time. Both times that I called I was placed on hold for over 27 minutes.

No damage just huge inconveniences. I had to boil water for myself and my daughter to take a bath. Could not launder certain clothes. had to boil water to wash dishes

Rheem water heater was installed on 02/10/06. in April 2008 my water heater destroyed a room with a leaking hose, now in May 2008 there's no hot water and no water pressure. Called the representative and he said to replace the unit and keep the labels on the unit. No further information was given.

$4500 worth of damage to the house.

water heater.

This heater was defective
even when I brought it home,and had it professionally installed. It leaked immediately. Alabama Power provided me with a third Rheem water heater, and I
had it installed profesionally. The whole ordeal was over on March 3, 2008,

having lasted one week and 3 days.

I have recently found out about a now-explored class-action law suit regarding failed dip-tubes in water heaters. We had our Rheem water heater installed 12/31/98 by Flat-Rate Plumbing in Kenosha, WI. (They told me the water heater was guaranteed forever.) They charged me $l000.00 - I guess because it was New Years Eve. We have almost no hot-water pressure in the bathroom and very low pressure in the other taps in the house. When I read about the class-action suit, it was WAY too late. Was I supposed to be notified by Rheem or the plumber of the lawsuit? I never was. What can I do? Also, was (is) there any physical danger to the particles in the drinking water?