Whirlpool Water Heaters

On 1/24/12, I replaced a 15 year old water heater that had started to leak after years of faithful service. The new Whirlpool unit heated water to a tepid level only, and that was obtainable only after running several faucets at a time, full bore. I used the product manual to trouble-shoot and was unable to find the problem, so I called Whirlpool customer service and was told that I would need to have a plumber come and and inspect the plumbing before a technician could be sent to check the water heater. I was not very happy about that, but complied. The next day, a plumber inspected the lines and fittings, tested the pressure and agreed that the problem was likely a faulty water heater. That cost me $95.00. I called Whirlpool again. This time, I was told that I should have had the plumber call Whirlpool while he was still at my home! The customer service representative agreed to authorize a service call, and I was given the phone numbers of three companies to choose from.

Apparently, I chose wrong. The plumber seemed experienced and was very friendly. He was at our home for about 40 minutes, made a cursory inspection and said the problem did indeed seem to be with the unit, and he would return to his office to contact Whirlpool and arrange for a replacement unit and he would call back. Tellingly, I realize in retrospect, he did not give me a receipt. After several hours, I called the company and was told Whirlpool had not yet called them, and if I did not hear from them soon, I should call Whirlpool myself. This seemed reasonable to me, and I did so, at which point I realized I had been lied to from the start. The Whirlpool representative said that the service technician stated that he had run an isolation test, obtained hot water from the water heater, advised the homeowner (me) that the problem was in the plumbing, and I possibly had 'crossed lines'. She also told me that the technician had said that he had difficulty making the homeowner understand what he was trying to explain. A complete and utter falsehood. I asked her how an isolation test was carried out, and that I would call the plumber to see what was going on, as this was not what we had been told. I was livid and called the plumbing company back just in case there was some honest mistake. Of course, there wasn't.

I would like Whirlpool to be made aware that the company that they contract with is disreputable and has a history of deceitful practices. I found many negative reviews, and in fact the sort of treatment I received seems to be their modus operandi, no receipt, never a call back, assure the customer their problem will be covered under warranty, misrepresent the the service performed. The reason I add this last statement is that at no time was the new water heater disconnected, drained, refilled and allowed to return to operating temperature; the so-called 'isolation test' a process which Whirlpool told me takes about two hours. This test did not take place. I previously stated that the technician was only at our home for forty minutes. There was no test of water temperature. I have since replaced my water heater with another brand--it works fine and there were no plumbing problems! I thought the name Whirlpool meant something. I have owned quite a few Whirlpool appliances over the years, in fact my new washing machine is Whirlpool.

But I am definitely disinclined to purchase this brand again. I am so disappointed with the service I received from Whirlpool, a huge waste of time and money, and I am out $95.00 for nothing. I think Whirlpool should reimburse me for this, as the original (honest) plumber was correct. My water heater was defective and should have been replaced at that time. If it had been, you would probably still have a customer.

I just bought a Whirlpool 50-gallon water heater from Lowe's because my old one took a turn for the worse. I brought it home, installed it just as the directions said, and immediately got an FVS fault detected code as soon as I plugged it in and tried to ignite it. This is by far the worst experience I have ever had with an appliance. And wouldn't you know it whirlpool service center is closed on weekends. What an absolute piece of trash. I'm draining it and taking it back ASAP. Lowe's and Whirlpool just lost my business for good.

I purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater in August of 2008. The unit had a 12-year warranty on the tank. On January 21, 2012, I discovered that the water heater sprung a leak somewhere in the tank shell; it's not the pressure relief valve, thermostat or anode port. The tank was never abused and operated well within its design limits. Not sure what caused it to start leaking into the catch pan and out onto my laundry room floor.

I purchased the tank at Lowe's and went for the longest tank warranty to reduce replacement intervals. I sent Whirlpool an email on 1/22/2012 explaining my problem and I referenced this site. The next day 1/23/2012 I receive a call from Whirlpool (Chris) asking me about my problem. I explained again and they gave me an RMA number and told me to go to Lowe's and they would replace my hot water heater. I went straight to Lowe's customer service and within an hour I was on my way home with a brand new hot water heater. Thank you, Chris, Whirlpool and Lowe's. I am very happy with my outcome on this issue.

I have Whirlpool 40 gallon heater 5 years ago. The pilot light went out and I replaced the parts. This has happened three times and I have replaced the entire thermocouple assembly three times. The last time, the parts came straight from Whirlpool. This time, the pilot light will not stay lit. I am on my way to buy another hot water heater for my family because I have had enough.

I bought my home four years ago with a Whirlpool 50-gallon water heater in it. It was installed in December 2002. Well, my hot water went out. After being told I could go to Lowe's because they would supply the part free of charge because there was a recall on the thermocouple unit. I went to Lowe's. No luck there. They told me they didn't carry the whole replacement unit and I would need a number from Whirlpool. The guy at Lowe's was very nice but said I was the fifth person to come in this week.

I called Whirlpool and was told because I was not the homeowner that had purchased the item that there was no warranty on the product and that I would have to pay for the part. It cost $34.98 plus shipping, which was another $30.00 because I had it shipped overnight. Two days with no hot water was enough. Well, I got the part and hopefully there is nothing wrong with it as it was shipped in a box twice as big as needed with no packing what so ever.

I just got off the phone with them again but this time spoke with a supervisor that told me there was no need for packing. There was no part of the entire assembly that could have been damaged. Will I ever buy anything with the Whirlpool name on it? Not only no, but ** no! Will I tell everyone I know about this? You bet. I am also going to write to Lowe's and ask why they are continuing to sell inferior appliances such as these. I have to tell one realtor friend about this and just placed a call to another to tell him. The first had no idea that appliances that were marked still under warranty did in fact have no warranty at all if it's a Whirlpool. I may write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper and hope that they will publish it to inform anyone reading the paper about these inferior products.

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

I have a Whirlpool gas water heater that failed after only three years of operation. My previous water heater in the same spot lasted 18 years. The problem is a defective thermo coupler design that burns out if a filter you can't access isn't cleaned every three months.

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

First of all, I want to thank all of you who took the time to write all your comments. You have helped educate me in many ways. For one thing, I had no idea that Whirlpool made such bad appliances, or at least water heaters. I pretty much grew up in a Whirlpool household. But that was a long time ago. Things change.

Anyway, I too bought a Whirlpool from Lowe's about four years ago. It was the top of the line 50 gallon energy saver, and it has had problems staying lit for the whole time I have owned it. Because I read your comments before contacting Whirlpool (this time), I knew exactly what to expect. And that is what I got at first--someone trying to "sell" me parts via shipping costs. I said no to that, and a rep called and offered to replace the unit, which is exactly what Whirlpool should have done for all of you.

I am writing this out of courtesy for Whirlpool. They did the right thing for me, and I truly do appreciate that. On the other hand, Lowe's wants $700 to deliver and install the new unit. I live seven miles from the store. They set my other water, the Whirlpool I purchased from them, up in my garage. It is extremely easy to get to, and it is all up to code. In other words, even though they sold me a defective product and profited from both the sale and the delivery, they now want to do it all over again by charging so much for the set up. They did not even offer to prorate the new install.

Of course, I will hire and pay a certified plumber to do the job, but I am very sorry to lose Lowe's. I have always enjoyed shopping there. Home Depot is just across the street, and even though I have learned not to purchase a water heater, or any major appliance there either, I will go there from now on. Losing my business might not worry Lowe's a whole lot, but two years ago I bought $5,000 worth of fencing from them, and God knows how much over the years. If you and I and all the thousands of other unhappy customers would stop going there, they might feel a bit sorry for doing us all so dirty. Agreed? Thanks again, you guys.

Home owner bought a whirlpool water heater from Lowe's. After the first year, the pilot started going out frequently. Tenants were left with no hot water repeatedly over weekends, etc. Changed numerous thermo-couplers, cleaned the screen below, but it continued to happen. I've paid plumbers for several service calls, which amounts the cost in excess of the price of the water heater.

I apparently am one of the lucky ones to have an electric water heater. My unit started giving me failure codes during the Christmas holidays. Each time it would fail, I would get a different failure code indicating the upper element, the lower element, and a sensor failure. After testing all 3 of these components, it was determined to be a controller issue. After speaking with Chris on the phone, he overnighted a new controller to me. I installed the new controller and had no more failures. Hot showers for New Years! Thank you Chris.

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

My 4-year old water heater has upper/lower sensor issues for the fourth time this year. The rep was supposed to send replacement parts to arrive today (day four with no hot water), but the wrong ones were shipped. A different rep called and offered to exchange the unit for a new one. The expense to me will be $350-$450 for the plumber to uninstall my unit, take it to Lowe's and bring the new one back to install. The plumber suggested I take my $450 and just buy a new non-Whirlpool unit. He knew immediately that I had a Whirlpool hot water heater because it's the most common repaired vendor.

Whirlpool should be covering this expense for re-installation of their inferior product. Poor customer service. Day 4 with no hot water during the holidays with no solution in sight short of me purchasing a new hot water heater. Whirlpool finally got the right parts to me and I paid a plumber $190 to install. One week to the day later, my pilot light will not stay lit. No change in ventilation since it has been installed. I will say I have been dealing with their rep Chris on the phone who is extremely nice and I feel sorry for him. But we all have the exact same issue which is not being resolved.

I bought a 40-gallon hot water heater in November 2007. First problem I had with it was in 2009 when the pilot wouldn't stay lit. They sent me a requisition number to take to Lowe's to pick up the part (igniter) and gave me a service number to give to the plumber to fix it. Plumber actually told me these heaters were junk and this wasn't the last problem I'd have. Last Sunday (January 2012)--here we go again. Pilot went out and won't stay lit. Whirlpool is telling me it's because I have a draft. Yeppers, that must be it because after they had me (arthritic 53-year old) and my disabled husband performing circus acts trying to relight it, then it was the filter on the bottom, then it was a draft. Last time I tried to light, which really someone as blind and disabled as me shouldn't be doing anyway, I about blew up. I hate getting ** by big corps. I filed a complaint with state Attorney General.

If that doesn't work, hell, I think I'll take both Whirlpool and Lowe's to small claims court. What do I have to lose? $35? Their fancy-schmancy lawyers will probably charge them a couple grand for their efforts. I'm sick and tired of getting the short end of the stick. Since when is a hot water tank supposed to last a mere 4 years? Oh, by the way, Whirlpool says it's all on me now--we'll see about that. First of all, both of these chumps just lost a customer and I Facebooked by friends about this pleasant experience plus included a link to this page. Consequences are all mine, I guess. It's pretty swell bathing in a sink full of water that you heated on the stove. I don't have any money because I'm too busy giving it all to big insurance and big pharma right now. What a country!

A Whirlpool hot water heater in an apartment I own would not stay lit. A plumber came to service and told me I needed a part from Whirlpool and that no one in town carried them. I called Whirlpool and after providing all information about the unit, she informed me that she would not send me the part because the serial number was not registered in my name. I explained to her that I purchased the building and did not install the water heater that a prior owner had installed it. All I wanted was a repair part.

The Whirlpool rep refused to sell me a part unless I could provide a bill of sale where I purchased the tank. The part cost $41 which I was more than happy to pay for regardless of any warranty coverage. I have an obligation to provide services to my tenants. Being unable to repair the tank for a problem which appears to be commonplace for this brand, I had to replace with a new tank at a cost of $1380.00.

This machine has continual upper sensor failure for the past few years. Whirlpool sent me a new control module, but after few months, I experienced the same problem. I regret not looking online before I bought this unit, and assumed that Whirlpool was a reputable brand! I will never buy Whirlpool again. Whirlpool will lose business, and eventually be out of business (how can they get away with this for so long?), and many people will lose their jobs. Everyone that I know will be informed about Whirlpool.

My whirlpool water heater gas would not keep the polite light lite. I have a contract with the gas company to cover repairs. He was just out and said mine had a recall on it and to call whirlpool to get the part. This part is the burner which I didn't think the problem but he said it had to be done. So I called. They said it was not a recall but are overnighting me the part at no cost then the repair man will come back and install the burner and the igniter. The polite light would not stay lite. So whirlpool 877-817-6750 for parts no complaint.

This is an ongoing problem since 2007. I replaced product one time. It ran good for about two years but now it's back to the same problem, pilot light goes out. Repairman charged me $95 just to come out and tell me some switch was tripped but pilot light keeps going out about once a week. I'm fed up. Something needs to be done with the traps and Whirlpool for keeping on selling this junk.

On December 21, it became clear that I needed to replace our 13-year old Rheem water heater. We decided to buy one from Lowe's, 36 miles away and have a handy man install it. He installed the new Whirlpool 50 gal gas water heater with a 12-year warranty on Friday, the 22nd, but could not get it to stay lit. He called Whirlpool to troubleshoot. They said it could be one of two parts and that they would ship the parts on the Monday after Christmas. He asked who would install and they recommended a local plumber. He called that plumber but they indicated they did not do Whirlpool warranty work and would have to charge.

On Monday, I called Whirlpool and was assured the parts would be shipped that day for overnight delivery. I confronted them about the local plumber not doing their warranty work so they set up an appointment with a company called A&E for Wednesday morning. On Tuesday morning, I called Whirlpool to get the tracking number on the parts and was told that they did not get shipped on Monday as promised but would be shipped that day, arriving by the end of the day Wednesday, too late for the appointment for installation.

By Tuesday night, my wife got on this site and was appalled to read the numerous identical complaints. I decided that Wednesday morning that I would hire a plumber to remove the Whirlpool and install another so we would not have a lifetime of problems from Whirlpool. The plumber installed a different water heater. It started right up and we have had no problems since. I got an R or RA number from Whirlpool which I think they only gave me because the parts had not arrived on time and I returned the piece of ** to Lowe's for a refund. Lowe's has a seven-day return policy of these.

We have a 4-year-old Flame Lock Whirlpool 40 Gal short water heater purchased from Lowes.

In March of 2011, the pilot kept going out in the unit. We called the 800 number and went through cleaning the screen under the unit and other things. This did not fix the issue. We called back and they decided to send us a new thermal couple. After installing it, the unit worked fine until November of 2011. At this time, the pilot started going out again; some times overnight and some times three or four days later.

On December 23rd, we called Whirlpool back and after dealing with a very rude male representative, he finally said that it was the gas valve and sent us a new one out. I installed the new valve and now the pilot goes out every time the burner shuts off. They gave us a phone number and we contacted a certified WP plumber. The first thing he said when he got there is that they will work on them but do not recommend installing one to anyone. He looked at things and everything is installed per code and there has to be something wrong with the thermal couple again. He called WP on the unit and informed them of this. Their response was that it is because of poor air ventilation around the heater. How was everything fine for four years then for six months?

Nothing has changed, the plumber informed us that WP is losing money on these water heaters big time and they are not wanting to do anything to help the customer out. I own several rental properties and will not be buying any Whirlpool product in the future.

I purchased a 50 Gal. Whirlpool gas water heater on Saturday, 12/31 to replace a 20-yr old unit that had failed. The unit was installed that day and it started right up but I noticed the burner had gone out about an hour later and the status light indicated FV Sensor Lockout. I tried calling Whirlpool but their customer service was closed. I tried troubleshooting myself using manuals and Internet forums without success. Everything I could find indicated that an FV Sensor failure could not be repaired and would require replacement parts. I called Lowe's and was told they could not help me and I would need to talk to Whirlpool.

I called Whirlpool again Sunday, 1/1, but they were closed again for the Holiday. I called two plumbers and both told me that the Whirlpool units were problematic and that if they did come out, there would be little they could do except charge me a lot of money and recommend parts to order as Whirlpool does not let them stock parts. Both plumbers also suggested that I consider buying another brand.

So I went to Home Depot and purchased another brand with similar specs. I installed it that day and it fired up right away and has been running fine ever since.

I talked to Whirlpool on Monday, 1/2, and they told me they would not issue an RMA for a unit that they considered usable. They also told me there was an FV Sensor reset procedure that they would have walked me through had I been able to talk to them that would have bypassed the sensor until a replacement could be installed. I told them that if they would publish this procedure in their manuals or on the Internet, I would have certainly done that. I'm now fighting with both Whirlpool and Lowe's to get a resolution to this problem. I'm not sure about other Whirlpool products but their Water heaters seem to be very problematic.

I have had nothing but problems with Whirlpool. I may have spent $700 getting this thing repaired, mainly with the pilot light going out. It's ridiculous. I am shopping for a new one now.

My 4-year old water heater has upper/lower sensor issues for the fourth time this year. Rep was supposed to send replacement parts to arrive today (day four with no hot water), but the wrong ones were shipped. A different rep called and offered to exchange the unit for a new one. The expense to me will be $350-$450 for the plumber to uninstall my unit, take it to Lowe's and bring the new one back to install. Plumber suggested I take my $450 and just buy a new non-Whirlpool unit. He knew immediately that I had a Whirlpool hot water heater because it's the most common repaired vendor. Whirlpool should be covering this expense for re-installation of their inferior product. Poor customer service. Day 4 with no hot water during the Holidays with no solution in sight short of me purchasing a new hot water heater.

I have received two bad Whirlpool Water Heaters from Lowe's. In the course of a few years, I have received two defective heaters (new). One was even a replacement for one several years old that had failed. Lowe's insists that you call an 800 number where someone that speaks poor English tells you that you have done something wrong. I am returning the water heater to Lowe's, and purchase a water heater elsewhere. This is a perfect example of how sometimes something that is initially cheaper is not the better value.

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

My Whirlpool Gas water heater, with 12 year warranty, purchased in 2008, continues to be plagued, for the 4th time this year, by an upper and lower sensor failure. A replacement part is on its way, so I can pay the plumber to install it. The representatives were lovely on the phone, but reading the other reviews, it appears it will not resolve my non-functioning water heater. I have had no hot water since Christmas eve.

On Christmas eve, the pilot light went out for the second time in less than a year. I had the gas control unit changed less than a year ago with the same problem. Given that this is a well-known design flaw, I really felt like I was treated rudely when I called Whirlpool. I have a house full of Whirlpool appliances, but never again.

I purchased a Whirlpool Electric Water Heater in September of 2008. The unit had a 12-year warranty on the tank and on December 24th 2011, I discovered that the water heater sprung a leak somewhere in the tank shell; not the pressure relief or thermostat or anode port. The tank was never abused and operated well within its design limits. It is simply a piece of junk that lasted about 27% of its expressed life.

I purchased the tank at Lowe's and went for the longest tank warranty to reduce replacement intervals. I shall never purchase anything with a Whirlpool affiliation. The model number is EE3J40RDO45V with serial number 0741106580.

This is my second Whirlpool hot water heater. Lowe's had agreed to replace the first defective one and even installed it (after I had the small claims court papers prepared). This new and improved one only lasted 8 months when the same issue came up again with the pilot light not coming on and some electrical valve inside the mechanism going out. It happened at 12-22 late at night right before the holiday weekend.

Lowe's is trying to get the part and will send a technician out today (supposedly). Once again, Whirlpool has produced junk in the non-union plant in rural Tennessee using cheap electronics produced in China and refuses to stand by their products. Warning to the world... Beware of anything made and sold by Whirlpool in various brand names. They are all garbage!

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

I purchased at Lowes and they say was without warranty. I have had all kinds of trouble. The pilot light was replaced in the burner easily because of recall. Now the pilot will not stay lighted unless you tap on the gas valve. Then as soon as the water temperature comes up, the burner and the pilot light go out. I went to Lowes for a new gas valve. They have one for natural gas of $58. They do not stock for propane. I have to purchase from Whirlpool which costs $228. Their comment is that it is more expensive to build another. They do not change offices any longer because of PSi difference bull crap. I purchased a Whirlpool gas stove 2 to 3 years ago and I had to purchase an LP change over kit to use it. This is nothing but a case price extortion. I will never purchase another Whirlpool product again and I would advise no one else either!

I ran out of hot water so I checked and found a pool of water under the water heater and the burner running. I turned off the water and gas to the water heater. I called Lowes that referred me to Whirlpool that thought it was condensation and I was responsible for the service call. I called a plumber. I am now waiting for an answer. Lowes and Whirlpool are not much help.

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

I purchased the hot water tank from Lowes 3 years for over $500.00 within the first year, I experienced issues. I have the same pilot light problems as everybody else. I have hired a plumber four or 5 times to clean and blow everything out as instructed by Whirlpool. The hot water heater will not stay lit. The plumber has replaced every part possible two times. Customer service continues to inform me to do this and that and everything has already been done. I am without hot water again with children in the house. Once again, we are boiling hot water so that we can bathe--total inconvenience. This product is defective, and has cost me money to hire a plumber each time. I would never recommend this product to anyone!

I have the same pilot light problems as everybody else. I pulled the burner unit out, and cleaned, and blew everything out, and took a wire brush to the openings on the floor of the unit. I called customer service, and was asked about ventilation. I didn't mention that the heater still didn't work, even when the door to the tin water heater was removed, so venting is not the likely culprit. She authorized a repair that will likely do nothing from the comments I see.

The real problem with their customer service, is the apparent stupidity of the computer system. She asked me for the model and ID number. I had to cut through the extra insulation blanked on the tank to get it. However, when I gave it to her, she then asked me if I was ** and if I live at **. If this information was already in the computer, why couldn't there be a search by my name and address, to get the model and serial number. Obviously, I had registered the water heater in the past. Isn't being able to get this information the reason to register in the first place?

Now, I have to replace the extra insulation, all because of a stupid inability to create the necessary searches in their customer database. Yes, I could have written the numbers down, but why have the customer registration at all, if it isn't to be used for anything, other than data mining of the customer base.

I purchased a new gas water heater and had it installed by a plumber. It worked for 3 weeks then we lost hot water. I called the 877 number and got shoveled around to 3 or 4 people. I got hung up on twice then spent 45 minutes repeating all the instructions that are on the tank to relight the pilot light. They agreed to send a new valve. The first time, I never received the valve (after 10 days) and had to call back. The second time I called in, I spent 20 minutes trying to get another valve sent. The valve I, finally, received had plumbers dope on the back and clearly was previously used. Had the original plumber replace the faulty valve?

And lo and behold, the second valve didn't work either. I have no idea why a gas water heater would have any issues after 3 weeks. I bought it brand new from Lowe's. It is obvious that Whirlpool makes shoddy products. They have very poor customer service and care little for the customers' time either in correcting the problem or being without hot water. I have spent over 2 hours with Whirlpool. Only to 3 weeks after the initial call, I still do not have hot water from a heater that is less than 2 months old! I called them on the issue of the second valve not working and they put me on hold (after 10 minutes the line went dead and I was disconnected) despite the fact I asked them not to do that!

Bought a Whirlpool E Smart unit for $554 at Lowe's in 1/08. Pilot went out 3/10 and after numerous attempts, several weeks w/out hot water parts shipped by Whirpool and efforts that I paid for with plumbers Lowe's took pity on me and replaced the unit. Same problem started yesterday 12/11/11, when the pilot went out and wouldn't restart. The tech at Whirlpool had me disconnected wires, gas tubes (now blow in it) etc that after an hour concluded a needed a new control unit. Here we go again! I told him I didn't expect to have to service their product and he smartly told me that "everything requires maintenance" and how "since the government required we add safety features we have had lots of issues".

I shared with him that their design flaws were not my concern and if the government mandated changes to their product it certainly didn't speak well for their reputation. He suggested that my gas lines might be to blame and that junk in the gas lines clogs their units. I asked him why they didn't engineer in a filter that could easily be changed by the owner and his training must not have included an answer for that one. These units are clearly defective and by the posts here would suggest a class action lawsuit would be easily pursued. Sign me up and I will never by whirlpool products again. As for now, no hot water and I am trying to figure out if I should give up on the initial investment. The time and lack of hot water are taking their toll on me and my family.

I am experiencing problems with keeping my pilot lit too. I checked the screen and this is not the issue. I have just returned from Lowe's where I purchased the water heater and they informed me Whirlpool supplied kits for this issue and it was widespread. They mentioned a class action and went on to tell me they and all surrounding Lowe's stores are out of the free kit and aren't expecting anymore. Am I to feel lucky my water heater water didn't fail sooner only to feel unlucky all of the free repair kits are now gone? Lowe's provided me with the Whirlpool phone number for help and they have just informed me it will cost me $35.44 plus shipping. I now see how widespread this problem is. This isn't right. I am very disappointed in the handling of this known problem! What is my next course of action?

So it started okay, but I am disappointed in how my issue has been handled, which is part of my fault. After having a plumber to my house, he mentioned I would have to contact Whirlpool directly to get the replacement part. I contacted Whirlpool and they sent me the part overnight (good for Whirlpool). I also posted the issue, asking for reimbursement for the plumbing cost since Whirlpool knew there was an issue (proof is the "soft recall"). I got a call from Chris asking if I was satisfied after having receiving the part (good for Whirlpool).

But I didn't think to ask him while I was on the phone for the refund of paying a plumber to come to my house twice. Since I don't have Chris's number, I sent an email back to the customer service account asking my question. That was a week ago now and I haven't heard back. And even when I do, I don't expect they will own up to their mistakes and make it right by paying my plumbing bill ($200 combined for both visits).

I have had a plumbing company work on my Whirlpool water heater three times in the last two months. On the third visit, he told me all the problems customers have had with Whirlpool water heaters. I decided to call Whirlpool for warranty purposes. The unit is three years old. I was told that it was the gas valve, and I was given a free one from Lowe's.

After installing the new valve, it still did not work properly. After troubleshooting with a technician, I was told it was the orifice. I have had to do all the labor myself, and I don't know how long this is going to go on. I have heard Whirlpool will continue to give you the runaround (from the plumbing company and Lowe's salesmen) and will continue to give you the runaround and not replace the unit. They are wearing me down. I have been without hot water for three weeks with no end in sight.

I am ready to give up and just buy another water heater but certainly not a Whirlpool.

Whirlpool will have you doing repair on their products. That could cost you, if you can't, or don't know how to. Until you make all the repairs, you're still out of hot water, even after the gas company says the problem is not with the pressure. Now, we are back to making more repairs, and time is still ticking. It's been 3 months now. I guess they're going to keep dancing me around for the 3 years on warranty.

Their water heater is the worst ever! I will never buy another Whirlpool product. We purchased our water heater on January 17, 2010. We had to have the entire electronic system replaced in August 2011, including the lower element, control unit, thermisol, and electronic. Now, just a few short months later, the system is not working again, plus, the containment unit failed, flooding our basement. When we called Whirlpool, we were treated callously and rudely. Now, we have to pay to have the old unit removed, and a new one installed (they told us to "throw it in our trunk and return it to Lowe's", as if). Why did we pay to have this "warranty" when both the product, and the warranty are junk? Never, ever again! While I'm at it, I should add that our range, and refrigerator are also made by Whirlpool, and those too, are pieces of junk. I guess we're bucking up, and scheduling a new installation. If there are any further problems, I will be contacting an attorney.

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

Whirlpool has at all times supplied the parts but denied that the parts are "technically faulted." Whirlpool has further rejected all requests to refund me for defective product. The major consequences have been an unreliable water heater. There were periods without hot water. Time was spent involving undertaking repairs.

My family has been without hot water for two weeks. We have the same water heater, we have been to Lowe's where we were told the recalled parts were no longer available, unless we wanted to drive 3 1/2 hours to Arkansas to get it. Whirlpool wants to give me a "free" part for $36.00 worth of shipping and handling! All the local suppliers say I have to go through Lowe's, or the manufacturer. I don't want to give whirlpool another dime. This has been a fiasco. How much more can a company disrespect their customer, than to make us pay for a faulty product replacement? It is unacceptable. This is ridiculous. It is December, and I have a family of 7, including a child in a wheelchair.

I own an FG flame lock water heater and have been having the same problems with the pilot light not staying lit. This is very frustrating! I have searched many websites and am not able to find a replacement thermocouple for the stupid thing. Also, I have been told that the parts for the type of water heater that I own is no longer available. I tried to call the Whirlpool number a handful of times, but unfortunately, I was on hold the entire time and could not speak with a rep.

I guess that explains all of the complaints I have read on here. I would like to be contacted or have help from someone regarding this matter! I would not recommend this product to anyone and I am very dissatisfied!

Similar to what I am reading below and on other sites, my hot water heater stopped working. I spent about an hour trying to relight the pilot light, which apparently you can't do with this model because it breaks. My first thought and action was to call a plumber to come fix it. When he arrived he said it was reverse thread and that I would have to call Lowe's to get a replacement part.

When I called Lowe's they said they would call Whirlpool and then give me a call back. Two days later I still haven't heard back or taken a shower; I am going to the gym tonight. Finally, I got online and called the 800-number and am being sent a part to arrive tomorrow. I asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the plumber since they obviously knew they had a problem (they assumed why I was calling the warranty line) and redesigned the issue with a voluntary recall. Whirlpool, please make this right. I know you license your name to American but it is still your name and brand reputation.

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

It's a piece of ** warranty through Whirlpool and Lowe's! You want me to pay for a warranty part on a faulty unit? Shame on you! You don't even have enough replacement kits for replacement **F. Left hand thread on your thermocouple? **? This is a total joke in my book!

I purchased a 50 gallon Whirlpool water heater, model FG1J5040T3, in November, 2005, and have had the same experience as reported by the hundreds of others, whose comments I have been reading. Basically, pilot won't stay lit. I called Whirlpool, relight the heater, when it doesn't relight, wait to receive repair parts, call a plumber, and pay to have them install it, then repeat same problems. Each time going for a week or so, without hot water.

After relighting the heater 10 times in the past year, and service calls, Whirlpool authorized me yesterday to return it to Lowe's, and get a replacement. I need to hire a plumber to unhook it, haul it to Lowes, get the new one, and install it. It cost me about $300 to $400. Will the replacement be any better? I am considering just replacing the heater with one made by Rheem.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater in March, 2008. Last time (not sure if it's last year or 2 years ago), I had an issue of the water not heating. They have someone came in to replace a part. Recently a humming sound (scary one) keeps on coming on from time to time. It took me some days to find where the sound is coming from, and there it is, my fairly new whirlpool water heater.

They said it has something to do with the orifice. Since I am not a handyman, they recommended a service guy to come in, and I have to pay. I wonder how much more I have to spend on this heater? Yes I'm saving gas consumption, but it will be spent for service anyway, and I have the added bonus of frustration. It is not worthy having it. I spent $1,400 for the heater and labor.

It looks like I have the exact same problem as everyone else. Purchased an "Energy Smart" Whirlpool water heater at Lowe's. Now I need a new controller. Hope they send me the "non-catching fire" type of controller.

I am going to predict that the company will provide a "response" that says something like" "Hey, we really want to help you get your hot water back! Just contact us privately so we can discuss this without everyone being able to see what we tell you to do." So far we are just out of hot water while we went through their "diagnostics." They told me that this often happens and the best way to fix it is to let the hot water run in the shower for 20 minutes, then hold down the reset button on the controller for 5 seconds, and do that every time I experience this problem. I hope mine doesn't catch fire. Fire is bad.

After Hurricane Katrina, six years ago, the gas water heater in my house had to be replaced due to the house getting flooded. For the past six years, the pilot light and/or igniter for the gas water heater has had to be replaced if not once a year, twice a year because it will not stay lit. Each time, Whirlpool would send a new igniter and/or pilot light part and would reimburse me the cost of labor to have the part(s) replaced.

Now, after six years and exhausted of fighting with Whirlpool to stand behind their product and make it right, they are finally giving me an authorization to get a new gas water heater. However, now they are telling me they will not cover the cost of labor for replacing the entire water heater. My plumber will have to pull the defective water heater out of my house, take it to Lowe's, pick up the new water heater and install it in my home. And I'm supposed to accept their not paying for the labor of replacing their faulty water heater?

I questioned this and told Whirlpool they paid for labor for the parts to be replaced for the past six years. Whirlpool then said they would pay up to $100. This is not acceptable. I was reimbursed more than $100 for the labor to replace a part that fits in a shoe box. (Multiply $100+ times 6. They paid more than $600 over the past six years.) The cost to replace an entire water heater, picking it up from the store included, will cost more than $200, if not $300! I would not have to pay anything if the Whirlpool product was not defective!

I told the manager I was speaking with at Whirlpool I wanted to speak with his boss or someone who had more authority than he did. He refused. I asked him, "Was he telling me 'no' I could not speak with someone above him? " He finally said he would have someone call me.

I believe I should be reimbursed for the entire amount of labor to replace the water heater since the water heater is a defective product and I have to have it replaced not by my choice but out of necessity and safety. If it is defective in one area, who is to say in trying to light the pilot light, one day it will not do something worse than just not light up. What if it decides to explode? Defective is defective and I feel my family is in danger from a defective product and it should be replaced at the cost of Whirlpool not mine.

We purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater approximately 4-5 years ago and have had problems with the pilot staying lit. I contacted Whirlpool and their trouble shooting included doing a draft test (I am a teacher not a plumber) and removing the closet door that houses the unit. I am very frustrated by this entire ordeal and would like if they would replace the entire unit. At this point I don't want another Whirlpool product. The plumber made a service call at 12 noon and by 3:30 we had luke warm water and by 6:00 pm the water was ice cold! I will never recommend any Whirlpool products.

I purchased a 50-gallon Whirlpool natural gas water heater (12 year warranty) from Lowe's approx 2.5 years ago. Just before Thanksgiving, the pilot light started going out once a day, then twice a day. Now, I can light the pilot light in Pilot mode but as soon as I release the red button, the flame goes out. I called Whirlpool and received phone troubleshooting support resulting in a recommendation to pick up a new thermocoupler from Lowe's which I did.

While searching for someone to install (unfortunately I'm not that handy), I ran into the thousands of complaints filed about the very same problem I'm having over a number of years and right up to today's date. I called Whirlpool back and got the same song and dance. They'd be happy to help me troubleshoot if I can get the required meters etc. to test devices, do draft tests, etc. They claimed the problems were fixed with the newer model that I have but certainly can't explain why I have exactly the same issue. What they are not willing to do is stand behind their product and get me hot water. Tried calling Lowe's and got the response that I have to deal with Whirlpool.

It appears that this newer BFG model is just as flawed as the older model and the warranty is pretty much worthless other than getting a few parts. I used to think that Whirlpool products were reasonably good, however, I will never purchase another.

The 12 year warranty, means nothing. The heater only worked for 30 months, and then its upper sensor fault code flashes, and the heater shut down. I called Whirlpool, and they have me use an ohm meter to help troubleshoot the problem. So if you are not handy, you are out of luck. They decided it was my control unit that is defective. They will send me the part free, but I have to pay shipping and installation. What a deal, and what kind of management would dream up of this. The heater is marketed as a 12 year warranty model (only on the tank). Would anyone, having been through this, buy another Whirlpool product?

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

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

I keep replacing thermocouples due to the pilot light going out and not able to restart. Whirlpool has sent out parts including the upgrade kit. I would like Whirlpool to replace the entire unit. It has a twelve year warranty.

My Whirlpool water heater had to be replaced. I got a new water heater, and filed a complaint against Chris from your company. Talked to Chris, and he requested for paperwork on the old warranty. I tried to send it through fax number 1 800 999 9210, but got no response. Chris, please reply with the fax number so I can send the info you requested

Water heater is crap. Worked on three times in three years and still does not work right.

I had an addition added to my home in 9/2007, which included a new bathroom. A whirlpool hot water tank was added. This week, I woke up to no hot water, so I called the whirlpool customer number regarding the warranty on the model FG1F4034T3NOV. T hey told me the serial number shows it's out of warranty, although I may have only had it since 2007. They also said there was a screen that needed to be clean under the bottom of, it that if not clean, would make it stop working.

Since homeowners where not cleaning it, they have made a replacement door part that would fix it, and do away with the problem, but I would have to pay $35 for it. I asked them, since the serial number shows that the part has not been replaced on this unit, why not just send it to me, and I pay to have it put on. The person said no, you will have to pay for it if I wanted the part to fix it . Although my builder did not give me the receipt for it, that's just not right.

If a manufacturer knows they are having problems with their product, which require a part replacement, and they have produced one, they should be willing to give the part to everyone with the product that request it. On top of that, this model has the left hand threaded thermocouple, which no one around seems to carry. I am totally disappointed with Whirlpool, and right now would not consider buying, or have any more of their products installed into my home.

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

3-4 years ago, I had replaced my hot water heater with a Whirlpool, which was purchased at Lowes. On 10/23/11, I awoke to a flooded basement from the said water heater. When I entered the basement, I was able to verify that the water was spraying right from the casing of the unit. Who knows how long it had been spraying, but the place was a complete mess. The water was about 10 inches deep and many things were ruined.

I proceeded back to Lowes and purchased another exact unit. This morning I awoke to the sound of what seemed to be water bubbling, only to enter the basement and see exactly what I saw just three weeks previously... another flooded basement from water just pouring out the side of the unit.

This is an obvious defect in craftsmanship. Now I find myself with a flooded basement, no hot water, and a decision to make. Do I fight for another replacement or give up on the brand? A replacement water heater will solve my lack of hot water but for now, the question is for how long? Not to mention the cost and time spent with the clean up I did twice.

I have had too many problems with the thermocouple beginning about two years after I purchased the water heater in 2003. Whirlpool keeps replacing the thermocouple, but I have to pay for the plumber to come out and repair the unit. This runs me about $180 each time. The thermocouple has burned out three times since September of this year. The plumber didn't charge me anything the second time it went out. But it went out for the 3rd time today and he recommended that I replace the unit. Of course, it is out of warranty and Whirlpool was happy to tell me that I could purchase a new thermocouple at my own expense from them. I have paid for this water heater three times over with repairs. Whirlpool knows that there is a defect with the design of the water heater. There is no way that a regular consumer can get inside the water heater to clean it. I will never purchase any Whirlpool products ever! I advise anyone reading this to follow suit.

I have gallon Whirlpool hot water heater. After 2 1/2 years, the heater started indicating upper sensor failure. I have had servicemen out here every 3-4 weeks since June. I have replaced gas valves, a new sensor and a new gas meter. I have made several calls to Whirlpool, but can't keep this hot water heater going. I am going to have to find a new heater.

Whirlpool water heater out again. This is the forth time I have replaced the thermocouper. Got from lowes early 10 sn fg1f3030s 3 Nov. Sent compete burn unit in April of 20ll. I cannot afford to buy replacement due to SSi and cost of living.

My house was built in 2004, therefore the Whirlpool water heater was installed in June 2004. The water heater broke down (It flooded my garage) in 2007. I didn't have to pay for the water heater at Lowes (It was under Warranty), but I had to pay for the delivery and labor. Now, I had to call customer service, because the Whirlpool water heater installed in 2007 has problems too. The pilot light would not stay lit. I have to pay a certified technician $180, just to come to my house to fix this problem, when this is a recurring problem, with this Whirlpool water heater that was purchased at Lowe's.

(The heater has a six-year warranty. Not sure what this means if the product is defective to begin with). I'm very disappointed with this product. It has too many problems, and I have to pay for a defective product. I would stay away from Whirlpool if I could.

I called customer service because my pilot light would not stay lit on my 2005 Whirlpool water heater. I was told that I needed to install the upgrade kit and that the water heater was malfunctioning because of a lack of air and that it needed to be cleaned at the bottom. I paid for the shipping of the kit although I believe it is called an upgrade or conversion kit versus a recall for this water heater to save money and to get the consumer to pay for replacing defective parts.

A certified technician installed the kit but the pilot light would not remain lit. He replaced the thermocouple, although new parts had just been received. This did not help either. The technician and I called customer service, which didn't resolve the issue. I also asked for a manager who would only agree to send out another conversion kit. There are three years remaining on the warranty but I am being told to keep replacing new parts with new parts until it works. That is unacceptable. Also, I was not informed that my problem is a recurring problem with this Whirlpool water heater that I purchased at Lowe's.

The thermostat failed and the water temperature got too hot. It wouldn't let the pilot light stay on and pushed extremely hot water and steam out of the pressure relief valve, and flooded our basement floor.

Our Whirlpool gas hot water heater was purchased and installed (through Lowes) in April 2008. In February 2009, the thermostat failed. Because the failure happened less than a year after purchase, Whirlpool replaced the part and paid for labor.

The hot water heater failed again three weeks ago, and we contacted Whirlpool. We were once again provided with another thermostat, and were charged $135.00 by a plumber to install it (even though the customer service rep stated that there were "known issues" with this tank model). The tank is still not working properly. We (with our tenants) have tried troubleshooting according to their instructions, to no avail. It has been three weeks now, and no resolution.

The heater has a six-year warranty. Not sure what this means if the product is defective to begin with. We pay to attempt to repair it?

We will not be spending any more money on labor to install parts that may or may not work and have demanded that Whirlpool replace the heater. Whirlpool has refused to pay for any labor costs and told us that we must take the heater back to Lowes. So I suppose that means we have to pay to have a 3 1/2 year old heater removed from the gas and water lines, transported to Lowes, and a new one installed. What a deal.

Stay away from Whirlpool.

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

We purchased a 50 gallon water heater in 2005. In 2008, the thermocoupling unit went out and Whirlpool sent us the replacement part and we had a plumper install the piece (at our expense, of course).

Now, we are running into the exact same problem 3 years later with the pilot light not staying lit. We had a plumber come out this weekend and replace the part but unfortunately this time, it's not fixing the problem. The plumber charged us $178. He said that he can replace the thermostat on the water heater but that would cost us close to $400 to replace and makes no sense to do since purchasing a new one wouldn't be much more than that. I am so frustrated with this water heater; I just want to throw it out in the middle of the street! We still have 3 years left on our warranty too. I have 2 very young daughters who need to take baths, and who also dirty up quite a bit of clothes that need to be washed in warm water. What a nightmare! Whirlpool, help us!

We bought the Whirlpool water heater and not long after, it quit heating. After many phone calls, we finally got a response and were told to get the replacement thermocouple. We did this and it was the wrong part. We found out that we had to have a right hand thread thermocouple. Now, the heater is out of warranty and we cannot keep it lit at all. It takes at least 3-4 times before it will light once and then it goes out every time the hot water is used.

Our Whirlpool 40-gallon electric hot water heater, purchased in 2008, has performed fine, until today when it flooded our basement and, of course, did not provide hot water. As the paperwork says, it has a 12-year warranty. What options do we have for repair or replacement, preferably replacement?

I was unable to contact anyone on the 877-817-6750 number due to the bad weather. The model # is EE3J40RD045V, the serial # is 0742130246, and the product # is **.

We purchased an "energy efficient" Whirlpool water heater on 10-20-2005. This water heater has been serviced at least if not more than three times. The computer box on the top has been replaced twice each time leaving my garage flooded. This time the water is running from the thermostat box again the garage is flooded.

I called for service and the representative was very nice and understanding. He gave us the information to pick up a replacement heater. The complaint is the mess that it made. I have already filed a previous claim with my homeowners insurance for the damage. I would like to know why I have to file repeated claims with the risk of losing my homeowners insurance because of the repeated damage caused by Whirlpools obvious defective water heater? I would appreciate some resolution from Whirlpool for the damage this water heater has caused. The replacement heater is fine but I would ask that the to company consider some compensation of the water damage this heater has caused again.

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

We bought an 80 gallon lifetime warranty electric water heater. We get about 20 minutes of hot water and then cold water. We've had 2 plumbers out and checked our system and said it has to be the water heater, but they don't want to mess with it in case it voids the warranty. Fine. We called Whirlpool and since the alarm system isn't indicating an issue, they say it's not the water heater.

We now have to do a diagnostic ourselves to find out if it is the water heater. What? It has a warranty! We are not plumbers! How come Whirlpool doesn't think it's their equipment? We've already had ours checked and it isn't us! So frustrating and we will not buy another whirlpool product again! Not good customer service to promote repeat buyers. Whirlpool, shame on you.

I keep having to replace the thermocouple. I have paid $300.00 on 4 occasions to have a repairman come out and check it over to tell me what it needs. It is still under warranty until 2015 and when I call the warranty company with the exact same concern I get asked what tests were done. I am not a repairman so I have no idea. Now I am having the same problem again. I'm getting tired of it and cannot afford constant repair bills for repetitive warranty concerns. I need help.

My hot water tank wont stay lit. I replaced the heating element, and the thermo couple. It will light up now but it only stays on for about 10 minutes.

I was having trouble with our Whirlpool water heater and thought that we'd have to shell out and buy a whole new one. Chris saw my complaint and helped me find the right replacement kit at a minimal cost, as my unit was out of warranty. He even took the extra step and overnighted the parts for us at no extra cost. I was extremely impressed with Chris' professionalism and customer support skills.

Leaks cold water inlet. I can't see it but if you put a sock around it in a couple of hours, the sock will be completely moist. No leaks from above. I purchased a 40 Gallon Electric Water Heater from Whirlpool through our local Lowe's on 9-21-11. I finally got around to install it a couple of days ago. I thought this would be pretty easy as it was accessible and I have enough experience to install. First of all, I was disappointed to have to buy about $100 worth (install kit no soldering allowed) of accessories, but took it in stride. I have tried three times previously to get this leak to stop and just finished trying for the 4th time to complete this job and now, I can just wait and see.

I have a whirlpool water heater. This is the third or 4th time that the "upper sensor failure" code has come on. Our water heater turns off all the time and we have to fire it back up. In the past few months, it has started pouring water out from the long tube on the side of it anytime we turn it on for more then 10 minutes. The last time we called a plumber, I was trying to get a quote on a tankless water heater. I've been so fed up with ours and I thought that would be a better route to go. The plumber explained the negative sides to a tankless water heater and explained that our water heater was a really nice, really expensive and fairly newer model. I told him that I had just gotten it about four years ago. He said he could just fix that one.

So after looking at it, he acted as if he didn't know what an "upper sensor" was and told me it was under warranty and that I should call for the parts. Every time we have called for the parts, they send the same box thing on the front of the heater and every time, it doesn't fix it for long before it says the same thing. And now, like I said, the water heater has now added the problem of pouring water out of it. I need help. I don't know what to do. I'm tired of not knowing if I'll have hot water or if the water heater is going to pour out water. I'm pregnant and worried that if we cant get this fixed I'll continue to have this problem along with having a baby to take care of. Please help.

I purchased this water heater (Model# E2F40RD045V, Serial# 1122T461615, Product# 0826354) 1 week ago (Oct. 17, 20011) and it has been installed only after 5 days (Oct 25, 2011). It has yet to heat the water more than warm. I called Lowes (Oct. 21, 2011) and tried to return it only to be told that I would have to get an authorization number from Whirlpool. I called and Whirlpool wanted me to trouble shoot the problem. I had to have an OHM meter and amp meter to do so, which means that I needed to have an electrician present to do these test because I don't own any of these things. I was then told that they could send someone to my house, but I may end up paying for this. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that she would tell me the same thing. The call ended when I told them that I guess I would have to do the best I could because I was not getting any help from them. Out of desperation, I went back to Lowes and got a new heating element to try to fix this problem myself. I installed it and it still did not work. I called back the next day and still did not get any help, I was only told that I needed to have these meters on hand to trouble shoot the problem.

Why is it that I have to do this? The lady did not seem to care that I did not have any way to handle this problem. I felt that this problem was my burden and not Whirlpool's for putting out a defective product. I have in my home about 5 new Whirlpool major appliances and have been a loyal customer for many years but after this incident, never again. I will also be advising my friends how Whirlpool has treated me. I am very disappointed with your customer service or should I say lack of customer service. I was told that had I said that the water heater was leaking, I would have been given an authorization number immediately! I still do not have any hot water as I sit here typing this complaint. I am sure that Whirlpool is really concerned as you have my phone number and address and your representatives are aware that I am very upset but still no one has even tried to help me other than telling me that I have to trouble shoot the problem. As far as your rating go with me you get an F!

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

Our Whirlpool water heater (Model: FG1F4034T3NOV / SN: 0443102743 / Product Number: 0730264) stopped functioning and we have been without hot water for several days--the pilot will not light. The technician said it was a bad thermocouple but since it's left handed thread, we are out of luck since it's discontinued! He then said that we would most likely have to buy a whole new unit. We are quite upset with this faulty design and lack of solutions. We are highly inconvenienced by a lack of hot water. Due to the faulty and poor design, there does not appear to be any immediate solutions.

I am having problems with my Whirlpool Water Heater. The pilot light goes off often and now it won't stay lit at all. I checked the thermocouple and measured the voltage, it is 19+ mV. So according to the manual, the gas valve/thermostat must have gone bad. I called the company and they gave me a name of the contractor but asked me to pay for the labor cost. This is a 50 gallon, 12-year rated heater bought from Lows in 2008. The heater's model number is BFG1J5040T3NOV. This thing has some serious quality issues.

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

We purchased our Whirlpool water heater model FG1J5040T3NOV in 2005. It has a 12-year warranty. Last year, we had to replace the thermo coupler because the pilot light would not stay lit. It's been a little over a year and we are encountering the same problem.

Whirlpool advised us to clean the vent on the bottom, have the gas company run a pressure test, and if it still doesn't work, replace the gas valve. This water heater is junk--I believe that Whirlpool owes us a complete refund for this defective product! What can I do for compensation? I know there was a class action suit filed but it happened before we bought our water heater or we weren't notified.

We purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater from Lowe's. This unit has been a problem from day one. We had continuous problems with the pilot light which was not staying lit.

Whirlpool Customer Service wants you to pay someone to fix their faulty products. All that you get from them is their assistance on how to troubleshoot the problem. They also send you a part that they think will fix the problem, but you have to pay for it to be installed.

We purchased the Whirlpool model# BFG1J4040T3NOV 40 gallon natural gas hot water tank in the spring of 2010. The pilot light went out this weekend, 2011. And it will re-light but does not stay lit. This was bought at Lowe's, rated as a 9-year warranty on the tank and parts. This is premature failure of a product that is listed as 9 years. Due to all the other similar complaints of this Whirlpool hot water tank, I would like my money back plus installation. I do not want the Whirlpool replacement as obviously it does not work. I will use a different brand and vet it much better in the future. We almost purchased at Home Depot but decided it would be a better bet to go with the Whirlpool reputation and name and Lowe's than with the only Home Depot option, which is the self branded water heaters. It was a big mistake!

My unit has "on-and-off" problems, keeping the pilot light lit. Now, it will not stay lit at all!

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater for one of my properties that developed an issue outside of the warranty period. My initial CS complaint is with Whirlpool's IVR system, which was far less than a desirable experience. After "tricking" the system, a CS agent answered promptly but was not able to address my concerns. I asked to speak to a supervisor and received a return call from Chris within minutes. I found Chris to be patient and understanding of my issues. Chris promptly assisted me with my issues and offered an equitable resolution. Chris is what's right with American companies and domestic customer support.

We purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater at Lowe's - model no. FG15040T3NOV, serial no. 0434120861, product no. 0730267 & we've still been having issues keeping the pilot light lit. We purchased the bottom unit piece that Whirlpool said would fix the problem but we've still been having problems with the pilot light going out. The water heater isn't under warranty anymore, so last night was the last straw & we finally decided to get another water heater that wasn't a Whirlpool. I've done a research on the internet and found out that a lot of consumers are still having this problem to this day.

The Whirlpool water heater I bought 2 years ago at Lowe's has had continued problems with it's thermocouple causing the water heater to shut down. At first I would have to relight it about every 2 weeks, now I had to do this everyday. I was going to replace the thermocouple until I read numerous sites explaining that several people did this and experienced the same problems.

I have a Whirlpool water heater (model BFG1H5040T3NOV), and I purchased it in less than three years ago. The pilot light won't stay lit if it is set to the lower temperature settings, but it seems okay if the temperature is set high. A phone diagnosis indicated the gas valve has some corrosion. It's under warranty for parts, not labor. It will be expensive to hire someone to replace it, and I'm not able to do that right now. I worry that someone will be burned by the high water temperature in the meantime. This shouldn't happen after three years. After reading all the complaints, I believe it's a defective water heater.

I bought two Whirlpool (Model: bfg1j4o4t3nov4o) natural gas water heaters. The pilot light would go out to so I re-lit it and sit in the attic until the water got hot and the burner go out. But before the burner went out, I could see the flame go from blue to yellow and hear the water dripping down on the burner. So, after the burner goes out, the water would drip down on the pilot light putting it out.

They sent me a thermo coupling for free but that was never the problem. The problem is that the water heaters are poorly insulated which causes the water to drip down on the pilot, putting it out. To make a long story short, no part they send will fix these heaters. I have a GE heater in my house for 20 plus years and it is still kicking. I should have went back with that same heater.

For some good news, I got my money back from Lowe's. I raised so much hell in that store that the manger gave me my money back just to get me out of his store. I made them realize that all we want is our hard-earned money back from a product that does not work.

I have bought two Whirlpool water heaters and with each one have had the same problem: the pilot light will not stay on. I have to continually turn the pilot light on each day. I have replaced the entire flame/pilot/thermal couple assembly several times. Each time I use the unit, it works for about 2 weeks, then I'm back to turning on the pilot light every day. I'm convinced that there is an inherent design flaw that Whirlpool should be forced to deal with. It seems that this should be a fraud case to sell a known, documented, defective product. Shame on you Whirlpool! It's obvious that it's all about the money! Band all Whirlpool water heater products!

I purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater from Lowe's in 2007. It lasted 2 years until a faulty weld on the tank started leaking and flooded my basement. Whirlpool did replace it. However, my second water heater did the same exact thing in a different location on the tank after 2 1/2 years. It also flooded my basement.

I am now on my third Whirlpool water heater in 5 years and the one I have now has a bad thermistor. It has cost me about $225 each time the water heater has been replaced. In my opinion, these Whirlpool water heaters are junk and their quality control needs to get out of the break room and start doing their job. Never will I purchase another Whirlpool appliance.

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

I filed a complaint late Oct. 4, 2011 about a problem I was having with one of my Whirlpool water heaters. Chris from Whirlpool emailed and phoned me twice within 12 hours! He was courteous and very helpful. He shipped the parts that I needed overnight. They came in this evening, I installed them and everything is working great! Thanks to Whirlpool and Chris, we now have hot water!

I have a model FG1F4034T3NOV water heater that was a problem since day one. The pilot will not stay lit, and apparently, there was some sort of class action lawsuit due to a defective part that I missed out on because I didn't know about it. The telephone representative is quick to point out that it is out of warranty due to the date of manufacture and that it needs about $200 in parts because I can't find the receipt from 4 years ago, when I bought it from Lowes. The company flat out refused to do a courtesy replacement for parts or discount them.

I posted a complaint late last night about problems I was having with a 30 gal. Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater. I received an email and three phone calls from Chris at Whirlpool within 12 hours concerning this matter. He was courteous, knowledgeable, and very helpful. He is shipping the new parts overnight by FedEx. Thanks to Whirlpool for being so prompt in handling this matter!

I owned a Whirlpool water heater and the only thing I have with it is problems! The pilot keeps on turning off. Since I am a 64-year-old lady, I have no idea on how to fix things (widowed). I keep on paying for the plumber to fix it. It started with flooding all my front yard because of a faulty valve. I paid $165.00. After the pilot went off, I paid another bill to fix that. And it turned off and on again (lost count of times). Today, I found another pool of water (the valve again? ). What a piece of "work"! Please, can you help me? I'm heading to the store to buy a new one, not a Whirlpool!

In 2007, I purchased two 30 gal. Whirlpool Flame Lock water heaters (Model: FG1F3030T3NOV) from Lowe's for two different homes that I own. I started having trouble with one of them after about two months. I replaced the thermocouple several times, with each one working only about a month. After that, Lowe's replaced the complete burner assembly and that, so far, fixed the problem.

Now, the second one has (1 Oct 11) gone out. The local Lowe's told me that they are out of the burner assembly for this water heater. I called them this evening and was told that they didn't know when they would have the part, but to call back about every other day to see if they had received the burner assembly for this water heater. They said that it could be from two days to two weeks before they may receive this part!

In 2008, I also purchased a 40 gal. Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater (Model: BFG1F4034T3NOV) for my house and no problems so far. In 2007, I even recommended that a friend of mine purchase and install one of these in a home that he owned. He did. I helped him install it and it later had the same problems! I am now needing a water heater for my workshop. What can I buy that's dependable?

This is my second water heater in three years. The problem is the thermocouple thermostat. Also, when I drain the water, it comes out of the heater black because of the corrosion in side. I spoke to people in the company, and they were nasty to me. This happened to my two heaters in 2 1/2 years. Please, do not buy a Whirlpool heater.

I purchased Whirlpool electric hot water tank in May 2011 (model no. EEZ80HD055V). The water tank was working fine for four months. It does not work anymore. I tried to get a hold of Whirlpool customer service. But I couldn't get a hold of customer service at 877-817-6750. It is motel business without hot water. We could not open the business. We tried the best we could, but there is no contact or support from Lowe's or Whirlpool. We have no other choice other than replace the hot water tank. We tried to find the right phone number to explain the situation to Whirlpool customer service rep.

After filing the complaint, a very helpful rep contacted me and suggested I replace the gas valve. The rep gave me an RA #, so I could pick it up at Lowes. I bought it, installed it, and returned it for credit.

On May 25, 2008, I bought a Whirpool Model# BFG1J4040T3NOV 40 gallon natural gas hot water tank. The pilot light went out today, Sept. 26, 2011, and it will not re-light. This was bought at Lowes and was rated as a 12-year warranty on the tank and parts. This is premature failure of a product that is listed as 12 years. Due to all the other similar complaints of this Whirlpool hot water tank, I would like my money back ($455.81) plus installation or a new tank installed.

My Whirlpool gas hot water heater will not stay lit. The thermal coupling has been replaced by my plumber. It did not help. This tank is defective. The product details are as follows: model # FG1F4949S3NOV, product # B07330262, and serial # **.

I posted about our problem with the Whirlpool water heater on the 20th. Chris ** of Whirlpool called me back. He totally took care of the problem and got us back working. After 3 years, our problem is resolved. I am grateful to Chris for finally resolving the problem. He was professional, courteous and knowledgeable. Thank you.

Our water heater was defective. We called and they sent the wrong part to replace! When we called back, they told us to install it anyway. We did and it is not working. It is getting dangerous.

Purchased in 2007, put in the recall parts 3 months later, the heater pilot has been going out again. It happened maybe 6 times in the last 4 months.

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

I bought a 40 gal. Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's. It was just outside the 6-year warranty when the pilot light went out and won't relight. I called Whirlpool. They are about as worthless as box of rocks. They refuse to replace the thermocoupling free of charge or at least no shipping charge, when they know in fact there is a problem. It was because no class action lawsuit was filed. It's too bad for the customers. I wished they would have just said: "lady, please take your business somewhere else." It would have made things easier. Or, better yet, they should just put a sign on their water heaters in the store stating: "If you have problems with our product, sorry about your luck. ** you and have a nice day."

I bought a new Whirlpool gas hot water 40 gal tank from Lowes. I Installed it, but the pilot light would not light. So Cal Gas Co came out and said they did not like the new design, but that was how they were now making them. Gas is shot out from a pipe into the tank, however it's fairly open. The pilot ignitor is similar to the one on barbarque's that often do not last. You cannot get to it to light it manually. Several calls were made to Whirlpool and they sent a repair man out to fix it. You can imagine buying a new hot water heater and having it work part time. The repair man explained that the unit needed a new thermopile, but he could not put one on until whirlpool authorized it, which they would not. After a rather heated conversation with whirlpool they agreed to FedEx a part overnight.

Of course the repairman could not wait for me to call and had to come back again. The pilot light still does not stay lit, and Whirlpool now wants to talk about how the tank is vented. This has nothing to do with the pilot light, nor did putting in a new 1/2" gas line and valve as per Whirlpool's request. Whirlpool has a problem and they refuse to acknowledge it. However, it is Lowes that chose to buy from whirlpool and they do little if anything to stand behind their product and gain consumer confidence. My suggestion would be don't buy whirlpool, and shop at Home Depot.

Purchased a whirlpool water heater 04/08/2005 and it worked for a short time. It had a 6 year warranty. I had to replace the thermocoupler assembly 1 time and it worked fine until last week. 09/02/1011, 4 months after warranty ran out, the unit started leaking severely from the top ? (Could of understood the bottom) here. After investigating further and being told to basically pound salt by the warranty number I called, I removed the top cove r(glued on by spray in insulation) and carved away the spray in insulation.

All the bosses/threaded fittings for the inlet outlet and anode rod were all leaking under the insulation where it could not be seen! I know for a fact this unit was leaking long before the warranty expired! But because of the way it is built it is impossible to see it!. I strongly feel this was a manufacturing defect and there are hundreds if not thousands of these units in people houses all over the country!

I bought new hot water heater. I installed it did and it did not work. I called them, and they sent a new part. A service man installed it, and it still did not work - he was unable to get it working. They said my gas supply line 1/2 od was too small. I had it replaced to 5/8 od 1/2id, and it still did not work. I called them again. They offered to send more parts and try again.

This is a brand new water heater, never fired. I asked if they would give me a ra number so I could return it to the store. He would not give it to me. He insisted he send some one out to try to repair it. Meanwhile I have had no hot water for 2 days. He told me do what I have to do and hung up on me. So I removed the heater and took it back to Lowes, where they were glad to give my money back. But still, I lost a day of work and paid the gas yo bring it back. I went to home depot bought a GE hot water heater. I had it installed in about 15 minutes and it is working fine.

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

My water heater stopped lighting. I found out that I needed to replace the thermocouple. I wasn't able to find the right one anywhere. I called whirlpool and they sent me the parts I needed totally free. I was so happy to get it in the mail the next day cause I have gone 1 week without hot water.

I went to work and got a call that my kids are dizzy and throwing up. The house had filled with carbon monoxide. The only thing that saved us was the fact that my AC unit for the downstairs was broken, so it could spread the carbon monoxide to where we slept. The gas company said that we most definitely would have not woken up. I now have a notice for hazardous material on my house. I thought we all just caught the flu. I had no idea that we were being poisoned because of this damn water heater. I could scream. I'm a single mother with four kids and a sick mother and cannot afford a plumber for this madness.

Warning: Whirlpool water heaters are junk! Spent $553.00 for a high quality ( lmao ) water heater that had a 6 year warranty. Started leaking internally and rusted through, then rusted a hole in the bottom. 6 years and 3 months later they said you are S.O.L. Leak occurred well over 3 months ago, but they said it has to be reported before the 6 years. Do not waist your money on this junk!

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

This is a followup complaint, I have talked to more people about our hot water heater reaching such high temps. We have had it set only on pilot for 2 weeks and the water coming out of the faucet is 130 degrees. It may be that the pilot light is keeping it this high, I have not seen it on at anytime and it is set on pilot .My complaint is that it is extremely dangerous for it to get this hot, and I want others to know that if you have small children in the house they could get burned very badly. I have already scalded my hands several times thinking that I had enough cold water on. DD

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in October 2009. My husband and son installed the water heater on October 24, 2009. Beginning in November of 2010, the water heater pilot would not stay lit. We have cleaned the burners, and replaced the thermocouple four times since November 2010. As of today (July 22, 2011), we have no hot water again. I told Anne at Whirlpool that the gas company red flagged the water heater due to the placement of the pop-off valve (at the top), and the pipe not being long enough. So, Anne at Whirlpool told me that since the gas company red flagged the unit, she can't help me. The first time I called them (November 2010) I was looking for answers. All I have ever gotten from them is throwing the blame for the non-performance of their product back on me. I absolutely will never purchase another product from Whirlpool, nor wills any of my family.

I can not find parts for 50-gallon Whirlpool hot water heater. The left hand thread thermocouple quit functioning so I have no hot water. I have called every plumbing concern in a 50-mile radius and everyone said that it was some kind of class action suit because you can not replace the part of the thermocouple and that they only make right-hand thread couple now.

we bought a hotwater heater and it gets scalding hot set on the low setting, we had the gas valve replaced by a@e paid for by whirlpool. It still gets above 125 degrees,set on vacation with me using it all during the day.I have contacted them several times, they told me to let the hotwater run about 10 minutes everyday, or just turn the heater off and let it cool off. I bought a water heater to use not light the pilot everytime I need hot water.

We bought and installed a Whirlpool BFG1F5040T3PV 50 gallon Propane water heater from Lowes on 10/13/2003 one week after we bought and moved into our home. The pilot light went out last week and restarting it would only last until the burner would go off and then the pilot would extinguish. I know because I watched it. The warranty expired in Oct 2009. Ok, I've seen worse lifespans for products...So, figuring the themocouple (TC) had failed, I went to Lowes and happily paid $8.07 plus CA sales tax, for a new thermocouple. Got home and found it was a generic right hand thread TC and I have a left hand thread TC on this unit. Called Sears appliance repair and they wanted to charge me $216.00 for a new TC!! So, I looked on line here and found all these complaints on these units. Great...I have a piece of junk. From what I can tell though, I'm lucky it lasted 7 years.

I just called Whirlpool using the number on my instructions: 1-877-817-6750 and the very nice woman explained there was a problem with these TC's and they would send me a complete new door/manifold/TC assembly in two days FOR FREE. Sears was willing to let me spend 216 bucks for it, but Whirlpool is sending it out FREEEEEE! WHOOOHOOOO!! My luck is running strong again! Sears would let me spend half the price of a new heater for a thermocouple that's less than 10 bucks in most places. Unbelievable. Avoid Sears appliances. Their Craftsman tools are good though. Ok back to the Whirlpool heater topic.

It's Sunday afternoon as I write this and my friendly Whirlpool rep said I'll have the new manifold and TC assembly with some kind of Left-hand to Right hand adapter to screw into the regulator on Tuesday before noon. Reading some of the other blogs on this product isn't pretty, and I hope that my luck continues. If not, I won't mess with it long as I'm too addicted to daily hot showers for the last 50 plus years to give them up now. I think I'll do some research on the best friggin water heater on the planet in case this Whirlpool of mine is as flakey as all the others I'm seeing written about here. Good luck to all.

One week before the 6 year warranty was to expire the hot water heater started failing. It's not like it stopped working totally but was just going out after some hours of running. By the time I for sure knew there was a problem I was one day past the warranty. And for that I lose, what a way to learn that whirlpool is not whirlpool.

I purchased this water heater from Lowe's in 2007-2008. About 14 months after I bought it, it wasn't heating up the water. I had to replace the thermocouple because the pilot light wouldn't light. You can always tell when the water heats up, the sounds are loud popping, gurgling sounds like it may blow up! Anyway, aside from it sounding like it's going to blow up, I didn't have any problems until four days ago! Again, no hot water. So, I tried to light the pilot light and it wouldn't light.

Thinking it was the thermocouple again, I went to Lowe's to get another one! I spent 5 1/2 hours replacing it, again! After all that, thinking I could take a hot shower, the pilot light wouldn't light! So, I started to think maybe it wasn't getting any gas. I checked the gas lines and everything else was working. I looked at the regulator to see if gas was getting to the pilot! No gas is getting thru the regulator! So, I started to look online to see what needs to be done and I ran across at least 35 others on this do-it-yourself website that had the same problem with their Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater. I also found out that there was a class action suit against Whirlpool for the water heater I have, model numbers starting with FG.

I am so angry that I have spent so much time with this water heater and so much time without hot water. I will never, ever buy another Whirlpool appliance again and I will be sure to share my experience with all who will listen. I have just found this information out and tried to call their 800 number. They are closed till tomorrow, but I will call. I want them to send me a replacement for the gas control valve/thermostat!

I wasted time and energy and lost work wages for having to try to fix this faulty water heater! Had I known all of these things, I would have spent my money on a heater that would have given me years of service like the one I had to replace! Whirlpool should have to buy all of us a brand new water heater of our choice!

We bought a Whirlpool Flamelock BFG1F3030S3NOV Water Heater at Lowe's in May 10 2007 that just turned 4 years old. I was in the shower when suddenly, no hot water. Checked the water heater it; had gone out and I could not restart. After several hours of research and troubleshooting, it appears the gas control valve/thermostat is a defect. Even though it still has almost 2 years left on parts warranty I feel the time and trouble is not worth it. I'm headed to Home Depot to purchase a new heater like my neighbor's which he has owned 6 plus years with no problems. I will never buy Whirlpool again.

I purchased a Whirlpool flame lock, model #BFG1F4034T3NOV. Over the last year and a half, I have replaced parts twice. Today, 05/12/2011, the pilot light is out again! I am really considering purchasing a non-Whirlpool water heater simply because of the inconvenience. I believe they, Whirlpool, should refund the money or correct the problem! They just have you replace with more faulty equipment! I thought they were a good American brand! And people wonder why we buy foreign stuff, because they are better built! American companies and their profits, to hell with the consumers! I will not purchase anything from Whirlpool again!

I purchased a Whirlpool flamelock water heater and have had nothing but problems with the unit ever since.

The first time I called, it was diagnosed with a bad thermocouple and I replaced it. After I was told that it was my fault and I didn't keep it clean. Well, I have replaced over a dozen thermocouples and the whole burner unit twice. I even made a special brush to clean underneath the heater.

Today I found out it's now out of warranty. I purchased a Whirlpool because I thought they were good products and would last a long time. Boy was I an idiot.

Under any circumstance do not purchase a water heater from Whirlpool. They don't even make the product; it's made by American water heaters of Tennessee and they obviously have a problem and they won't admit it. They had a class action lawsuit a couple years back but would only reimburse you with maximum of $30. Their water heaters suck, period.

In 9/13/07, I purchased a water heater (Model: BFG1F3030T3NOV / Serial Number: 0735139532). In December 2010, the pilot went out and would not relight. In April 2011, the same thing happened! I heard that there was a recall and class action suit!

My fairly new Whirlpool water heater stopped working last week. It was identified that the control valve did not work. I called Whirlpool and was told that the warranty does not cover it as I am not the original owner. I bought the house with the water heater which looks pretty new. I will not purchase any Whirlpool water heaters in the future. The quality sucks and the warranty sucks! As a result, I had no hot water for over a week. I plan to replace the water heater entirely for about $700 installed! No more Whirlpool!

Purchased a 50-gallon electric hot water heater from Lowe's on October 2005, model # ee3250rd055v with a "lifetime" warranty.. I did a self installation to replace an existing hot water heater that began leaking after 20 years of service. After installation, the hot water heater would not work and after some diagnostic work, I discovered that the control board was out. I called Lowe's and was told that I needed to contact Whirlpool. My response was that I didn't buy the hot water heater from Whirlpool, I bought it from Lowe's, and that I expected Lowe's to fix it. Lowe's did step up to the plate and sent a repairman out to verify that the board was bad and ordered another one. When the replacement board was installed it was bad as well!

The next replacement board was good and lasted until August 2006 (11 months). Same scenario as the first time, and Lowe's sent a repair man to fix it. This must have been a good board because it lasted for almost 5 years until March 2011 then it went out again. Now my "lifetime" warranty only covers parts. Of course it went out on a Saturday and had to wait until Tuesday to receive another board. It was not giving any codes just power going into the board and no power was coming out. I told them I wanted a spare board and was told I could purchase one for $70.00 but I didn't really need to because I had a "lifetime" warranty and Whirlpool would send me another board if this one went out. I told them that I wanted a spare board for the same reason I keep a spare tire in my trunk.

Six weeks later the board goes out again (on a Friday night), same problem, no codes just a green light with power going into the board and none coming out. Back to whirlpool service and when I told them I had used my spare board that I had purchased, the first response was they could not send me a board if I had a working board in the heater and I should have called them to trouble shoot the board before replacing it. I told them I could send them the old board or put it back in the unit for diagnosis. The person told me that that would not be the same. When I told them that replacing the board every six weeks was unacceptable they said that they could not replace a unit that was repairable and I also needed to check the breaker and wiring to make sure it was properly sized.

When I called back and told them that I had 30-amp breakers in the panel and a 30-amp plug at the heater I was quickly told that if the unit was plugged into an outlet that the warranty was void. I asked the person to explain to me the difference a 30-amp plug would make over a 30-amp disconnect to the circuit board and he told me I would have to get a licensed electrician to explain that to me. Now to get my "lifetime" warranty reinstated, I have to get an electrician to come out and remove the plug and install a disconnect then type a letter on his business letter head along with name and license number stating the the heater is properly installed.

I have never had to talk to India. I was given a number to a center in Tennessee 877-817-6750 and although these people are very nice I have now come to believe they are trained to give you the run around until you get tired of fooling with them. I think I have found a solution to my problem, a "lifetime" is too short to put up with this misery. I am going to free myself from this "lifetime" warranty by jerking the sorry ** out and install a Rudd. Then once I get it out to the road and paint lemon on it, I will take a vow to never purchase another whirlpool product for as long as I live; and I will try to influence everyone I know to do the same. Add me to the list, another disgruntled Whirlpool owner, free at last!

We bought a Whirlpool Flame Lock Water Heater at Lowe's in June 2007. The problem is that it no longer heats water. No kidding! It was not even 4 years old and yet it was dead as a doornail. After nine days and many calls later, there was still no hot water. Go online and pick your choice as to which problem affects the heater. The bottom line is that it's a dud. A plumber will be coming over tomorrow to fix it for $200, which is outrageous!

I called the customer service warranty line today at 8 am and spoke with customer service representative named Igor. I was calling in reference to a Whirlpool Flame Lock Gas Hot Water Heater. I purchased this at Lowe's in Wichita, KS on 10-30-04. It has a 12 year warranty on all parts and the heater itself. I have replaced the same parts numerous times, have had to wait for Whirlpool to ship the parts to me, and then pay for the high priced postage on something that is under warranty.

I called on 3-23-11 and spoke with Forest. He gave me an authorization number to get a free thermal couple at Lowe's, which I did on 3-22-11. The plumber installed it on 3-23-11, and the pilot still would not stay lit or come on. The plumber said that the bottom of the tank is leaking and the insulation above the pilot light is all wet (probably rusting out), so this did not fix the problem. I am now on day number 3 with no hot water.

I have replaced the following parts on this heater:

The thermal couple 4 times, 5 including this week and the manifold assembly kit on 8-31-07 which was defective from the factory. They shipped it to me since you could not purchase the part at a store and then, charged me for the shipping, plus gave me the inconvenience of no hot water for a week.

The gas thermostat was replaced on 11-10-09 (I purchased at Lowe's and I had to wait for Whirlpool to reimburse me), as well as the piezoelectric igniter, drain and pop off valve, and burner. The hot water heater is not yet 6 years old and has now rusted out. I purchased a new hot water heater on 3-23-11 at The Tap in Wichita, KS in the amount of $374.69. Needless to say, it was not another problematic Whirlpool product. I called customer service this morning, spoke with Igor and requested that I be reimbursed for the new hot water heater and labor charges for installation.

He said that they could only replace it with another Whirlpool model. I said, "No way. With all the nightmares I have encountered with this one, I will never have another one." I requested to speak with his manager and there was none available. He said that he will have one call me back within 2 hours. That did not happen either. It is now 12:34 pm CST. I feel that it is only right that they reimburse me for the new hot water heater and the labor.

Several years ago, I bought a Whirlpool water heater. I did not suspect that I was buying such a big nightmare. For years, I kept changing the thermocouple with the hope that I will not have to do it again next month. I was wrong. The flame in the pilot went off every two months. Finally, a representative from Whirlpool told me that I should install some kind of conversion kit that should resolve my problem. Everything was fine for two more months. I was lucky that my house did not burn out. The miracle kit exploded to the point that the burner got sold to the body of the water heater. My nightmare continued when Whirlpool agreed to replace my FG model water heater for a newer one.

So far, I have changed the thermocouple of my new BF model many times. The flame continues to go off. It will only work for about two months. And then, you will have to change the thermocouple to make it work again. I have talked to representatives and supervisors. But they do not recognize the problem. I explained to them that I was a plumber, that they should not waste any time walking me through their troubleshooting chart. I could fix the problem if they knew what it was, but they don't seem to know it. I refused any warranty consolation from the company. I am in the process of erasing Whirlpool name from my house. I will recommend Whirlpool only to my enemies and I don't have many.

I replaced my old hot water heater with what I thought was going to be a better product, a Whirlpool. It's a 30-gal. and is the worst investment I have ever made. Within three months, we had to replace the thermocouple. Not even three months later, we were told we had a bad gas valve, imagine that! It has been about two years since we purchased it. The gas valve has been replaced twice and have gone through four thermocouples. Whirlpool was nice enough to pick up the tab on only one! We have invested way too much money into a product that's not even worth the scrap metal.

I purchased a 50-gal. Ultra Low Nox Whirlpool water heater with the Flame Lock system in June 2008 from Lowes. After a few months, the pilot light began extinguishing unexpectedly. Calls to customer service inquiries revealed a bad gas control valve/thermostat. It was still under warranty and Whirlpool paid for the part and service.

Last week, the problem arose again and I did the usual cleaning of the air intake beneath the heater, but that did not work. I called Whirlpool and they agreed that the problem is again with the gas control. The problem is that there is only a one-year warranty on service. So, while I will get a replacement gas control, I have to pay the $200 service call. Whirlpool has known of its faulty control valve, but continues to sell heaters with these controls. Now, they should stand behind them and pay for service as well as part for the entire 12-year warranty period.

We purchased a 40 gallon Whirlpool gas heater with the flame lock. It was purchased at Lowe's, model no. BFGIF4040S3NOV. It was installed on 9-1-09. We called Whirlpool on 4-13-10. They did send someone out to check it. They found a faulty gas valve. Whirlpool did pay for the service call and repair. This gas water heater has been nothing but problems ever since it has been installed. Do not buy a Whirlpool gas water heater with the flame lock. The water does not stay hot and needs reset like everyday. It is a piece of junk. My old gas water heater was very old, but it didn't cause me any problems. It kept the water hot and had no problems. I wanted an energy saver. My old gas water heater was a Montgomery Ward.

I bought a Whirlpool 30 gallon gas water heater 03FG1F3030T3NOV in 2003. My water heater went out on New Year's day, 2011. I called Whirlpool and they told me to go to Lowe's to get a thermo cubelet kit that was free. I had it installed and the heater went back out in a couple days. I called them back and they told me that I probably need the gas valve, it cost $62. I had it installed, the heater wouldn't stay light. They know that these heaters are problems.

Like numerous others, I have a problem with my Whirlpool 40 gallons, gas water heater. The pilot light won't stay lit. It is on a 12-year warranty and they already sent me a replacement part that I had to pay to have installed. The problem persists and now they want me to get a voltage meter to test the new part (installed four months ago). It's not reasonable to expect me to continually check and pay to install new, faulty parts. They should be fixing the problems that they know exist the first time. I have lost trust in Whirlpool, and will no longer purchase any of their products. It is just unfortunate that such a widely known issue is still being handled so poorly by Whirlpool, and that they are not being forced to right their wrongs. There should be a class action as others have stated. Consumers are getting the short end of the stick on this one and it's shameful.

I purchased a Whirlpool energy smart gas water heater (Model: SG1J5040T3NOV / Serial Number: 10l5T422354). Our house was built in 1993. On 11/23/10, we replaced our original gas water heater that came with our house after 17 years. With confidence, we had a 50 gallons, 12-year warranty, Whirlpool energy smart with flame lock safety system gas hot water heater professionally installed. We're not "greenies" by any means, but thought that we could reduce our energy bills by buying the "energy smart" water heater.

PROBLEM: The first two weeks were great. It worked as advertised. Since then, we've had constant pilot light issues. It will not stay lit. We've had to re-light it at least 20 times. It will re-light, engage the thermocouple and burner, heat water, but then extinguish itself. It is a random problem that does not happen every time; however, it is a very big problem when we don't have hot water in the morning to take a shower before work or wash dishes and do laundry after work.

I sent Whirlpool an e-mail this morning letting them know of the problem. I made it quite clear that they send a qualified technician to our house and get the problem resolved at their expense. I will return this water heater to Lowe's if they don't fix the problem. I, in no way, hold Lowe's responsible for this. They only sell products. I do feel, however, that Lowe's needs to know about the problem. They need to make the decision to continue selling these water heaters or not. I am sure that they don't want to sell an inferior quality product which has so many people frustrated. I will follow up when I hear from Whirlpool. I know they want me to be happy.

UPDATE: Less than two hours ago, I submitted an email to Whirlpool Customer Service. Just now, Jonathan with Whirlpool Customer Service called to resolve the problems that we are having. He was professional, regretful, and seemed to truly want to fix the problem. I think that he cared. Thank you, Jonathan.

Anyway, Whirlpool is going to overnight a new heater control valve to me. They gave me the name and number of a qualified service tech in Lee's Summit along with a Service Authorization Code for the tech to come to our house to change the control valve out at no cost to us. I think this is stellar customer service. Jonathan said that if this doesn't correct the problem, they will continue to work to resolve the problem at no expense to us, even if it means replacing the entire new water heater with another one. I will update later.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater flame lock (Model: fgif404053nov) on 12/12/03 and keep replacing the thermocouples. Whirlpool replaced the first thermocouple and I have had to buy eight thermocouples since. I entered into the Bowen, et al. vs. Whirlpool Corporation in 2008 and was supposed to have gotten a free manifold door assembly kit but I never did.

I am now sitting again without hot water and will have to go purchase a new one tomorrow. Did Bowen sell out to Whirlpool that's why we can't get the repair kit as promised? Will anyone ever hold Whirlpool and American water heater to the agreement or did we get stuck again? Until recently, I work for Lowe's where I bought the water heater from. I got into trouble at Lowe's for "bad-mouthing" Whirlpool while I worked there. I refused to buy any products made by Whirlpool and I let everyone know about it.

Our 50-gallon Whirlpool gas water-heater just broke down, conveniently, after the 1-year warranty. We are experiencing the same issues as many other consumers have had with the pilot light not staying lit. We just paid a plumber to install a new thermo-coupler yesterday (Dec. 31, 2010) and today (Jan. 1, 2011) we are still having the same problem.

First and foremost, I have been in the real estate business for 7 years and I have never heard of such nonsense. I purchased my home on Sept. 5, 2007 from a Remax Realtor Randy ** (**). Prior to my purchase, a new roof, carpet and water heater were installed. Three years later, I am having a leak at the top of my unit, so I called the number listed alongside the text that says there is a 6-year warranty! I spoke to a representative on 12/28/2010 who proceeded to give me a difficult time, stating that I had to provide her with a copy of my settlement statement showing that the water heater was part of the sell. I proceeded to call back and spoke to another representative, who then read the notes and coincided with the first representative.

The following day, I have Sears and Rooter come out to look at the unit and both agreed that there should be a 6-year warranty and that the representatives' request were ridiculous. I then returned to work on 12/30/10, I called to speak to another representative only to be read some of the notes and have my request to speak to a supervisor put on hold so that my name can go on a list. All of these while my unit is still leaking!

After purchasing the new 40-gallon gas water heater from Lowe's, the pilot light went out and would not stay lit. I found out that there were a lot of problems with this particular manufacturer and that they would provide me a new thermocouple to solve the problem. I picked one up at Lowe's and it was installed and seemed to work fine for a year or so. Then, it started all over again and I am now facing the same problems. I am tired of dealing with this product that obviously suffers from inferior design and/or manufacturing process.

This is my 2nd Whirlpool Water Heater in several years. This latest, a replacement purchased 3/09 from Lowes for a 3 yr old Whirlpool water heater purchased from Lowes-due to the pilot light continually going out. Now this 1 1/2 yr old Whirlpool water heater Mod# UG2F4040T3NV is having the same problem! A Class Action lawsuit is called for! Lowes has no business selling this Whirlpool product knowing its bad history!

My Whirlpool water heater (gas) stopped working; I tried to light up, but it didn't work. I called the gas co. and I was told that it needed service due to the pilot unlit. I went to Lowe's to get the part, they didn't have it. I was told to call the manufacturer, Whirlpool. When I called, I explained what I was told by the gas company. I spoke with Missy. She said that they have to void the warranty due to my property was on flow zone. I told her that was not true, that I have the papers from Escrow when I bought the property six years ago.

She put me on hold; then, she was back and forth for about 40 minutes. Finally, I was told to call back when a professional was present and let them know for sure what was wrong. I made the appointment for the next available day (next morning). When the plumber came, I called Whirlpool again. This time, the person from Whirlpool told the plumber to test the sensor, which didn't work. They will send a new part which will arrive on Tuesday next week (from the day of first call to Whirlpool until the day of the part arrival, Tuesday will be six days that my tenant won't have hot water; I talked to the tenant and we agreed that I will reimburse one week rent).

I asked the person from Whirlpool, if I can pay the Fedex or UPS to arrive next day, but he said that was impossible. Two years ago, I replaced all 5 water heaters on this property (five units),and now I'm afraid that I will have the same problem with the other 4 water heaters. Also on top of that, the labor to change it will be $160.00 plus $39.00 inspection. Can someone advise me if this is correct? Thank you.

Hot water heater that never works. First unit failed multiple times with replacement parts - Thanksgiving 2009. Whirlpool repalced unit (install at our cost), which promptly failed less than six weeks from installation on Christmas Eve (serviced) only to fail again less than 24 hours later. I'll never purchase a Whirlpool (is that GE) appliance again!

My husband & I bought our house & it had the original water heater which lasted for 30 years. Sadly, I don't recall what kind the original one was. It went out & was replaced in 2007 with a Whirlpool. Big mistake. Here we are only a few years later & we have no hot water. A repairman came out today & said it was not fixable. It's leaking & the pilot light wont stay lit. He said we needed to replace it. We got it at Lowe's & thank God, the store was willing to replace it for us. So, as of tomorrow, we will have a new one. I can only hope it will be a better one than this one has been. What has happened? It used to be that brand names were reliable. But not any more. We've been through 2 new microwaves in a matter of a few years.

Our old counter top model that was huge & one of the very first ones made still works just fine! But the ** they produce now is done for in a couple of years? That's insane. At least we're getting this worthless water heater replaced free of charge so I have to give Lowe's credit for that. Thank you, Lowe's. Now if only you'd stop selling these pieces of junk. And if only they'd take pride in things these days but nothing is made to last any longer. How sad is that? Our old second hand fridge that our parents bought for us as new home owners in '89 worked up until a power surge killed it about 4 years ago. We bought a new fridge & the ice maker quit within about a year. Nice. They just don't make anything like they used to. How sad. But so little is made in America any longer. That's sad too.

Whirlpool water heater (model 044212630nov) will not stay lit. You can light the pilot. Sometimes, however, once the burner goes off, the pilot goes out also. I contact Whirlpool and they replaced the thermocouple assembly (they shipped it to me and I installed it) and gas valve. However, this has not fixed the problem. I also cleaned the screen at the bottom of the heater ,even though it wasn't dirty, and this has had no affect.

Whirlpool says they cannot do anything else. So, I have to replace the heater. It will cost me $816.00.

This is about the resolution to my Whirlpool water heater issue. It had pilot light that would not stay lit. Whirlpool sent a replacement burner assembly that never worked. Four months later, we are still manually lighting the pilot and it would only stay lit for a couple of days at most then finally stopped working altogether. Two weeks without hot water in December is too much!

Whirlpool called me this morning and not only gave us a return authorization # to take to Lowes for an exchange, but also reimbursed the $150 paid to a plumber to install the replacement burner assembly. I'm very with their response and service.

I purchased at Lowe's a Whirpool 40 gal Natural Gas Hot Water Heater mfg'd by American Water Heater Company (Johnson City, TN) in July 2004. Exactly 6 years later, just before the warranty expired, the pilot light went out and we couldn't get it back on. I called Whirlpool customer service and they sent a replacement thermocouple unit, stating that it was easy for anyone to replace. I am a seasoned DIY-er and this was no simple task. We called in a licensed (Georgia State) plumber to install the unit which cost us $150. The plumber told us that he was very familiar with this unit and that the problem would return even with the new part. He said there was a problem with the burner assembly plus the threading was not industry standard, making it impossible for any professional plumber to adapt and fix the issue.

About 6 weeks later, the pilot light went out on the new part, and this time, my Whirlpool warranty had expired. So, we called our home warranty company who promptly sent out a different licensed plumber. This plumber said the exact same thing that the first one said, adding that this is an industry known recalled part, which means that our home warranty would not pay for it. He asked me to call Whirpool CS while he was there. While on hold, his partner got the pilot light lit and so we hung up with Whirlpool before a CS representative came on. The plumber showed me how to light the pilot light and turn the unit back on but said that this would eventually just stop working altogether as he had many dealings with this model. It has since been re-lit by me 3 times.

Sure enough, the pilot light went out again about a week ago and will not come back on. I have been on the phone with Whirlpool twice now with ridiculous runaround excuses, "There must be dust in the flame trap" and "Do you have a voltage meter to check the power? The average household owns a voltage meter" These are exact quotes from my notes.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater model #BFG1F5040T3NOV Serial # **Product # ** last January 2010. Just 10 months after installation, the thermal couple had to be replaced. I also noticed the thermostat gradually moves to hotter settings until it is so hot then auto safety shuts off the water heater. This water heater has manufacturer defects and could potentially result to very serious burns.

Water heater was just three years old Whirlpool Model# BFG2F4040T3NOV and would not stay lit. Called Whirlpool. They said warranty on parts but labor expired at 1 year. I was told by WP to take the burner out and take it back to Lowe's. Burner contains the thermal couple. Okay. This is a one hour job on the floor and I'm not getting any younger! Lowe's gives me a new burner, three hours labor I have it back together and running. Now six months later thermalcoupler is bad, no millivolts output. Called Whirlpool back to inform them of the test and they say go to Lowe's with this case number and they will give you a new $10 thermalcoupler. And also vacuum out the bottom grill as this makes the thremalcoupler go bad if it's clogged (**). Spent four hours putting it in and back together. My aching back! This thing is unreliable, cheaply made. With all the complaints om line there should be a class action suit or an extension of the labor warranty to a full six years. I'll bet that in six months I will be back on the floor replacing the parts again.

Less than two year-old, Whirlpool Model #BFG1F4040T3NOV, 40 gallon Hot Water Heater kept releasing hot water at the pressure relief valve. I was told by our local plumber that it was either the thermocoupler or the gas valve/thermostat that was bad since he had received many complaints of the same type - so much so that they no longer carried or installed Whirlpool water heaters. Checking online I saw why. Nothing but complaints. Most for a pilot light that would continually extinguish and for which none of the suggested repairs by Whirlpool worked.

With the help of a Lowe's water heater installer, the problem was isolated as the gas valve/thermostat. He reached this opinion because no matter how low I turned the thermostat, the water was scalding hot when I chose to open the lines and run some hot water. So, called Whirlpool. They quickly gave me the part # and and authorization code to pick up a new gas valve/thermostat at Lowe's. I did that, but when my local plumber once again showed up to do the repair, he warned me that he had done this on several other Whirlpools and all failed within a short time. So, I took his advice and am now purchasing another water heater. This one is an AO Smith model.

I purchased a Whirlpool Hot Water Tank and since I have had it, I have had nothing but problems. The thermal couple keeps going out on it. That's is and that's all I wish; that they were made to replace everyone's hot water tanks because I have heard nothing but negative things about this brand and all the problems that it's been causing consumers. They came out with a conversion kit. Well, I got that and it still doesn't work. It won't stay lit, so what now?

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater with Flame Lock System in January 2008. I had to have repairs or replacements on the thermocoupler done in April 2008, Sept 2008, May 2009, Oct 2010 and now it is Nov 26, 2010 & it's out again! This is definitely a defect in their design or I would not have had the same problem 5 times in 2 years! What can be done? I'm tired of dealing with this mess and taking cold showers!

I purchased my home in June 2010 and as part of my contract I was given a home warranty through Fidelity. In September 2010, we began having issues with the water heater pilot going out. When we would re-light it, it would stay lit for a few days to a couple weeks, then go out again and need to be re-lit. The warranty company sent out a repairman from their contracted plumbing company, who stated he could not find anything wrong with the water heater. Several weeks later, the exact same situation occurred, with a different repairman giving us the same story. Several times, the same issue has occurred, but we have simply re-lit the pilot light ourselves since we needed the hot water and didn't have time to wait for someone to come out and tell us the exact same thing; that they couldn't find anything wrong with the water heater.

Fast forward to November, I am tired of the water heater failing and having to constantly re-light the pilot. The way I always have discovered that the pilot is out is by taking a shower that becomes cold approximately one minute into the shower, at which point I am covered in soap and shampoo and cannot simply get out, go to the garage to light the pilot, wait 20 to 30 minutes for the water to reheat, and take a hot shower. At this point I have had enough of contacting the home warranty company, waiting for a call back and authorization from them to have the repairman come out, etc. So I called Whirlpool, the manufacturer of the water heater.

They stated that they would send a new part, which they would cover under warranty, but labor would not be covered. So I called the home warranty company, which agreed to cover the cost of labor. They sent their repairman out who proceeded to tell us that Whirlpool had sent out the wrong part. I then contacted Whirlpool, who agreed to overnight the correct part which the repairman stated we needed. In the meantime, the technician from the water heater company disconnected the water heater completely, stating that there was a leaky valve and this was potentially dangerous, so he would not re-light the pilot as we had done in the past.

The other technicians who had come to our house failed to mention this or diagnose this as the issue with the water heater. Somehow, the part (burner assembly) never arrived at our house, although UPS stated they dropped the package off at the front door when I was home all day preparing food ahead of time for Thanksgiving, and there is no way anyone ever came to the door. I called Whirlpool and explained my situation and at this point they stated they would simply replace the entire water heater. This should have sent up a red flag, but I agreed to the process. Again, Whirlpool stated that they would cover the cost of the parts, but not labor. So again it was up to me to contact the home warranty company to ensure that labor would also be covered.

After being on the phone with both Whirlpool and Fidelity for three hours, we came to the conclusion that the company which had previously been sending technicians out to our house to investigate our water heater issues was unwilling to uninstall the old water heater, return it to its place of purchase (Lowe's) and reinstall the new water heater, as directed by Whirlpool. By the time I went to the gym so as to have a place to shower and then returned home for the evening, Fidelity's office was closed. I had to wait until the next day to call Fidelity again about the issue, as it was the fourth day with no hot water. I finally heard back from an agent at Fidelity who was able to locate a company willing to complete the process suggested by Whirlpool.

Keep in mind at this point, it is the day before Thanksgiving and I am planning on hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I have no hot water with which to bathe or wash my dishes. I am also scheduled to work 12pm-12am, and it is now 8am. I still have not heard from the company who was contracted by Fidelity to replace the water heater, so I have no idea when they will be at my house to install the new heater. At 2:30PM, two technicians from the water heater company arrive at my house, disconnected the old heater, exchanged it for the new one at Lowe's and installed the new water heater. This process is finally complete at 5:30pm; I am now five and a half hours late to work. Luckily, my supervisor is understanding. When the technicians leave my house, they make it clear that they have no confidence in this Whirlpool product and fully expect that it will have to be replaced again because it is a "crappy product" and "will probably get you through Thanksgiving, but we'll probably have to come back out Friday".

Okay, that inspires a lot of confidence in me. Unfortunately, I cannot stick around to see if the water heater is actually going to work, since it takes about a half hour for it to fill and provide hot water to the house. I must go into work as promised for the remainder of my shift. Imagine my "surprise" when I arrived home at 12:30am early Thanksgiving morning and discovered a non-functioning water heater! The pilot, which was lit when I left, was 'shockingly' no longer lit and there was no hot water. So we are arriving on day five without hot water, which also happens to be Thanksgiving, which I also happen to be hosting at my hot-waterless house. In closing, as I sit here on Thanksgiving morning writing this vent/complaint, I am still without hot water, it is a holiday and a holiday weekend naturally follows.

Unfortunately for me, as a person with a job that cannot simply "close for the holidays" and observe a nice long holiday weekend, I am stuck with no hot water for the long holiday weekend as the people in the Whirlpool and Fidelity offices enjoy their weekend off, bathing in their nice hot showers. I am probably going to drag my shower supplies to the hospital where I work so that I can avoid offending my Thanksgiving dinner guests with less than optimal body scent. However, I remain incensed after reading multiple complaints on the internet about a problem that is obviously known to Whirlpool, yet they continue to replace their faulty water heaters with other newer faulty water heaters. I blame Whirlpool for my troubles since they have manufactured an inferior product and continue to do so without regard to the needs of their customers.

I have replaced three times the thermocouple on our Whirlpool water heater that is still under warranty. This is habitual and absurd that they have this happen to everyone with these water heaters.

Whirlpool 50 gl hot water heater purchased new at Lowes Home Improvement store (model no. FG2J5040T3NOV UNIT) turned into a lemon last week. Pilot lite went out. I got a free change-out kit and put it in. It worked for three days. Today the lite was out, turned it on and the water heated up but then the pilot lite went out. I turned on the pilot lite but then the burner would not go on. They told me to clean the fire trap, which I did. They said I could get a new temperature valve at Lowes. Lowes did not have it. I called Whirlpool. They are sending out a part. A plumber came by and said he could fix it for $250 once he got the part. I gave up and got a new water heater. This was only four years old with a 12-year warranty. Give me a break.

Issues with Whirlpool Hot Water Heaters made by American Water Heaters continue. And Lowe's continues to sell them. I purchased a 40-gallon gas Whirlpool water heater (BFG1J4040T3NOV) from Lowe's on 11/18/08 for a rental unit I owned and had it installed the same day (12-year tank and parts warranty). I thought purchasing a Whirlpool water heater with 12-year warranty would provide me with trouble-free problems.

However, it was a questionable decision from the start. Over a period of several frustrating days after the initial installation, the plumber had to replace the pressure relief valve, the gas control/temperature control unit, and finally install a thermo-expansion tank, all to prevent the pressure relief valve from dripping all over the floor. I never had that problem with the old water heater. Now two years later, I have experienced the problem a multitude of consumers have had and continue to have, such as, the pilot light issue. It went out (for who knows what reason) and I could not get it to light and stay on.

After reading these posts, I was alarmed and knew I might have a real problem on my hands as I prepared to try to resolve the issue. First, the plumber replaced the thermo-couple (obtained from Lowe's) with no success. I decided to clean the screen/filter in the bottom of the tank to ensure good intake air movement (it was not clogged or very dirty). I tried to light the pilot again, but with no success. Next, the plumber replaced the gas control/thermostat unit we obtained from Lowes, (remember this is the second replacement) all with no success. The pilot light would not stay on. When you release the red button, the flame goes out.

Now, the plumber has no other answers for a fix. This complicated with the frustration of tenets not having hot water for several days. Plus, the water is being completely shut off for 6 hours while the plumber has been obtaining and replacing parts. His recommendationreplace the unit with a different one. So, we replaced the two-year old unit that has 10 more years of warranty and cost me over $700 with installation for a GE gas water heater from Home Depot. What a disappointing and frustrating purchase from Whirlpool (American) and Lowe's. Like most on this post, I will never purchase another Whirlpool and I hope a class action lawsuit will result to reimburse so many that have been sold such worthless water heaters.

In the meantime, I have been without hot water for showers or dishes for a minimum of 3 days and counting.

We bought a water heater in 2003 and this is the second time we have had to replace the thermal coupling. We've had unexpected cold showers, replacing the coupling and having to pay someone to replace the coupling.

Purchased hot water heater FG1F404053NOV in 2005. Pilot light would not stay lit. I called a technician that I have a repair contract with and was told I needed to order a part from Whirlpool. I actually got the part from Lowe's for free, so I didn't have to wait for the part but the technician charged me $123.50 because he said the contract only covers normal wear and tear, and this is a manufacture defect.

I called Whirlpool and they say that it is not a manufacture defect, that it is normal wear and tear. After searching the internet, it seems to me Whirlpool is at fault for all the complaints I have found on this particular water heater and sounds like it just keeps breaking. I guess next time it stops working, I will save myself some money by buying a new hot water heater not manufactured by Whirlpool. Whirlpool should be held liable and required to not only provide the parts for free but the installation as well. They hso many complaints and the customer gets stuck paying the hefty installation fees.

It will be 5 years since we moved into our house and bought a Whirlpool Hot Water heater. It seems that every six months we are replacing the thermocouple. This water heater is defective and something needs to be done about it. I am tired of not having hot water.

I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater 3 years ago. Heater had a 6 year warranty. I called Whirlpool to get return authorization. Whirlpool representative insisted that I remove the heating element from the heater, wrap Teflon sealing tape around the threads of the element, reinstall the element, and then recheck for leaks. I informed the rep that the tank was leaking, not the seal around the element. The water was streaming from the heater and I could clearly see it was not coming from the element locations. The rep insisted that I perform this "repair" before a return authorization would be granted. I told the rep that I would not waste my time doing this as the leak was due to a rusted through tank, not the element seals.

At this point the rep informed me a return authorization would not be issued. I went to Lowes and purchased the exact same water heater. After installing the new heater, I took apart the old heater. I wanted to know where the leak from the tank actually was. It is difficult to see this as the tank is encased in expanded foam insulation which I had to break away from the tank in order to find the hole. The rusted through hole was located in the upper portion of the tank near the Temperature/Pressure relief valve.

Hot water went out. I called a repairman. He told me to call Whirlpool. They said I could pick it up at Lowes. I tried seven different Lowes and none of them had part. I called Whirlpool again and they overnighted the part. Now a repairman can't come to fix it. I am without hot water for over a week now.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater model FG1F40400S3NOV in 2005. This is the third time I am having trouble with this. It seems like the thermal couple keeps going. December 09 the whole burner unit had to be changed due to the left handed thread that was used. If somebody wants to give me a Whirlpool product I will have to pass. This product is junk. I have replaced the thermal couple but there appears to be a gas leak inside of the unit.

I am going on my 2nd water heater in 5 yrs. We bought our home in 2005, in which a Whirlpool water heater was already installed brand new. Within 6 mos., the water heater stopped working. We contacted Whirlpool customer service and was told the thermal coupler had to be replaced. They sent us the part and we installed. 5 mos. later, the water heater stopped working. We were so fed up at this point, that we just bought a new one. Within 1yr, it stopped working. I again contacted customer service and was told again that the thermal coupler had to be replaced. Again, we replaced and it worked for another year. It has yet again stopped working. I have had it with Whirlpool water heaters. I will never ever buy a Whirlpool product again.

On Aug 15, 2010, I ordered a Whirlpool LP water heater from Lowe's. After installation and inspection by a county inspector, I noticed that the water was very hot even though the thermostat was set to warm. I rotated the thermostat clockwise to see where the thermostat switched and it was slightly above the Hot setting, very near the mechanical stop. I notified Lowe's about this condition and they sent a technician who also verified that the water was too hot and suggested that I contact American Water Heater Company directly for further instructions.

During my conversation with the AWHC customer service representative, I was told that the pilot light "might" be heating the water and they recommended a test. They asked me to change the pilot control from On to Pilot. This would prevent the burner from coming on, but would still allow the pilot flame to burn as usual. I could then run enough hot water out of the system to reduce the temperature in the tank to a moderate level. I did this and verified that the hot water was just on the warm side of tepid. I then rotated the thermostat from the lowest temperature setting, clockwise until I heard the thermostat switch. This occurred at the first mark below Warm. Twenty four hours later, I repeated the test of the thermostat and noticed that it now switched half way between warm and hot. Another twenty four hours later, the temperature was one mark below Hot. Clearly, if I wait much longer, the temperature will continue to rise until the heat losses from the tank balance the heat from the pilot or the over-temperature switch turns off the gas to the pilot.

I believe that many of the complaints about the pilot light going out may be the result of this condition. The water actually exceeds the over-temperature set point (which is a safety backup for a failed thermostat) and shuts off the gas to the pilot. The pilot can only be re-ignited when the water has cooled sufficiently.

AWHC sent me an undated technical bulletin that has been carefully worded to make it sound like high ambient temperature and the warming effect of the pilot may result in the water temperature being "higher than expected" and recommends running hot water for about ten minutes.

AWHC should tell the truth and say that their gas water heaters have a design flaw that permits the water temperature to reach dangerously high temperatures regardless of the thermostat setting (which could injure or kill you) and may result in an over-temperature condition that will automatically shut off the gas to the pilot light.

As you know, injury and death from scalding is a serious problem. Most of these cases are attributed to setting the thermostat too high or having a thermostat fail to operate. The condition I described above is a design flaw because the heat from the pilot is not isolated from the water heater tank and there is no means to regulate the pilot to stay within the temperature set by the thermostat.

Since this observation has shaken my confidence in the ability of AWHC to design a safe water heater, I have filed a report with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and, in the interest of safety, I am willing to pursue this matter until I am satisfied with the result.

Toddlers and young children are at the highest risk of being scalded by hot water. It is easy to receive third degree burns from exposure to hot tap water, which comes from not only hot drinks and pots cooking on the stove, but from bath water. An approximate one-second exposure to 160 F water will result in third degree burns.1 Where the water is 130 F, an approximate half-minute exposure will result in third degree burns.2 This is the reason that the Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests that water heaters be set to a maximum temperature of 120 F, even though an approximate ten minute exposure to water heated to this temperature can result in third degree burns.

A safe temperature for hot water is 110 F, which exposure to results in third degree burns in approximately ten hours.3 Even though this is a 'relatively-safe' temperature, exposure to water set at 110 F is painful; the human pain threshold is around 106-108 F. It is important to remember that 212 F is the boiling point of water, meaning that the temperatures at which exposure to water will result in burns is much less than the boiling point of water. - Consumer Product Safety Commission.

On 11-09-07 I bought a whirlpool gas water heater that we had installed by a friend. On 11-15-07 our water heater stopped working. I called whirlpool and they said it was the gas control valve and thermostat that's was bad. On 12-01-07 someone finally came to fix it. On 4-10-08 my water heater went out again and I called whirlpool, they said the thermo coupling was bad so the sent someone out on 4-25-08, the man wasn't gone for 2hrs and it was out again. I had some out to work on my tank a total of 14 times since I bought the tank and finally last month I said I was calling a lawyer and they told me to return it to Lowes and they would replace it.

I bought my home in June 2008 and as a condition of purchase, the previous owner replaced the water heater before I closed on the house. He purchased a Whirlpool model # BFG1F4030T3NOV, a 40 gallon water heater from Lowe's and had it installed by a local plumber. In June 2010, this unit needed a new thermocouple replaced so I bought and installed one from Home Depot and thought nothing more about it. Last week the thermocouple went out again, so I called 1-877-817-6750 which was the number listed on my manual. The guy I talked to advised that there was a known problem with the gas valve in that unit and immediately offered several options to correct the problem.

I opted to have the part shipped to me, via overnight UPS. I just installed it and it was kind of a pain in the butt due to having to drain the tank. I really can't gripe about the manufacturer because they immediately rectified the problem for me, but I am a little skeptical because I have also read many posts that refer to the problem being caused by a design flaw with the flame-trap getting dirty too quickly. Time will tell whether the problem is really fixed. I spent about $22 for three different thermocouple parts.

Product: Whirlpool gas hot water heater, Model BFGIF4034T3NOV, 30 gallon Purchased: December 2007 [2 years 9 months old today] Retailer: Lowes [They only carry Whirlpool] Problem: Pilot would not stay lit and was very hard to light and overflow pressure valve leaked. Diagnosis: Gas control unit faulty. Electronic pilot igniter was OK. Solution: Throw the Whirlpool on the curb and go to Home Depot which carries both Hotpoint and GE [both are made in Mexico, probably in the same factory].

Prices vary wildly depending on the length of warranty [2, 6, 9, 12 years]. I paid $327 for a 40 gallon Hotpoint gas hot water heater. Comment: After I read all the negative comments on Whirlpool [my model], I was concerned. I see how the manufacturer handled the customers under warranty poorly. Clearly the best action was to toss the defective Whirlpool unit on the curb. Final Comment: Corpus Christi city water is very alkaline and dangerously high in total dissolved solids [typically measures over 600 ppm tds]. This clogs up everything and is corrosive leaving mineral deposits in all appliances. My next appliance will have to be a very large total house filter. [Old term for condition here is "hard water"]. The dead Whirlpool was within warranty for parts. Blog writers indicate replacement parts that are defective or no better than OEM parts, fail again soon.

I purchased from Lowe's, in late 2008, a Gas Water Heater with Flame Lock Model BFG1F404053NOV and keep having problems with the pilot light. Now, I have to wait another two days for the repair to come out. No hot water. I am a breast cancer patient and don't need this further aggravation. So many people with so many problems with this gas heater. Something needs to be done for all of us. This is just not right.

We purchased a Whirlpool model #FGIJ5040 T3NOV in November 2005, but I will never buy a Whirlpool product again. This is the 3rd time we have had to repair this water heater in 5 years. Nothing but problems. We just paid $93.97 a year ago and it needs to be fixed again. We ordered this part from American Water Heater. We have been without hot water too many times with this thing.

I bought a Whirlpool model FG1F4040S3PV water heater approximately 3 1/2 years ago. One day the pilot light would not light so I called the toll free warranty number in the owner's man. And I was told that they would have to ship the whole ther. unit because it had left handed threads. After waiting 3 days, received and replaced the unit. It fixed the problem until now. Now the pilot light will light but will go out 1 to 2 times a day. Whirlpool has definitely gone in the wrong direction with quality. All of my appliances in the past have been Whirlpool. I will be changing that in the very near future.

This past Feb. or Mar. time frame, we had to buy a new hot water heater because we were having problems with the one that was bought before we bought our home. About six months after we bought this house, we had to replace the thermal coupling and it was one of your reverse thread type which none of the dealers have on hand. We had to order it and I ended up having to pay the shipping charges, which I think is not right. Six (6) months after this, we had to replace the hot water heater because it was not holding the water and wouldn't warm up even if we had it all the way on high. So we had to buy a new one and again we had to pay for it.

It has now been approximately eight months with this new heater and the coupling needs to be replaced again. What will be next? Will we have to buy a new hot water heater again? Your company is legally stealing from the customers you have.

We went to Lowes and they told us we would have to call you again to get a replacement part. Your products are not what they were when I was a child. Now, I don't believe in your products or your company. I need someone to contact me and let me know if, how, or when you will ever back up any products. My complaint is with your company and not with any dealers who sell them. They only sell what you send them and so far it's nothing but "crap".

I bought an FG model Whirlpool Water Heater from Lowe's like a lot of other people who have posted here. I have had it for about 5-6 yrs, I can't remember exactly, and I have not had trouble until last night. The pilot light went out and would not reignite. I went out to Lowe's to pick up a new thermocouple for it. I know quite a bit about home repairs and I could not find the left hand threaded one that this particular model had. Obviously, the universal ones will not work.

I called the 877 number on the water heater and I spoke with a very nice lady from Whirlpool. She told me about the update kit that converts these models to a newer style. She told me to go to my Lowe's location and ask them for update kit "A" and it would not cost me a thing. I went into Lowe's and I told the guy what I needed. He gave me the box and out the door I went with not a dollar out of my pocket. It was an easy update fix and it took less than an hour. If more people would call and be courteous to the individual on the other end of the phone, they would not make your product quit working. Instead, they would get more help. I will buy nothing but Whirlpool in the future. Thanks Whirlpool and Lowe's!

Our thermal coupler went out and we went days without hot water as we did not have the money to hire a plumber. My husband was trying to learn how to fix the problem on his own. We are very dissatisfied because the hot water heater is only about 4 years old.

In May 2007, I purchased a Whirlpool model SG1J4040T3NOV 40-gallon water heater from Lowe's with a supposed eight-year warranty. There are only two of us in the home and I've had nothing but problems with it. I just finished replacing the control valve and the lighting is still sporadic. No more Whirlpools for me.

Whirlpool has been responsive in getting the replacement parts, but this is getting old. We purchased PN fdih4040t3nov back in February 2005. The TSTAT went out in 9/2008. It started having problems with the pilot lite. The gas valve then had to be replaced in 4/2009. Restarting the pilot is quite a process now with this heater and now it is taking longer to heat the water in the tank. I'm not sure what that is. Other water heaters I have had lasted 15 years with no problems until they just stopped working. This has been the worst.

I have a Whirlpool gas water heater purchased from Lowes with model number 1F3030T3NOHV and I have had nothing but problems with it. It's been going out the past two years. It had the gas valve replaced in January of 2010 and has gone out this week for the third time. I have had it up to here with them. There should definitely be a recall or class action lawsuit. I am writing this to further that cause and encourage someone with similar problems to make them known. Whirlpool, never ever again!

I bought two water heaters from American Water Heaters a few years ago. One pilot went out and would not light. I couldn't get to relight. I ordered parts. They worked for about a week and it started doing the same thing. I decided to check on the internet and found lots of people having the same issues with pilots, thermocouple units and a class action lawsuit. I decided to forgo fixing it and bought a Whirlpool from Lowes.

I got it home, opened the box and, lo and behold, it has the same manufacturerAmerican Water Heatersas my old problematic one. It had the same manufacture address but a different company name. Yet the warranty card says American Water Heaters. There's also something very rare in a water heater box, an instruction page with color pictures on how to diagnose and replace thermocouple assembly. I packaged it back up and I am returning it today. So, basically, Whirlpool decided to use a product that they have had problems with in the past. I am not sure they have really fixed them if they have to include color pictures to repair the thermocouple assembly. Going to a Maytag.

My complaints are only starting. It first started with our Whirlpool water heater going out and discharging cold water. We followed the instructions on relighting, it would heat for a few minutes then cut out again. We continued the same progress on lighting and more and more, the pilot light would not remain lit after releasing the red button. We then were told the thermocouple was out. So we replaced it by buying a new one. During installation, we found out that the threads that hook up to the control panel were threaded for a left-handed unit. We then made several trips to 2 appliance stores in our area, with no luck. Then we were told Lowe's had them.

Well, no luck. They said they were out so they called another 2 stores and they were out. We went to Home Depot and no luck there either. We have now went without hot water for 5 days and still no luck. Then I did some research and could not find any information on Lowe's or Whirlpools' sites about these problems. It seems that you may have to buy the whole control panel just to get the right-handed thermocouple to work right. Also, by reading the messages on here, I found out several other problems seem to grow after one year. I've read where some have seek other brands such as GE. I talked to my wife about this and she is still wanting to go the same route. I want this problem to be fixed now. I'm game on any lawsuit about this situation. We live near the last Whirlpool Industry that has just moved to Mexico within the last year, leaving over 1500 Americans jobless. PS: My water heater was built in Mexico.

I have a Whirlpool Flame Lock gas water heater, which I purchased from Lowes in 2006. This is sold only by Lowes. Class Action settled on thermocouple. Two have been replaced on this water heater. I am under mental anguish.

Water heater is only 4 years old. The pilot light won't stay lit. I called Whirlpool twice, and replaced their class action part twice. This is a defective product that is being repaired with defective parts. Numerous complaints can be found all over the internet, regarding the same problem. I spent over $600 to purchase this water heater. This product should not be sold to the consumers.

Anyone looking for a water heater should steer well clear of anything Whirlpool offers. I bought one five years ago and have had nothing but problems with it. While the tank still holds water, the tank destroys thermocouples like they are going out of style. When these things go out, they are dead forever. For models with the flame lock system, thermocouples will cost 3 or 4 times what a normal thermocouples costs and they are left hand threaded. So you can't just put on a regular thermocouples without changing the entire thermostat. I finally broke down and replaced the thermostat (over $50.00 American currency) after the ** thing went through 3 in 2 weeks.

Now, there is a class action lawsuit against Whirlpool and their faulty, overpriced flame lock thermocouples. Unfortunately, I could not find my receipts to participate. I hope no one ever buys Whirlpool products again and they go bankrupt. They should be ashamed to be taking Americans' hard-earned money for their junk. Maybe they should turn their attention to manufacturing doorstops or paperweights, they might be able to do that. Now, we are having problems with the electronic igniter, probably from all the time having to relight the tank. I can't even find the part to repair it on Whirlpool's own website. Take my advice and don't buy a Whirlpool water heater. They are absolute **. For that matter, this will be the last Whirlpool product of any kind that I will ever buy.

Around the end of June 2010, the same thing happened to our Whirlpool Flame Guard water heater built by American Water Heaters. The lack of air circulation due to the tiny vent caused the flame to starve for oxygen making it flare out and trip the thermal fuse. When this happens, the thermocouple stops working and the pilot light goes out. No replacement parts were available. Only by requesting and receiving the burner upgrade assembly were we able to get the water heater working again. Luckily, I'm a bit handy with a wrench, otherwise, it would have cost us money to have it installed. Needless to say, no more Whirlpool for me, period.

My FG1H5040T3NOV water heater pilot lite went out. Whirlpool sent a new valve; it's still out. Then I was informed that I should have a retrofit kit with new thermocouple set up. So I'm on my third day with no hot water; I sit and wait.

I purchased a 40-gallon Whirlpool water heater (bfg2f4040t3nov) from Lowes about 4 years ago. That's pretty ancient for this model so I wasn't too surprised when the little plastic thermal switch that was attached to the base crumbled off while I was performing standard maintenance (i.e. replacing the thermocouple assembly unit). I'm not sure if this is dangerous, so I initially didn't turn it on. But, I changed my mind during yet another freezing cold shower and went down and turned on the gas. Fortunately, the pilot light wouldn't stay on, allowing me to come to my senses. I do hope my next water heater won't encourage me to risk my life. So far just a week of cold showers, parts, and time spent performing life-threatening repairs.

My 87 year old mother, has had repeated repairs done on her hot water tank. 6 times in a year and a half, and twice this week already. Labor is killing us, parts you might pay for, but that's a problem too. I know she is tired of the stress, and will never buy another Whirlpool product. It must be a lemon. All I hear is one thing or another. I have incurred t of pocket expenses amounting to $200 or more, for all the times she has called a plumber.

Purchased a 50-gallon Whirlpool hot water heater three years ago and have had to replace the ignition/thermocouple assembly twice. This last time, Lowe's gave me the part for free but it cost (again) $150 to have it installed. Cold showers and unnecessary work lost having to wait for repairmen. This shouldn't happen unless they are 10 years old.

I am on my third Whirlpool gas hot water heater in 7 years. I have also replaced the thermocoupler in one twice. I have bought the hot water heaters from Lowe's and do not blame them but Whirlpool is no longer one of the better brands to buy.

We bought our Whirlpool Gas water heater from Lowes in 2004. We have had to replace the thermocoupler three times. The warranty service supplied one of the thermocouplers, but we had to pay overnight postage. Now, the water heater is leaking. The six year warranty expires next month. I would not ever try contacting Whirlpool service again. It is not worth the frustration. My choice is to never buy any Whirlpool appliance, and to stop shopping at Lowes.

I am another victim of a Whirlpool junk water heater! I have a fg1h5040t3nov model. First off, I have had nothing but trouble with the pressure relief valve. I call Whirlpool, the water tank dept. "Oh,your temp is set to high." It's only on medium so I turned it down a number of times until the valve stopped leaking/dripping. Then I got to clean up all the mess created by the leak! Now the thermocouple went bad. There's no hot water for 3 days while I waited for the "retrofit kit" to arrive.. I replaced it according to the instructions and guess who started leaking again? You guessed it, the relief valve(!) which by the way is set to vacation. I called the Whirlpool 877 number again and got another incompetent ** asking "are you sure the setting is on vacation?"

I bought the first Flame Lock, Whirlpool hot water heater in Dec.2003,model # FG1H4040T3NOV and had to replace it in Aug. 2005 because the pilot light would not stay lit. Whirlpool did give me an RA # for this one. In Nov. 2007 pilot light again would not stay lit, contacted the customer service # again and Whirlpool sent me a kit for the burner assembly. Thank God I can do my own repair work! Then in Oct. 2008, same problem pilot would not stay lit.Whirlpool sent me a improved burner assembly kit. Of course I am having to pay postage on all of this!

In April of 2009, same problem occurs. Whirlpool will not give me a RA # to replace this. They sent a new gas valve and that didn't work. I had to buy another thermocouple and that got me going again. Oct 2009, the pilot light goes out but will relight if I push the reset button on the new little white door switch that is part of the new burner assembly. In Nov of 2009, I had to replace the thermocouple again. Come July 2010 pilot light is again going out, I will contact Whirlpool in the morning and request another Hot water heater! I forgot to mention, this is a 12-year warranty hot water heater, yea right! Had I not been technically able to do my own repair work, I would be out several hundred maybe a thousand dollars in keeping this working. Whirlpool has ruined their name with me.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes in 2005. I had the KIT-Termalstat replaced in 2008. In July of 2010, it broke again. They offered to give me a certificate for replacement if you take it out, and return it to Lowes. I had to pay someone to install it, last time. They refused to pay for the installation. This is stupid. Do not buy from American Water Heaters or Lowes

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater, G1J5040T3NOV from Lowes. I have done the recall on thermo coupler myself. No one would work on it. It's been a pain in the ass since I bought it. I will have to buy a new one. Definitely, it will not be at Lowes or Whirlpool!

I have several Whirlpool water heaters and have had terrible problems with every single one of them! I have rental properties and I have had to hire multiple service technicians many times for each unit. I have tenants who have been so frustrated that they have moved! I have trouble dealing with Whirlpool. The last time I talked with them, being very frustrated, they hung up on me. I have easily spent enough on technicians that I could have installed brand new units!

I am a person that researches everything and it happened upon this site as I was attempting to learn about the problem we were having with our Whirlpool/Envirotemp water heater. I would just like to share my experience, as it was a good one. I dialed the toll free number on Whirlpool site and was directed to contact **** for replacement parts for the water heater. Let me back up a step. We first had Burton Plumbing come out for a charge of $59 just to tell us what supposedly was wrong and leave an estimate to replace those items, $296.26 for the burner assembly, etc. and $498.59 for the main gas valve/thermostat.

To make the long story short, when I contacted the toll free number, a gentleman named Kelsey answered and walked me through step by step, the tests that should have been done to determine what parts were needed and also stated that it would take no more than 30 to 40 minutes to replace both if needed. That being stated, I would say a big thank you to Kelsey at Whirlpool who did send me the replacement parts and directed me to a video online that would walk me through the simple process of replacing these and not getting totally raked over the coals by Burton. Kelsey stated that this could all be done for, at the most, $150. Thanks Whirlpool and Kelsey. You make me feel like there are still great people out there that just want to do the right thing!

My complaint is about a Whirlpool gas water heater with the flame lock safety system that I purchased at Lowes in Clinton, Utah on September 2008. In November 2008, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, the pilot light went out and would not stay on. I contacted Whirlpool; they gave me a case number and said they would send me a new control overnight delivery. I called everyday throughout the weekend waiting for the part to get deliver and finally after some research they found the part was never picked or sent. I was really upset because with a family of 6, we had to boil water every day for at least 6 days due to the Holiday.

When I found the part was not delivered, I went to Lowe's and complained and explained to them if they did not correct the problem, I was going to the newspaper and error my complaint. Lowe's immediately gave me a replacement part (control). I then called Whirlpool and they scheduled a Sears repairman to come and install the part. He not only found the original control was bad, the one Lowe's gave me was bad. He also found the burner unit was not functioning also. After replacing the parts with what was suppose to be good, the water heater worked good until today June 23, 2010--20 months later. The pilot light again will not stay lit (model # BFG144040T3NoV).

Today, a repairman is coming to check out the unit. Do I have any chance of any reimbursements for repairs or if I need to purchase a new water heater? This is supposed to be a 9 year warrantee. What a bunch of junk this unit is. I wish Lowe's would have told us about the problems these Whirlpools are. Me and my wife are both retired and supporting my daughter and 3 grandkids. How can companies selling junk expect us to fork out $400 plus every two years for a heater that should at least last 9 years.

Lowe's sold defective hot water heater from Whirlpool 50 gallon SG1J5040T3NOV, Model # 0733156. I have been the subject of class action lawsuits in the past but Lowe's continues to sell them to unsuspecting people who don't know until they check troubleshooting information on them. Nothing comes up but bad things about the water heaters and the fact that Whirlpool and Lowe's knows about it.

** 2 1/2 year old water heater that is not working again. I am sitting here waiting for a plumber to show up right now. This cost too much money to be going without hot water again. About $500 for the water heater and $650 for installation. This guy is going to tell me he can't work on it again and that I have to buy a new one. I already heard it on the phone. I should discuss that in person.

I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater and came to find out it's the one with all the problems. I contacted customer service, and they overnighted a new burner and pilot and gas valve and it works so far. I just got it back in service tonight--gas pilot is still on! Hopefully, this will fix it.

We purchased an electric hot water heater 7 years ago. It was an Energy Smart with the self-diagnostic control system. We are lucky to be alive. The hot water heater is in a closet in the bedroom. The wires shorted out and melted. They melted the cover where they came out of the control box and they scorched the shelf above. If there had been anything above, it would have caught fire and killed us. My husband took it out and bought a basic hot water heater without a computer board. It was not from Lowe's and it was not a Whirlpool. We had to purchase a new hot water heater. It was an inconvenience and frankly scary as hell to realize how close we came to being crispy critters.

I have replaced the thermo coupling 3 times on this water heater. The last one has worked for 2 years. Beware, last night my house filled with carbon monoxide from the water heater. These hot water heaters do not work well in a small room. I replaced a hot water heater with this one and used the same flue. If you have one of these hot water heaters, buy a carbon monoxide detector. I am going to buy an electric hot water heater and trash the Whirlpool Gold.

I was afraid to go to sleep last night. I have to purchase a new water heater and have it wired for electric. I missed work today to handle this problem.

Whirlpool flame lock water heater. I have replaced thermocouple 3 times in 4 years. Very poorly designed and extremely hard to fit new thermocouple. Unit sucks. I wish I could get Lowe's to come out and replace it.

Water heater purchased in 11/05 with 6-year warranty. In the past 3 months, there are two defective parts. Parts unavailable locally and must be shipped. No hot water during this time. No service available. I must pay my own plumber. Whirlpool refuses to honor warranty. I'm paying a plumber out of my own pocket.

I purchased in 2005 at Lowe's a Whirlpool gas hot water heater with flame lock. In addition, it came with a 9-year warranty. It started Christmas Eve 2009. I had people coming over that night and about 1 pm we found out the hot water heater was not working; my husband spend several hours trying to re-light it. We then decided we would try to contact a qualified plumber. We were lucky to get someone who was on his way home and going past our house. He was there for 3 hours giving up time with his family.

However, he said we needed the replace the "thermal coupler"; he placed the order but we would have to go without hot water until after Christmas. That total cost was $150, plus a great tip for his efforts. Now it is June and my husband has been in contact with the Service Center so many times he does not even have to give his name. After reading the "warranty", speaking with the Service Center and reading the issues incurred by others on this exact same appliance, I am about to give up. Whirlpool can chalk up another win for them because I can't fight anymore, and no one seems to be getting the help and support they should from Whirlpool or the sole distributor of this product, Lowe's. Paid over $400 for the water heater, almost $200 to have it installed from companies I thought I trusted, only to find out 5 years into a 9-year warranty, "too bad, so sad" and I have to now shell out the cost of a new one. Who is making them accountable for us little guys who work hard for our money?

Whirlpool Hot Water Heaters. Within the last few weeks, I have had to replace the the complete thermocouple assembly kit. Yes, I had to go to Lowe's to get the parts because this part has caused me a hardship. Lowe's does not stock this item in all the stores. I had to travel 62 miles in order to get the unit. This alone was bad enough. Now let's take the price of gas, the wear and tear on my truck and tires. The time it took was about three hours give or take. Now, we come down to the fact that I could not charge the customer for time and labor.

I have been having problems with my Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's. I keep getting parts for the water heater at the request from Whirlpool customer service from Lowe's and it still doesn't work. I called the gas company and they came out and checked it, the gas tech explained to me that these water heaters are always having problems. Doing research on the internet, these water heaters are a major problem. They don't work. Is there a way to get my money back or a replacement water heater? Is there a lawsuit or anything because of these water heaters? Please help. No hot water for five days and counting.

I started having the pilot light issue in our 7-year old Whirlpool water heater a few months ago, but had been able to relight the pilot each time until yesterday. After reading about the ongoing problems and class action suit against Whirlpool, I called Lowe's and if they had any of the repair kits. The person I spoke to said they needed the repair kit letter so I called Whirlpool directly. They told me I needed kit C and that they would overnight it to me free of charge if Lowe's didn't have one. I called Lowe's back and they were out, but said they would call Whirlpool and call me back. 10 minutes later, they called back and said that they would receive more in tomorrow, but that another store nearby had one and they were holding it for me.

I picked it up and after carefully following the installation instructions, we now have hot water again. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be, it only took about 45 minutes and didn't cost me a thing. If you are still dealing with this problem, contact either Lowe's or Whirlpool and ask for the repair kit. If you can follow directions, you can probably install it yourself.

I have a gas water heater from Whirlpool. After replacing the same parts at least twice (which had to cost more than the water heater), I got an RA# and replaced the water heater. That was less than a year ago. Now, the same *** thing is happening! The pilot light will not stay lit. This has been inconvenient. Having already dealt with this company for months to get things fixed. Them wanting to make me redo the troubleshooting. Time is a commodity not many of us have and when I spend hundreds of dollars on something, I expect it to work! I will never buy anything Whirlpool again and will make my opinion be heard to as many people as I can reach! The internet and word of mouth are the best advertising tools! Going without hot water because an appliance is made crappy is horrible, especially when you are buying a brand that should be trusted. Too bad. They used to be a wonderful company.

This is an update to an earlier posting about my Whirlpool hot water model #BFG1F404053NOV. As I said before, this all started on 11/7/08. Every month or two having to replace the thermocouple and always the gas control/flame guard. This is very costly for a single mother. Sometimes, the company will ship the gas control to me for free but then I'm waiting 3 days or more for hot water. I can't afford the cost of having it taken out and the new one installed anymore. The guy was even giving my a discount. He had to do it so much, but for me $75.00 is a lot but it's the cheapest I found! So since my last posting, I'm on my 2nd gas control.

It's May 23, 2010. The last one was installed on May 2, not even 1 month ago. Also, in between the gas control, I had to have a thermocouple installed. When I called the company, the only response I got was "Okay were sorry, we'll send you a new gas control". Anyone who has any suggestions? I can't return it. I've been trying since I first bought it from Lowe's. I have to have an RA# from Whirlpool to return, but Lowe's has been great through this. They even tried to talk to Whirlpool. Please help! I can't afford to buy a new one either. Single mom on med leave, having to pay to install, an uninstall $75.00 a pop. We are also going days without hot water. It has got my nerves so bad knowing it's only going be about 1 month before I go through this again.

I contacted US/ Craftmasters Water Heater Comp. They are being answered by Whirlpool. I have a FG1F4034T3NOV and am having the same problems as others listed here where the flame won't stay on. I contacted them today and found that they have a replacement burner assembly that they are "overnighting" to me to resolve this issue. This is not a complaint but a resolution to posted issues listed here.

I purchased the Whirlpool gas water heater in 04/06 at Lowe's. We have had to replace the thermocouple twice and it's out again. This time within a month apart. This was the second Whirpool water heater we have purchased within a 6 year period. When the first one went out, I didn't think about checking for recalls. I have decided to replace the water heater with a GE from Home Depot. This time I will purchase the full replacement warranty. I have all Whirpool appliances in my house presently, but will never buy another one of their products.

We bought a Whirlpool water heater less than 2 years ago. About 2 days ago, the pilot light went out. My husband kept lighting it. It continued to go out. Then he couldn't light it. We went to Lowe's to get the part and they told us that this is an ongoing problem with the thermal coupler and that they would give us one for free but they didn't have the one that we need. We will have to go to Reno to get one, and again no hot water, nice cold shower.

Now I read online that this problem has been going on this years and it has not been fixed. They even settled a class action suit but that doesn't help us because that was back in 2008. You would think that this continues to be a problem, complaint after complaint after complaint that something would be done. I have basically been told that even if I replace the coupler, that it will last maybe 3 months. Whirlpool needs to refund the money. This is ridiculous. Cold showers, dishes aren't getting washed, having to boil water to do dishes or wash hair or take a bath. I will have to spend money to replace the hot water heater that I don't have. I have a son in college. This is absurd that it has gone one for a minimum of 5 years and nothing has been done.

Water stopped lighting up, so call the gas company out to fix it. They told me that my model was a recall, and to call whirlpool so I did. They said that the Gas control valve thermostat needed to be replaced so they shipped it out and sear came out to install it. A day later, the water heater went out again, so called Whirlpool and they said there was nothing that they can do.

I needed to clean my water heater sensor. So, I did no improvement so I continued to light my water heater everyday. Call whirlpool today and Sears came out again and said my water heater is a recall. And there was nothing that they can do. So, I called back whirlpool now they say that the store assembly needs to be replaced. Called Sears and scheduled an appointment to come replace that part as a courtesy they will come back out know that the water heater is not replaceable.

I called Whirlpool due to a bad thermocouple in my Water Heater. The Water Heater was still under its 6 year warranty which says parts and labor. Whirlpool shipped me new parts which I had my local plumbing company install. Although the parts were free, I had to pay the plumber $247.50. When I called Whirlpool to complain and inform them of the cost they could care less said to write the corporate office Whirlpool.

I was out of hot water for 3 days. I was forced to pay $247.50 for a plumber to install the replacement parts which Whirlpool sent to me in order for me to have hot water again in my home. I have had nothing but problems with this water heater. There is no guarantee that this will not continue to occure as there have been class action law suits against Whirlpool for the faulty water heaters they continue to sell.

Hot water heater was purchased in 11/06. It broke down twice in 2007. It then broke down every couple of months in 2008 + 2009. There was always a recall on it, so just kept going to Lowe's and they would just give me a brand new heater assembly unit. When it broke last, I heard a loud popping, saw smoke and smelled electrical burning, so I just went and turned off the gas and shut off the breaker. I immediately called the next day and got up to level 1 service who then blamed the situation on me.

I made a complaint with the Arkansas A.G.'s office the next day and then went out and bought a new G.E. water heater. I have just made my 2nd complaint to the Arkansas A.G's office since the 1st went unanswered. Then, I just did a search online and found out about the class action lawsuit and it being settled. Obviously I did not know about this lawsuit and never filed a member claim. So, now what do I do? What is my recourse since I have spent $450.00 buying this piece of garbage which is sitting in my back yard and i have now spent another $450.00 in 11/09 on my new G.E.? Please help me. How come I was never notified about this lawsuit by Whirlpool? Well, my house almost blew up and I paid $450.00 for the Whirlpool in 11/06, and now I just spent another $450.00 in 11/09. I want some sort of compensation!

I bought a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in 2003. I just paid $153.76. to have the thermocouple replaced. My serviceman warned me about these heaters. I am on a fixed income and cannot continue to pay for repairs.

I'm a single mother with a limited income, so when my hot water heater went out I thought Whirlpool. Right, there-- a good name. Wrong! I bought mine 11/7/08. I had to pay to have my old one taken out, and now this one installed. So once installed, he goes to light it and guess what, the orange igniter wire's missing. Just not there. So, the store let me exchange it and again I had to pay to have it installed. Then more problems 1/09, replaced thermocoupler, same on 4/09.

Then 7/09, the gas control goes out, had to buy new one and remember all this has to be installed. Still more. 12/09 thermocouple. 12/27/09 gas control again. 1/25/10, therm. 3/2/10, gas control and now 5/1/10 gas control again. Can you believe this? And every time (from the start) I tried to get a return # from Whirlpool. No luck. This company doesn't care about cost or people's struggles. And good luck if you can understand what the person on the line is saying! Please, please, please never buy a Whirlpool! I know they used to be a good name but not any longer. If I had the money this would be in the landfill, an I'd by a different name.

I had an electric water heater which is less than 2 years old that burst apart at the seam when I wasn't home. My home had almost $20000 in damage from flooding. The insurance company pursued this claim through arbitration and they said it was faulty installation. We installed it ourselves and made no alterations. They did not even see how it was installed, so how can they rule it as such. The insurance company said they had several from Whirlpool with these issues.

We own a 40-gallon gas Whirlpool water heater. After 4 years, we started having problems with the pilot light; it would not stay lit. I received several replacement parts to make the repairs according to Whirlpool's support service. After months of frustration, today we were finally given an authorization code to replace the water heater. Unfortunately, we'll have to replace it with another Whirlpool water heater.

I have a Whirlpool water heater 40 gallon tank, almost exactly 3 years old. It has a 9 year warranty for tank and parts. The pilot will not stay lit. We have been without hot water since Saturday, April 24th. Today is Tuesday, April 27th (4 days later). My 76-year old mother lives with us. I was told I needed a universal igniter switch by Whirlpool's Customer Service Dept (in India) and it could be purchased at Lowe's or any plumbing supply store, not true. After running to multiple stores, I called them back and they promptly mailed out a replacement igniter switch. I replaced the igniter switch. The pilot lit after some repeated tries. I checked on it one hour later and the pilot was out again.

I decided to research this on the internet, only to find multiple complaints about the same issue. Whirlpool needs to recall these water heaters and send refunds to every customer who is having this problem. It is frightening because gas leaks cause explosions. Whirlpool needs to take responsibility for this issue and not be so cavalier about it. I am sure I will have to have the water heater replaced. I cannot risk my family's safety. Going forward, there will be no Whirlpool product in my home.

As soon as it was installed the top valve has leaked water, then the thermocuple went bad, only 4 years old and it is left hand threaded stupid when all others are right hand threaded my old one was over 25 years old before it ever had a problem. Guess I am done buying Whirlpool products. Total inconvenience and expense for repair man to put convertor on. [No] thanks for all the trouble Whirlpool!

I purchased a home that has a Whirlpool electric water heater. It was purchased in 2001 with a "Lifetime Warranty" by the previous home owner and now Whirlpool won't honor the "Lifetime warranty". They told me it is non-transferable. How can a "lifetime warranty" be non-transferable. I have to purchase another water heater in a house I just bought even though when I bought the house the water heater said life time warranty.

I purchased a gas water heater from Lowe's in Sept., 2004. Just last week, 4-18-10, the pilot light went out, and I could not get it to re-ignite. I called Whirlpool and they sent me a new "kit" to replace the burner. I think it included the thermocouple. After paying $125 to have that installed, the plumber told me that it still was not igniting. I called several plumbers after that. All of them told me that Whirlpool water heaters were inferior products. Some said that they would not touch a Whirlpool water heater or any replacement parts because most of the time, the new parts do not fix the problem. After putting the new parts that Whirlpool sends out, they have customers calling back very upset at the plumbers, thinking that it's their fault.

Their advice is to get rid of the Whirlpool water heater. For a week I was without hot water. I could not do dishes or wash clothes during that time. I did take one ice-cold shower and that was enough for me! I had to use a pan to heat some water on the stove to make some soapy water to wash with, but rinsing? That could only be done with the freezing cold water. I explained all this to someone at Whirlpool, who apologized for my suffering. They finally agreed to let me exchange my old water heater for a new one at Lowe's. Yes, that meant getting yet another inferior product. I am probably, at this point, going to go ahead and do that because I don't have the cash to go buy a new one of another brand. Whirlpool, by the way, refused to pay the $125 I had to pay to have the plumber install their replacement kit that did not work.

I have had the water heater for a little less than two years. I keep having to replace the thermocouple, ignition, and gas control valve. I have read a lot about the air flow problems, and I wire brush the screen monthly. It just quit working again, and the pilot light won't ignite.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater about 5 years ago (which is still under warranty). The pilot light started going out all the time. I contacted Whirlpool and they did send me a replacement part that lasted 5 minutes. I ended up going out and purchasing a new hot water heater. I'm spending $600 that wasn't expected.

I purchased Whirlpool model **** energy smart water heater with flame lock safety system from Lowes. Do not purchase this product! If it goes bad as mine did, it will cost you dollars. I owned this product for 4 years. At the end of that time, I began having problems with the pilot staying lit. I called a service technician to look at it. He replaced a part that he felt would fix it and I got a bill for $145.00. The very next day, the same problem with the pilot was back. This time I called the customer service number on the installation booklet. This is the only contact information listed. My call was promptly sent on to India where I spent most of the call trying to understand what was being said.

Finally, Danny, my service person said they were going to send a pilot guard which should help prevent the water condensation from putting out the pilot. After installing the guard, there was no improvement. No pilot and a bill for me of $145.00. I called India again to express my dissatisfaction with how this was being handled and I demanded a refund. This tank has a 12-year warranty. The service person refused to do so and I argued and insisted that I needed a new gas valve installed, of course at my expense of $145.00. The gas valve was installed and proved to be defective. Now, my house smelled like gas. I called India again and they finally relented after much anger on my part to issue an RA number to return to Lowes for a refund. Lowes allowed me to return the water heater but would not refund my money. All they will authorize is a store credit. I took it and decided to buy a water heater at another place of business. At a cost of $430.00 + $200.00 for installation.

At this point, I finally have a proper working unit. I will never buy another Whirlpool product ever again! Ever! I will never shop at Lowes again. My only conclusion is Whirlpool wants nothing to do with their customers once they've made a purchase. Your only recourse is to talk to some poorly trained third world folks that have every intention of not doing a thing to help and if they do, it's at your cost. Remember the warranty? It is useless! I hope to spread the word via this article to prevent this mess from happening to others. Please take heed. Shop around before you buy. Once you buy it, you are stuck with it. I guess the idea is to make it as difficult for the customer as possible so that they give up.

My Whirlpool hot water heater went out after 6 years. I did not know about the Class Action Suit against Whirlpool for this water heater. The heater also leaked ruining the carpet. I now have to replace the hot water heater and have it installed for $980.

I have the same problem as everyone else with this item. I am replacing the thermocouple for the second time in 3 months. What needs to happen is they need to replace the heaters with one that works.

Like many other people, I have had to replace the thermocouple on my Whirlpool gas water heater several times. In the past, this had been an inconvenience, but at least I was able to obtain the replacement part and get it installed. This time, however, I can't find the part anywhere. I tried the retailer, Lowe's, where I had found it before, but they didn't have it. I tried Lowe's parts hotline, and they didn't have it. Whirlpool doesn't offer it. Independent Whirlpool parts dealers don't recognize the model number on the side of my heater. As a result, I'm having to replace a perfectly good water heater for the sake of a twenty dollar replacement part. It's as though Whirlpool and Lowe's are washing their hands of a problem by forcing an unreliable product to the junk pile.

We purchased a water heater approximately 2 years ago. Whirlpool 50-gallon gas (model # BFG1F5040T3NOV; serial # 0651101371). We began having problems on Sunday, April 4, 2010. There's no hot water. We had a plumber check it out on Monday, April 5, 2010. It was the thermocouple unit. We contacted Whirlpool and they had the whole unit sent--the gas control valve, the thermocouple unit and all its components. It was installed on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, and the pilot went out again on Thursday, April 8, 2010. We have scheduled an appointment for Friday, April 9, 2010, for the plumber to come out again. We have already spent $195 for these services and probably will have to replace the unit since I have read there are numerous complaints on the Whirlpool water heaters. This water heater was purchased from Lowe's. We have spent $195 so far for the plumber to install the parts and now we probably will have to pay for a new unit since there seems to be a massive defect in these units.

I bought a house recently with a 16-month old 50-gal all gas water heater from Whirlpool. I didn't get hot water, so I called Whirlpool. They gave me several numbers, which I ended up holding for 30 minutes each. Finally got them on the line and they told me I need to replace thermocouple but never said they would send any. So I, without being informed about warranty, go into Lowe's and buy one. It was only $7.99. Whatever. I called the plumber and installed it. Still don't get hot water. I called them again--now they say it's the gas valve. On top of that, they're saying the 12-year warranty that was on the heater was voided when the original owner moved out and I moved in. I say the warranty has to go with the house not the person and that's ridiculous. They say they will send the part free of charge only this time. I hate Whirlpool.

We have a water heater that was purchased approximately 4 years ago which came with a 12-year warranty. A few months ago, the water heater started making these cracking, popping sounds at any given time of the day, including at night. The water heater has regularly been drained. After raising the issue with Whirlpool, we were told we had to drain the water heater, pour a gallon of white vinegar down the cold water pipe into the heater and let it stand for 6 hours. After which the heater had to be drained of the vinegar and refilled with water. This was done twice and the cracking, popping sound continues. We informed Whirlpool and they sent a thermocouple part to replace, which we feel has nothing to do with the problem.

We contacted Whirlpool again about this and now they are saying we have to drain the water heater again and instead of using white vinegar, we are supposed to use apple vinegar. Who is going to pay for the water bill for draining the water heater so often? And now they are saying cracking sound does not fall under the warranty. They are saying it is due to hard water and sediment. We've informed them the heater has been drained on a regular basis but they are claiming that it hasn't. Economically, the water bill rises because of constantly draining the water heater.

I bought a Whirlpool 40-gallon gas water heater in 2005 and installed it myself. I've had to replace the thermocouple sometimes twice a year. Now it's out again, and of course it's left hand thread and Lowe's only sells right hand thread. I can't find a left hand thread anywhere. I didn't even think it might be covered under warrant until I read some of the post on here. I just wanted to post my problems, too.

I do not have exact dates at the moment, but around 16 months ago we purchased a water heater from Lowes. It was a Whirlpool. In early March the pilot light would not stay lit. After research I found this is a common issue and eventually Whirlpool sent a plumber out free of charge who said I needed a new thermocouple which was sent U.P.S. in a day or so. I then was told that I would have to wait for the tech to come back and install it. My other option was to install it myself which is what I did. It was a simple procedure considering I'm quite mechanically inclined. Well, that did not solve the issue of the pilot light not staying lit.

They then said it was the fuel valve and sent me one of those. Same story: I installed it and pilot light would not stay lit. 7 days still no hot water; finally I was given a return authorization number to receive a new water heater. Surprisingly, they only exchanged it for the same exact model with the same exact issues. I relight this one not as often but have realized today, March 26, 2010, the fuel valve has a small leak, which explains a lot of issues that my family has been having, I'm assuming. Headaches, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms.

What really shocks me is Whirlpool sends out these replacement parts with instructions for the consumer to engage in a skilled trade that they most likely are not qualified to perform. They also told me that they would not cover installation of the replacement heater. Since I can't afford a plumber, I was left with no choice than to do it myself. What if someone did not know what they were doing and killed themselves or their family. I just came back from working out of town and walked into a house full of carbon monoxide--am I responsible for purchasing and installing a new water heater? What are my options? Any advice or help is greatly appreciated. I wonder why Lowes is still selling these items that have already been involved in a class action lawsuit. I had to take work off for repairs and to wait for service man. We ended up getting a hotel to shower. I am not a plumber and may have caused some damage to piping behind the drywall "natural gas piping".

I bought a Whirlpool gas water heater in September of 2009. After the plumber installed it, the thermocouple had to be replaced on the spot (first one). We did call American Water Heater and got the thermocouple replaced and our bill for the plumber. Then in November of 2009, we had to get another one which was free of charge via Lowe's. It is now March 2010 and now it needs replaced again. We will get a new one again via American Water Heater but the plumber is on us or they tell us we can do it ourselves. Now, they tell us this is that last one they can give us because of the warranty so that is three thermocouples in a six-month time frame.

I bought my condo in 2006. The water heater was from after 2004 and is a 36000 BTU/40 gal. It looks like it lasted longer then the rest but still followed the same failure pattern. Now, I'm not sure what % of their sales the 397 pages of complaints listed here, combined with the countless others that have not been reported or reported elsewhere represent from the total number of units they made but there has to be some threshold where as nearly a thousand complaints of the same problem can be channeled in a way that produces a reaction. Aren't they bound by some expectation of quality by which they would be required to correct such an obvious of a defect?

I hope the Consumer Affairs administrator puts this as an addendum or close to the issues I wrote recently about the problem I have had with the 50 gallon Whirlpool gas water heater which kept shutting itself off and leaving us with cold water for days on end. I wrote a complaint to American Water Heater Company and personally went to Lowe's initially to purchase the correct thermocoupler because it's apparently a proprietary part that's left threaded rather than the usual right thread. I showed them the complaint I had written to American water heater, but they didn't have the part I needed in stock.

Lowe's staff was most helpful and called the manufacturer for me and arranged for an overnight UPS "fix" to be sent at no cost to me. I expressed some dissatisfaction with Whirlpool products and asked if I could just return the water heater and use the money towards another brand not manufactured by AWHC. I was a bit apprehensive over the replacement part they intended to send because there are all sorts of complaints about the part (usually the thermocoupler) failing again and again after a couple hours or days/weeks. I was surprised to receive a package that included the complete setup for the whole front panel including the panel that included the thermocoupler, igniter, pilot light, and gas tube. All I had to do was take the burner plate off the old one and attach it to the new one but the new "fix" also contains some new adapters and an additional thermal sensor that the old one didn't have....so apparently there's been some new design and engineering put into the replacement part(s).

I would encourage any of you having problems to tell whoever you are talking to (Lowe's, Whirlpool, or American Water Heater) that you want the "new fix" which contains a complete setup as well as an additional sensor with wires that connect to the adapter added on the connection tube for the red push button on the restart for the thermocoupler. If you end up with just the thermocoupler, I think you're going to have an intermittent and recurring failure problem as has been discussed in other contributions to this Consumer website. Perhaps this new replacement package is the result of the class action lawsuits or consumer complaints, but so far, it's working just fine.

The acid test is going to be how far down the road it keeps working, so in the mean time I'll hold my breath. If it breaks again, I'm going to toss out the Whirlpool and buy a Rheem. Be aware that American Water Heater Company (AWHC) makes gas water heaters for a number of outlets like Sears and others. Make sure you aren't buying another AWHC product that's just been labeled by another another company. Purchased universal thermocoupler that wouldn't work. Heater requires a proprietary left threaded thermocoupler. Four days without hot water, cost of plumber to come out and troubleshoot the problem but unable to fix it because of parts needed. Fixed it myself once I received the parts from AWHC, not Whirlpool.

My complaint is with Lowe's for recommending a 50 gallon Whirlpool gas hot water heater. Evidently, I am in good company after reading all the complaints that are basically exactly to mine: a 14 month old hot water heater, the pilot does not stay lit. It is Saturday. I have a four-hour window on Monday to wait for a Sears service person to make my hot water heater operable. Clearly, this problem is not unique to me. Clearly, Lowe's knew 14 months ago that particular hot water heater had been plagued with complaints and problems from consumers.

At the same time, I bought a front loading GE washing machine which has never worked properly. Had multiple service calls while it was under warranty and was told there was nothing wrong. Well, wrong! It is with 100% unpredictability the outcome of turning it on. Sometimes clothes are washed, some times not, sometimes it does not wring the water out, sometimes the clothes are damp and soapy. I have an expensive and time consuming lemon! I hate this machine. I wish I had my 25 year old washer that had one cycle, however, that one choice is better than never knowing the outcome. My desire was to have an energy efficient/environmentally positive machine and instead, I typically have to re-set, or do an extra 13 minutes of "spin." I too will never darken the door of Lowe's.

My water heater stop working, and I call Whirlpool service, they told me is not in warranty (I had buy this unit three years ago) the warranty said 9 years for inner tank and parts also for 9 years. It was frustrating, I type the model number so many times and all the time said (match not found) is like my unit wasn't ever made. I found help through Yahoo help forum, they told me big chances are the thermocouple. I went to home depot and buy the universal.

When I change it, I realized it was left handed thread, it was last night 10:45 pm. So, all my family has to deal with boiling some water and face that very cool bath, it is Winter for sake. It is freezing. Bottom line, I'll never buy or recommend a Whirlpool brand ever. I've been having this problem for about 5 weeks, but, it took me several attempts to make it work, until two days ago stop working at all, and never heat up again, so that's why I decided take action for myself.

I bought a 50 gallon gas water heater from Lowes about two years ago as a replacement for my original that lasted since 1987. The pilot light began going out and initially I thought it was the wind blowing down the roof vent. I kept having to go out and relight it and eventually it refused to restart. I've researched this issue and found that hundreds of complaints have been lodged against Whirlpool and Lowe's for the exact same problem. I found that California (where I live) filed a class action suit against Whirlpool, Lowes, and American Water Heater. American makes heaters for Sears, Whirlpool, and other brands that put their logos on these same heaters.

Although Lowe's was extremely helpful and ordered me a new thermocoupling, I see that numerous people have gone through repeated temporary "fixes" at considerable cost for plumbers and repairmen, lost time off work, taking cold showers for days and even a week, and in spite of all this, the problem continues. I see complaints going back to 2007. I guess my take on this is how does a person initiate a class action lawsuit.

This is ridiculous having hundreds of people spend time, money, effort, and inconvenience in dealing what is obviously a recall problem for a faulty design. How does one initiate another class action lawsuit? This needs to be done again because apparently Whirlpool and American Water Heater didn't get the message the first time around and haven't been hit hard enough in the profit pocket to make them take positive action. They've placated people by sending out individual fixes that don't last or reimbursing people for $100 or so out-of-pocket expenses.

This isn't the way to handle this ongoing problem Lowes continues to sell a known and documented defective product, and American Water Heaters continues to build the same heaters with the same defects. I wonder how many Sears service calls have gone out for this problem? How many thousands of dollars have people put out not only for the cost of the water heater, but for repeated and costly repairs only to have the problem repeat itself sometimes only hours after the new part or parts were installed. The various states Attorneys General offices have Consumer Protection sections that should be taking note of this problem on behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of those states who pay for protection from just this sort of thing.

We bought a whirlpool water heater. We had the thermal coupling and the door replaced about a few months ago. We are once again out of hot water. Our plumber can't fix it because whirlpool will not send them the parts. We called whirlpool and got no where. We are giving up and going and purchasing a new water heater. I do hope that enough people complain and a lawsuit is filed. It [is bad] not having hot water. We have to heat water on the stove for all of our needs.

I called the Whirlpool customer service number and spoke to Chris. I advised that the pilot light keeps going out and I checked the gas supply line and have enough gas pressure going to the control valve. He stated I would need to pay for shipping of a retrofit replacement part to replace the left hand threaded setup as originally manufactured. I decided to call my local Lowe's store and was advised they have the replacement part too which saved my waiting for the shipped part to arrive.

I decided to log on and search for information on replacing the part and was amazed by the outcry of others in the same situation. I too have always thought of Whirlpool as being credible company until I had to speak with someone from India who asked me to spell out my name. That's encouraging and speaks volumes about customer service and satisfaction. Model no. FG1H4040T3NV AKA Junk!

My Whirlpool water heater purchased and installed on August 2008 has had one service call in 2009 (pilot will not stay lit) and again tomorrow, 3/5/10 because of the same problem. This time, Whirlpool will pay for the parts, but not the labor. I'm retired and if this is going to happen every year, I feel Whirlpool should replace the water heater. I cannot afford to keep paying for labor to repair this piece of junk. It has been 2 days now without hot water. The Rheem water heater that was installed in this home in 1999 had not one problem, no one ever had to come out and fix anything on that product. I was advised that I should replace it because of it's age (so sorry I did). I spent good money on this Whirlpool and feel that it has not lived up to Whirlpool's once great reputation.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater from Lowe's in February 2008 and it quit working. Pilot won't stay lit. See numerous problems with this product on this site including successful class action lawsuit. However, my newer model still has the defect! Model No. BFG1F4040S3NOV.

My Whirlpool hot water heater went out, my plumber had to order the part directly from Whirlpool and we got it overnight. He put the replacement part the next day which seemed to have fixed the problem until I awoke to no hot water again this morning. This is an on going problem with Whirlpool from what I have read. So now, I'm stuck with the $150 labor bill and also having to buy a new water heater. Don't buy Whirlpool. Make sure you research water heater brand names. Bradford and White has the best reputation. You might pay a little more upfront but you'll be glad you did.

Whirlpool 50 gallon gas (propane) tank purchased 12/2006 tanks pilot light continues to go out. We found through our local plumber that the tank leaks within (inside) and drips on the thermal coupler. The safety shuts the gas off because of too much water leaking. We have four kids and two adults in the house. No hot water! We have no family close by. We are considering buying a new hot water heater. Not Whirlpool! (I have all whirlpool gold appliances, because I thought they were the best and stood by their product. No more! And Lowes will not get my business ever again!

We have a Whirlpool water heater and have replaced the thermocoupler multiple times and am truly so sick of having to replace the part and you at Whirlpool should have to replace the water heater. I will go up the ladder as far as I have to.

I filed a complaint on Monday, March 2, 2010, about Whirlpool's Flame Lock Gas Water Heaters, after reading numerous complaints on this unit. I called Whirlpool Monday morning and they had a Sear's tech out to my house on Monday at 1 pm. He was able to resolve the issue. He replaced the control box and so far so good. I did not have to pay for any parts since my water heater is covered for six years. I thought I would have to pay for the labor but that was free of charge since the unit was defective. So at this time, I am please with the outcome since I did not have to pay for any services.

Less than a year ago, I replaced my water heater with the Whirlpool Flame Lock Gas Water Heater. The pilot light will not stay lit. We have replaced the sensor and it still is not working. I should not have to replace anything with only a year into the new product. I have read numerous complaints on this model and was wondering if there had been a recall. I do not have money to spend out of pocket for such repairs. I have contacted Whirlpool and I am awaiting a reply.

Bought a water heater from Lowes 3 years ago. It decided to stop working. Tried to light the pilot with no luck. Called my plumber. When the name "Whirlpool" was mentioned, he knew exactly what the problem was. He told me to call Lowes, where it was bought, and they would supply a free burner and thermocouple. Made the call. Smart alek in plumbing advised me that the parts were on back order. He did, however, have a temporary fix I could buy, pay my plumber to install and Lowes would call me when the parts came in. At that point, I could pay my plumber again to install the parts. Needless to say, I purchased a Rheem and had it installed.

This American will never, ever, buy another product from Whirlpool and will never visit Lowe's again. I know that whirlpool makes, or more accurately imports, all types of appliances with all types of company names on them. I will make the effort to find out if Whirlpool has had anything to do with anything I buy in the future. Any with any Whirlpool history will not be bought. I have and will continue to urge everybody I know to not buy any product from Whirlpool. Please, when buying from Sears or anywhere else, get the manufacturers name in writing from the salesperson and do not by Whirlpool. 3 days without hot water, a day off work; and $800.00 to replace a 3 year old water heater.

The water heater continues to malfunction and not stay lit. Whirlpool sent me replacement parts which actually made the problem worse. They are sending more replacement parts which they say will certainly fix the problem, but if it doesn't, I will call back. I have discovered that I am not the only person experiencing this problem. It is in fact very common with the Whirlpool Flame Lock series. Me and my family are unable to bath, clean, or cook properly due to the lack of hot water in our house.

I am writing this for my mother. She had work done on her house by a government agency and they installed a Whirlpool hot water heater. The heater's pilot light has gone out several times since it was installed in 2007. It is under a six year warranty. When she called, she is told to uninstall the water heater, take it to Lowe's, exchange it and then on her own dime have it re-installed.

They aren't customer service friendly at all. Boiling water is something you did before I was born. Besides, that is dangerous. She is so disgusted! My father isn't physically able to carry hot water and it is all on my mother. This is stupid. Why do they have a warranty of customer service? They are constantly spending money to have the pilot re-lit.

We had been experiencing problems with a water heater from Whirlpool. They finally had a recall and replaced it in 2008. We are now having the same issue with the replacement water heater. Of course we had to pay for the cost of the second install because they would not cover it, only the water heater. So we actually had to pay twice to get a water heater installed. The first time we chose to have it installed (not a problem). The second time, Whirlpool gave us no choice. If we wanted it replaced, we had to pay for installation. It was not our fault they had a defective product, yet we had to pay.

We are now experiencing the same issue with the replacement. I do not want to go through months of replacing parts and without hot water at any given time due to their inability to produce a quality product. We did all they asked last time, even paying for the second install. This is not their first problem with water heaters. $200 or $300 for installation may not sound like much to some. However, we now have invested double. We want our money back from install and water heater. I do not want another whirlpool product. I want one from a company that stands behind their product and will not make a customer pay for problems the company created. I have spoken to customer service they want to send someone out to fix it, and if necessary, replace it. I do not want another product from them! This is wrong. The company is selling defective products. They know they are defective and they are getting by with it. It is not only an inconvenience, it is also dangerous. It needs to stop.

I rent a home and am currently on second water heater since I have lived here for 5 years. This one was installed 2 years ago and the same exact problem is occurring as with the first one. This is also an exchange from Lowe's, who are also responsible for this problem continuing on as the last line of sellers to the public. I have lit the pilot so many times. I'm surprised nothing has exploded. Total hazard no matter who you are; and lukewarm showers and dishwasher, too. We're a pretty easy going family. What, with power outages and cold showers, but it's crazy to know that a scam like this occurs and nobody has our unwashed backs.

I have just received the fifth and final Gas regulator valve for my 40 gallon hot water tank that is 13 months old. This is absolutely ridiculous and by the sounds of it, very popular. How can a major corporation have such shotty workmanship that the tank doesn't even function for a year? Where is the integrity that use to belong to Whirlpool? I am very disturbed by their lack of interest in fixing the ongoing problem as now my warranty only covers parts. This is it for me and Whirlpool, they can take their low quality products and sell them over seas. Maybe they will appreciate the poor workmanship.

As a plumber, I've interceded for quite a few people and got satisfaction. Your plumber must clean the flame lock screen from above and below or the replacement parts will not work. That is what makes the thermocouple quit; too much heat due to poor air flow. Bug Whirlpool for their proprietary vacuum attachment, for free, by the way.

We had this problem with the Whirlpool water heater, needless to say, same situation. What I don't understand is why Whirlpool sends a defective part to replace another defective part. This is the third time that I changed the part in less than 8 months. I would like to know if all of us can get a new water heater at no charge for all the inconvenience. We have no hot water to bath or wash clothes.

The Whirlpool 50 gl. Hot water heater was purchased new at Lowe's home improvement store. Model # fg2j5040t3nov unit has been repaired three times for the same concern, pilot will not stay lit. I have no hot water.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater through Lowes 1.25 years ago. A $5 part went out and Whirlpool operators in India proceeded to tell me that I would have to call a repair technician and they will replace the part. After 3 service calls, incorrectly shipped parts and lack of understanding basic English, my service bill for my water heater with warranty came to a whopping $350!

Purchased water heater five years ago. It's warranted for six yrs. Thermocouple is defective. When I bought the product, I had asked my plumber to recommend a good brand. I have called Whirlpool because plumber has passed the buck to them. They are shipping my replacement part overnight, good news. Bad news my UPS does not deliver until 6pm my time. So now three days of no hot water. My beef is that Whirlpool did not notify anyone of this defect via a notice.

I happened to google this on the internet and found out about the issue. I got sold a bill of goods not only by the plumber but Whirlpool. To add insult to injury, the customer service rep I talked to was not from this country. No wonder this country is in bad shape when they cannot even produce a quality product and I have to talk to someone in another country. Bottom line: I will never buy another Whirlpool product and will make sure I let as many people I know about their shoddy product.

My Whirlpool 40 Gallon Hot Water Tank is in need of a new thermocouple. By the looks of the other comments, I should be glad it lasted this long. Whirlpool is sending me the parts but I've decided to cut bait and put in a Rheem. I'm done with Whirlpool and Lowe's. Home Depot is now going to get my business.

I have recently gone through the horrendous experience known as the Whirlpool hot water tank disaster. I purchased my 50-gallon flame lock Whirlpool hot water tank in June 2005. I purchased the hot water tank based on the premise that Whirlpool is a well-respected company that will honor its product's warranty should its product fail. Wow, how wrong that statement is from being truthful. I am one of the lucky ones as my hot water tank almost lasted 5 whole years. It started as routine with the pilot light going out and not restarting with the attached igniter.

The plumber was called, the igniter was replaced and $119.00 was spent. In less than 24 hours, the pilot went out again. This time, not knowing about the 2005 class action lawsuit against Whirlpool, I called Whirlpool, spoke with Sam and before I could even finish my story with him I was informed that the burner assembly and thermocouple were bad, needed replaced and would be sent the next day air to me free of charge. I thought that was really strange but I went with it. The plumber was called, components were installed and $96.00 was spent.

In less then 3 hours later, the pilot went out again. This time, it was the result of the plumber not taking the orifice off the old burner assembly and connecting it to the new burner assembly. The plumber told me that in the 40 years that he has been in business, he has never heard of a situation where the old components parts were needed for the new assembly. I didn't have to spend money this time but I still haven't had hot water for 5 days and have missed two days of work.

Less than 6 hours later, the pilot was out again. I called Whirlpool, spoke with Chris and this time, I was told that the gas control valve needed to be replaced. After an intense discussion, Chris agreed to send the part for free the next day. The plumber was called, component was installed and $96.00 was spent. After 8 days of no hot water, $311.00 in plumber bills and 3 days of missed work, my family was able to finally take a hot shower. We'll see if it is still working when I get home from work. I will never ever buy another Whirlpool appliance as long as I live. The next hot water tank will be A.O. Smith. After all the years of having to deal with this issue, I can't understand why a full recall was never done.

Our water heater model starting with "FG" pilot light stopped working after five years. Had a company out to check the problem. He informed us that our water heater has had this problem for awhile. We called Whirlpool and they sent out an adapter for the left handed thermal coupler. After installation, it worked only work six days then same symptoms as before. There is plenty of air flow and no other blockages to case this problem. Call center personnel are rude when dealing with this issue.

I have to press the reset button on my Whirlpool gas hot water heater and then it only lasts 15-30 minutes. I complained to Lowes and they said that I need an RA number to give me the replacement upgrade. The model number is **** with product number ****. There is a total inconvenience when it comes to using hot water at any time. I am always pressing the reset-lighting pilot-wait for hot water before use.

After my tenant's water heater with model number **** broke, I called Whirlpool's technical assistance line to troubleshoot the problem. The service representative said that the pilot light no longer turns on because of a faulty igniter. Whirlpool sent a new conversion kit A which I had installed by a professional plumber since this was working with a gas appliance. After paying $125 for this installation cost, the igniter turned on but a few hours later, my tenant called and said that the pilot light was out again.

Once again, I called the plumber who came out again and said the thermocouple was shutting the pilot light off since it was receiving too much gas through the valve. I called Whirlpool's customer service and they offered to send out another part, a gas valve for replacement. I paid the plumber to come out and install the new part. He said it was not working and that the water heater was defective. The plumber advised that I get a new water heater. I called Whirlpool and relayed the message. I also said that my tenant had not had hot water for one week while we attempted to troubleshoot the problem and install new parts. The customer service representative refused to authorize a replacement water heater despite the fact that this water heater was still under warranty.

Replaced a water heater because it was 20 years old. Plumber replaced a ruud with a whirlpool 3 years ago. It broke last year, no pilot light and leaking. It worked for 15 month and has broken with the same things, pilot light and leaking. I paid 300 dollars to have the water heater last year installed because whirlpool said its warranty did not cover labor of plumber. So far to trouble shoot the latest water heater it has cost me 3 weeks of hot water, trips to places to find a hot shower. Possible plumbing problems because I have not had hot water going through my water pipes during freezing weather. Financially, besides gas to drive to hot water, it has cost 195.00 to trouble shoot the problem. I would like to be reimbursed without depreciation for my water heater and labor costs that I have incurred do to faulty heaters. So in turn, I can find a reliable water heater to last more than 1 -3 years.

My Whirlpool 40 gallon water heater failed about three years ago due to the thermocouple issue. The class action lawsuit issue. Tonight, I heard water leaking onto the burner of my water heater. It is just barely six years old. I could see water leaking onto the burner through the pilot light port. I was warned by inside Whirlpool people about their water heaters. They are made by a third party. Whirlpool supplier quality assurance is apparently very weak. I'm a quality engineer myself. I'm pretty disgusted with this. Every appliance in my house was "made" by Whirlpool. This may be changing. I support Michigan companies, but Whirlpool might be a bit of a disgrace. I'm about to replace a water heater after six years.

Same as everyone else. Have done the thermo couple, conversion kit and now have a HVAC person in looking at it. This has caused me and my family so much trouble and I cannot understand why there is not some type of legal action going on! I have 6 children and 2 adults in the house and have to keep huge pots of water boiling all of the time so we can take baths. This is ridiculous! Is ConsumerAffairs doing anything to help us out, or are we just wasting our time here?

My father and I own a rental property and as luck would have it, we replaced 8 hot gas water heaters within about a year in 2007. We have since had trouble with all except 1. They all started out the same way with the pilot going out and having to be relit until it will no longer light. I have called the warranty number each time. I have replaced all the parts many times but especially the thermostat gas valve. I have taken back to Lowes 2 of the heaters and made the mistake of getting and exchanging thinking that the defect would be corrected. I regret this as I am having the same problem from a water heater that I replaced on 2/09. I will never buy a Whirlpool again. I have replaced the parts myself, wasting my time. I have had to remove the heaters and return them to the store. Again, my time. The inconvenience to the resident is beyond belief since you never know if you have hot water or not.

I purchased a new Whirlpool water heater from Lowes in January 2008. It's now February 6, 2010 and the pilot lamp will light but will not stay lit. I've read numerous complaints about this product and I am disgusted how Whirlpool expects the customer to troubleshoot the problem themselves. This product should definitely be recalled. We are currently trying to fix the problem by cleaning the vent as this website suggests however we plan to get the free manifold kit also, as we will inevitably need it. Currently, we have no hot water and we've just had the biggest snowstorm of the season in Baltimore, MD.

Like many other people, I have a problem with my Whirlpool 40 gallon gas water heater with the flame lock gas control. My heater is six years old and needed to replace the thermocouple once. The second time, which is two years later, I could not find the part locally for about five to ten workdays away with an online order. That I don't recommend since it is an inherent problem. Thanks to this site. I was able to get a conversion kit from Lowes for free. You must talk to the plumbing manager to get it. It is very helpful. I hope this helps someone so you don't have to go through the same loss of work and money to get this resolved.

I bought the Whirlpool 40 gallon hot water tank from Lowe's (first mistake) in 2005. The pilot light will not stay lit now so we got the replacement thermocouple (free from Lowe's due to the continuing issues with this tank). Still, I have no luck. I'm going to go and buy the gas valve( at our expense as these are not given out freely like the thermocouple) to see if that works. Wish me luck as from the posts I find I am doubting it will. I am really spreading the news about these tanks on Facebook, twitter, friends, anyplace to let folks know that just because it is less expensive, it doesn't mean you should buy it!

I purchased a water heater from Lowe's in Feb 2nd 2004. On Feb 14, 2009, I called your service department and talked to a Debbie, explained my problem with the thermostat on the heater. She sent me a new thermostat. Now it's 2-5-2010, and I'm having the same problem again. I called your service department again, talked to someone, who couldn't speak English. I did understand them to say that the replacement part only has a one year warranty. It has not been a year yet. Please contact me about this problem. Thank you very much.

I returned for a refund. I bought a rheem and there were no problems! It's as quiet as can be. I had to bring that *** back to Lowe's after getting a runaround from the Indian ***.

Purchased 40 gal. Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's June 2008. In October 2008, we began the "replace this, replace that, replace it all" routine that ran into November 2008. Just over a year, now Jan. 2010, again no hot water. Many phone calls to authorized plumber and Whirlpool customer service and more parts are being sent to us. Having to start the "replace this, replace that" all over again. In cumulative days it's weeks without hot water, and lost work. Not to mention the inconvenience, schedules rearranged and meetings not kept through, no fault of our own.

Boy, I wish I had read about these problems with the Whirlpool flame-lock water heaters that are sold by Lowe's. I bought a 9-year unit approximately 3-1/2 years ago. First unit started leaking in two weeks and they replaced it paying both parts and labor. Now the thermocouple has failed. After dealing with the ** in India that I could barely understand, I was sent a replacement burner unit (but without the burner head).

I installed last night and turned on the pilot. It worked and then I turned the unit to run and a couple of hours came back and checked on it. The safety overflow valve was spewing hot water all over the floor. I turned the unit down and got that under control only to learn this morning that the pilot is out again and will not light. To say I am frustrated is an understatement. I don't know whether to go--to Lowe's and get a replacement unit or just bite the bullet and get another complete water heater from someone else. Problem is that if there are only 4 manufactures of water heaters in the US, how do I make sure I get a good unit instead of this garbage? No real damage as the water heater is in the garage except the mess and aggravation with my wife over not having hot water.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater from Lowe's in the summer of 2008. As of January 18, 2010 until today, January 26, 2010, I do not have any hot water. My plumber checked it and found that I have a leak in the water heater. The pilot light would not come on. I would like a full refund for the water heater and labor in order to purchase another brand. I have to pay the plumber for inspecting the water heater and for installation for a subsequent water heater. Also, it is a good chance that my water bill will increase due to the leakage. As for the physical damage, I have been without hot water for nine days.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater in 2003. After a few months, it quit working and the control mechanism was bad. They replaced it but first install was mine. Second remove and re-install was mine. Then the thermal couplings started to fail after 3. At my expense, they replaced the flame, thermal couple, igniter, and pilot lite mechanism (all labor was at my expense again).

Now the thermal control unit went out and they replaced the part, but I had to pay plumber almost $200.00 to install it. That was 2 weeks ago. Now my thermal coupling is out again. I purchased one at Lowes, with hopes of getting my refund from Whirlpool, but am ready to file law suite against them for faulty equipment, false advertising and Lowes for selling junk for real price.

I had to miss a total of 3 days work so far. I have had to drive out to Lowes for replacements 5 times. I had to pay for assistance for labor and two plumbers at separate times. And the thermalcouple I purchased yesterday did not work. 3 days work is $306.00 Plumbers cost $263.53. Assistance, $120. Trips for parts cost $26.00. Time without hot water and cold showers dishwashing and laundry, etc. (more than even they could pay) comes to about $715.00. Plus time and trouble associated to poor quality of service and equipment. Not to mention all the headaches, fights with family over cold water and irritation from this experience. I will never buy another appliance at Lowes, and certainly never another water heater from them and nothing from Whirlpool again.

We purchased a Whirlpool flame lock gas water heater in 2003 from Lowes. Since that time we installed a thermocouple and then replace the whole water in 2006 and two more thermocouples since that 2006 installation. The thermocouples last about year and half. This product has been built with defective parts. Whirlpool should give everyone their money back and pay to have a new water heater of our choice installed. This has cost me time from work and labor charges for repairs. I will definitely tell everyone not to buy Whirlpool. This is why companies go out of business because they make junk and pass it on to the consumer. I had to take off work and either do the repairs myself or hire a repair technician to do the repairs.

On 4/27/2009, we purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater with the flame lock safety system from Lowe's. For the past two weeks, we have had nothing but problems with this machine. The pilot light would not stay lit for the first 6 days, I had to constantly light it every time I needed to have hot water (it would not re-light after it cuts off). Now, it will not light at all. I know we can get the parts, but I don't want anything else made by Whirlpool. I understand there is a lawsuit about this same machine from 2005. Please add my name if there are any refunds. Thank you.

We purchased a 40 gallon Whirlpool hot water heater about 5 years ago and the pilot light goes out all the time. I will never buy another Whirlpool and will tell everyone I know how frustrating it is. I don't understand how this company can get by with this. Our model# is FG1H4040T3NOV. It will sometimes stay lit for a month and then for days will constantly go out. I hate it and am trying to talk my husband into buying another brand. When we called them, they sent us a plastic piece to wrap around the bottom of the tank. No help. They should be made to replace all these defective tanks.

In 2006, we bought our Whirlpool water heater from Lowes also. After 2 years, the pilot light kept going out. We would re-light it but it would go out after a few days. We had the thermo-couple replaced but still having the same problem. I was very surprised to see so many complaints about this very same thing. I know Whirlpool is aware of this with so many complaints but they just don't care. I will never buy another Whirlpool product and will let Lowes know that they have lost my Whirlpool business.

Whirlpool water heater. I purchased a whirlpool water heater at Lowes. After two years the pilot light goes out. I have had it repaired 3 times with parts that whirlpool sends. Same problem. I had to pay plumber and finally I replaced it with a different water heater. I had to pay plumber and finally I replaced it with a different water heater.

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater on March 17th, 2008. My Pilot Light will not stay lit and I have been without hot water for 5 days now. I have repeatedly tried to re-light the pilot light several times and have only been successful about 3 times, however the Flame will only stay on for about 5-10 minutes and then it completely goes out and the pilot light will not re-light.

I went to Lowe's where I purchased it and they said I need a RA# to get a Kit to replace the Thermal Coupling and I need to call the 1-877-817-6750 phone number to get this information. When I called them, they said it was no one of those and that I needed to call another number, which is Sears, to have a tech come and look at. They also stated that my parts and Labor was only warrantied for 1 year and the tank is warrantied for 6 years. After requesting to speak to a supervisor in India, I was told that they would cover the parts and labor but that I would have to purchase any parts first and send them the receipt to be reimbursed. I have called a technician for now and I am waiting a few days before they will come out, while I still have not hot water.

Whirlpool has obviously had a Class Action Lawsuit for this same problem on Water Heaters from 2000-2006 and they clearly have not fixed it. I would like you to know that I should not have to be replacing parts only 18 months into having a new one when it is guaranteed for 6 years. I also would think that they would have addressed this problem due to a law suit and they still have not.

The India outsource also said that I should purchased a Gas Valve Sku#295098 in which he provided to me, which also says they are aware of the problem. I should be able to go to Lowe's and return this entire unit and get a brand new one and not have it repaired. I have read so many comments of Sears repairing and replacing parts. Every 3 months, they have to come out and replace parts again and we have to pay for the labor. Please let me know how I can process a class action lawsuit. I am very upset that I cannot provide hot water to my family.

I replaced my water heater with a Whirlpool water heater and have repeated problems with pilot light going out. I replaced with a new code D upgrade part and same problem again. I contacted Whirlpool again and they want me to replace with a new thermostat, which will cost me $20.00 in shipping in addition to more labor expenses. Whirlpool states this as my only option with them. Whirlpool, on top of this, has representative which are hard to understand. I feel that after all of the complaints on Whirlpool. There should be some type of lawsuit filed to resolve the matter. The other option is for them to pay to have unit replaced by a reputable water heater which functions.

Dealing with Whirlpool representatives is a joke. Again our Gas Company representative said it is a thermocouple problem, and said the pilot will not stay lit. Whirlpool sent Cal Star Plumbing again.

Even though the new water heater was fantastically set up with no problems, they refused to work on it because the vent stack was not high enough and wants to charge $650.00 to install a new vent that has nothing to do with the thermocouple. Even the gas company said no problem!! Remember that these same Cal Star people came out a year ago and witnessed the same set up and nothing was in violation. The vent has been in existence for 22 plus years and our very old water heater functioned for this many years.

So here we have the gas company claiming it is a thermocouple problem and we cannot have the thermocouple replaced from Whirlpool because they send out representatives to make money on the consumer. If we would have searched the internet prior to buying a Whirlpool appliance, we would never have bought this appliance. Do not buy an appliance from Whirlpool! They give you the runaround, and it is their appliance default! All water heaters should be recalled with the thermocouple issue. These should not be sold for safety of the consumer! We have not had hot water for 6 days now.

The pilot light would not stay on after I had it for 4 years. They sent a converter kit for a licensed plumber to install and that did not stay on. They then wanted me to wait for another part. Lowe's had three in stock for replacement and all were dented in the box. We have no hot water for the holidays for 6 days. We have to drive to Lowe's 62 miles one way and wait an hour for a manager to ok an upgrade as the three in stock were dented. I had to get a truck to take the old on to get a replacement.

We purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in Murrieta, CA in March 2007. Since then, the upper sensor has gone out 3 times, twice over a long holiday weekend, leaving us without hot water at least 3 days before we received a new part. After speaking with a supervisor, I was told I could only get one sensor at a time, despite my repeated problems with the upper sensor. The last one that was replaced lasted less than 2 months! I will go out of my way to tell others about the inferior products and service I have experienced with Whirlpool. Each time the upper sensor failed, we spend a minimum of 3 days with no hot water in the house. Twice the sensor failed over a holiday weekend, creating extra time before we received a replacement part. Whirlpool is a terrible company with terrible products!

We just bought a brand new Whirlpool water heater and the pilot won't stay lit! It's New Year's Eve (Thursday) and they are saying they can send someone out on Monday!!! Monday.....we just bought a BRAND NEW water heater, we should not even have a non-working unit, let alone wait 5 days to get help! DON'T buy a Whirpool water heater and shame on Lowe's for selling them after having read all the horrible customer reviews stating the exact same problem. Both companies should be sued, this is a hazard!

As the old part was removed, it was confirmed that the problem with the old was the same as with the new one. A slight rearward, finger pressure on the thermocouple tip caused it to slide backward. Since the new unit had more safety features built in, it was used, repalcing the old unit, after a simple modification. Caution: There are many possible causes of pilot lights not staying lit and repairs should be left to the pros, even if their skill/knowledge levels vary widely. The potential explosion caused by leaking gas can kill or maim, and it can level a building.

In my case, the new, and old, thermocouple retainer clip did not align with a "lock-in" groove on the thermocouple bulb. This allowed the thermocouple to gradually, through expansion/contraction or through capillary tube line tension, work its way backwards until no longer heated by the pilot flame. The safety mechanism then thinks the pilot flame is out and shuts off the gas, ...as it should.

The simple correction involved spreading the retainer clip's legs slightly so the retainer clip could slide backwards until it seated in the retention groove. This was about 1-2mm distance. With the thermocouple locked in place, it stays in the pilot flame and the heater works reliably. This defect was reported to Whirlpool July, 2008, with detailed pictures of the problem. It may not be your current problem, but knowing all the possibilities may minimize repeated service calls. Be safe and smart out there!

If Lowes is going to continue to purchase these, let them deal with Whirlpool. I fell a class action suit should be started, if they are not going to recall these pieces of junk or pay to have them fixed.

if Lowes are going to continue

I own a 2fam I have 2 Whirlpool water heater I have jad to have service the water heater would not stay lit someone came out to tell me the part has to be ordered That will take 5 days charge 75.00. I will have to pay another 75.00 when he come back no hot water all this time they act like not having hot water is no big deal it is a major upset I had to miss my best friend funeral I was so upset plus I had to work. whirlpool did to pay for all these water heaters they are no good/home depot need to really stop selling these

We got absolutely no help from Lowe's. (As is usual with them). Sure wish I had known about it. We even registered the product when we bought it and got no notification that it was recalled. We had two repairmen bills and a bill from the gas company to check the line.

Purchased Whirlpool gas water heater Aug09. Dec. NO HOT WATER - pilot out. Control box indidates lower sensors. Whirlpool sent a new control box. Plumber replaced. Two days later, box again reports lower sensors, Whirlpool said call back in a week and they will ship parts but cost of labor my responsible.

Water Heater purchased november 2005 had product recall on gas valve thermocouple due to leakage replaced twice already with the new one set out. Water Heater continues to fail at staying lit. Pilot does not stay lit and water heater makes loud noises not of norm. The local gas company did find that the first valve on product was leaking gas.

The thermocouple to my whirlpool flame lock water heater went out. My water heater was installed on 11-15-2008, so exactly 13 months ago and the thermocouple went out just a couple of days ago. I called the whirlpool number and was told to do a couple of tests to determine the cause of my problem and after the tests it was determined that it was my thermocouple.

My Whirlpool Hot water tank failed. I replaced the Thermo Coupler, put the recall Kit in twice and tried to contact the store manager at Lowes for help. He said he can't help and to call Whirlpool. I mentioned I tried and NO ONE will call me back. The store manager at Lowes said Whirlpool was a terrible company and he would NEVER purchase a Whirlpool Product. Finally my wife contacted whirlpool and ended up speaking to someone in India. Every time that person wasn't helpful she asked to speak to their supervisor.

She finally spoke to Kelly in Tennessee and my wife said ALL she wants was a new Tank. She gave her a return authorization number that we are to give to Lowes and we will get a NEW Hot Water Tank at no cost. Bottom line DO NOT STOP until you speak to someone who will give you a Return Authorization Number. We will end up with the same brand but at least we won't have to pay any additional money for I'm hoping another 5 to 6 years. The biggest issue I have is with Lowes for continuing to sell the same exact Whirlpool Hot Water tank!!!!!!!! They have lost me as a customer for life........

I would like to append my report of 11/9/09. I've been in Atlanta this week. I had received a letter from Lowe's telling me to go to the Ft Lauderdale store nearest my residence for assistance. As the faulty water heater was in Atlanta, I have taken that and all the paperwork to the store from which the water heater was purchased. They were very helpful, apologized for Whirlpool's treatment of us, and refunded the cost of the water heater in full. The store manage confirmed that apparently no serial number had been affixed to this unit! Lowe's has won my favor. On the other hand, I have never heard back from Whirlpool. The Lowe's manager acknowledged that they were so big that they were hard to work with.

My water heater would not stay lit. I was told it was the control module so they sent me the part, and i replaced it and it work for a few weeks and went out again. So I called them the second time and then they said it was the the top thermolwire sensor and it dosent this time that they will replace the water heater. I talked with Greg, So I replaced it and it failed, Didt work at all,

I called a third time 12/12/09 2:00pm

and talked with Prince the suprvisior and he said that the control module is bad and that they were going to send me the part and if it didnt work they would replace the unit. The water heater is just over a year old. This is totally unacceptable for the water heater only being a year old since I purchased it. Every time it goes out we are out of hot water for a week plus.

Wow! I called Customer Service today to get them to pay for the $60 Gas Valve I purchased at Lowes and they actually gave me the name of A&E Sears Plumbers and an authorization number to have them replace it free of charge. I called A&E Sears and they will be out tomorrow at no cost to me for labor or parts. Whirlpool acknowledge the problem during the time frame and made good. I'm happy and will take the part I bought back to Lowes. Now this was good Customer Service.

So frustrating. I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater for a 2 family rental property. BFG1F5040T3NOV 50 gallen. It has been nothing but problems as it will not stay lit. I called Customer Service and spoke to someone overseas. They had me jump through a bunch of circles wasting more time and finally told me parts were covered but not labor.

I called a plumber and explained I had already replaced the thermal coupler and spoke with customer service but still no success. They sent a hot water specialist and I paid $140.00, back in June 09. I was happy as my tenants were no longer complaining. The specialist replaced the thermostat stating it was defective.

My tenant called and it is out again. I relit it, however again it will not stay lit. Obviously, they have defective thermostat and continue to operate business as usual. Please someone bring this to a stop with a class action law suit.

Bought a new gas water heater with a 9 year warranty in late 2007. The hot heater stopped working in less than 12 months. Whirlpool refuses to replace heater or offer refund - but if they do replace it they will not honor the warranty on the new heater so that any problems that occur you are out service or any help and you have to buy another hot water heater.

This heater goes out often. I have to have the thermostat replaced frequently. The last "fix" did not last 30 days. There have been 5 service calls to get the heater worked on in the last 12 months. I have complained to them - and talked to supervisor and get 0 help. My Case # is 03059108 with Whirlpool

I work for myself as a Realtor - my home is my office - I am getting very angry at the lost time of not being able to take a warm or hot shower! I have had to miss company meetings in the am just to try and get a hot shower before going out or no shower at all before I go out into he public.

Crawling around on me knees to try and re-light a hot water heater if hard on my body - and is painful on my joints and knees. This is horrible! I want the hot water heater to work! I am not of great health - and cold showers or no hot water is not helpful and just makes life much more unpleasant in day today activities.

I purchased a Whirlpool 40 gal elect. water heater on 11/10/2007. It sprang a leak and I replaced it on 10/07/2008. The replacement sprang a leak and I replaced it on 07/07/2009. It sprang a leak and I replaced it on 11/29/2009. I am not very happy with whirlpool water heaters to say the least. I have had a lot of whirlpool products over the years and have been very pleased with them but there water heaters are a piece of junk, having to replace a water heater 3 times in 2 years is not good for business.

When I called customer service I got someone overseas that I couldn't understand and they gave me the runaround. On this last replacement i opted to give the extra $ and update to a 12 year warranty and was informed after I purchased the 12 year warranty that the old 6 yearwarranty would still apply. I was also told that I would be reimbursed $135 for the change out, but when I called them back I was informed that I needed a receipt for the instillation and had to mail it in.

it is just a big hassle to get any satisfaction from them. I will never buy another whirlpool water heater again and would also advise others not to. Luckily I have some experience in home repairs, and also installed a drain pan underneath the water heaters. The economic impact for someone who does not have the experience to change out their own appliances, and does not have a drain pan could be VERY expensive. That's 4 leaking water heaters in my home in a 2 year period of time. You do the math.

I should have suspected something was amiss with this heater because along with the warranty and installation instructions there is a photograph grade double sided page which gives explicit instructions FVIR troubleshooting guide. I know I have installed at least 30 water heaters in my life and never before, have there been included such an extensive repair guide with photos to assist home owners, in the event of problems.

Since that time after much hand wringing and ineffectual phone calls to Whirlpool and Lowes and American water heater co. I find out that Whirlpool settled a class action suit in California about this heater two years [2] ago, and the same for American water heater co. They are still peddaling this item but with a glossy double sided page of repairing instructions which don't work.

I have talked with four different people with Whirlpool. Three of which gave me lots of sympathy but no help. The only male I talked to gave me an authorization number to give to Sears Service blue team to come fix this dreadful mistake. The closest Sears Blue team is in Fort Worth. This whole exercise is absurd, but I went ahead and called them. They said the could not get here for a week. I called Whirlpool back and a person named Rebecca said she was sorry but that was whom I had to use in order for whirlpool to pay a very limited amount.

I am pretty disgusted by this time so called Lowes to see about getting another control valve. A man names John answered and immediately wanted to know how I had gotten his number. I said the directory and asked about another control valve for this heater. He said he didn't know he would have to talk to his supervisor. I gave him my phone no. but have yet to hear anything from them. I can only surmise that any information concerning the control valve for this Flame lock whirlpool water heater is taboo unless approved by a supervisor.

I then called a local plumbing company.(Tate Plumbing). They sent out a fellow, journeyman. He tried everything prescribed by the whirlpool instructions but could not make the pilot light stay lit. He said I had bought a real lemon, and it was going to keep giving trouble as long as I had it. Charged me $75.00, gave me a reciept and left. I now have over $500.00 tied up in bad investment which according to all the complaints on the web, will drag out repeatedly, the same thing will happen again and again, til I die , or get rid of it. $500.00 down the drain.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes in April 2008 (Model #BFG1H404053NOV). Last Sunday the pilot light went out. I followed the manual and did some trouble shooting yet I was unsuccessful in fixing the problem. Yet after playing with the heater all day I was able keep the pilot light lit! Unfortunitly after heating the tank up it went out again and I was unable to to fix it this time.

On Monday I called Whirlpool and they told me the water heater had a 6 year warranty and since I didn't register the tank they took care of at that time. The Whirpool rep. asked if I could trouble shoot the problem and I explained I already had and was unable to fix the problem. Then she gave me a RO# and the phone number for AE Sears. According to Sears the first tech would not be able to get to my home until Friday yet she talked to her supervisor and I had an appointment for the next day (Sears was very helpful and understanding). Sears was at my house first thing in the next morning and replaced the gas valve / controller. According to the repairman they have a design problem with this valve and he replaces 4 to 5 per day. This problem also effect other tanks since this part is used by other companies besides Whirlpool.

I want some one to call me about all the problems im having with my whirlpool hot water tank, this is my second warter tank and this one is hveing the same problems as the first one. Im having to replace parts on it every 6to8 months, im not sure why but the gas valve i have replacced about 3 times, the thermaml cupal i have replced about 2 times, the igniter i hsve replaced 2 times. how many time do you have to replace someting before they will do something about it...I even replace the recall parts on it..

after two day of wasteing my time and about ten trips to lowes still nothing plus the calls to india! what a joke and they sell this garbage in the usa! and when you try to get the thing replace they laugh at you for buying it in the frist place. never agin will i or any one in my family will by anothere whirlpool!

My water heater would not stay lit. I was told it was the thermocoupler. Called a repairmen to replace said part. He said Whirlpool has a left handed thermocoupler, everyone else has a right handed. I was told to call Lowes, as I could go down and pick up a "recall kit". The first Lowes I called had no clue to what I was talking about. The second Lowes said call Whirlpool,get the correct number from them, no problem. I called Whirlpool. Was told that Lowes does not carry this, it would have to be mailed to me. All this has happened during Thanksgiving week. No hot water now for over a week, bathing with a bucket and water boiled on the stove for a family of three is difficult. No hot water for laundry, dishwashing, etc. I am now waiting for the part, out $92.00 bucks for the repairman to tell me he did not have the part. Very, very frustrating. I am waiting to see if my part arrives today. I have a feeling it will not. I was not given any tracking information to track delivery. I will greatly encourage anyone looking to buy a water heater, steer clear of Whirlpool. My heater is only 5 or 6 years old.

Purchase Wirlpool water heater. Have repalced controls three times and the whole unit once. Going bad again.

Had to do the job myself each time. Lowe's is continuning to sell this junk unit.

I purchased a 40 gallon Whirlpool water heater. The electronic control board went out after only working for 12 hours. I called Lowes and they couldn't help me, I had to call the 800 number from Whirlpool. I called and after getting transfered around i spoke to someone and they were very nice and didn't hesitate to Fed-Ex another control board. I installed the second control board (it arrived in a box unprotected from static and being tosseled around inside the box) and it was bad as well. This occured over the Thanksgiving holiday as well. I now have called in again and complained enough that Whitlpool authorized a repait tech to come to take a look at in in 4 days..! If they can't get this repaired I will try to get Lowes to take back the water heater and I'll get another brand. I would not reccommend a Whirlpool water heater to anyone. It is a piece of junk..!

Purchased two 40 gallon Whirlpool water heaters from Lowe's just over a year ago. One unit's pilot went out. Had to buy a new gas valve ($125.00). Replaced the item myself at no labor cost. I just found this information online. Wish I would have found this site prior to purchase.

Purchased WP water heater from Lowe's. Had continued problems with pilot light going out. Replaced parts from WP 4 times and still having the same problems.

Do not buy any Whirpool water heater ever again from Lowe's.

INSTEAD, push the nut and ferrule over the tube. Insert the tube into the controller until it bottoms out. Then, slide the nut and ferrule up to the controller and tighten, being careful that the pilot tube stays pushed tightly into the controller (does not slip back, allowing ferrule to miss connection.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes last Dec. I had alot of trouble with the pilot lite going out. I called Whirlpool and they told me the water heater had a 6yr warnty the first year was with parts and labor. The next five years was just parts. One of the customer rep. said that they were having trouble with that hot water heater, but whirlpool would make it right.

The whole time I have had it, the hot water heater has been repaired every two months, they have been coming out and fixing the same thing. I think have because they won't tell you whats wrong. They even tryed to blame it on the installer. My renters have been out of hot water on weekend and hoidays, that realy [is bad] when you have family coming over and no hot water. I got sick of it so I went to Lowes at 10:00 one night and I wouldn't leave until something was done. At this time the 1yr warnty is about up. Lowes called Whirlpool and got me an RA number to exchange the hot water heater.

I got the new hot water heater home and installed it. It worked fine for about a month, guess what, thats right pilot light went out again. Called Whirlpool and they told us there is a little button on the side, and to push it and the pilot will light, we did. It will not stay on, they are taking cold showers again or halling water from the stove again. Does anyone no how many trips it takes to get hot water from you stove to the tub, my renters said about eight and it still don't give you alot of hot water.

Well I bought extended warnty from lowes, when I got the new one they told me that I would never have to talk to Whirlpool again. Boy how dumb am I. This time I call to get lowes to fix it, you Know what they told me Call Whirlpool, Why because I have a 1yr warnty because it is a brand new hot water heater. Whirlpool said "No the warnty is when you bought your last one", it ends in Dec. 10,2009. Lowes said that they could not start covering it intill next Oct. because I have a new one and Whirlpool covers it for the first year parts and labor.

I called Whirlpool back they are mailing me the part I asked them if they were going to send someone out to fix it they told me that they would reburse me up to 75.00 for some to come and fix it. Ya right, like I know were to send the bill. The bill probley wouldn't get there untill Dec.10 and the warnty would be over. Whirlpool also said when I took back the other water heater if I would of paid any more money to get the new one than my warnty would of started all over again.

I called Lowes and told them that Whirlpool would not send anyone out. Lowes is sending someone to put in the part but I know its not over yet. Lowes said that if anyone has to come out and fix it alot then I will have to contact Whirlpool and get them to give me another one. I just want my money back for the water heater. All Lowes carries is a Wirlpool brand.

If anyone gets anything from this please don't buy from Whirlpool and I'm starting to wounder about Lowes. See you cant bring it back to Lowes and get your money back, you have to talk to Whirlpool and they will never make it right or give you your money back. Dose anyone know what I should do? Renters not having hot water for weeks! I can not keep taking time from work to keep calling or trying to take care of this and its not doing any good.

My whirlpool water heater wouldn't lite, Ismelled gas and called the gas company. A Tech came out , fixed the gas leak and tried to restart the water heater, it wouldn't stay on,he said he thought the thermo couple was bad. I called the toll-free # because Lowe's and no one else had the part to fix it, this was Fri Nov.13, 2009. Whirlpool said they would over night the part at no charge except a $20.00 fee for shipping. It was there the next day, a different person said that it was scheduled to ship and be here Monday 11-16-09 and I would not be charged shipping. It came I installed it today 11-17-09, still wouldn't light.I called whirlpool again the man had me disconnect the igniter switch ans press the button 15 to 20 times, no spark, he said I could pick the part up at any plumbing store or Lowe's and if I mailed the reciept they would reimburse me since it is still under warranty. Well, no one here has the part, I called 12 different places. Called whirlpool again, they are shipping me the part, will arrive Thur.Showering at the nieghbors for 5 nights, I am going out tonight to buy a different water heater.

I just found out about the Class Action Lawsuit for the Whirlpool hot water heater with the left hand therocouple, and I have had to wait 5 days to get this past repaired. The part came in today and we had to pay an additional $20 to have it rushed from Whirlpool. Whirlpool told the plumber that the part can be purchased at Lowe's, but every Lowe's that the pluber went to said they never have the part, and it has been on back order for a while. This is a monopoly and an inconvenience to me who is already recuperating using a wheelchair, and then I could not even take a hot shower and it cost me $350 for the repairs.

Model # FG1H4040T3NOV

Bought our Whirlpool hot water heater in 2008.Pilot light will not stay lit. Replaced the part once and 6 months later it went out again. Why is Lowes not held responsible for something they knew was a problem and still continued to sell them. They should be forced to replace all of them with one of equal value.

Sunday morning, November 9, 2009. Tried to relight it between 1:30 AM and 3:30 AM on Monday, November 10, 2009, so my wife could have a hot shower before going to work. Could not get it lit. Called the service number listed on the warranty paper and got someone in India named Ray. Ray told me a new thermocouple would be shipped out and I would receive it on Tuesday. Called again Tuesday afternoon when the part arrived to find it had not shipped. Talked to Ray's supervisor Peter to ensure the part would be sent. He said it would arrive today, Thursday, November 12, 2009. Went to Lowes where we bought it to ask for a new replacement. Salesman told us it was a kit and he had them on backorder. Our name was put on the list. Salesman also told us the manufacturere rushed to modify the water heaters because of a government mandate and that caused the product to be defective. The representatives at the Indian call center kept telling me to buy a universal thermocouple and put it in to fix the problems.

When I called three local hardware and plumbing supply businesses they all said this was a thermocouple with a left handed thread and wouldn't work nor could they get the part. My local hardware store said they had received a letter from American Standard saying these thermocouples were no longer available for them to stock. Four days without a shower or hot water. My wife is going to friends houses to shower and I will be doing that too. How water heater was purchased on October 7th, 2008 at Lowe's, long after these products and the class action suit was settled. Lowe's is knowingly selling a defective product. After reading the reviews on this website, it seems to me I need to buy another water heater from someone other than Lowe's and a brand other than Whirlpool.

hot water heater I"ve replaced burner ass. three times the last two years and have done without hot water for days.

Follow-up to 11-10 Failure. Received igniter via UPS and installed it. Support had me reset thermal switch. Documentation on thermal switch reset is unclear. 11-7 support person said button in center does not move. Today support person said it moves slightly. Discussion of 11-7 failure we agreed that malfunction could be dirt clogging orfice preventing gas flow. Door assembly was removed burner and orfice cleaned. Door assembly was re-installed. Pilot and main burner lit. Will monitor.

I purchased a 50 gallon Whirlpool water heater from Lowes 2-18-04. On 4/3/07 I purchased and paid to replace the gas valve. On 4/23/07 I replaced the thermocouple. On 12/24/08 I called plumber because I couldn't get water heater to restart. Plumber restarted water heater. On 11/2/09 I called plumber again to restart water heater but plumber couldn't get it to stay on. I replaced hot water heater 11/3/09.

pilot as original igniter failed. Called support (India)who will ship new igniter. Requested Thermocouple be shipped also. No hot water in PM or Nov 11 (Holiday) or Nov 12 until after parts are delivered and additional troubleshooting. must disconnect gas supply, pilot line, thermocouple line, remove door assy icluding burner then possibly remove clip holding thermocouple, replace thermocouple and then re-assemble and re-install door assy and reconnect supply lines. Time to next failure unknown

We purchased a whirlpool hot water heater and pilot lit would not stay lit. After talking with a plumber and searching our town for the repair parts we were told that it would be a week for the parts. Tried calling whirlpool, only for constant hold times. Never spoke with anyone. We wised up and switched our water heater to electric.

Add me to the list. I bought a Whirlpool 40 gal. water heater from Lowes. Crapped out in 13 months. Pilot light will not stay lit. Zero help from Lowes. Zero help from Whirlpool. After reading all complaints in this website, I decided to cut my loses and purchase another tank. NOT FROM LOWES. NOT A WHIRLPOOL. Shame on Lowes for selling this junk.

We purchased our Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in November 2000. A couple of years later we had to replace the thermal couple - because of the class action lawsuit with Whirlpool we were reimbursed the $15 we spent. The device has gone bad again, but now we cannot get this part. The entire Burner Unit assembly needs to be replaced with a Kit Code A. We were told we could get this kit from Lowe's at no cost. I've called all the Lowe's locations in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit and Stark counties - everyone is out and the part is on back order.

Each store is telling me something different, but most are saying the part has been back ordered for about 1 month or longer. The stores told me to call Whirlpool directly - so I called Whirlpool. They told me I could have one shipped to me for $20 and have it in a couple of days. I don't understand why I can get it so quickly, but Lowe's is back ordered for a month or longer and furthermore, why I have to pay to have it shipped.

If Whirlpool knew this was a problem, based on the class action lawsuit and they were revising the burner unit, they should've send notices or coupons for consumers to get this taken care of. Instead, I had no idea and had to wait for mine to go out again. We've now been without hot water for four days and will add to that until we can get the Kit from Whirlpool. This is unacceptable as I had two children that require hot water for baths.

We were not in Atlanta at the time so we called a plumber to go by. He said the serial number plate had been 'ripped off' - said unscrupulous installers may have done it. He contacted Whirlpool, but the representative wouldn't talk with him either without a serial number. He offered, at our expense and agreement, to buy two burners to see which one would fit. Whirlpool still refused to do anything without a serial number. We got ahold of the original paperwork - no serial number, just the model number. The plumber checked with Lowe's to see if they could help - they couldn't.

The time lapse alone from the point at which we engaged the plumber until a new water heater was installed (ultimately our only recourse) was seven days. Needless to say, the tenants were not happy.

Bought 40 Gal Gas water Heater in 2004. Had to replace thermacouple three times which is time consuming as well as inconvenient. Yesterday, I installed BFG Conversion Kit. Install Instructions are general, incomplete and cover multiple models. I beleive a class action law suit should be initiated to recover costs and inconvenience. I beleive another failure is in my near future.

Since Whirlpool is familiar with the problem, and continues to sell a defective product, why should I have to pay to fix (service call plus parts)for something that is under warrenty for 6 years (tank and parts)?

I have been without hot water for three days now. I have to find alterate places to shower, the dishes need to be washed, clothes washed, and had a medical emergency with a pet cat that needed an eye washed out due to oil getting into his eye, and no warm water to flush it out. Try holding a screaming, scratching cat's eye under water when it's cold. I have the scar's to prove it. Whirlpool needs to pay the whole bill since A: They know of the problem. B: They haven't recalled the Product. C: They do not make full restitution to the consumer's who purchased their product. D: Are unwilling to admit their fault. E: Unwilling to replace the defective product. F: They use their disclaimer that they cannot be liable for damages, injury, or death resulting from failure to comply to installion and operating instructions. As a consumer, I have never come across a company that is so unwilling to admit fault, and is so willing to pay for parts to fix a problem, yet unwilling to pay for the service to install them. I bought your product, now make me whole.

We purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater model #BFG2F4040T3NOV a little over a year ago. Within the first few months the pilot went out several times and had a hard time getting it to stay lit. Finally got it to stay lit, until 2 days ago. The pilot went out so we lit it and it stayed on and heated 1 tank of water and did not go back on. We had to keep relighting the pilot to have hot water.

Last night we tried to light it and it will not stay on so we have no hot water. We looked at the manuel that came with the hot water heater and while similar it is not the same water heater parts. This was The worst time for this to happen. anytime is bad, a great inconvienance. My daughter just went threw an operation. Home for a couple of days and she needs to change dressing and clean the areas. There are also 2 little boys who need baths. Trying to heat hot water on the stove to do dishes or clean up is not fun.

We went to Lowe's to see if we could get parts but they have limited parts for this model. We replaced the thermocouple, but still won't stay lit. Apparently from what I have read here and experienced so far, We should just go and buy another water heater. NOT a Whirlpool.

Whirlpool hot water tank model#SG1J5040T3NOV 50gal. is only two years old and has stopped working, it has a 12 year warranty. Purchased at Lowes and they had to call six other Lowe's stores to find one with a "repair kit for our model" which happened to be 55 minutes away and now that we have "the kit" at home it doesn't even fit our model anyway. The paperwork that came with the kit is three pages long but NO MODEL #'s printed on it to associate the part with the kit. We bought it at Lowes in good faith they they only sell Quality products.... I guess the times have changed and so will our choice of where to shop next time.

After reading the other experinces on this site I will just head over to Home Depot and purchase a new one from them. NOT A WHIRLPOOL!

but, your product is obviously NO GOOD!

Second whirlpool water heater in 4 years. this one 1 yr. old, wont stay lit,have to deal with people in India on complaints. Sold by Lowes. Have to pay shipping on replacement parts. My daughter bought same water heater and has had same problems. 3mwater heaters with same defective problems, modelBFG 1F 5040T3 nov. LOwes store 82 miles away, have returned 2 heaters for replacements, 1 defective again after working 1 yr.

Lowe's says they would like to get out of their contract and not sell them, because they are junk. So in the meantime, for the 2nd time in 2 weeks, we had lots of water in the basement, and have to pay a premium to get someone to try to fix it. Don't buy Whirlpool.

We got the Whirlpool water heater about three years ago, and I could just copy any of the many complaints I just read and my story is the same. I agree that Whirlpool should take responsability for the bad product they put out on the market. Their name has certainly gone down the drain. Definately something has to be done

whirlpool to let them know that we had no hot water, no flame they sent a new Igniter worked for 6 months and on Oct 27th out it went again we been without hot water. Called and they will send another Igniter no charge. Hope that is what is the problem if not it could be something else.

Little ****** ***.

Problem is you can't find to many parts for water heaters on line.

I purchased a 40 gallon electric water heater from Lowe's one year and five months ago.It leaked water and caused damage to the floor,baseboards,and wall.This was under parts warranty and so i exchanged it but labor to remove and replace unit was not covered.Now I have damage to my house that needs repaired.I have taken pictures of this damage clearly showing the outline of the heater and damage from the water to the floor,baseboards,and wall.I have the plumbers name and number that inspected the damage.

We have owned a Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater(FG1H4040T3NOV)for about 1 year and the thermocouple burned out again. Very dangerous abd stressful situation trying to replce a $15.00 part only to have it burn out in 6 months. Impossible to clean air intake vent due to location underneath the heater. Gas must be turned off and on and is very nerve racking. Cost of water heater $380.00. Multiple repairs and parts replacement X2 =$250.00, plus 2-3 days work (on each episode)trying and failing, causing loss of work due to urgency in resolution. Several times emptying and refilling water heater.

We spent nearly $900 in October 2007 for a 50-gallon gas water heater by Whirlpool (model # SGIj5040T3NOV). Three days ago, we lost hot water. The flashing code on the Honeywell gas control/thermostat indicated a bad upper sensor. We called a local repair company and spend $85 to have them tell us it was a "bad sensor." We called Whirlpool. The unit came with a 12-year warranty -- however we had to pay $30 shipping for the replacement part which arrived today (Saturday). We replaced the upper sensor -- the heater fired up and then turned off after about 20 minutes. We reset it, went through all the steps again.

It fired up for about 20 minutes and shut off again. I called Whirlpool and spoke to someone who was clearly in India. I was told the problem is the gas control/thermostat. They are now sending the replacement part -- will arrive Wednesday! So, a week with no hot water -- we are a family of mom, dad and five kids! Based on the postings here, I suspect that we will pay someone to replace the component and it will still not work. This is ridiculous. I will never, ever buy another Whirlpool product. Ever.

Bought Whirpool Water Heater SG1J4040T3NOV today at Lowes. Installed today and pilot light will not stay on!! What a piece of junk! If Lowe's and Whirpool are going to sell it they need to make sure it is quality. If this was an issue back in 2006 why hasn't this been corrected by Whirpool?

I bought a house that had a Whirlpool Water Heater installed last year. There were new parts on the floor that were not used to have the heater repaired. I don't know what part was used to repair it. The gas co. said that this heater had problems. The heater was lit but the pilot light stayed on 2 days. Then went off. It was relit but would not stay on. I called another gas company, they came and checked the heater. The parts to fix it cost $300.00 plus their service call. Instead of new parts to try to fix a water heater that complaints were made on, I bought a new water heater and had it installed. According to this gas co., they sold this brand of water heater and had to repair every one. I know that it will not do any good to compain but I just want you to know what a sorry Brand of the water heater is. I will not buy any Whirlpool products again.

I purchased a Whirlpool H/W heater for a rental I have from Lowes and had it installed by them. Heater has a 9 year warranty. (purchased 01/19/05) Thermocoupler failed, Whilpool did replace free of charge but it cost me $185.00 to have installed.This was a poorly designed part and should have been installed by them with no cost to me. This should have been a recalled part and not wait for people to complain about their heaters failing.

Whirlpool needs to stand 100% behind their warranty, and stop selling [bad products]. Lowes installed but would not replace part. Renters screaming for hot water. This was a real inconvenience for me because I had to find a Lowes that had the replacement part, find someone to install it and then deliver it to the plumber. Let alone pay $185.00.

No hot water, basically same complaint that is on the message boards. Only have unit 1 year getting run around.

I bought model BFG1F3030T2NHOV last year (2008) It has repeatedly been messing up not wanting to stay lit. We had it serviced at the beginning of the year. They replaced the box, I believe, I was there. They couldn't tell my boyfriend why it was messing up or what to do about it. Since then it went off again and we've had to manually relight it and reset it and it just doesn't want to stay on. I called about 10 minutes ago and the first of all I couldn't understand the man! He kept saying that he couldn't trouble shoot without knowing what was wrong...HELLO! I kept telling him it didn't want to stay lit, that I did try the reset button...he said that was bad...DUH! He kept saying the same thing over and over. He also said that I only had a year's warranty on service...well why is there a sticker on the heater that says 6 years warranty! That he could sent me the part! Hello! What am I going to do with that!

The hot water heater went out, and it wont relight after numerous attempts. the unit is less than three years old. The temperature is low, and we are unable to shower with warm water.

famous water heater problem. whirlpool BFG1H4040T3NOV. My husband was able to get a replacement ignitor for whirlpool water heater from lowe's, install it, and it worked for all of a few hours. Now i can't get the new replacement ignitor to stay lit. should have gone to sears.

Add me to the long and growning list of angry Whirlpool water heater owners. I bought one of their infamous Flame-lock models and can't keep it going despite repeated cleaning of the bottom vent and the replacing of thermocouples. I bought it at Lowe's and paid extra to get the model with the 9 year warranty on parts and tank. I'd rather throw this piece of junk in the ocean and buy a new one then spent another 7 years of constant repairs!

I wrote an email to whirlpool about a defective hot water heater. I received 3 voice mail messages from american heater since I was not at home. I tries 20 or more times to reach them at the number they left for me to contact them by phone. The line is consistently busy and I have not been able to reach anyone.

He suggested I call Whirlpool, but, from the looks of it, there's been a lot of problems with these heaters and the amount of having these fixed, you can buy a new heater. And Lowe's is still selling the same Whirlpool heaters. I suggest, go elsewhere, I know I will.

I ended up getting the last one that they had. You can call Lowes to see if you can get the replacement. They will need your model and serial numbed to see what kit you will need. Apparently this fix is for American Water Heaters and Whirlpool.

I was promised a replacement ignition/pilot light unit for my Whirlpool water heater. I was given a UPS tracking #1Z2583E4440584689, and now less than one day before the promised arrival date, UPS has no record of the tracking number I was given. I have gotten nothing but the run around since the water heater failed. I have sent a letter to Jeff Fettig, CEO at Whirlpool Corporation, expressing my growing frustration with the shoddy products now bearing the once revered Whirlpool name. I have called every Lowes store within 30 miles of my house and none of them are able to get enough repair kits to meet the ever growing requests and none have had a kit in stock for a considerable period of time.

Case # 300992 I purchase a water heater back in 2007 and around September 2008 it went dead. IT will not heat the water. So I returned it back to Lowes with no problems. Toda I woke up this morning and my water heater is dead how do I know that I took a bath with cold water. Again I call lowes and they suggested I call Whirlpool again. Again they walked me through the steps again to reignite it and I finally got mad.

They then transfer me to America Water Heaters and they are trying to blame it on the bottom being dirty and that alot of maintenance is require to maitain them from going off. I am sick and tired of this I just want to replace it with a new water heater. I already do alot to keep my seld bussy all day I don't have time to keep the bottom of my water heater clean. I never heard of that.

They Lowes will not take it back with out and AR number from Whirlpool. It only has been a year and this is the second time that this types od water heaters go off on me. I have the right to replace it for a new one. I refuse to give in. I want another water heater and is still under warranty.

i`ve had this water heater about 9 months and i guess by the stories my themero coupler went out.hard to find a good product now a days

Congradulations I am now the happy owner of a whirlpool water heater that will not stay lit and like other posts you call the 800 number and you are speaking to India. When you contact Lowes they give you another 800 number. The heater was purchased in late 2006 and stated acting up two days ago and unlike some of the other posts mine will not relight at all.

On Sept 28, 2009 our hot water heater quit working. I called the toll free service number and was instructed to perform a few tests and to call them back with the results. After performing the diagnostic tests as instructed I called Whirlpool back and was told by them that the Thermal switch was bad.

I was told at that time that the parts were covered under the warranty and that I was responsible for the shipping costs, after asking them if I could purchase the part locally they said no. I was then told the price differences of shipping between receiving the part in a day and a half to options of many days later. I exclaimed that I was out of hot water and was told they would waive the shipping costs and that I would recieve the part in the next day and a half.

So on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 the part arrives and I begin the removal of the old part and the install of the new. Upon trying to remove the old orifice fitting to install in the new I damaged the soft brass fitting trying to remove the frozen piece. So I called the toll free help line again to let them know that I now needed a new orifice because the old fitting would not come lose and had been damaged as a result of trying to remove it. I was told they would, once again ship it to me and that it would take another day in a half to receive it. So on October 3, 2009 the orifice arrived and I was able to finally complete the installation myself - 6 days after the problem arouse.

So I am more than disgusted with Whirlpools ability to make available the parts necessary for the homeowner to make necessary repairs. I would rather be able to pay for the parts if it means I can fix the problem the same day without having to heat water on the stove to take daily bath's. I will certainly reconsider ever buying another Whirlpool product if this is the kind of hassle I will encounter any time a repair is needed.

My two year old Whirlpool gas water heater, model BFGF303053NOV, which I bought from Lowes quit working. The pilot light went out and I could not relight it. The Whirlpool rep. said I needed part #295098 or 6910794. Our Lowes doesn't have neither.

that was over a year ago and I still have not received it. Now the webpage is no longer available. where can I turn to for help with this you Im hoping. thx Have not had hot water in half of the the house for a good four years or so. (It's a good thing I have a second water heater that works for the other half of the house)

Before we even got any water heated, the sensor went bad and Lowe's wanted a RA number from the manufacturer and they (Whirlpool have sold their name to this other service company. They just want to send people out and charge you labor. Sounds like Whirlpool new they had a defected product so instead of recalling it and costing them millions they found a company that would buy the name and they would keep going out and fix them because they new they would be breaking down.

Now if that doesn't sound like a scam. The service company would not let me talk to a supervisor, everytime I was on hold to talk to one, I got hung up on. This really is a scam so that Whirlpool did not have to recall faulty equipment, I hope it is checked because I am sure other companies are doing it as well and if it is not stopped other consumers will do unprotected.

We had to buy another hot water heater, which cost another $400 and we were just tough out of luck for the other one unless we wanted to pay labor @ $200 a pop and it looked as though they wuld probably be back very soon to fix another problem and believe me they already know what's wrong, they bought the problem. I bought a GE, hope sombody cares about quality...we will see

I purchased a gas water heater from whirlpool in Feb of 2008, It is junk! Within 3 months of having it installed-the cuplar quit working. They mailed me a new one and now (just yesterday) my hot water heater is not working again! Whirlpool is sending me another replacement. This is insane. my family has been without water because of this junk heater that I piad good money for. This is the second time with the same water heater. My family can not take showers or wash dishes, do laundry or anything. Now I have to pay out of pocket again to have a repair man come and install this cuplar again. I feel that I have been taken advantage of by whirlpool and will never purchase another item from them as long as I live! I even paid Lowe's extra money for the extended warranty on this thing. That of course does nothing for me.

I bought Whirlpool Hot water heater from Lowes in late 2006. Little did we know about the said class action lawsuit on this model. If we had we would have never gone with this company. So fast forward to early 2008 and surprise our pilot light starts the game of going out every day. So we do what anyone else would do. We called a plumber. This plumber before they even came out told us about the recall and to call the number on the side. We call the number and go through the problem of talking to some Indian person who barely understands english who can't do anything but read what he's given.

Finally we are given the part needed which surprise is the kit. Only at that time we weren't given any choice but overnight shipping for 20 dollars. Of course by that point it wouldn't stay lit at all so of course we had to do what we had to do. So fast forward again 3 days later and the part comes in. We call our plumber and set up the appointment. The plumber comes and installs. Like most of the other stories he told us how a lot of his work was thanks to this model and the great company brand known as Whirlpool.

So it works and we're happy. now fast forward to 2009 here. Just this last month of September. What starts happening but the same game of let's find the pilot light. So we call up the company again and now by the miracle of God their grasp of the English language as gotten worse. needless to say after what seemed like an eternity of tell us everything from we should clean the vent to you shouldn't have any air flow we finally settled on it's the gas valved with them. They send us this part. After having it put in of course this didnt' fix the problem. So we call back and

have to fight with our friendly and oh so helpful rep. Again we're asked was your plumber certified? DUH of course he is. Did you clean the vent? Duh of course we do. Well there is nothing wrong then he tells us. And what are we told. To call the gas company to check our gas flow etc. So finally we had had enough. We tell them we'll just contact a lawyer and that we are tired of this crap.

So there is nothing like threatening them with a lawyer for them to decide to do something helpful for once or so we thought. They put us on hold for what seemed like days. Finally a "Supervisor" comes on and says they'll give us an RMA to get a new tank and that we won't have to worry about removing the old tank, dragging it back to lowes with us 3 years later and that we could just go and pick up the new tank. We even double checked twice becuase this sounded too good to be true. So to be double sure after talking to said "Supervisor" we even call lowes to check. They tell us the same thing.

Well our last fastforward to today. Sunday. We head over to lowes ready to pick up our new tank and low and behond after having traveled the 30 plus mins to get there we're told that we have to bring the old tank with us. We explain what we were told by the "Supervisor" and the lowes employee. We're pretty much told to sit and spin. That we'll have to bring the old water heater and be witout any hot water for the week it would take to get the plumber to come back out again the 4th time and remove the tank, drain it. Then of course we'd have to bring it over there.

So we're tired, fedup, and ****** as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. Whirlpool and Lowes can sit and spin. They won't be receiving another damn dime from us again. I'd rather heat water on a stove over a log fire in the winter without clothes before I'd spend another dime with them ever again.

So needless to say we're trying to keep this piece of crap functioning just enough till we can get our new hot water tank which sure as hell will not be manufactured the american company again. And we won't be buying it at Lowes either.

they keep sending out the same part over and over agian. the part last under a year then goes out. We replace it 3 times and can't get the water heater replace. they just keep shipping out the part and expect us to pay for the shipping.

My roommates and I turned the power off to bomb for spiders. The Whirlpool water heater will not relight. I followed all the steps several times. I even had one person watch the window for a flame for an hour worth of trying. Whirlpool people are completely useless. Why replace the thermocoupling on a machine that is only two years old. Another repair man will arrive between 12 and 5 tomorrow.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes to replace the old one at one of my rental apartments back in 2007. The heater worked fine for about 1.5 years and the problem started around February 2009. My tenants did not have hot water and had to re-lite the pilot light every 2-3 days. It has been going on for weeks and they finally called me. I called Whirlpool to report the problem and they told me they would walk my tenants through fixing the problem. My tenant called them and the problem was not solved. They then mailed to us the parts to be replaced. I had to pay for the overnight mail and the part didn't arrive until 2-3 days any way :(

I had to pay my HVAC guy to install this door assembly they sent to us.

The problem was gone for a few months then came back. My tenants would be out of hot water every 2-3 days and had to relight the pilot light. They called and I called Whirlpool. This time Whirlpool said the problem was not on their part but the air vent was not sufficient and I need to clean the vent. Oh well, I told them this is exactly the same problem that had happened in March this year so I'm 100% sure it's not the cleanning issue. The rep told me he had on his records that the privious problem said "the pilot light would not stay litted" but this time he said it stayed lit for a few days then went off. I asked him what is the difference? Staying litted for a few days and not staying litted? He insisted I contract an HVAC guy to look at the problem and then call back to request the part. I was so mad. This Whirlpool water heather is a piece of junk and Whirlpool rep is not very helpful. I'm so disappointed with Whirlpool and will never ever purchase Whirlpool product again in my life. Very upset.

Well lets start i bought the peice less then two years ago. I have put out close to $300 and about week without water each time. The customer service people are jerks. SO BEWARE DONT BUY A WHIRLPOOL! So im getting ready to file lawsuit against them

I have the same problem after 14 months, I am only posting to help others. I did not attempt to fix any of the problems, I tested it and it was the gas valve. I went straight to Lowes and explained the problem with no luck, I was told to call Whirlpool no luck there. I went back to Lowes and it was a different Mananger ask for the corporate phone number and he started to listen then, he said bring it in and he would refund it. If you have no luck with the first manager just leave and come back when there is a different manager. Tell them you know about the class action suit and how Lowes and Whirlpool knows about the junk they are selling, it worked for me and I received a refund of the entire amount plus taxes.

Biggest problem is that my wife is home sick with the flu and I can't be without hot water for a full weekend! Anguish and frustration - priceless Cost of plumber on a friday night - $99 to start and who knows how much more after it is repaired at $100/hour!

whirlpool water heater does not relite. called repair man already been here once. next day no hot water. called back. now they have to order part. whats up

purchased water heater in 1/08 and it has broken three times. same problem everytime. need new water heater. breaks down on average every 7 months. have a child with asthma in the home. anything cold seems to always set off an attack for her. this is getting ridiculous

installed the whirlpool water heater on 5-17-08. it fired up and worked flawlessly until 9-04-09. i replaced the thermocouple and it fired right up. it will only stay on for a couple of minutes. after going through the manual and trying to eliminate all options, i am convinced that the thermal switch is the problem. i will be contacting lowes but i am quite apprehensive after reading about the amount of problems that everyone else is having.

well this has been going on for 3 yrs. call whirlpool.they can help not..get this get that thermocouple got it 16 times and then it was suppose to be the gas value that wasn't it.. wait it will take 7 to 14 days to get here they don't give a f they are on the receiving end they have water for free...so again left handed thread goes to right handed thread "you shouldn't have no problems" on Jan 5 installed .

on Aug 30 no hot WATER AGAIN NEED new thermocouple..so bought it my plumber put it in .. well gas leak called the plumber back sent the wrong part for the gas line ...fixed that not..no water again ..got hot water for 7 days wow call whirlpool again... whatever . had water for one mother effin day ...so on monday labor 09 day my water heater caught on fire ..call whirlpool may i ask what is wrong guess what no you almost made my family go up on flames so what now ... i can give you a new water heater but no labor and my water heater wasn't on recall bulls**t. i think it should be. if this is a hazard then your putting peoples lives in danger. whirlpool has faulty products and that needs to change.so screw whirlpool. that is the only water heater you can get is WHIRLPOOL.no i am the customer and they can eat their water heater..i will get something that is not gonna burn my house down and talk to someone with RESPECT...

I called Whirlpool back and they basically told me to sholve it. They did say they would try to have the part out to me by next Thursday (9/10). I subsequently called Lowes and chewed their tails out for continuing to sell a product that they know is defective.

This is the 2nd time since May of 2007 that my water heater broke and needs a thermo couple. It was also recommended that I replace the box on the outside with the gas valves. I am aware of complaints on other models, defects and class action suits, however, I was told today by Whirlpool that nothing can be done besides what was done the last time because there is no sign of defect with the thermocouple even though there is obviously an issue with my model BFG1F3030T3NOV, 0733002, serial#0717116541.

I would like to formally report that I believe there are defects with other models than just the one that enough people have complained about. I had to pay $100 labor the last time because it happened to break 1 month after my 1 year warranty ran out, and this most recent one only lasted 1 year and three months and it is now another $150-$225.

New parts should have a longer life time than 1 year or a little over and to pay this the second time, I will be paying more to fix a new water heater than it cost me to purchase. Whirlpool company should be investigated not only for items that have been reported multiple times, but all models and I believe there is great reason for the class action law suit to be expanded to all models.

About 6 years ago we bought a water heatar for our hous. For about 5 times or more we had to buy the replacement parts for it as the pilot wouldn't stay lit. I called the company and they said I have to have a technician inspect the water heater but that such expense would have to come out of my pocket. I told him that water heaters from this company were deffective but he said they don't replace the water heaters unless someone comes and tells them that it's not repairable.

Sounds like I need to cut my losses and replace the unit with a non Whirlpool product

I purchased a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in September of 2007 from Lowe's Hardware. Right away, we noticed that the hot water heater came on quicker, stayed on longer, and the water was not as hot as with our old unit, which was more than 25 years old. Also, our gas usage was higher. Then, the thermocouple began going out every three or four months. We only had about six months of continuous trouble free operation from this unit before the pilot light began going out. I have replaced the thermocouple four times, and it is not working again now.

I have called Whirlpool several times, only to be transferred to someone in India, who have several times told me my hot water heater is registered to someone else, or that I need to replace the thermocouple. I am always told that there is no warranty on labor, only parts. I have yet to bill them for a thermocouple I have purchased, as they are only $7 each, but this last time, I was told I need to replace the gas control valve, which I am going to buy tomorrow. It seems unjust, to pay almost $500 for a hot water heater (unit only, I installed it myself) then to go through this....days without hot water, hours of work after buying an inexpensive part, then go without hot water again. The people at Lowe's are nice, but after reading all the complaints, I have to wonder why they are still carrying this model. Next time it quits, I am buying another brand, and may consider suing over the problems I have had with this one.

Bought Whirpool Water heater in March of 2006,FG1F4034T3NOV. About a year and a half later we received the recall replacement ( burner assembly) we didnt know it needed replaced until it showed up in the mail. We installed it and for about 10 months it worked and then the piolt kight wouldn't stay lit.

Called customer service that happens to be in India. Well, that was a huge headache. They diagnosed the issue without us being able to fully explain the situation. They said it was the gas control valve. Well, we paid for the shipping and they sent us the part. Hoped that was the end of the issue.

The following day the piolt light was out again. Called Whirpool customer service that is in India and they told us it was now the vent. They said when you place a flame in front of it the flame is NOT TO MOVE! UNREAL, since it should have air flow and the flame move upward. DUH! This argument went on for 2 minutes. Ours did have air flow and the man argued that it shouldnt! We'd be dead by now I would imagine or very ill.

I requested to speak to a supervisor the time before this last call today and the woman hung up on me. SO today we went to Lowes and they handed us a new burner assembly the thing that was recalled so this is the second we have had to install and I hope this is it. If it isnt then, I am going to have to get a new one at my expense because I will never deal with these rude idiots again. I will never purchase anything that says Whirpool on it again. Terrible customer service.

We re-started it about 5 or 6 times with the same results. I finally had Horizon Service Company come out and they suggested we get another water heater which they would service and has a warrenty of five years for parts and labor. They are a local company and now we have hot water all the time with the relief of having someone come out should there be any problems. We are very disgusted with Whirlpool and Lowes for not taking care of this problem and we will never purchase anymore products from Whirlpool again. I have also filed a complaint with the company as well.

I am having all the same issues as everyone else. I have had my hot water heater for 4 years. The pliot light keeps going out. I have paid $240 for 2 service calls. Once they replaced the entire burner. Now today I cant get the pliot light to egnite. Got it started once lasted for approx 20 minutes now its out again and cant relight it. Not fair that all these problems are happening to everyone and Whirlpool should reimburse everyone. Now all weekend with no hot water till I can get a new heater. You can bet it wont be a Whirlpool.

Purchases Whirlpool Gas Water Heater w/Flame Lock from Lowe's in October of 2008. Was not aware of a problem with this heater. By July 2009, we were without hot water. Called and Whirlpool sent the replacement part. On July 8, 2009, technician came and replaced the thermocouple AND the gas value. Had hot water until August 21, 2009. Tried to relight pilot, couldn't get flame to stay (just like before).

Called Whirlpool spoke with a Chris. He told me to press reset button, follow instruction to relight pilot and everything would be fine. I explained that I had already done this process. He was hateful and told me to do this again. I responded that after I did this again I would be calling back. He hung up. I tried again, called back and this time talked to John. He was nicer and told me to bypass the reset by putting to ends together with a paperclip and try the relight process again while he stayed on the line.

This time the pilot stayed light. Only because of a handy paperclip. He said he would order the part for me, but I would have to pay the shipping cost. Up to 20.00 for next day, but since this was a Friday, it wouldn't reach me until Monday. I ask why I had to pay for shipping cost of a part they made that was defective? He said that that was how it was. I ask to speak to someone over him. He ask if he had not helped? I told him that he had done all that HE could do, I had questions that he didn't have answers to, because I felt that I was sold a defective appliance.

That for the next 4 days I would be without hot water. That this was the second time in a little over a month the same part was not working. I was not happy. He said that he could send the part out at no shipping cost to me. I thanked him, he ordered the part gave me a work order number and end of phone call. Didn't get to someone above him, so I called back, ask to speak to managment, person on phone (did't get her name) refused to forward my call to anyone else. I asked for a replacement heater. She said there was nothing anyone could do until a technician looked at it. Only he could determine if it was fixable. Guess we will wait until Monday.

If it happens again I will buy a different brand heater. Dealing with Whirlpool's Indian affairs service dept. is useless. Never again will I buy a Whirlpool appliance.

Whirlpool propane model #FG1F40S3PV Flame Lock does not stay lit. Sick of it have to replace like to know the water is hot when a get in shower.

i purchased a hot water heater from lowe's monroe, la 71202 july 22, 2008. august 17 2009 the pilot light went out and we could not keep it on. tel whirlpool service & they sent out a sears tech # 30411. he came replaced temperature dial on front of tank.he lft in a few short min and no pilot when i got home and still not pilot. he did not bother to stay and make sure it was fixed. now they want get anybody out till tomorrow 8-20-09.they should have to come back today. i have been through so many people w/ this problem & nobodywas willing to try & help get another tech out today. i c that this same hot water heater has a recall. i never received a notice of this. i will never buy whirlpool again. 1 more thing is there another problem w/ this product that the consumer should know about.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater in Nov. of 2006. several times during this time period we had our pilot light go out. On Aug 17, 2009. The pilot light went out, and we were not able to get it to stay lit. We called a plumber and we explaned our problem! He asked us if it was a whirlpool water heater, we said yes. Then he said it is still under warrenty and we should call whirlpool and have them send us a new valve. The I made arrangements to have him install it when it came in today Aug 18, 2009.

I called customer service they gave me a run around for awhile! Then they finaly gave in to send me a new control valve! I had to pay for shipping what a joke!! My plumber said they have to repair dozens of these water heaters a month!! From what it sounds like I will have to get about 10 more of these valves to make it to my 12 year warrenty, and will only cost me $3000.00 to have a plumber install them. This one cost me $300.00 dollars to have replaced. This is my last Whirlpool product! Never again will I buy Whirlpool!

I too, purchased a Whirlpool gas hot water heater a year and a half ago. About 3 weeks ago,it went out. Called India and they said go to Lowes and get kit B. Did that, worked for all of 1 day and went out again. This time, we bought a new heater. It worked for 1 week and went out. After trying kit B again and replacing the thermostat, Lowes said that they would replace it without a RA# since we had only had it a week, but it would help if I had an RA#.

After 39 minutes with my new Indian friend I finally got them to give me one. I had to be very hard nosed. They wanted to send out a technician in the next few days. I can't go a few days without hot water. I spoke to one supervisor and after asking to speak to HIS supervisor I finally got the #. Our plumber said he loves Whirlpool heaters because they make him so much money. If this one goes out, I am buying a different brand and doing my best to make Whirlpool pay for it. I am out almost $200 in labor and scared everyday that I won't have hot water. Lowes was wonderful, but their hands are somewhat tied.

We purchased our Whirlpool Flame Lock Gas Water Heater through Lowe's in March 2008. It was a very reasonable price and carries a 12 year warranty. On August 14, 2009 (only one year, six months later) we had no hot water.

Our plumber replaced the thermocouple ($7 at Lowe's) and the heater fired back up. However, once the water reached temperature and the burner turned, off the pilot also went out. Thereafter the pilot would only remain lit when you held down the red reset button. Once you released it, the pilot immediately went out.

We then bought a replacement Robertshaw Gas Control Valve/Thermostat ($54 at Lowe's). Once it was installed and the heater was again filled with water, it fired right up and has been working ever since. We were VERY annoyed with Whirlpool until my dad told me this: "That's like being mad at your motor vehicle's tire manufacturer because you are experiencing engine trouble! One really has nothing to do with the other."

Maybe Robertshaw Manufacturing should look into a possible design flaw. We certainly hope that this will not be an ongoing issue - time will tell!

So I paid the $58.83 for the new valve with tax and will try to find someone to install yet today. No telling what that will cost. Will mail the receipts to Whirlpool and wait for results before contacting the Consumer Protection Division in my state.

I bought a 40-gallon gas fired Whirlpool water heater on May 21, 2008. I have a 6-year warranty for parts and any leaks. on the week of August 3rd, the pilot light went out and the installer advised that whirlpool needs to have the valve replaced which is under warranty. I called Whirlpool on August 12th and they had me contact one of their contractors A & E Sears to schedule an appointment.

I called A & E Sears, gave them the Authorization Number (L2919654-081009) and they told me that someone will arrive between the hours of 8am and 5pm on August 14th. Therefore, I took a day off from work and received a call from the Service Technician at 3:58 pm to tell me that I ad a leak and that the water heater needs to be replaced. The gentleman did not bother to come over and look, so I called Whirlpool about my discussion with the Service Technician and the Customer Service Rep told me to contact A & E Sears back and explained that a Water Heater does not have to be replaced.

One year old water heater failed. The customer service rep in India hung up on me when I asked to speak to a Supervisor. I called back, to another rep. who eventually gave me a referral to a repair co to schedule a repair visit. The gas provider was already out and determined that this water heatere has numerous por[[roblems with the gas valve and thermocouple. There should be a recal on this water heater:

Model #BFG1H4404T3N0V; Whirlpool 10 year warranty Gas Hot Waterheater; Unit is less than 3 years old. Pilot will not stay lit. Yesterday the pilot went off 3 times; reset it; dead again later; this is very embarassing and I hope our voices will be heard; there are so many scams in this world; why do we need a "legit" one? Hello: Consumer Affairs do something, please!

in 10-21-2006 i bought a model#FG1F4040S3PV propane Whirlpoolwater heater im having the same trouble everyone else is thermocouple!!! kept going out finnaly it quit working. replaced with a "g" kit Two months later, no hot water called the 877# and got INDIA!!!! I WAS SHIFTED TO SOMEONE ELSE who basicly told me sorry about your luck they also told me since I installed it in a manufactured home that it voided the warrenty there was nothing on the packaging that stated this only in tne owners manual first off when youve installed as many of these as me they are all the same

Second you have to buy the thing to be able to read the owners manual.Should have stayed with a rheem not a single problem with it in 11 years

Second you have to buy the thing to be able to read the owners manual.

I was having trouble with my water whirlpool went to lowes this last weekend,to get a thermal couple I seen on the box it read not for FG model numbers.I ask a person in that department if they had them for FG models,he went to the back storeroom and came back with a box it was the whole lower unit for my gas waterheater and said it was FREE whrilpool ahd sent them a pallet of them they are RECALLED

Model #BFG14404T3N0V; Whirlpool 10 year warranty Gas Hot Waterheater; Unit is less than 3 years old. Pilot will not stay lit. Have replaced burner unit, and igniter, spent over $300 in plumbing fees, still having the same problem. Lowes said they would replace the heater but would not pay for installation fees. This all started with talking to "India" instead of the U. S., which really ticked me off because they are so "cheap" they won't even put American citizens to work, especially during a time of economic hardship.

Anyway, running this test and running that test, resetting a reset button, tying wires with a paper clip, restarting over and over. Taking cold showers in 30 degree weather. Paying doctor bills up on top of all this because I get sick. I'm 52 years old, I work two jobs, I have a son with a medical condition, and I'm tired of this.

After dealing with 3 different whirlpool operators, and 6 different trips to Lowes, I am currently shopping for another water heater to replace my 4 year old whirlpool gas heater. Much like everyone else on the other 180 pages of complaints, I am tired of dealing with the Indian operators with automated responses, the multiple trips to Lowes, the countless hours installing these "upgraded parts" and most of all... THE COLD SHOWERS AFTER A 12-14 HOUR SHIFT!

I purchased a whirlpool water heater model #BFG1H4040T3NOV serial #0638120159 on Oct 17 2006 for $716.67 installed at the Lowes in Beavercreek OH. This was to replace a 3 year old Whirlpool water heater that was in the house I had purchased a year before. In the first year that I was in the house I replaced the thermocoupler 3 times. On the fourth time, I decided to buy a new water heater and purchased the above mentioned one.

I also went with the 9 year warranty so that I would not have to do the repair work if it ever went out again. After the new water heater was in the house for about a year and a half, the thermocoupler went out and I called the Lowes warranty 800 number. They told me that they did NOT have an authorized service technician in the area and the it could take 2 to 4 days until I got it fixed. Apparently, most plumbers refuse to work on Whirlpool water heaters, let alone install them.

This happened 2 other times over the next year. The last time (Mar 30, 2009) the technician had to replace the burner unit, gas control valve and thermocoupler. He basically rebuilt the entire thing. On Jul 27, 2009, the water heater went out again. I went into the Lowes in Beavercreek and talked to a manager named Kelly about all the problems I have had with this water heater. She told me to call Whirlpool and get an RA number and they will refund my purchase price on the water heater. I called Whirlpool and talked to "Jimmy" in India and he told me that he could not give me an RA number and that I had to have my technician call.

I called my technician, of Glassbourn Plumbing and he came over, examined the water heater and the entire insides needed to be replaced again. He called Whirlpool and told them the the water heater and new parts were defective and that the whole unit needed to be replace and he asked for an RA number. Whirlpool customer support told him that all they would do would be to send a new gas control valve and that I could pay an extra $20 to have it overnighted. This was not acceptable to me and I told him so.

I then called Lowes in Beavercreek and talked to a manager named Brian. I told him the entire story and he said that he would try to call Whirlpool and get an RA number for me. He called back a few minutes later and told me that they would not give him the number either. He also said that who ever he talked to told him that the notes in the computer on my case file said that the technician told them that "the gas control valve was bad". This is a total lie, that is not what Mr Glassbourn told them. I was standing right there when he called Whirlpool.

Obviously, Whirlpool customer support is falsifying information and doing everything that they can to avoid satisfying their customers. I have sinced purchased a GE water heater from Home Depot. I also did some more research and discovered that on consumer affairs website there is 174 PAGES of complaints on whirlpool water heaters with the exact same problem as mine. Every single person has had the exact same result in getting their complaint resolved, THEY HAVE'NT! The complaints and problems date back to several years.

Whirlpool was involved in a class action lawsuit in 2006 and were ordered to give all owners new gas control valves. The problem is that they continue to send out bad valves and use the same bad valves in their manufacturing process. They have not fixed the problem, and continue to rip off their customers. I personally can't see why Lowes is still selling these water heaters when they know about this problem and continue to ignore it. I have been a Lowes customer for many years but the response I have gotten from both Lowes and Whirlpool on this matter has made me vow to NEVER purchase another Whirlpool appliance again

Purchase of Whirlpool water heater in January 2009. Flame guard gas control failed to work. Had pilot relit and went out again next day. Have been waiting now since Friday for hot water tank part and person to repair. Have read 179 stories of malfunctioning unit. All models of this 50 gallon should be replaced at no cost to customer. No customer service from Whirlpool. They are all in India. This all makes me very sad and mad. We pay small fortunes for inferior products time and time again. When will there be quality and integrity put into American bought products again?

This sounds like a broken record, but can you say THERMOCOUPLE??? Yes, it's a 40 gallon Whirlpool, and my product, too, has been recalled and I am on my SECOND Thermocouple, to which I had to pay shipping fees to have it sent next day air and then had to incur 2x the amount of money to have someone come install it. The first replacement Thermocouple lasted right at a year or a little less. Then what makes it worse is the threads are left-hand threads versus right-hand threads so you can't buy parts from Lowes cuz they don't stock it, which is frustrating because they all tell us to go to Lowes to get the part.

I wish a class-action lawsuit comes of this, because they need to right the wrongs of all these consumers. I will not be buying anything with the name Whirlpool on it, and I have insisted that my friends and family stay away from that brand name as well. I was told from an expert that State makes wonderful water heaters. And at $250 for a new 40-gallon water heater, it would be cheaper than the out-of-pocket costs I've incurred with this problem since day one!!! Man up, Whirlpool and do right by your products and replace us with new water heaters if you want to continue with me as a customer!

In 2007 we purchased a hot water tank and have had no problems until yesterday. The pilot light went off and would't stay on. We had DTE come out and look at it and light the pilot only to have it go out a couple hours later again. I spent lots of time on the phone with Whirlpool and Lowes to no avail. I went to Lowes today and found out there was a recall on that hot water tank. One of my complaints is Whirlpool wanted me to pay for the shipping for the necessary part. I also got a repair kit from Lowes today only to find out it is the wrong one.

Thank You,

My gas water heater was purchased in May 2009. I anticipated a good 8 or 10 years since my previous heater lasted 15 years. Model number FG1F5040T3NOV Last week my water began cooling and we found the pilot light was out. I am a widow caring for my only son with pancreatic cancer so this was emergent. I, myself, was unable to light it so a friend came over and got it lit however it kept going out. It was frustrating. At last I called the number on the heater and reached a man in India who recited the directions so fast I couldn't write them down. I am good with accents but just asked him to please speak slower he rudely told me not to interrupt.

I found another number online and spent the entire day on the phone eventually being referred to eight different numbers all of whom kept me on hold and quickly directed me to someone else as they didn't want to address the issue. I had a friend go to Lowes since I am unable to leave my son but he was there a half hour and no one seemed to know about the part. I then called another friend who got the part and installed it but it didn't work. After I got it un-installed I paid a young man to install the new part.

It was a long day and I am still not sure if the new part (thermocouple) is working or if it will, indeed, continue heating. I have always been a fan of Whirlepool and had just purchased a Whirlpool dishwasher. I believed they were a longstanding company that stood behind their products. I will never again deal with the Whirlpool Company who manufactures such junk nor will any of my friends or family. They sold me a problem and it immediatly became my problem and not theirs. They were not there for me after they took my money. Do they even care how selling these inferior products affects our personal lives?

Therma-coupler has went out twice in one year on water heater. Trying to get 3rd coupler to fix and the only help I receive is from somebody calling themselves "American" names and admitting they are located in India. DO NOT BUY a whirlpool water heater or you will find yourself like me, writing this complaint instead of just reading them.

I purchased a Whirlpool 40gal gas hotwater heater from Lowe's in March 2008 and it worked without issue until July 15th 2009. I noticed the water was just lukewarm and on investigating found the pilot was not lit, nor could I keep it lit. I called Whirlpool and talked with "Dave" who had an amazing INDIAN accent. He gave me trouble shooting tips and I ran through them but no success. I called back and talked with "Linda" who had the same kind of INDIAN accent and she said they would pay for replacement parts and that the thermocouple needed replacing. I called Lowes and they said they had a replacement KIT and it was free of charge. I put the conversion kit in but still no luck.

BTW the conversion kit has a thermocouple adapter that is left hand threaded that wont work on the BFG models, so I didnt use that piece. I called Whirlpool back and talked to "Alex" who said "since you've tried all these steps and it still doesnt work we will "just this once" pay for LABOR AND PARTS to solve the problem. Since I put the kit in which include the thermocouple and such and it still didnt work, the only other thing was the UNITROL gas control unit. Sure enough when the guy from sears came out, thats the first thing he replaced. I was watching his computer screen over his shoulder (ok, maybe not the right thing to do) and it came up "safety recall" when he put in the pertinent information. If this thing stays working, its not the thermocouple kit thats the issue, its the unitrol Gas controller. I would call Whirlpool and tell them to send you a new unitrol unit if it goes out again.

Our Whirlpool Gas Water Heater pilot went out. It wouldn't stay lit and we were out of hot water for a day before we realized it went out. We followed the directions that were on the water heater and still the pilot light didn't stay lit. We did a little research online and called American Water Heater and a representative was able to help us light the pilot. The direction that representative gave wasn't provided on the product which would be helpful when this happens. Lets hope that this is not a reoccurring problem.

Victim # 123,456,%#@ of the Whirlpool gas water heater!

Thermocoupler was replaced twice with the old style (left-hand threads) before I discovered this site.

But it still does not stay lit. Now I'm torn between getting a thermocoupler from Home Depot (since I now have the right-hand threaded adapter) and seeing if the voltage is higher. Measured voltage was .031 mV on the original unit and .029 on the replacement unit when held over a flame at the kitchen stove. The one that came with the "C" box measured .029 mV.

I recall that during my initial episode with this, the one that finally worked measured around > .05 mV when held to a flame.

Any techs that can confirm this need for a higher voltage to hold the gas on?

I purchased a 40g Whirlpool Water heater in October 2008. It began to leak a week ago so I contacted Whirlpool. They said the item was under warranty BUT I had to pay to have it uninstalled and it was my responsibility to get it back to Lowes. (I was told to rent a truck) They would reimburse me up to $135 for the installation (which costs $295) but I would have to pay for it and they would reimburse me. I asked why couldn't Lowe's remove the old one when they installed the new one and was told that "was not possible."

I fail to understand how they expect me to have such out of pocket expenses AND be without hot water in the interim when it is their faulty product.

I'm not angry at Lowe's but I am left in quite a predicament. Suffice it to say this is the last Whirlpool product I will ever purchase.

"WHIRLPOOL" WATER HEATER FROM HELL. I've bought two (50 gallons)whirlpool water heaters from Lowe's approximately 4 years ago. Each water heater costs around $350. About one year ago, our misery started when the pilot lights in both water heaters would not stay lit. It has cost me over $800 in labor cost to replace the "conversion kits" to keep the pilot lights lit. The first two conversion kits were free but I have to drive 26 miles to the nearest Lowe's and 45 minutes to fill out all the necessary paper workS.

A few months later, my plumber advises me that I'll need another "conversion kit". The third conversion kit from low would cost me out of pocket $50. Two days after replacing the third conversion kit, my plumber told me that the WHIRPOOL WATER HEATER cannot be fixed anymore. He has found a leak inside the water tank which was drowning out the the pilot light and ultimatley the furnace on the water heater. According to the plumber, I would need to replace one or both water heaters to be safe.

Within this year of hell, I have contacted WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION around 20 times. On several occasions, after spending a few minutes with a representative, I was cut off abruptly during our conversation. I would call back immediately and a new rep. would come on and the process would start all over again. On my last and third call on July 14, 2009 to whirlpool, one of their rep. insisted that I climb back up the attic and she will teach me how to properly trouble shoot the problem. I told her that the plumber just showed me that there is leakage from inside the water heater drowning out the water heater furnace. I advised her that it is noon and mid July. The temperature outside my house was around 100 degree and it is dangerous and lethal inside my attic.

I have given up reasoning with these people at WHIRLPOOL and have learned to cut my loss. It will cost me another $750 to replace the 2 new water heaters- DEFINITELY NOT FROM WHIRLPOOL and $800 dollar in labor cost to disconnect and lower it from the attic. I would not buy another product that comes out of or from WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION in my life or my kids life. I'm deeply concerned why a major home improvement store like LOWE'S would continue to sell these defective whirlpool water heaters from hell to us or to their loyal customers.

I'm yet another victim of the Whirlpool/American Water Heater Co. Heater failed to light and pilto would not stay lit. Paid a plumber to fix it who talked to both AWHC and Whirlpool several times. Went to Lowes to get the replacement thermocouple unit and it last 6 hours. I called the WAHC 877 number on the tank and talked to an idiot who tried to tell me I didn't know how to light the pilot and who insisted I wasn't resetting the thermal reset switch. I've done all of the cleaning, etc and can only keep it working by by-passing the thermal switch but won't do this because the unit also burns poorly (soot and smell)

I purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater from Lowes that is the Whirlpool brand I believe in 2003 or 2004 and since then I have had several problems with the water heater. I have had to replace the thermocouple three times since then and only once have I been reimbursed by Whirlpool. When I became fed up with them after the third time I called Lowes once again to get a replacement thermocouple and they told me that they would not sell me one, but that they would replace the entire water heater for a new one. They instructed me to remove the old one and bring it in to the store which is 30 minutes away from where I live. So at my expense I removed the water heater and drove the 30 minutes to Lubbock, Texas to get the new water heater.

Once at Lowes I was given the new water heater and I was informed that it had a safety switch that had been placed on it to keep it from blowing the thermocouple. So once I returned home I had to have some one install it at my expense and the individual that installed it said that it would not last because these were faulty water heaters cheaply made. After a few months it started to do the same thing the pilot would not stay on and the water heater would shut off. I called Whirlpool and they informed me that I needed to reset the safety switch and that it would start working again, which I did and yes it did work fine. After a few months it started to do the same thing over and over again. So I would reset the safety switch again and again.

Now reseting the safety switch is not solving the problem and when I contacted Whirlpool today Saturday July 11, 2009 I was told that a valve had gone out and that they would send someone from Sears to fix it, but I had to call Sears myself and get them to come. Every time when I call Whirlpool they know exactly what is wrong and how to solve the problem, because they know they are selling a crappy product. I was given a authorization number to give them and I made contact with them and they informed me becasue I did not live in a major city that I could not have anyone come out and fix it until Friday and today is Saturday so my wife and two children and I will be without hot water for almost an entire week and there is nothing they can do about it.

I then called Whirlpool back and they apologized for the problem but if I wanted to they will mail me the part and I could pay out of my pocket and get someone to fix it myself and of course the only problem is that it won't be till Monday when I can get the part in the mail either way my family is stuck with not hot water for the entire weekend just because I bought a crappy water heater from a company who knew they were selling a faulty water heater to their consumers. Of course they sell it at a cheaper price so people will buy it because they target the working class who can not afford to purchase a more reliable expensive water heater.

Now we are discussing having to either take a bank loan to have a professional come in and wire our home for an eletric water heater ,which I have been told our more reliable. Either way my family is out finicialy and emtionaly for the problems the Whirlpool company has caused us. I feel that these large corporations should no longer have these crappy business practices and they should be dealt with and be held accountable for there actions. Asking me to continue to reset the safety switch could have been very dangerous to my families health. To me a safety switch is put in place because some type of serious problem is occurring therefore the switch is there to warn of a serious problem. You are not suppose to bypass the switch over and over. I am not any type of licensed plumber or anything but I feel that they put my families life and home in danger. I am reseting a safety switch over and over to controls the flame, which is fed by natural gas. They thing could have exploded and killed my entire family it does not make sense if they know it is faulty, then replace it with a reliable replacement. I am very upset and I need something done.

I recently had the same problem as everyone else with a Whirlpool gas water heater purchased at Lowes. The pilot light went out 2 days ago and didn't think much about it. We got it lit again only for it to go out within a matter of hours. This time we could not get it lit. We couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong. We just installed the unit in May 2008. I went online to do a little research before we went ahead and called a plumber. I discovered this website and knew we were in trouble!

I called out to Lowes and they said they knew exactly what I was talking about, they said that it was a bad thermocouple. We picked one up and took it home to try and fix it. Of course these things are never as easy as they seem. We decided not to chance damaging it more and was going to call a plumber. I remember reading a post on this site where a lady called American Water Heater and they were given an authoriztion number for Sears to repair it. So before I called the plumber, I called the number waited 20 minutes on the phone for someone to answer, but it was worth the wait. The gentleman I spoke with was very friendly and gave me all the info I needed. I called Sears and they are coming tomorrow to repair the unit at no cost to me. Let's just hope that the thing doesn't break again in a few months.

I think it is terrible that Whirlpool is making such a faulty product but I am most upset with Lowes. I discovered by talking with the gentleman at American Water Heater that what Lowes is telling people the problem is may or may not be the real issue. Instead of refering customers to American Water Heater they are just telling everyone that it is a bad thermocouple, when it could be the gas control valve. They have no idea what they are talking about and should refering people to the correct place for repair, especially because it is most likely covered under the warrenty. Hope this helps someone else in the never ending water heater saga!

Purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater, (Model # FG1F3030T3NOV) (Product #0334100531), a few years ago. After about 3 Years the pilot light went out for no apparent reason. Reset and relit it. After a while it went out again. This time it would not relite. Had a plumber come in and he said the thermocouple needed to be replaced. Had it done.

Now a few months ago the pilot light has gone out again. Bought another

(2nd one) thermocouple to put in but was unable to because the one in it was a left hand thread and the one I bought was not. After seval phone calls to several places I was finally told that the left hand thread was no longer available but there was a conversion kit to change it over. I got the kit and installed the new thermocouple. When I lit the pilot light and turned the unit on a flame shoot out from under the heater.

Called the plumber out again. He lit the pilot light and said it did not appear to be burning properly. Again the flame shoot out from under the unit when he turned it on. He turned it off immediately and said it was dangerous to use like that, of course. He told me about a screen underneath the heater that can get covered with dust-dirt-and whatever. He advised cleaning it with a brush or shop vac and then relit the pilot light again.

After cleaning the screen and relighting the pilot light the flame DID still shoot out from under the heater when it came on. The heater was turned off again immediately. Am now awaiting the funds, in this bad economy), to replace this heater. Having to heat water on top of the stove is no fun. Lucky that this flame did not start a fire before it was noticed.

Very disappointed in Whirlpool & Lowe's for still selling this product when they KNOW of all the problems. They are continuing to put their customers thru undue stress, inconvience, as well as endangerment.

Water Heater breaks down all the time...thermocouple after thermocouple...cold showers. 12 yr warranty is a joke. Whirlpool [is bad]...try something else.

I used a replacement unit thing that Lowe's gave me (after traveling 30 miles to get it at a different Lowe's store). It looked to be the exact same unit that I already had, and it was not threaded incorrectly either. After the replacement, I got one tank of hot water before the same pilot light problem re-occurred. Well, that one warm shower did feel good. Now, however, its back to the cold ones. Pilor will light, but won't stay lit.

I have found other info that suggests there is a screen BENEATH the tank (wonder why I didnt think to look there?) that needs to be cleaned often to allow air into the where the pilot light is. I guess this screen/air inlet area sucks in air and can easily clog up with dirt and hair and stuff, then it does something to the thermal couple to make it not work. With the sucking of dirt, I am probably lucky the heater worked for as long as it did (less than a yerar). Anyone who has an old concrete floored, cement block walled, dark and dank basement like I do knows what I mean - it is basically the collector of all things unwanted with tools and spiders to boot, and it isn't where I like to hang out, so it doesn't get vacuumed - ever.

I purchased a Whirlpool FG1H4040T3NOV (9-year warranty) from Lowe's in 2002, so I guess I am luckier than most in the few service problems I've had with it. I had to replace the thermocouple (old style) only once, about two years ago. The unit failed again last week, and after several relights, the water heater finally would not light, and the thermostat/gas valve knob would turn freely, leaking gas into the utility closet.

Whirlpool sent me both a free thermostat/gas valve and what they call the BFG manifold adapter kit and a $20 shipping charge. The installation of the gas valve required draining the tank, (I'm in an upstairs condo), and totally disassembling the water heater to replace these parts. This is not a job for most do-it-yourselfers.

Some of the things I learned about this water heater and water heaters in general during the past week of cold showers: Water heaters are so over-engineered for safety that they are a bad design, prone to failure. The specific technology is called Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistance (FVIR) and was developed for people who don't know not to store flammable materials next to a water heater. With FVIR, the conditions for proper combustion are so particular that you must keep the area around your water heater meticulously clean and make sure the intake screen on the bottom of the tank is clear and free of dust or debris. Some manufacturers apparently implement this technology better than others.

Whirlpool knows they have a flawed design, but continues selling them exclusively through Lowe's. Most reputable plumbers will not go near them. Go to Lowe's directly for warranty service parts, don't pay shipping charges from Whirlpool. On relight, you need to hold down the red reset button down for a full 60 seconds to warm up the thermocouple. (Not fully explained in the documentation). Thinking of a different brand? Find out who is the original manufacturer. It turns out that American Water Heaters manufacturer Whirlpool and many other brands (Kenmore?).

Don't call Whirlpool for service help if you want to speak to anyone with technical knowledge. Call American Water Heaters directly where I was able to talk to an actual service technician on the 4th of July, and English was his first and only language. I'll hold my breath and see how long this repair lasts. I'll be happy if I get another year out of this one, when I'll be able to afford a real water heater. Besides the inconvenience of cold showers for a week, and several hours of my time rebuilding this water heater, I only had to spend the $20 shipping for parts, and $15.99 for a pipe wrench to remove the old thermostat/valve body.

I read at this site about the problems with Whirlpool water heaters when I was looking online to learn how to fix my Whirlpool water heater which was doing the same things as I read here - gas pilot light kept going out, relit it several times, would go out again by the next day, and finally, it would light but would go out again as soon as I let go of the red button.

Anyway, I was discouraged after reading everyone's bad luck here, but I went to Lowe's to see about a thermo-couple. I told the guy about reading about a fix it kit here. I guess there is some problem with the threading on the thermo-couple that is backwards and when you buy a thermo-couple it won't work or something. Anyway, that is what the Lowe's man said. He was very nice, though, and knew about the fix it kit which is free from Whirlpool and Lowe's has them in stock, except the Lowe's I went to was out of my particualr kit - a "D".

The Lowe's man called around, though, and found a Lowe's that had mine in stock (a relief since this was Friday night before the 4th of July so the chances of getting one into the store before next week were slim to none)and he found one about 30 miles away but that was close enough for me to drive to go get. He also gave me specific driving directions on how to get to the other Lowe's store.

So, I went and picked the replacement part up, took it home, my son-in-law installed it, and now I have hot water again. What you get is the whole unit which is the thermal-couple, the wires, etc, and you take out the old unit, slide in the new, connect and tighten everything back up, and wah-lah!

My water tank is the 40 gallon, natural gas, with 9 yr warranty kind. I had it less than a year! Model # is BFG1H4040T3NOV, serial # is 0807T418254. So, if anyone else is having these kinds of problems with your Whirlpool water heater, take your model number to Lowe's and get the replacement unit. Lowe's also said that you can call Whirlpool and see which replacement you need, but the Lowe's guy just looked it up himself for me. I am glad you all shared your stories so I knew what to tell the Lowe's man when I went.

The first Lowe's man didn't know about the free replacement parts, though, so you may have to tell the person you speak with about it in order to get the free replacement part. You may have to tell your plumber as well.

Thermacouple broke after only 16 months of use. Service repair is going to take 4 days or more. Bought repacement thermacouple from Lowes and installed it myself. It stopped working after 1 cycle. What a piece of junk. Lowes is knowingly selling these defective Water Heaters to unsuspecting customers. Leaving us holding the bag and taking cold showers!!!

purchase hot water heater and have had problems with the thermal coupling going out and the burner system being replaced and many times having to deal with customer service who could care less about the problem. My basement now has water going into a bedroom due to a bad valve that let loose. I am so upset with this tank and I will never purchase another Whirlpool product ever again. My model number is fg1f4040s3nov, product 0730261, serial 0526109983. I hope this gets to others that are need to purchase a Whirlpool product, Please do not.

My husband bought two Whirlpool water heaters. One for our home and one for my mother's home. I knew something was not right with these water heaters when they both have continuously broken down. My husband went out and replaced our water heater without using our warranty. (Why would we want another piece of junk?) I'm furious that we are out of the cost of a new unit. As for my mother, we have to fix my mother's water heater as she is an elderly widow living on a very limited income. She has been taking cold showers while she waits my husband to find the time to fix it for her. (He is a superintendent for a plumbing contractor company.) I will never buy another Whirlpool product after reading about Whirlpool's knowledge of this defect and doing nothing to protect it's customers. Shame on them!

We Purchased a Whirlpool Hot water heater on 6/06/06 at Lowes on 6/08/06 Lowes installed it, on 06/10/06 we had no hot water they sent the installer to fix it and he replaced the thermocouple the pilot has went out several times since and we have been able to relite it until now. Again the thermocouple has gone bad and we have went without hot water now for 2 days and my husband has missed a half of day of work to look for a repairman which only 2 out of our entire phonebook will even touch a Whirpool hot water heater. 99 % of the repairman will not look at a Whirpool heater or attempt to fix them. I am apalled at Lowes for selling such an inferior product and Whirlpool for making it. Our old hot water heater which was a Hotpoint lasted over 20 years without any repairs.

Same issues with water heater bought in Nov 2007 and pilot will not stay lit as of May 2009. Went 2.5 weeks without hot water due to different maintenance people, wrong parts shipments, and scheduling screw-ups. Customer Service (I say that lightly) in India always had a different story than Tennessee. Finally worked with Lowe's to replace the unit but had to PAY another $500+ to remove/install unit b/c we used a private technician to put it in orginally. Now the new unit has gone out just a month later. Tried to relight the pilot - got it lit but it then started to burn orange and crackle when I attempted to put the cover back on. Scared me to the point of turning the unit and gas off. Have to call Lowe's yet again as they did the install this time. Will never buy a Whirlpool again.

My hot water heater stopped working. It was installed in 2003, I check and there is no flames, I called the number and they told me to pick the conversion kit, when I open the box it look complicated to me so I asked to send someone to have it installed, and they are refusing it. I am going to call them again and then talk to their manager to see if he can send someone to intall it. The indian cs was very rude.

I have purchased (2) 30 gal water heaters (model #UG1F3030T3NV product #0730377) from Lowes. The 1st one I had problems from within hours of installation. A load humming sound would start every time the burner would ignite. The first time this happened I seriously thought the thing was going to explode. Let me explain the sound is LOAD, fog-horn level load! We called Whirpool they advise to drain it and re-fill it and that would solve the problem. We tried it and guess what....it did not work.

The next day the water heater continued to do this and we had a plummer come out and see if we installed it correctly. Everything great! So I call Lowes they tell me it is the gas pressure, we must have something out of code and to reduce the gas pressure. I call the gas company and schedule service. The gas co. tech shows up and checks the installation and the gas line, pressure and everything is great. He turns tthe water heater on, (mind you now the 2nd issue we have been having by now is that the pilot goes out everyday,) and the humming sound starts. The tech almost jumps back 3ft .... he also thinks it is going to blow up.

Since the initial day of the humming sound I have come to at least not freak out. I explain to the tech that it makes the sound for about endless 10 seconds but it does go away. After regaining some trust he tries again and the same problem. He tells me that he has been seeing 4-7 water heaters a day with problems but not this sound problem. He leaves assuring me that the installation is good and the gas line is good I just have a bad water heater.

So the next day we take the water heater back to Lowes to return it. I am placed on the phone with Whirpool and am told I am not "authorized" to take MY water heater back. I explain to her that it is MY water heater, Whirpool did not give me it, I paid for it, I do not need "authorization" to do anything for MY water heater. After making a scene, (sorry, I'm guilty as charged) I am given my money back.

I thought I simply got a bad water heater so we proceed to purchase another one. And of course it is a Saturday late afternoon again and this one also has the same problem! So I call Sunday morning to complain to Whirpool. This time I figured that I'd follow their rules about repairs and returns. I'm given an authorization # so I follow through and 2 days later a repair person shows up and just immediately changes out the burner unit and says that all should work now. I'm revealed and he leaves.

That evening no alarming humming sound but NO hot water also. The pilot is off. The next 5 days after getting home from work and before doing laundary, doing dishes and/or showers we make sure to check and of course turn on the pilot. I guess I'm saving on gas since the pilot is off during hours where we are not home and have no use for hot water but come winter and early evenings this routine is going to get old. I've come to miss the scary humming sound, at least we would know that the pilot was on and the burner was igniting.

I've called, gotten another authorization # and scheduled another "repair". The initial purchase was on 06/06/09, the return was on 06/13/09, and the new burner by the repairman was on 06/22/09. The next date set for the repairman is set for 06/29/09. It goes without saying that this is ridiculous. The reason we even changed was to ensure from not having any problem(s) from our old water heater which was without problems but was over 20 years old. Is there any way to fix this once and for all?

I am dealing with the same problem as everyone else on the site about my water heater not staying lit. And to the person who Whirlpool gave the runaround about not ackwowledging their model no., etc. Whirlpool has a website specifically for hot water heaters, www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com and a specific number for calling regarding such. Seems they purposely try not to give this number out and play like they know nothing about water heaters. I had to ask for a supervisor who then gave me the number.

The problems with these units keeps continuing and I cannot understand how they keep making them and Lowe's keeps on selling them. I paid $20.00 for overnight shipping for one of their conversion kits and when they tried to install last night, overwhelming smell of gas indicating a leak. After Whirlpool had no resolution today, I called Lowe's and they advised me that they would give me another kit for FREE! Manager advised me that had I contacted him first I would have been given the kit at no charge.

Whirlpool knows that we can get the kit from Lowe's for free but did not refer me to Lowe's and took my money for overnight shipping. With a large corporate account it does not cost them $20.00. This is a scam and I feel they are deliberately misleading consumers. I wish I could get reimbursed for a new hot water heater, shipping fees, service fees, and time and effort dealing with this inferior product.

was overcome by carbon monoxide after repairing whirpool hot water tank FG1 model. They sent the recalled part and we had it put on by a licensed plumber. It cost $75.00. Suddenly after 2 months, I smelled something and walked around the house and basement. The smell was stronger near the hot water tank. I heard a sound upstairs and ran up to find the carbon monoxide detector going off, called 911, the numbers were over 300 in basement and over 180 upstairs. I was taken to the hospital and given oxygen for 6 hours and sent home. They have argued with me because I wanted money to replace the tank. They said they would give me another one but I refused that because I would never trust that kind of tank again. We are still fighting about it. I would like to know if anyone had a problem with carbon monoxide like I did.

Add my name to the list. I've got a 1 year old(used for 1 year) water heater sitting in my garage that I can't bring myself to throw away, bacause it's NEW, and I paid ALOT for it! But, it's basically useless. When tennant's water heaters go bad, you're expected to solve the problem A.S.A.P.! Left handed thermocouplers are not available (last time I checked..), so I had to buy a new one. Yes, a different brand!

Purchased a Whirlpool waterheater from Lowe's in 2007. 2 years later the pilot light went out and couldn't be reset and re-lite. Called a plumber that we deal with on occassion and he just shook his head when he saw it was a Whirlpool. He called Lowes to see if they carried the repair kit for the heater and they didn't so he replaced the thermocoupler and got it working again, but suggested if it went out again to seriously think out replacing the unit. It also appears that the unit is already acumulating a lot of sediment in the bottom, which we have been periodically draining off.

Purchased water heater NOV and now the pilot light doesn't stay lit. replaced the thermocouple myself and it still doesn't stay lit. Called Whirlpool and was given a repair number (labor and parts) and have a plumber scheduled to arrive at 09:30AM tomorrow. After finding all the complaints about this water heater I called Lowes to ask if they still sell this product and the answer is yes, they still sell this product.

I do have hot water now but I don't know for how long according to the complaints I've been reading on this site. What irritates me is Sears has no records of this Transaction Settlement. So, they're technicians tell unsuspecting consumers to buy a new water heater. If not for this wonderful plumber I would've spent $200.00 installation for a water heater I didn't have to buy.

I have a Whirlpool water heater that the thermocouple goes bad every 18 months. The first time I called Whirlpool and they told me to replace the thermocouple. I did and it worked good for 18 months. Now it is broken again. No hot water. I called the company and was told I have to pay for them to ship me a new thermocouple and pay to have it installed again. When I told them the water heater was a piece of junk and I wanted a new one, I was told it was my fault because I let dust get in the combustion chamber. I will never, if I live to be 10000 years old, buy another Whirlpool item again.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes last fall. Two days ago the pilot light suddenly went out...no high winds...nothing. Thinking nothing about it, we followed the instructions that are on the side of the tank and managed to get it relit. It's happened twice since then.

Today I happened to check it and it's out again. I wrote down most of the information from the label and was going to call on one of my breaks while at work. Then I decided that I might be better off calling from home in case they asked questions that were on the label.

For whatever reason, I turned to the Internet to do a bit of research (before making my call) and stumbled across the Consumer Compalint page. After reading all the complaints from other consumers, I figured I was doomed...my second whirlpool appliance and it wasn't going to be any better than the first. UGH.

I read this website and found the posting by Bill of Westlake, OH. He suggested calling American Waterheater Co. so, I took his suggestion. My experience was good. They asked a few questions, verified my warranty, gave me an authorization number and scheduled an on-site repair. (Never did I talk to anyone in India.) I talked to someone who spoke English and was more than happy to assist. In fact, the call was placed at 1:45 and a service man was at my front door less than 2 hours later. The problem wasn't the pilot light (thermocoupler) but the gas control valve. He said that the ones they put in when the water heaters are manufactured must have a defect because he has to replace a lot of them! His total time at my house was less than 30 minutes.

We did ask what the house call would have cost us if the part hadn't been under warranty...it was over $200 and that didn't include the part! I'm thankful for this website and hope that my problem has been resolved.

I purchased a whirpool Hot water tank from lowes 4 years ago. In that time frame I have replaced 8 thermocouples. Now the gas valve needs replaced.A year ago whirpool sent me a whole new burner assembly and said this should correct the problem. Wrong.

I would like to have the whole unit replaced but they tell me they can't do that all they can do is send me new parts.This is very frustrating. I am fortunate enough to have the skills to do thae repairs myself but what about all the people that have to pay for a plumber to fix it. Whirpool knows there are major issues with these units and they need to do somthing about it before someone gets hurt or dies from one of these defective units.

Whirlpool water heater model FG1F5040T3NOV Purchased summer of 2005 from Lowes. It lasted less than 2 years and then the thermalcouple problem came up. The pilot kept having to be relit. After finding out that Lowes did not have replacment part I also found out that there was a recall on the unit. They sent a replacement unit after I got ahold of the company and had it replaced. The pilot once again will not stay lit. It has been 15 months for the replacement unit. Obviously there is still a problem with the units. I've had water heaters last for close to 20 years. This is not right

I purchased a hot water heater approx. 5 yrs ago and have had nothing but grief. The thermocoupling has been replaced 7 times and it always happens on a holiday which make it that much more of an incovience. So here we are again have to either replace the heater it self or pay out of pocket to have it fixed again.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009, my water heater stopped working (not pilot light). I followed the directions posted on the water heater carefully to no avail. On Wednesday, June 17, I called the number that was also posted on the water heater and got someone in India that I didn't understand very well (I don't hear well, so I need the person on the other end of the phone to speak very clearly). I was told that the thermocouple was bad and that I could get the part from Lowe's (with the number she gave me). I got the part and had it installed, but it did not work either. I was able to at least get the pilot light to light, but it would not stay lit once the red button was released.

I called again and got someone even less understandable (who spoke to me as though I were an idiot...very rude)...he ignored my repeated request to speak to someone else and kept telling me to call back when I followed the directions. Once again, the directions were followed...nothing. I called back and still got nowhere. I had a plumber come back out on Thursday afternoon, June 18, who told me that the control box appeared to be bad.

I called customer service, once again. I told her what the plumber said and she told me that there was a part available and she could have it to me on Monday, June 22. I told her that was unacceptable and that I wanted it overnighted to me by Saturday morning. She attempted to tell me that that particular service was not available in my area. I asked her what carrier they used and she told me UPS. I told her that UPS delivers on Saturday, and it certainly is available in my area...suddenly she saw that it was available.

The part arrived and was installed. The problem remains the same. It is now Saturday night, June 20, 2009 and I am still without hot water. Needless to say, I am on the PO'd end of the spectrum here, especially since Whirlpool's customer service cannot be reached until Monday morning. I am going to attempt to have the retrofit part removed and return it to Lowe's tomorrow, Sunday, June 21 to see if they will exchange it. My hope is that they will and I can have it installed and have hot water by Sunday night.

LOWES tells me its Whirlpools problem and Whirlpool doesn't even acknowledge the product. Why is LOWES selling Whirlpool's LEMONs?

We bought a Whirlpool 40 gal natural gas water heater from Lowes 14 months ago. Earlier this week, the pilot mysteriously went out. With help from Whirlpool telephone support, I was able to get it relit. The next day it went out again. This time I could not get it relit. Doing some web research on the problem, I came across the mountain of similar complaints on consumeraffairs.com, and quickly concluded I had a lemon on my hands. I went to Lowes, discussed it with the manager, and was able to get the 100% refund on the heater (but not the installation), partly because I was armed with all the information posted on this site. I will replace it with another brand, probably Bradford White.

We bought a Whirlpool 40 gal natural gas water heater from Lowes 14 months ago. Earlier this week, the pilot mysteriously went out. With help from Whirlpool telephone support, I was able to get it relit. The next day it went out again. This time I could not get it relit. Doing some web research on the problem, I came across the mountain of similar complaints on consumeraffairs.com, and quickly concluded I had a lemon on my hands. I went to Lowes, discussed it with the manager, and was able to get the 100% refund on the heater (but not the installation), partly because I was armed with all the information posted on this site. I will replace it with another brand, probably Bradford White.

Whirlpool Customer service said they would send me the correct part overnight if I paid $20. The part of course was wrong. Went back to Lowe's and Lowe's was able to cross reference my model number to give me the right repair kit and I purchased new gas valve. Keeping fingers crossed that water heater will continue to work.

Purchased a Whirlpool BFG1J5040T3NOV from Lowes in March, 2009. Two weeks ago the pilot went out during the night and I could not re-light it. Lowes was no help and the Whirlpool service rep in India said they would send me the part under warranty if I could identify the specific problem.

In reading this blog I saw a comment that the actual manufacturer is American Waterheater Co. I called them at 800-456-9805. The service rep who answered immediately pulled up my file, verified it was still under warranty and gave me an authorization number to call Sears home service at 800-676-5589 to have the problem gas control valve replaced.

The Sears technician arrived with the part in hand and installed it in less than 30 minutes. There was no charge for the service call. The waterheater has since worked fine.

I have the exact same complaints as many of the consumers listed on your site with the Whirlpool gas flame lock water heater. since we bought the water heater in Oct. 2004, we have had four service calls all involving the pilot light outage. I have gone through all through the same routes trying to get someone to fix this, and each time I have had a list of numbers, starting in Bangladoor, India, through to Johnson City, Tenn. and back to try to get someone to take care of this. we have now spent more to fix the heater than we did to buy it and install it four years ago. I give up, we are going to get a completely different brand of heater (another 1,000 worth of parts, labor and permits to have installed).

Whirlpool's customer service sucks, completely. They lied about having any problems with the unit, they lied about the class action suit, they lied about having subsequent problems with the replacement thermal coupling they insisted I have installed last year to replace the first one, and then they advised me that I was at fault for not cleaning under the unit, with a brush, even though it is impossible to thoroughly clean the screen as it is under the unit and sealed. I was hung up on twice in Johnson City today (once by the cleaning advisor and the second time by Justin who insisted he could not have a supervisor transfered to the phone). This, after having to go through Bangladoor twice, where they advised me how to fix it myself.

I will NEVER buy another product made by whirlpool or their affiliates and I may cut out any new purchases from Lowes unless they can fix this problem. It is now day three without hot water and I am thoroughly disgusted.

I have replaced a thermocouple, had the company send me a new thermostate control, I've broken two phizoelectric push starters trying to light the damn thing and oh by the way, my wife is [upset]. Whirlpool and Lowes have both made my life an invetable hell right now. Amazing what a cold shower can bring about. I'm going to Menards right now to buy another damn water heater so I can quite wasting good time after bad. After reading this I think you all can tell that I do not recommend buying a Whirlpool water heater.

Thermocouple has gone bad on a Whirlpool Flame Lock gas water heater. The unit has a 12 year warrenty but purchase about 13 months ago.

Waiting 3 days now for a repairman that never showed up for the 1st appointment, waited home 11 hours to be called at 6pm to say he wasn't going to make the appointment.This is the second Whirlpool Natural Gas Hot Water heater I have purchased from Lowes, after the 1st one kept going out due to faulty thermo coupler, and numerous calls and overnight shipping fees I replaced that unit.I should have known a new one would be no better.Apparently the new known defect is the gas control valve (Thermostat) another faulty product still being sold.

Typical story - the igniter does not work. I cannot add anything to what the other complainants have said, except that it now seems that you cannot even get a replacement part (igniter). Wouldn't want it even if it were available. Am buying a Bradford & White water heater - very expensive but our plumber (very reliable) says this is a good brand. We will never buy Whirlpool again, and Lowe's is also on our bad list.

I purchased a whirlpool water heater model #FG1J5040T3NOW in Sept of 2004, paid over $400 for the water heater and $400 to have it installed..The pilot light went out and wouldn't light,just a year old. It cost me over $150 to get it repaired, on June 2009 it went out again and this time I was told by 2 plumbers that the Water Heater was completely shot...

That is alot of money in 5 years for a Whirlpool water heater, Now i am paying $1145 to have a new one installed and believe me,,,,it is NOT a whirlpool, I will NEVER EVER buy a whirlpool product again, nor will I purchase a major appliance from Lowes. I feel Lowe's and Whirlpool have screwed me over and I am not happy

Purchased a Whirlpool Electric Hot Water Heater from Lowes Januay 11, 2009. Water heater control melted. Contacted Whirlpool and they sent Sears repairman. Do not know why they sent him when they were mailing a control board when it requiired the whole control box which was melted. So far we have been without hot water four days and they are to send a part to repair it when it looks as though it is a fire hazard and the whole unit should be replaced in our opinion. This is our last ever Whirlpool purchase.

Bought water heater, and have had nothing but problems. Did replace burn unit and several thermal cuples. Still a pile of crap that has not made my life easier.

Pilot went out on my 14 month old heater. I replaced the thermocouple. It still would not stay lit. Googled Whirlpool and got a long list of complaints. Went to Lowes and had them call Whirlpool. Whirlpool said my heater was not one of the ones with problems. My model number starts with BFG. The web site I read had alot of heaters with the BFG prefix. They all had the same symptoms I did. Most were purchased in 2008.

I am having the pilot light issue with a Whirlpool hot water heater like so many other people on this and other websites. It is less than a year old. They are sending a repair technician out tomorrow which I am happy about but I am concerned that this will be the first of many service calls. What I can't believe is that Lowes and/or Whirlpool would continue to sell a product with a known defect even AFTER the class action settlement!!! I wish I had researched the web before I bought the water heater.

Purchased 14 30 gallon water heaters for apartments in our apartment building in February 2008. By January 2009, 6 had failed already, so Whirlpool authorized the replacement of the thermostat units on all 14 of them in March.

As of June 2009, 3 more have failed, requiring a second service call.

The water heater I purchased has a 6 year warranty but I am finding it extremely difficult to get any cooperation from Whirlpool. My calls have been dropped and I still have no clue as to how I'm going to heat my home.

This time they told me to just change the thermocouple and gave me a part # that Lowes said did not exist. They sold me a universal part and said if it didn't work I was SOL be cause they couldn't get the part Whirlpool told me to get. Luckily since I already replaced the burner assembly twice it had a new fitting that worked with the universal thermocouple. I just got called by my wife, said she smelled gas. Guess what, I forgot to tighten the gas line back. See, Whirlpool and Lowes won't send anyone to fix it, you have to do it yourself, whether you know how to fix things or not.

I had a problem with a whirlpool water heater. I call the manufacture "in India" I think. Not helpfull at all. they told me a bout a company local to me Called Water Heater Man. So helpfull the did the job right and informed me of everything I needed to know. I would recomend this company to everyone in so. cal. If you have a problem with a water heater they are the prople to call. If you have an american or whirlpool water heater with the pilot not staying light they know how you feel and hoe to fix it. Thank you water heater man

we have already missed several hours of work taking time to meet the repair people in the past (i only get 2 weeks vacation and this is not how i like to spend it) I feel like this hot water tank is [bad] and that Lowes or Whirlpool should replace it. we paid extra for it up front thinking we were getting a "decent, better" brand because we didn't want and of these hassles

Pilot light went out model FG Whirlpool hot water heater ya again. Last summer husband replaced thermo coupler. No problems until now. Pilot light started after trying for a day. Stayed on for about 4 hrs then went out. Called gas company no one could come out to look at it for 5 days. My dad started looking for a new thermo coupler because that was probably the problem according to everyone that we called. Looked at every appliance repair place to find out no one has a left handed thread.

So tuesday comes after memorial day did more calling on the phone with no luck. Wednesday comes my mom calls whirlpool spoke to someone that did not speak English very well and she did not get much info due to the language barrier. They told her Lowe's had part. Called Lowe's several times to get help they were either to busy or could not find the part. So I called Lowe's (two different ones) Told them situation no one could find part.

So I called Whirlpool must of had same person on phone he said there had been a call on this already-so I explained that Lowe's said they did not have part-he went on to give me part number 6910813-c. He said every Lowe's carries it. So I called Lowe's back. That was a waste of time and got no where.

So then called Whirlpool back I was rather irritated by now. Gave info again then he proceeded to tell me that they would send me the part that i needed but had to pay 20.00 for shipping-Asked for a discount for all of the run around I got said no.Suppose to come today UPS we will see.

4 kids no baths or showers for 6 days so far. I have had to wash children s hair in sink and boil water on the stove. The weather is very warm and need to bathe. one child is three-and three teenagers! I am a single mom now this has been unbelievable stressful. Trying to move they should have told me they would send parts for free the first time-we wasted so much time running around in circles.

Besides the fact I have been dealing without hot water for four days now I have to hire someone to install the redesigned parts on their defective hot water tank. Wont even admit there is a problem and have a recall.

Purchased Flame Lock 40 gallon HWH in Aug 2007, over the last year and a half the HWH will shut down unexpectedly and require re-starting of the Pilot. Once done will heat water until this happens again. Must have happened over a dozen time since new. Though something was up and called service. They quickly agreed to send new gas control valve but charged me $20.00 for shipping. Now I knew something was wrong. Quick google search revealed Class Action law suit and all of the outstanding consumer problems. Talked to Lowes about it too and hopefully the new parts will resolve this issue. Not too confident though.

My Whirlpool Water Heater Model # EE3Z50RD055V Electronic Control Board went bad after only turning the power off to my unit to do the maintenance drain as recommended. This has happenned to a lot of people from what I read online. I wonder how many replacements have been sent to homeowners due to the failure of the original version which has since been upgraded??

I wonder why Whirlpool uses a new Electronic Control Board. Now I am having to pay $20 shipping and pay a plumber $$$??? to replace the defective one. Whirlpool tells me that only they have the part and no one (stores or plumbers) carries it but them. Hopefully everyone is contacting Whirlpool via e-mail, etc and voicing their disatisfaction in having to pay out for their defective part. Economic damage: $20 shipping; $80 est. for installation; and a family of four with no hot water for 5 days.

I saw many complaints about Whirlpool water heaters - some were from a few years ago. I bought a Whirlpool water heater last year and got the same problem. I wonder why Whirlpool is still selling the problem water heaters. Is there any lawsuit currently?

Whirlpool did not have a solution to the problem.

I was sold a defective Whirlpool water heater by Lowes. The part that needed replacing by the warranty company, since the product as barely 9 months old, was to be installed by Sears. We were told by the Sears repairman that they replace about 5 or 6 per week. Whirlpool waits for the part, the igniter, to break and then sends the part out to the consumer, whenever, and then it is up to the consumer (us to call Sears to schedule an appointment for the part to be replaced. We were inconvenienced, we were without hot water in the dead of the winter for 5 days, and neither Whirlpool Corporate or Lowe's Corporate contacted us after I sent letters of complaint to both offices.

(thermo)have problrm with hot water heater,went to LOWES IN TYLER TEXAS recieved a replacement part after much questioning. part did not work called 1-877 number for help, was told repairman would be at my address tuesday morning,i called at 11am. to followup on repairman and was told he texas only 165 miles away. told by sears repair line whirlpool gave them this address, this is false because the address in dallas texas was my old address 9 years ago. cirrently waiting on service teck to call as requested, i have currently purchased 4 w/h at lowes and i dont think i will go to another vender for other needs,lowes should pull these products.

The Whirlpool water heater cost me a total of $1000.86. 17 months later I had to replace it with a new $1045.77 water heater, not a whirlpool heater. 17 months is not a very long time for any appliance to last. This caused my wife to miss work for a half day to have it installed.

We, too, bought a Flame Lock Whirlpool Water Heater, Model #FG1H4040T#NOV in 2005. Despite the 9 year warranty, it has been repaired 4 different times, all due to the pilot light not staying lit. We have replaced the thermocouple twice, the entire thermocouple assembly, the gas valve box, door assembly (which I never have received), and now I looking at another repair in exactly one week. After four days with no hot water and replacing the gas valve box, it still doesn't work!

The last straw was when the Whirlpool representative told me to "pull out the wires and connect and wire them together with A PAPER CLIP! I didn't pay over $500 for a water heater to have to gerry-rig it together with a paper clip - ABUSRD!

On Friday, May 15, I talked to "Mike" with Whirlpool, who told me I needed a new gas valve box, which he sent via express mail (three days later I received). Calvin, from Lowe's, said, "no, that sounds like a thermocouple". I called Whirlpool again and "Donna" - very nice lady - said, no it's the gas valve.

Apparently Lowe's and Whirlpool disagree over what really is the problem. Whatever the case, a family friend replaced the gas valve (following the directions to the letter) and it STILL DOESN'T WORK! I WANT A NEW WATERHEATER! NO MORE PARTS OR PAPER CLIPS!

I will now have to pay $595 to get a new water heater, because Whirlpool will not replace it, plus $240 for installation, because my husband is out of town! I am incensed!! Whirlpool says that "the parts and canister" are under warranty and will be replaced at no cost to me - that sounds like a new water heater, but that has not happened.

After researching the water heater literature, I checked the "thermal switch" it was not tripped. So, by process of elimination, I surmise the gas control valve / thermostat unit is faulty. This item is made by Robert Shaw. I decided to look online for suppliers of Robert Shaw components, and that's when I discovered the grave error I made in purchasing a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's.

Despite law suites, horrible public relations, massive consumer complaints, Whirlpool continues to make lousy water heaters, and Lowe's continues to sell them. And, ignorant folks like myself continue to buy them. Well, Lowe's has lost a customer. Ditto for Whirlpool. I suggest anyone considering a similar purchase do their homework and look for alternatives.

Whirlpool flamelock hot water heater was purchased from Lowe's. It has had 2 thermal couplers replaced in the first 2 years. A thermal couple bypass mechanism to protect overheating of the thermal couplers was added as an attempted fix for the thermal couplers. An electronic gas valve was replaced to help correct the possible cause for the pilot light not wanting to stay on.

More often than not once a month the pilot light goes out. Cold showers once a month are more is the norm. Parts from Whirlpool are sent but labor costs $90 each time to assess the hot water heater. The labor costs alone equal the cost of a new hot water heater.

I was/am a class member in the class action lawsuit against Whirlpool regarding their Flame Lock design water heaters. After several thermocouple replacements and many days and nights without hot water I finally found out about the class action lawsuit from a plumber who I had contacted in a desperate search for another thermocouple. Neither Lowe's nor Whirlpool would give me any information regarding this. I submitted the proper forms and recieved the 'fix' parts.

The bottom line is I have found that I need to dissasemble the burner assembly on this water heater every 2-3 months to clean the inside of the combustion chamber. Every time disconnecting and re-connecting the burner and pilot gas lines and thermocouple connection. How safe is that? I am so fed up with this situation that I am purchasing a new water heater and will NEVER purchase another Whirlpool appliance again. Not so much because of the defective water heater but because of the way it was handled..no information at retailers or from the manufacturer. Obviously they only stand behind their products (or products they have put their name on) if they work.

Many days/Nights without hot water Wasted hours looking for parts. Hours on phone walking my pregnant wife through a temp fix until I can get back home. Replacement of water heater.

Purchased Gas Water Heater (Model # FG1H4040T3NOV)with the Flame Lock Safety System from Lowe's (Ft. Oglethorpe Ga) on February 26th, 2005. Installed next day.

Worked fine until about two months ago when it stopped producing hot water. What a hassle it was to have to go down to the basement to re-lite the pilot lite! Did this 7 times one day!

I took the entire unit out, cleaned it according to the manual I got when I purchased the heater, vacuumed the flame trap and all around/under the heater. Re-installed the unit, and was so proud of myself for fixing this.

However, two weeks later this happened again. I was constantly running up and down the stairs from the basement, re-lighting the pilot light.

Finally. . . called the 877 number. Spoke with some lady in India. Could not understand her (not her fault, however). Went to Lowe's store in Rome Georgia and received a new thermocouple unit (no charge!). Did the installation myself.

Works fine NOW, but to my horror I finished reading the (what seemed to be!) hundreds of complaints about this unit. Hope it doesn't fail again, as I understand that if it does, then the responsibility for purchasing a new unit falls on me.

I also understand that a class action lawsuit had been filed, and has been completed. Unfortunately, I failed to register my water heater when I bought it. My bad!

I will not be buying another product from Whirlpool!

to light the pilot if I want a warm shower. The gas valve was replaced on 5/14/09 and the pilot light was out within 6 hours. Now they're sending me a complete burner assembly for a water heater that is less than 2 weeks old. Whirlpool is at fault for making such inferior products, but Lowe's had better get smart. I'm not going to spend my money where there is no concern about selling such inferior products. We'll see if the burner replacement cures the problem, but I will probably get rid of the heater anyway. I don't want to have to go through all this again in 2-3 years.

We have a whirlpool water heater that was part of the class action lawsuit last year. We had to pay, out-of- pocket $180 to have a plumber come out and tell us what the problem was and then to return to put the thermocouple on that was sent to us. Now, less than 1 year later, out water heater is out again. Are there any follow up actions being taken against Whirlpool regarding this problem. And,or is there another recourse that can be taken.

Thank you.

broken thermocouple on gas hot water heater after 1 year

I have the same complaint as everyone else. I have a 5 yr old water heater that I replaced parts on 6mth ago. My water heater went out 2 weeks ago. I was sent to get the conversion kit and this did not fix the problem. I took it back to Lowes and got a 2nd conversion kit, and still the problem is not fixed. Whirlpool or Lowes have been no help at all. I'm replacing my water heater this week with anything other than a Whirlpool. I have also filed a complaint with the BBB. I don't think that the company is treating everyone fairly as this is a known defect.

I have been without hot water for two weeks this time and a week last time. Now I'm out the expensive of purchasing a new water heater and our time to put it in.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater at Lowe's on 4/5/2008 & installed it on 5/26/2008.On 4/12/2009 (Easter)with a housefull of people,the piolet on this less then 1 year old heater would not stay lit.Whirlpool did send a new theromastat in a timely manner,but it looks exactly like the one that failed & it took 4 hours to install.

I also have a Whirlpool hot water heater and the pilot light will not stay lit. I called customer service and they stated the problem was the thermocouple. I replaced it with one I bought from Lowe's and it didn't fix the problem. I was given a work order number and a plumber came out and relit the pilot light. The following day it was out again.

I relit the light and now I'm waiting to see what happens, but I'm sure this isn't the last of my problems.

The water heater is model number BFG1F404S303NOV.

It failed, stopped working on may 7,2009.

I bought this Whirlpool water heater four years ago. Yesterday the pilot light stops working. It just keeps going off after I light it. This is a product that suppose to have 10 years working life and I'm not even half way there. It is terrible product. I would never buy Whirlpool again.

OUR COMPANY HAS PURCHASED FIVE WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATERS FROM LOWES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR AND THEY ALL TURNED OUT DEFECTIVE WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN THEM OR HAVE THEM REPAIRED BUT THE MANUFACTOR AND LOWES REFUSED TO RETURN OR REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE ANODE PART UNDER THE WARRANTY.

as with everyone else, purchased a whirlpool BFG1F4040S3NOV "once in a while" water heater only to have it stop in its tracks one year to the day from date of purchase. Since , when a water heater goes, you run out and buy one ponto....but a whirlpool..???? never again... sorry, as a contractor, never have i seen or heard so many complaints about an obviously defective, inferior product. as with all , waiting for my "special" replacement parts to be shipped, I personally went with the value meal #2...the thermocouple and gas valve...a week now without constant hot water...lets see how the parts work...or not... and since i have been out of work for 7 months, i CANNOT afford to buy a new heater.... BUT... when i DO find a job, never, NEVER again will I buy another whirlpool product of ANY kind, nor will I ever install one, or remotely recommend a purchase by a customer..... keep going for those profits, whirlpool... customer service and quality control, be damned..... seems to have worked well for alot of other companies, lately.. hope you enjoy your freefall....!!! thanks for more unnecessary aggravation....

Bought a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's the 5/2005. It had to be replaced 4/2008 because it wouldn't stay lit. We had the same problen with the new one this week. Had the repairman here to fix it today. This makes it extremely hard to get by without hot water to shower or do dishes.

The FG Whirpool Water Heater is a piece of junk. Second time in two years the valve/themacouple needed to be replaced. AS you can see the reviews on this water heater is all the same. Beware DO NOT BUY. I will NEVER buy another Whirpool product again. In fact I will not shop at Lowes anymore either. This product should have been from their shelves years ago but they are still selling it. Tired of taking cold showers!

Another case of the infamous THERMOCOUPLE failure for model FG1F3030T3NOV. I was fortunate in that it last almost 3 years before it shut down. Unlike most, I was able to contact Whirlpool INDIA and thought it was curious that in their message they had a number to hit specifically for my model. Now I know why! Anyway, went to my local Lowes, and of course they were out, but being in So. Calif, there's always another a few miles down the road. They were nice enough to call the one down the road where they actually did have one in stock. The one thing I did notice when I was fiddlin' around with the water heater the night before, was; if you simply close the main gas line just slightly (mine is right next to the unit), the flame will actually stay on. I suppose it then does not require so much oxygen. The result is; we were able to have hot water for 2 day which we would not of otherwise had!

Well.. I guess I'm another person not happy with my Whirlpool Hot Water Heater. I bought mine 03-08 and here it is 04-09 and I've had to replace the Thermocouple twice in a week... Complained to the Lowes I bought it from.. they said they had a kit from Whirlpool to fix my model hot water heater.. guess what.. When I opened the box.. everything said it was for my model hot water tank.. but noooo.. It's not the same.. I went back to Lowes and all the guy could tell me is to try to fix it with the parts given to me because it is the recommended parts listed by Whirlpool for my tank.. well... I still have no hot water and I have called several plumbers that will not come out to fix it.. once they here it's a Whirlpool they tell me it's a problem for Lowes..

Bought a new whirlpool electric hot water heater from Lowes on Sunday. Installed it myself and it would not work. Called technical support number and was told they would ship out a part and I would get it on Tuesday. Called for installation of the part and they would not come out until Thursday because they only service our area on Tuesday and Thursday.

The part came in on Tuesday so I had a plumber come out and install it because I did not want to wait until Thurday. Geuss what the part did not work either. Called technical number again they said I must have another bad part will send another one out will not get it until Thursday which is to late for the orginal service appointment so it will be Tuesday or I will have to pay another plumber to come and install the new part.

Have complained to lowes on Monday and Tuesday with no luck. It is 2:42 on Thursday have not heard from the new part or from technical support person from Sears. If my water is not fixed tonight I intend to go to Lowes with my rubber duckie and demand a hot shower.

Spent a little extra money buying a whirlpool Flame Lock H/W tank from Lowes Nov 05 for my rental, after 1 year had to replace burner assembly part was free paid 24.00 to get it shipped spent time doing my self, have had 3 other incidents that pilot lighyt went out, but was finally able to get relit. Today at 9:00m PM get call from same tenant and wont relight at all this time. So I guess I'm back to having to replace unit parts all over again. By the way, another of my rentals the year before I bought a Richmond model at Sams Club I have never touched or had a problem with it and it was nearly 100.00 cheaper. I have always recomended and used Whirlpool appliances but this really ****** me off!

Model #FG1F404053NOV Serial #0516136227 Product# 0730261 Water heater stopped working. I called the warranty company informed them of the problem I was having and they said there was a part I could pick up at Lowes free at no cost to me. Said nothing about coming out to install the part.

When I called them back to see about installation I could not get any body to confirm with me. I was hung up on several times in the process, I asked to speak with a supervisor and was hung up on again. Then when I called other local plumbing companies no body wanted to touch it. Or I was told they could not do it for it was still under the warranty.

I was informed by one company that there was active law suit going on and that i needed to contact you or the attorney and have my name added to the list before time ran out. And that there was a pending law suit in California on the same water heater. Whirlpool was very rude and uncooperative in trying to help me get the part installed. They just acted like it was no big deal. So as a result I was with out hot water for 1 week.

My complaint is not with an individual but with a product. water heater Mod #FG1F40400s3pv , I bought this unit new in 2005 I have had to replace the main burner unit. main gas valve, thermocouple 3times. Whirlpool sent me the parts for free but the overnight shipping was rediculous. I have done nothing but work on this thing. constantly shutting its self off. I have removed burner unit and cleaned repeatedly, checked my outside regulator, for sufficent air intake, checked exhaust,unit has sufficent intake air, i have had 2 other units in the same place no problems. I never had any problems with my other two units, the tanks finaly rusted out and i had to replace them, i have done nothing but work on this unit. and i am getting ******. The gentleman at the parts supply told me that whirlpool has had a lot of complaints with this model. I personaly feel like whirpool should replace this unit with no cost to me at all,that includes the high priced shipping that i had to pay for the warrinty parts. I am a self-employed maintenance man, fabricator and i garuntee my customers would not put up with this kind of product.

I hate to repeat everything that seem all other consumers have reported, but this is the second time this has happen within a year to me. I also bought the Whirlplool Flame lock gas heater from Lowes. The heater went out Fri. night and we had to go the neighbors all week-end to take showers. I call a plumber this morning and he called the number on the heater and they told him we must go to Lowes and pick up a Akit. The Plumber charged $85.00 My husband drove the thirty miles to pick up the Akit. I then called the customer service, I use that as just the title, because the first person I talked to kept wanting me to follow his instruction to fix the heater. I told him I was at work and my husband was on the way to pick up the part, then he asked to speak to the plumber.

Of course the plumber is not sitting at my house at $85.00 an hour waiting on someone to tell him how to fix the heater without the part. He then ask if I was refusing his service to walk me through how to fix the heater. I then asked to speak to his supervisor. He gave me a work order # and said to be sure to give it to the supervisor. The supervisor came on the line and has yet to ask for the WO #. He was also very rude and he pulled the file to let me know it had been a year since the thermocouple was replaced. I said Woo HOO a whole year. I asked if I could speak to his supervisor, he said he would forward me to Johnson, Tenn and I could speak to someone,

Well sure enough a person came on and started advising me of the same thing I had heard from the other two. I told him about the plumber calling this morning and he said in a very stern voice that it was not on record that a plumber had place a call on the serial # that I had given him. I ask at "Are you calling my plumber a liar". Because I was standing there when we both copied the phone # and serial #. so we both would have it. I ask him the bottom line is you are not going to do anything about this heater and he said real quick NO. I told him I had an appartment complex that had 30 Whirlpool Refrigerators at this time, but I will not replace them ever again with Whirlpool. He said that's my choice, in a very unconcered voice.

I ask him if he had a whirlpool heater he said yes, but I bought electric. I then said maybe the gas companies would like to know his advice was for everyone to by electric instead of gas. He said I really don't care. I told him to have a nice day. The Plumber came back this afternoon for another $85.00 and put the Akit on. He finally got the water to light after 6 times. Now my husband has to relight it every 15 to 30 minutes. Guess we should be proud we can at least take a shower at home.

Tomorrow I will have the heater replaced, so I want have to have the plumber come back to see why it won't stay lit. That will be another bill to have the new one put in. Ours has to be solder in and it cost us $350.00 to have this one installed. So figure how much we have already spent in the last two years on this on, now will purchase a new one and have it installed. For sure want be a Whirlpool or bought at Lowes.

I feel that a water heater should last more than 2 1/2 years. What the hell is up with Whirlpool? I hope you can help me with this issue as I am very ******. I have always been a whirlpool consumer, at this time, I have a washer, dryer, and stove.

I AM VERY TIRED OF TAKING COLD SHOWERS.

I hope you can help me out before I have to take further action. Whirlpool should have my info on file, as I sent the registration card to them.

I called three times about my water heater not working. I told them tbe pilot light went out and would not stay lit when we tried to re-light it. The first phone call we were put on hold for over 15 mins. and no one ever came back to the phone. The second phone call they gave us a phone number to a service center who could not come out for a few days, The third phone call they suggested that they could send out a part which we would not receive for at least two days, or we could go to our local Lowes and supposedly pick upn the part and have a plumber come in and fix it. We ended up having to get a plumber out here and replace the water heater.

We were informed that there was at least a two week wait for the part to fix the Whirlpool water heater that we have had for only 1 year. In fact the plumber was shocked that Whirlpool would suggest someone to get a part and just have any plumber come in and work on it. Whirlpool should give me the money back for the wster heater we had to replace and compensation for the over 1000 dollars I had to spend just so I could have hot water.

They should be forced to take the product off the market until the problem is fixed. I will never buy a Whirlpool product again, and will be very hesitant to shop at Lowes for anything again. They had to know that there was a problem with the water heaters and never sold us this product. If there is any lawsuit or lawyer out there who is working on this and can help me get my money back and maybe some extra compensation for what we had to pay for the new one please contact me. I will try to work with Whirlpool on this, but from the type cf customer service that I have received so far, I am not very hopeful.

Whirlpool water Heater Model FGIF4T3NOV. Failed to turn the water on. Thermocoupling problem. PURCHASED NEW WATER HEATER FROM HOME DEPOT $481.55

We bought a whirlpool water heater model # BFG1F4034T3NOV two and a half years ago. It has not worked in two years. The pilot light will not stay lit. I haave called and e-mailed the company with no real help. They have sent me two knew parts which i had to pay to install and it still doesn't work. I have a family including a 3 year old daughtwer and can not keep living this way and can not afford a new water heater. What am i to do? I am at the end of my rope now.

I have had to pay twice to replace parts and once for shipping. As well as mentioned by others I must now boil water or travel to friend homes to shower or bathe. i can not wash my husband work clothes at home because there is no hot water.

I purchased a Whirpool water heater at Lowe's in 2005. After 3 1/2 years the thing went bad and they sent me a flame lock kit. That didnt fix the problem. They told me to go to Lowe's and exchange it. The problem is that they no longer manufacture those models so I had to get a new upgraded one. I only received a store credit of $510.00 the new water heater cost me $580 plus tax. Now i'm out about $120. Why should I have to put money out of my pocket if there product went bad, and it had a 12year warranty?

It is not my fault they no longer make the older models. If the water heater had a 12 year warranty they should replace it free of charge to me. I want my $120 re-imbursed.

No hot water about every 6 months for about 5 years. Daughter has this same kind of gas hot water heater and has the same trouble also. Like clockwork about 6 months. The thermalcouple goes bad.

Same problems as everyone else. Originally purchased product in 2003, now working on replacement from 2005. Seems like I'm alot luckier than everyone else timewise. Pilot light won't stay lit. Sent me many parts after scouring all of NJ for the parts Lowes didn't have in stock. Had to pay a plumber b/c they sent me the wrong thermocouple. Duh. Too much money & aggravation for this. 6 days with no hot water! We are a family of 4. Please add me to the class action lawsuit. NEVER EVER BUY A WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATER! They are aware they are making people's lives miserable and seems like they really don't care.

Bought 30 gal water heater in Oct. 2008. April 18th 2009 it stop working. Husband bought new heater a Loew's to replace new one on Sunday, but was told we needed to call repair number and get a number to return broken heater to receive credit. When we called we were told we had to wait till Monday for repair man to fix heater since this is brand new and even so it broke on Sat. evening we had to wait till Monday! I explain since this is new then why should I need a repair and we had a family and needed showers for work and school! No dishes washed either.

My husband wanted to replace it today! They said they would give $75.00 toward plumber fee. They will fix it at thier conveince and not consumers! We waited for repair man on Monday. Service tech said it was gas valve, it always go bad! Wait for hour and half and we will have hot water. Waited no pilot light didn't sound like it was running. Called back to complain again. Tech said it was burn essemble now and had to wait for it to be shipped. Very upset with this service!

Called local plumber and bought heater through them. This cost me $850.00 with labor but we had hot water in two hours. Loews' manager said he will give us credit on broken heater without the return number from whirlpool. So I think at least LOew's will stand behind consumer and give them a good rating. It a shame that they don't check out company before selling their products. Whirlpool was a great company but they just put their name on heater, other company made it and it is JUNK!

Bought two whirlpool heaters. Return both. Bought other through plumber 4 days later. Husband and wife missed worked and kids didn't go to school because no one had showers or clean plates.Total cost for replacement is $900.

Purchased Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater at Lowes in Parker, Colorado in September 2008. Had it installed in October 2008. It is now six months later and the pilot light will not light. Two thermal couple devices and a complete replacement of the burners, three service calls and it still won't light. Now we have to purchase a thermostat. Can't wait to see how much that's going to cost. Estimates are about $360.

We've been without hot water since April 11th. It is now April 20th. Warranty??? What warranty? We are paying for everything. Original cost: $550. Replacement parts & labor so far: $200. + $360 for a T-stat and it cost more to fix this after six months than to originally purchase it. Cost from an upset wife... no way to make this up. We've used Whirlpool products for years and were surprised at how we were treated. As part of a remodel project we're going to buy a new washer / dryer, fridge, and dishwasher. However, Whirlpool will not even be considered for these appliances.

I am a contractor that has installed and inspected many different types of hot waters tanks. Honestly, I have never before seen anything quite like whirlpool heaters. I seem to get a lot of calls complaining of limited hot water. One piece of advice I can give to consumers is to be sure they trust thier installer. The problem I've ran into is that most of these heaters are being installed incorrectly.

First, whirlpool has a heat trap adaptor on both the hot and cold water inlets. Some installers think this is used for shipping purposes and remove it. If this happens it will allow the dip tube to float causing cold water to spray on top of the tank and mixing in with the hot water. The result is hot water usage of only about 2 minutes before getting cold. Second is the handling of the tank. the dip tube is made of rigid pvc and can crack or break if laid on it's side. Third, if the die-electric nipple is intalled and the female treaded adaptor is soldered directly while on this nipple--it will cause the dip tube to melt and fall into the tank.

In either case the consumer will experience either no hot water or very little. This water tank is not consumer friendly and I would not advise anyone to purchase it. Lowes has a way of making it very difficult to get it serviced once it is installed. The bottom line is that consumers want a hot water tank that is reliable for years to come--not one that is in constant need of attention. 12 year warrenty is rather misleading. People want it to last for 12 years--not to be serviced for 12 years.

My latest attempt was met with much despair. I knew the dip tube was bad but it was like jumping through hopes to get whirlpool to finally agree to my assestment. They had me check everything but where the problem was. Why would they question a certified repairman? I finally told them to send anoter dip tube or I was going to tear out the old tank and return it to lowes.

The end result to all this is that my cutomer has now been without hot water going on 6 days. They are going to have to take a vacation day for when the part does come in to have it installed by me. These are the hidden cost that no one thinks about. These are the cost that they are unable to get back. My best adavice for the consumer is to get help from a trained professional who acn steer them in the right direction. Lowes is a big box store who only looks for the profit margin they recieve--not the best product they can offer.

I was baking in my top oven. I pressed bake and start and my oven went into the self-cleaning mode, locking the door and then proceeding to burn my food. I didn't know what to do exactly so finally went to the breaker box and shut off the power to the oven. When the oven cooled down, I turned the breaker switch back on, but my oven would not come on; no lights in oven, no power, nothing. It's completely dead. The top oven door was still locked. Later in the day, my husband removed the control panel and was able to release the latch so the door would open. We have never even once used the self-cleaning feature and now today it comes on and our oven no longer works.

I don't know how much it will cost to get the oven running again. I have heard from complaint websites that Whirlpool ovens are faulty and not repaired very well. I will find out tomorrow what the costs may be, but have no money to repair it right now. This is a huge inconvenience for me, as I have a family to feed and no way to cook food, except for a toaster oven!!!

We have a Whirlpool Flame Lock Water heater model FG1H404T and participated in the class action lawsuit regarding the thermocouple issue. We received a new thermocouple and gas unit in the mail in 2008 as a result of the litigation hoping it would solve the problem. Guess what - it still does not work. They sent us the exact same thing we already had minus a couple pieces - it was missing the gas flow regulator (had to take it off the old one), came with no screws and it still used the left handed thread thermocouple that is special to this unit and not the right handed thread one they supplied with the kit.

We installed the new unit about 6 months ago and guess what - it just died again last night. I go to Lowe's to get a new thermocouple and they don't have any. I do a web search and come to find out Whirlpool has discontinued selling that type of thermocouple because of the issues. I go to the Whirlpool web site to find out you can order a whole new unit for $8 and it will be shipped via ground. But for extra money they will overnight it! I have bought 7 thermocouples for the unit in the last 3 years alone at $15 a piece and am sick and tired of the issues. Whirlpool never notified us of the thermocouple being discontinued otherwise we would have taken steps months ago to either have a number of thermocouples on hand or to replace the unit then.

We have contacted a plumber and are buying a new unit not made by Whirlpool or American Heater. I'm throwing this one out and its only about 5 years old. I estimate beyond the price of the original unit we have spent over $100 in therocouples in the last 3 years. The water heater would get the water nice and hot but wouldn't keep it hot. If you took a shower in the morning and then didn't use hot water until the next morning you were lucky to get a luke warm shower. But if you made sure to use hot water in large quantities every 12 hours you would get a very hot shower the next morning. And this was with the temperature control set on high.

We purchased a 30 gal wirlpool water heater. This unit has stoped producing hot water 5 times in less than a year. I have replaced the heating tubes and thermostat each time. The tennant has just called again about another failure.

the parts I purchased run about $22 per failure. Cost to replace is about $50 a shot. That is $70 every two month.

We are a Mechanical contractor in Texas.We install 300-400 water heaters a year. 90% of the time whirlpool find a way not to warranty their water heaters.We replace alot of whirlpool leaking tanks under warranty,at our customers expense. On 04/18/2009 whirlpool was called to warranty a leaking tank serial # 0225109250 model# EE3J50RD045V purchase in 2002 with a whirlpool 12 year warranty.The unit tank starting leaking.Whirlpool refused to honor the warranty.This is not an isolated incedent.My advice to consumers do not purchase a whirlpool water heater and expect any help with warranty.

Purchased a 40 Gal. Whirpool HWH on Dec 2007. The Pilot light will not stay on and after several attempts at replacing the thermocouple assemply kit the problem manifest itself repeatedly. Have replaced the kit 3 times and each time the pilot light stays lit for a few minutes to half an hour. Have been without hot water for 5 days now. Lowes is not helping other than giving free kits that do not fix the problem. Its 35 degrees, no hot water , the Whirpool customer service is not much of any help since the sence of urgency is not comprehended , and the Sears Tech keeps changing their schedule. Now the tank has started leaking within a year in use. Frustrated to say the least.

5 days without hot water, $300 + for a hot water that does not work , 2 boys who are now sick for standing under cold water in the shower for a short period . Its 35 degrees ....

Purchased a waterheater and in the 6th year it flooded my basement. Still underwarranty called and exchanged at Lowes another one. Paid a plumber, then 6months later it leaked again but this time I purchased a pan under it to the drain, and it was leaking from the bottom as well. then 3 months after that a repeat of paying the plumber and removing it. Whirlpool takes the warranty from the first water heater and then only replaces 1 time even though they did twice for me but will not stand behind their product. I have a leaking waterheater using God knows how much water a day draining from it. Thank goodness I took the precaution of the pan!

brand new wood floor damaged and woodwork, just completed the room in front of it and it totally ruined it.

Well, after attempting to take a shower last night, I found out the pilot light wasn't staying lit on the hot water heater that I purchased last May from Lowes. I want online and was shocked at how many other complaints there were on this product. If I had done a little research before purchasing this I would have not bought it.

Anyway, I took the advice of a previous post and contacted American Water Heater directly and was told since it was less than one year old that they would cover the replacement parts and labor included. They gave ma the number of a local plumber and I set up and appointment which was in less than an hour. It's now fixed. For how long we'll have to see. Good luck to all the others out there and if your researching before buying, DON'T buy WHIRLPOOL!

No damage except for a little lost time and a day without hot water.

We bought a brand new Whirlpool Water heater from Lowes in August 2008. It has worked fine up until Easter day 2009. The pilot light kept going out. We reset it several times during the day and finally it stopped lighting all together. Thought it might be the thermocouple. We called a local plumber on 4/10/09. He cleaned out any dust under and around it, changed the thermocouple and still nothing. After troubleshooting further, he determined it was the gas valve on the front of the heater. I called into Whirlpool and they immediately agreed to send me the new gas valve, but since it was already after 5pm that day, it would not arrive until Wednesday. The plumber told me to also have them send a new thermal switch just in case that was bad too.

So, called back into Whirlpool, got a different person, who told me that the thermal switches very rarely go bad and that he would give me his paycheck if that actually was the problem. He also told me that they sold the gas valve I needed at Lowes and gave me the Lowes inventory number. My husband immediately ran out to Lowes and bought the part. The local plumber came back out the next day, and guess what, wrong part.

Again, called into Whirlpool to make sure they were not sending me the same part that I just bought a Lowes. The woman told me that the part they were sending me was the correct part and that it is NOT sold at Lowes. I asked her for a tracking number for UPS. Well, of all the luck, turns out there was a fire near their shipping location in JOhnson City, TN and it damaged the fiberoptics in the area and there systems were down. So, the whole system that they use for shipping (via UPS) was on the internet and they cant even tell me if the part went out.

I called around to other plumbers in my area and found one that had the actual part. But they wanted to charge me $359 for the part, installation, and warranty. We all know that at that rate, I could almost buy a new water heater!! So, today is Wednesday, 4/15/09 and I'm waiting for the part to arrive from Whirpool, assuming that it was even shipped. I will never buy a whirlpool appliance ever again. Oh, and I also tried to call American Water Heaters as other people suggested, but I got to the exact same customer service center as whirlpool!!

Whirpool customer service told me that they would reimburse me up to $75 for each trip from a local plumber. However the plumber charges $85 per hour, and so far has been at my house for almost 3 hours in total= $255 so far. And if I ever get the part, I will have to get him back out again. So, I'm out at minimum $340, and going on 4 days without hot water.

I have a flame lock water heater, less than a year old, replaced the thermocuppler twice going on my third. Model number BYG1F4040S3NOV Purchased from Lowe's

Purchased Whirlpool 80 gallon Energy Smart Electric Hot Water heater 12/24/08, on 04/08/09 the Energy Smart Controller caught fire. Water heater out of commission. Upon inspection I noticed many Relays and components from China.

No hot water for two days waiting for parts and service. Energy Smart controller/board and junction box totally destroyed, damage to house wiring entering the box. Missed work time and very inconvenienced for repair, and lack of hot water in cold weather month.

I purchased a Whirlpool electric water heater with an Energy Smart box on top to control the heater. Not a year after purchase, the box failed. It took almost 2 years to convince Whirlpool to replace the faulty unit. So, what did they do? They send me the energy smart controller. Stating I have to pay for installation. After going through several avenues, I finally got the box installed at no cost to us.

The water heater worked fine till this morning. This morning, I heard a pop in the water heater closet. I found the breaker tripped, ans some white smoke rising out of the controller box. I waited till tonight to reset the breaker, but there's no sign of the heater working at all. If this had happened when any of us were asleep, my house could've caught fire. We called American Water Heaters but according to my wife, she got nowhere with them. I found this site and now it's my turn. I won't give names of who we spoke with till it's necessary.

Economic damages? I don't have any hot water unless I boil it, and that takes more energy, and most importantly, time. I have some lawyers I can work with, but I'd love all the help I can get on this matter. Somebody sold me an appliance that could have burned down my house. I want a replacement water heater ... without the energy smart box though. I have no faith in that device.

Thermocoupling problem

had replaced it

This is the 2nd water heater and we have always had problems with not being able to shower with hot water. It is terrible! We bought the energy smart model. Is there any recalls on it?

We have just put up with it but friends said to email you.

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater 9/14/2006. it has a 6 year warranty. the upper and lower thermostate and lower element went out on 4/7/2009. I contacted Whirlpool on the morning of 4/8/2009 and was given part numbers and was told I could go to Lowes and purchase the parts. I went to Lowes and True Value Hardware with no luck. i called Whirlpool back and was told they could overnight the parts to me at a cost to me of $20.00 for shipping (but this product is under warranty). i paid the $20.00 thinking i had no other choice

i then called back and asked for a manager. after argueing with a Customer Service rep of why i wanted to speak to a manager i finally got a second line supervisor on the line and was at that time told i was given the Whirlpool part number not Lowes item number. i was then given lowes item numbers. i went back to lowes to purchase the parts. got the parts at lowes came home prepared to install the parts and low and beyhold i was given the wrong part number for the element

we are now on 3 days with no hot water from a water heater that lasted 2.5 years from a 6 year warranty. I am out the $20.00 for the shipping and the money for the parts i had to spend at Lowes for the parts and the gas for the trips i had to make to find part numbers that did not coenside with Lowes or wrong part numbers

I just read some of the many complaints about Whirlpool Flame Lock water heaters. I purchased the same product from Lowe's on 9-13-08. I, too, am sitting here a week now with no hot water because the water heater will not light. A Sears repaiman came 4-3-09 and assesed the problem but did not have the part. Now when we called Whirlpool on 4-2-09 we were told that Sears did their repair work; they, also, said the repairman would have the part.

When the needed part was emergency shipped to us and received on 4-6-09, we were promised that if we called as soon as we received it the recommended repair company(Sears) would immmediately send someone to repair the water heater. Two days later I am waiting for the Sears repairman to come sometime between 8 and 5. It is now 10:00 am and no repairman. Since this product obviously has many problems, I don't understand why it is still on the market or why Lowe's sells it!

We have had no hot water since 4-2-09. It has been stressful trying to get ready to go to work.

My mother had to get a new hot water heater in Oct 2007 whirlpool model BFG1F4040S3Nov. It lasted 4 months and than it would not stay lit call for help and just like everyone else got someone in India same thing 20 buck for 3 days. we did have our own plumber come because my grandmother died and we had to have hot water because we had company coming in. my plumber talk to them and could not get it fixed after 75 bucks. my mother did talk to manager at lowes and told her that my grandmother died and she said bring it back.

well its was 1 year in february that my grandmother pass and today 4-7-09 the hot water tank went it will not stay lit. after reading everything that everyone has said i am not going to go thru this. any other time something is in warranty you do not have to fix it your self or pay someone to do it. I am so disenchanted with whirlpool for making such a bad product and knowing that it is bad. We were never notified that there was a class action suit.

I am going to try and get lowes to take it back and will never buy a whirlpool hotwater heater again and maybe none of there products. it is a shame that a company that always made really good product is making this type and ripping people off. The stress that this has brought on me and the hours trying to get it to light is just unspeakable. physical have to see and take a part laying on floor is just not acceptable.

I boughtthis water a Lowes. the 1st 2years wasn't too bad. I would have to relight the pilot light Every spring and every fall. on the third year it strted turning off 3to 4 times a month. I called the 800 number to complain and I found out there was alot of people having problems the my type of water heaters staring with model #FG. they told me they would send me new up dated thermostat for that model. It worked ok for about 8 months then it started turning off every spring & fall again. Then it went back to 3 to 4 times a mounth again.

I called them again this time they sent me the new thermostat & new pilot assembly to install again. Both times I had to hire a local plumber to install these parts. Now I'm in my last year of a 6 year warranty and the pilot light is going out every 2 to 3 days. I called the 800 number and they want to send me the same new parts again. The new parts don't even fit properly on this heater because the parts are so big I cant even put the blue cover shield on.

This time iwas talking to a Supervisor, he said try these parts again if they don't work we will replace the water heater. I declined his offer because I have complide with everything they have asked of me I told him I want my water heater replaced now. He hung up on me. I called the 800 number giving the supervisor the benefit of the dought, maybe the call dropped. I got the operator she got my serial # and told me I was talking to a supervisor from India, this person never called me back.

I have a large family with grand children that end up in a cold shower & at times it takes me sveral attemps before I get it to stay lit. They go to bed late on a school night waiting for the water heater to build hot water. I have done everything in my part to work with wirlpool & now I need my water heater replaced.

Bought the Whirpool BFG1J4040T3NOV 40 gallon Flame Guard gas water heater from Lowes and had it installed by a professional in late 04/2008. This week the pilot light stopped staying lit. Re-lighting it only works for one heating cycle, and then it goes out again. It has a 12 year warranty, so I did an internet search for Whirlpool water heater warranty to find the hotline to call for warranty claims. Ran across this site in the process, and realized I was among hundreds of other consumers facing the EXACT same problem within the first year of owning the unit.

Took the advice of one poster and completely circumvented Whirlpool's (lack of) customer service. Called American Water Heaters directly, gave them my serial number, told them I was experiencing the known issue with the thermocouple. They gave me the name of their repair tech and said all repair labor and parts are covered. I have scheduled them to come out tomorrow. Outside of the 30 minute hold time to get through to them, this seems to be going well so far, with no runaround or passing the buck. I think it was a good choice to call the manufacturer directly and leave Whirlpool out of the picture for now. We'll see how it goes, and see how long the replacement lasts.

Being without hot water for a day and a half. No other consequences yet.

6 months ago i replaced the old assembly unit under the water heater with the new enhancment kit whith the white button to reset it. 6 months later this has failed again because the pilot light is still not working. I bought a new thermocouple thinking it will solve the problem but it did not now iam waiting on the gas conrol valve or thermastat( whatever they call the box with the dial now) hopefully this will solve the problem if it does not then i have no idea what else it could be now is the 4th day without hot water and never buying a whirpool product again.

$250 repairman $20 shipping charge $8 thermocuplet

The thermacouple on our Whirlpool water heater (model # FG1F4034T3NOV) Serial # 0349109409 has repeatedly gone out atleast 4 times over the past 3 - 3 1/2 years. The most recent occurence happened last week on 4/1/09 upon which American water heaters said we could go pick up the new part for free at Lowes. However, the part was not available at any Lowes store within our area. Over the years, we have basically gone many days without hot water in having to get someone out here and resolve the issue. On top of that, we have spent over $500 in just service calls in repairing this issue. In dealing with whirlpool/American water heaters, they have offered no help.

at least $500 in just service calls/repairs numerous days without hot water over the past 3 years

Purchased Whirlpool FG3030S LP Gas fired water heater 2 years ago. The pilot went out on the unit but would re-light for one heating cycle and then go off again. Went back to Lowes store where the heater was originaly purchased. No replacement thermocouples were available and the defective thermocouple has left hand threads. Common thermocouples would not work.

Ended up at another Lowes 35 miles from the last. Was told the original thermocouple is obsolete and I would need a burner replacement kit. Manager was very helpful at this location and called Whirlpool customer service in India where my info was given to the service agent. The Whirlpool service agent then tried to charge me $20.00 to ship the covered repair parts to my home.

The Lowes manager interceded and explained that he had the kits at his location. A common problem aparently. I took the kit home and installed according to the instructions. The burner was totaly different (cast iron vs. stamped steel)and was for low Nox emmisions. Heater now sounds like space shuttle taking off. Pretty sure I am done with Whirlpool.

Purchase a Whirlpool flamelock gas water heater from Lowes, have had nothing but problems. Pilot light will not light, have had plumber out multiple times. When I finally got Whirlpool on the phone, of course he was from India aand I couldn't understand a word her dais) we finally got someone who could tell me they would have someonw here Monday 4/6/09. I have already been 10 days with no hot water.

They just called and said the service tech was on vacation they couldn't come out until 4/15/09. UNBELIEVABLE! I have my 86 year old Dad living with we and that is just not good enouhg. Whirlpool and Lowes should be ashamed of themselves!

Paid out the nose for the hot water heater and installation in the first place, have had to pay plimber 3 separate reapir bills and stoll nothing has been resolved because of faulty equipment

The smart box has broken 2 x's. The second time the wires were burnt down to the copper yet it failed to throw the circuit breaker. It is a fire waiting to happen. If my family dies in a fire, I want this complaint on record. I can't afford a new water heater. This one is only 4 or 5 years old. Whirlpool told me that have not no problems with the smart box and not complaints about the wires. I am scared for my family's safety.

I spent 260.00 for the water heater and I have spent 400 in repairs and no hot water for at least 2 weeks.

I have one of these whirlpool water heaters. It came with the house I bought. Started acting up about2 years ago. Found, at least then, that if I tapped on the gaslines as I held the pilot, I could get the pilot to stay lit, and would last a day or two. One day, in utter frustration, I really banged on it hard, and it has worked for the last 18 months or so. Now, I am back to re-lighting it almost daily, and although, I still have to beat on it to make it stay lit, it won't stay for more than a few hours. Up in the air as what to do. Get a thermocoupling, that might not fix it? Beat it until it dies? Not sure what to do.

i purchased a water heater in feb of 2003 mine does not work now i here they are defective can i get reimbursed

Purchased a new Whirlpool Flame Lock 40 gal. natural gas water heater from Lowes in North Canton, OH in November 2008. From the beginning, water heater would not heat enough water to take a bath or shower. Turned thermostat all the way up and still not enough hot water. Drained water tank and refilled it. Still same problem. Went to Lowes and ask for help. They told me to call repair facility for Lowes. They gave me the phone number for Whirlpool. I called Whirlpool only to get an Indian person that I couldn't understand. I requested someone else that I could understand and got another Indian that I had difficulty understanding. He asked me same questions 5 different times. He told me to drain tank again and it would solve problem. He implied I might have bad water. I explained to him that I had a brand new well. Then he said it might have been installed improperly. I assured him that was not the case. He told me to pull the pressure relief valve. I did all he suggested and still didn't have enough hot water.

Then I went to Lowes again and requested to talk to a manager. I got a young man named Matt who called Whirlpool and got an Indian man. He had trouble understanding them too. The Indian wanted to know if I had enough hot water for a 5 minute shower. DUH! I paid for a brand new hot water tank and have never had enough hot water since day one.

My wife called Lowes again today and ask for the Store Mgr., Phil. Phil said it wasn't exactly his place to make adjustments or take this water heater back and give us a new one. He said we needed to go ahead and call Whirlpool and get the part (which Whirlpool deducted was the gas valve thermostat) and then call a plumber and have them install it. My wife told him we were not going to pay for it and wait to see if Whirlpool would reimburse us. She told him that we spend thousands of dollars at their store every year and that we didn't think they should sell defective water heaters. He NEVER mentioned any problems with Whirlpool water heaters. He agreed to help us insofar as we could pay for the new part and installation by a plumber and bring the bill directly to him and he would pay us on the spot. My wife told him that she appreciated his willingness to do that. She emphasized our concern about a faulty product that they were selling. He stated that he can't control problems and that we could purchase an extended warranty. My wife asked if that would make it better.

We called Whirlpool back and spoke to an Indian by the name of Tom. He said he would send the part out to us and we would have it by this Tuesday. We'll see. Then, I thought I would get on the internet and see if there were any complaints about Whirlpool Flame Lock natural gas water heaters and boy was I surprised. I can't believe the thousands of complaints! I also can't believe that one class action lawsuit was settled and Whirlpool and Lowes continues to sell these water heaters with problems. Lowes' store managers have to be aware of this. Is there a new class action lawsuit? I want in. After reading all these complaints, I am skeptical about repairing my water heater and concerned that I will suffer years of these problems like everyone else. I think I am going to print out these complaints and the lawsuit info and take it to the Lowes' Store Manager and ask him to take the water heater back and refund me my money plus interest so that I can go and buy a new non-Whirlpool water heater from someone/somewhere else.

What has happened to America? I know - the darn global economy. God help us. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks.Paid $500 for a new water heater that was defective from the start from a manufacturer and dealer that is committing fraud against consumers. Have spent countless hours draining the tank and troubleshooting problems, down on the floor on my recently-operated-on-knees which isn't good for my recovery. Have spent countless hours talking to people who have no interest in solving the real problems, but instead want to send me a part that will only result in more problems and prolong the frustration.

Bought a whirlpool electric hot water heater less than 8 years ago. Heater had twelve year warranty. Contacted the company. They did not respond to email. Save your money and don't pay extra for a hot water heater with long warranty. They will ignore you. Get a HWH from local plumbing supply instead. Much cheaper than Lowe's or Home Depot

Had to replace it after less than 2/3 of warranty period.

We purchased a Whirlpool Hot Water Heater 1 year ago from Lowes. A year after installation it quit working. Whirlpool fixed it under the warrantee on Friday afternoon. Its Saturday, yes the day after it was fixed, and now its not working again. We were without hot water for days before we got it fixed the 1st time. And now again...grr! I can't get anyone out here to fixed it again until Monday. I talked to a plumber other than the one that fixed it and they wouldn't even come out to work on the whirlpool hot water heaters due to their KNOWN problems! Why is Whirlpool selling this piece of junk. And why is Lowes continuing to sell them for them!

Whirlpool gas water heater suddenly will not keep pilot. I had a plumber out who got the thing to light, but two hours after he left, the pilot went out. I could relight the pilot and heat up the water for less than 24 hours before it went out again; then as soon as I released the reset button when I tried to get the blasted thing working again, the pilot would go out before being able to turn the unit to the on position. The plumber said that it if didn't continue to work that he could replace the electronics for $275. plus $85 to pick up the unit, which seems absurd, to say the least.

After reading all of the complaints about having the electronics replace more than once, I feel that I would be better off adding another $100 to the $360 that I would be charged to replace a defective part with another defective part and just purchase anything other than Whirlpool. As a matter of fact, I will never purchase any Whirlpool product again. As a single homeowner, I cannot afford to throw money away, which is what I feel that I have done with a water heater that is a year old today (4 April 09).

I am already out $85.00 for the plumber, and now have to spend either $360 to have a defective part replaced with (according to other postings) another defective part or between $500 and $600 (plus delivery and intallation) to replace a water heater that is only one year old. I had to take off an entire day of work for the plumber to come out and will end up doing the same to replace the defective water heater.

I purchased a 40 Gallon Hot Water Heater from Lowes in 2008. 11 months later the pilot went out and would not light. I went to Lowes and they were rude and said they would give me a part but I had to call the warranty dept in Tennessee and request a piece of paper so that lowes can give me a part. I told them that I did not want a free part to put on a defective hot water system and demanded that they credit my lowes card. They would not do it. I had previously called the American Water Co. that make this piece of junk in tennesse and they wanted to charge me $30.00 to send me a part. After 11 months? Dont think so.

I filed a complaint with the better business bureau againist Lowes and went to Home Depot and bought a G.E. Hot water heater, took it home and installed it and it works great. Hopefully it will last longer than a year. Actually G.E. from Home depot had 9 pages of complaints here on this site. Whirlpool and Lowes had 398 Pages of complaints. I went with the lesser evil. You guys need to file with the BBB so that this will be on record againist Lowes. It's them who are continuing to sell this defective water heater. The Store Mgr at lowes told me they had done 3 gas valve replacements that week when I went. Not suprising.

I will pay my lowes card, be out $300.00 and close my account and never shop at Lowes ever again and never buy a Whirlpool appliance again. Hey it's they're loss not mine. I guess they needed the $300.00 more than I did.

No hot water for 3 days. The first cold shower I took I went out and bought a water heater on a 1 year no interest or payments at Home Depot.

Please add my name to the list for Whirlpool gas-fired water heater model BFG with the Flame Lock Safety System. My problem was the same as so many others on your website...the gas control valve failed to work after only 14 months of use.

Whirlpool's action/performance to resolve this was abysmal...we were without hot water for a week, and would have been without even longer had it not been for their contractor taking pity on us and providing us with a replacement control valve until the Whirlpool back ordered valve finally showed up on March 25th, 2009....TWO weeks after the problem was brought to their attention (March 12, 2009).

To boot, Whirlpool never let us know (nor their contractor, Sears) that the part had been back ordered...we were both expecting to receive this on 3/16, then 3/17. What incredibly lousy customer service! Moreover, Whirlpool told us that the next time it fails, it's on us! From other complaints I have read on your website, we can more or less count on this. Shame on you, Whirlpool.

problem w/ whirlpool flame gaurd water heater. pilot wont light, get replacement from loews, wont light, call plummer service, determine the replacement part is defective. get new one, during installation the screw to mount the unit breaks off. call whirlpoll, they tell me to drill out the screw. doesnt work. they are gonna send new piece should arrive in 48 hrs. so i'm looking at minumum 72 hrs. no hot water, ask whirlpoll to compensate for a hotel room to shower the family, they tell me NO WAY. I'M LUCKY THEY ARE WAVING THE SHIPPING CHARGE ON THE PIECE THEY ARE SENDING OUT.

i'm up to about $100 in plummer and buying tools needed for the installation. i'm in the service industry and a shower is required before going to work on friday and saturday. probly hafta get a hotel/motel room

Purchased new Whirlpool 50 gallon water heater. couldn't even get thru one shower without constantly adjusting the water to a warmer setting. As I can see there are NUMEROUS complaints about Whirlpoool water heaters purchased at Lowe's. can't believe they still sell this brand.

Had to take 2 days off work. Was replaced with another water heater from Bradford White. what a hassle.

Pilot goes out, won't light....Have replaced the thermocouple 3 times..The last time was 2 weeks ago. Now, it's out again. It is still under warranty, evidently that doesn't mean anything to Whoorpool.I am writing this for my Mother, she is 87 yrs. old and doesn't need this hastle. Either get out and fix it or bring out another one. If something isn't done and soon, this water heater will be sitting in front of her house with a huge sign explaining why it isn't in her house, WORKING. Thank You

Model#EE3Z80AD055V - Purchased from Lowe's in Oct 2008. This morning, went to let the dogs outside. Walk into laundry room, turn on light and the control board on the Hot water heater is smoking! Turned power off to unit from circuit breaker box; top of plastic control box is melted and inside wires are fried.

No hot water! Have not contacted Whirlpool yet...Do I really want to keep this Hot water heater?

We also purchased a whirlpool hotwater tank at Lowe's. We purchased this tank in march of 2004, tonight my husband is putting in the 3rd thermacouple. Whirlpool was a brand we thought would produce a good product, well when I go to purchase any other appliance it will not be a whirlpool since the quality of their products has went downhill so much.

It is a pain to have to replace these parts every year and a half not only that but to get the replacement parts is a pain, they dont sell them at our local Lowe's have to go to another hardware store.

Bought a whirlpool hot water heater 02/25/08 from Lowes and now the pilot light will not stay lit. Called whirlpool ordered part on 3/25/09 and still have not recd part03/30/09. We live in a small town and the sears guy is only this way once a week so even if we get the part we have to wait another week to have it fixed. I have a 6yr warranty for what is not worth anything. Lowes does not carry parts and said that to get a replacement I would have to go through whirlpool and I've spent over 3 hours on the phone with them already. There should be something done about this.

We have been without hot water 03/23/09. We will have to go buy another hot water heater, can't wait until whirlpool sends part. It will not be a whirlpool and not form Lowes.

I too purchased a flame-lock Whirlpool water heater from Lowes in February of 2008. After living with 6 months of a loud noise that sounded like the thing was going to blast off, the water heater finally just stopped working. I called Lowes about the noise and they told me it was just normal expansion and contraction. I pointed out to them that I have been in the same house for almost 30 years and this is the third water heater we have had, but none of the others ever did that. They said don't worry.

Well now I am getting ready to take a cold shower as I am experiencing the same problem that everyone else has. The heater will not light. I just do not understand how a company can sell a product that is obviously defective and get away with it. In today's economy with everyone trying to make ends meet, the last thing we all need is something that drains us(no pun intended) financially. Whirlpool and Lowes should be held accountable. I for one will NEVER purchase another Whirlpool appliance of any kind. I will also NEVER shop at Lowes again. These companies know there is an issue, but are doing nothing to right their error. How is this ethical business?

I have a plumber coming this morning at a minumum cost of 85.00 for the call. I had to take the day off work which is another 100.00. That is the beginning. I will post the outcome of that visit.

This is the third time in TWO years the thermostat has broken and had to be replaced. Shame on you Whirlpool and Lowes for selling this crap! Worse still - I have to go to Lowes to buy another part that will fail again!

No hot water until I can take half a day off to get it fixed.

I bought a whoorl pool hot water heater at lowes in lake in the hills illinois aproximatly 3 yrs ago 2 years ago I developed a problem with the flame going out over and over I called whirl pool and a woman was very foreward with me telling me what she wanted saying she knew the problem they were having and told me she will ship the burner out to me but I need to pay for shipping so I did they also sent a plastic dust catcher for around the bottom so I had a plumber install the new burner this lasted for about 6 months now I find myself always keeping the area very clean and the unit continuosly goes out can you help me I replaced a unit that was 20 yrs old thinking IM doing good but the old one never gave me any problem ever IM so sad and hurt please help me thank you

piolet light keeps going out never know when or how long it will stay on right now I cant keep it lit much at all...

after 4 mounths pilot light went out. whirlpool wanted to send parts so it would take about three day befor it would get fixed got local plumber to fix it. now after 14 mounts same thing happend. now whirlpool wanta to send parts. so i have to wate another 3 or more days to get it fixed again. totaly not happy with whilpool

whirlpool wants me go without hot water for another 3 or more days so they can send out the parts befor i get it fixed

Same as everyone else. Pilot out, follow instuctions to relight, no go! I don't know if I even want to bother with all the hassel you folks have put up with. I guess I'll have to beak down and get a non-whirlpool water heater to replace.

Ditto what everyone else on this site has said. Bought a 30-gal Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater at Lowe's Feb '08. Thirteen months later, tenant calls to say there's no hot water. Pilot light is out. I relighted it. One tank of hot water before the next phone call. Repeat. On third day, I replaced the thermocouple based on troubleshooting recommendation. Now the pilot will not light at all. Called Whirlpool. Could barely finish telling my tale when Kenny, with a sigh and a semi-defeated tone that made me think he hears the same thing all day long, said, It's the thermostat, and it's only going to get worse. He offered to send someone to fix it for free. I asked Kenny before hanging up what my other options were to get my tenant some hot water today. He said if I called the plumber of my choice, Whirlpool would reimburse me for the part and up to $75 for his labor. I would be reimbursed for the part.

Sure enough, A&E Sears, the service that Whirlpool uses (at least in the Austin area) to respond to these inevitable problems, could not come out for at least two days. I didn't bother to call my plumber because I knew they charge $80 just to show up and that I was capable of doing it myself more quickly. The water heater is now working again, but I have no faith in its longevity. I am already scouting out the next model and brand to buy when I get the next phone call from my tenant. And, like others here, I will NEVER EVER EVER buy a Whirlpool product again. I manage a dozen rental properties and make all the purchasing decisions regarding the appliances and other so-called durable goods.

This is not the first problem I have had with a Whirlpool product. [Model # begins with BFG, meaning it is supposed to be the redesigned version that corrected the flaw that resulted in the class action lawsuit regarding the FG models. Also, there was absolutely NO dirt, fuzz, hair or anything blocking the ventilation beneath the water heater, so Whirlpool's claim that if the homeowner just follows their cleaning and maintenance guidelines there will be no problems is absolute bunk. THERE REMAINS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THIS PRODUCT AND NEITHER WHIRLPOOL NOR LOWE'S CAN CLAIM IGNORANCE, WILLFUL OR OTHERWISE. THEY HAVE HAD MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FEEDBACK FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS TO DENY IT. And yet, their unconscionable ploy continues.]

I wish the executives of these companies would pause for a moment to read some of the complaints on this site and think about how their continued selling of this product affects the couple in their eighties who probably cannot afford to hire their own plumber and must wait for days to get hot water. Or the disabled, who could not under any circumstances fix this piece of junk themselves or even maintain it in the way Whirlpool contends it must be maintained for it to operate normally (although, as I've already noted, that is a lie -- mine was clean as a whistle). I truly hope they either sprout a conscience and pull these pieces of junk off the market OR take to the skies in a private jet that was designed and sold by a company with the same ethics as theirs.

My 4 1/2 year old energy smart (50 gal )electric water tank. Was only working part time. Control board flashing. So I replaced both elements. Problem solved. four months later control board acting up again. Refering to lower element. Back to Lowes, drain tank, replace lower element. Fixed again. Aprox Two weeks go by. Then on Sunday at 2 PM wife says she smells something funny down stairs. I look into the matter and smell something burning. The control box was hot to touch.

I Pulled off the cover to see electronic control board burnt. Monday morning call Whirlpool, talked to Martin. Explained the problem, after a few questions he ships out a new board. I had to pay for shipping. ( $20.00 ). Recived UPS Tuesday 10:30 AM. Fixed by 11 Am. FOR Now!

The Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater model that starts with FG has a design problem in the Control valve. After a couple days of having to restsrt the heater the unit finally stopped working. I cleaned the unit and changed the thermocoupling and this did not solve the issues. It would light twice and then nothing agian. The Trick was to call Wirlpool and have them overnight a new control valve. They will send a new Control valve if you have tried the above. It's not hard to change the valve, SHUT OFF THE GAS, Drain the heater, disconnect the old, Use teflon tape, replace with the new part, reconnect all wires and pipes, check for gas leaks (use dishsoap and water,) light the heater per instruction on the side.

My husband and I purchased a house back in 2007. We had to purchase a new water heater b/c the one that came with the house cracked. We purchased a Flame Lock water heater from Lowes in August 2007. A month later that cracked. We replaced it and the home warranty that came with house reimbursed for less than it coist with the plumber. Then a year to the date the water heater goes again and once again I get a new water heater and they reimburse me. Now, today 03.24.09 almost a year the piolt light is out and will not come on. I layed on the floor for a good hour. I think someone owes me a new water heater and not a WHIRLPOOL.....

I have spent over $1000.00 and haven't been reimbursed for nearly that! If I knew about this when we first purchased the first one we would have never agreed to another one!

In October of 2005 I purchased and installed a Whirlpool 40 gallon water heater with the flame guard burner. Within the first year the thermocouple failed. At this time Lowes were selling replacement parts for this model. To get the heater working quickly I skipped the warranty and bought a thermocouple from Lowes. The heater worked fine until 3/23/09. At this time the thermocouple died again.

When I went to Lowes to buy another thermocouple I was told they had been pulled off the market. I also tried a local parts store and was told the same thing plus that there was class action lawsuit over these heaters. I think there is a serious problem here that Whirpool does not want to acknowledge.

The inconvenience of being without hot water. The price and time spent on the first thermocouple. The freight charge for the warranted part from Whirpool this time and again the time involved.

we bought it in Late Dec 08 and it hasnt stayed lit for more than a few days at a time. Sent in for new part, that they said we needed. Worked for two whopping days. Called plumber to take a look at it. He refused saying they are a piece of crap. Cross your finger, I'm going to lowes with tank for refund! Why does Lowe's continue to sell these things! I'm headed to HOme depot.

Bought brand new Whirpool waterheater from lowes. same problem as everyone else. replaced thermocouple. wasn't that Whirpool sent me a new gas valve said Sears repair service would replace it. earlist appt 5 days later (no hot water). Sears replaced the part on a Tuesday. the next day I thought I smelled gas. checked all the fittings nothing was leaking. just thought it was the water on my floor from them replacing the valve next day.

it got worse went to home depot for a gas dectector. it was reading 211ppm which is explosive conditions. called Sears to get repairman back. they said they could'nt because it was unsafe conditions for their guy. I had to call my gas co to repair. the repairman from sears broke the fitting to the pilot light so everytime it called for it to heat up gas would pour out of the broken fiting. tried to get sears to reimburse me for gas co cost (never mind they almost killed me). they replied they will send a tech out to investigate to see if it was their fault. the gas co wrote right on the slip that it was. let's see what happens

almost blew up my house, gas repair bill, almost killed me, gas dectector cost

OK here I am 2 days into this headach and befor I go postal I figured I google an easy fix. I purchased a Whirlpool FG Flame lock 40 gal water heater less than 11 months ago. 2 days ago the pilot light stopped lighting. I have changed the thermo coupling (I whent to Lowes and bought one off the shelf. I put the new one in and lit the heater.

It ran for all of 1 cycle and now I am sitting here Sunday night with no Hot waater once agian. I know that IN the morning when the service center opens I will be speaking to someone in India Whay cant I do that now? Its Monday morning in India now! I will be looking into the class action suit, which I know I will get $0.75 cents after 3 years of long letters and legal fileings.

Sure, I too (bred, born, liflong Ohioan) had my Whirlpool Flame Lock hot water tank pilot light go out after 5 1/2 years this past previous Saturday morning - got in touch with some guy from India - paid $20.00 on Debit card to get replacement part which I received on Tues. - spent over 5 hours trying to get new one in and lit and it didn't work, either. Following Saturday (yesterday) had plumber put in a new Bradord White for $675.00. Sure I'm going to try to get some money back, but c'mon - some of you people have to get a life and think of how bad it really could be for you.

675.00

Purchased a Whirlpool Hot Water Heater from Lowe's 2/23/09. 3/21/09 no hot water...pilot light would not reset. Played with it for over an hour, finally started, but for how long? Product under one month old..sent a complaint in to Whirlpool (after reading about the 800 number customer service ) 2 day turnaround promised...we shall see.......

I guess you could say it's an energy saver...it doesn't work. We're way to old for cold showers. Very disappointed, obviously a recall needed.

Whirlpool gas hot water heater at 11 months pilot light goes out.Took waterheater back to lowes on March 1st 2009.They gave me another waterheater.Now March 21 2009 Guess what PILOT LIGHT GOES OUT!!! What a piece of crap.DO NOT BUY WHIRLPOOL HOTWATER HEATER

I bought a Whirlpool Water Heater from Lowes with a 6 year warranty 11 months ago and now the pilot wont stay lit. I replaced the thermocouple with a new one from Lowes and it still wont stay lit.

No hot water.

We too are victims of the flame lock water heater from Whirlpool. After being without hot water for almost a week and finally getting to root of the problem, we got a repair kit from Whirlpool, it was the wrong part, I paid $20. for next day delivery although it was a Saturday night. When I called about it, the agreed to send the right part and next day shipping this time was 30., hard to argue with someone whose English you barely understand BUT Whirlpool has not heard the last of this.

+1 on the failure of another Whrilpool Gas Water Heater. 11 month in and the pilot light is out. Wont hold a flame to start the burner. Called the main 1 877- to report the issue. I was given the standart set of troubleshooting steps from Charles in India. I was told to call back with the results. Called Lowe's to ask if they knew of the issue and had a recomended best process for dealing with this WELL known issue. The rep I got didnt know about any chronic issues w/ these Items but did say that I might call American Water Heaters.

Called American Water Heater 1800 and told them the issue. They must share a database with the folks in India because they had my previous call to Whirlpool on file. I retold the story to this rep and was given a Repair Authorization number and then number of a local repair provider. In my case it is A&E Sears. This allowed me to have them bring the part(S) and not have any out of pocket cost for repair. Its now 30 hours with no Hot water..no big deal yet. Called to set up the service. I'm told that since this is an emergency, they'll get me in the next day. Tuesday.

Tuesday comes...and it goes until I get the call that the tech got hung up on a job and will have to reschedule. I'm still not losing it until I discover that getting bumped puts me all the way to the back of the line. First available is Thurs.(the water went cold on Sunday morning) So it'll be 5 days. (Just another fun fact here. I tried to take the cold shower to get through and made it about 90 seconds. Checked the water temp and found it 52 degrees. That 20 over freezing. this is what most underground pipes stay near all year round)

Its Tues evening now and the repair is set for Thurs so we'll see what happens BOTTOM LINE: Once in a while a fella realy gets the shaft from a company. We learn from this and word of mouth can be a killer. I know that no one I ever speak to will buy a Whirlpool Water Heater and I've given a thought to spending a Sat or Sun in the back of Lowe's handing out a little note with our collective story to folks browsing the Water Heaters. I cant imagine a more expensive leason to learn here because once you go to bigger ticket items, there are more laws to protect consumers. Just not looking forward to the next 10 years of the annual Cold Water Week waiting for repairs on the Chronic WhirlFOOL Water Heater. Hang tough folks

5 days no hot water....Showers...Dishes...Laundry. 1.5 vacations days.

2nd Whirlpool hotwater heater. 2nd fix. just went down. I'm going to junk it all. Didn't go anywhere with Whirlpool.

NO HOT WATER FOR THE KIDS

Woke up today to find out my hot water tank stopped working. Tried to relight the pilot light to no avail. Went online and discovered this website. I have the Whirlpool Flame Lock #BFG1H4040T3NOV purchased in April 2008! Lowes part # 188418

Ok I repair these for whirlpool I will tell you all the story and tell you how to fix it. Number 1 the new flame lock design is mandated my our friends the government. This design is on all new water heater doesn't matter who you buy it from. The flame lock design is where it draws the air through the screen on the bottom of the water heater and from the front you only have a sight glass to be able to see the flame. This has been mandated because people where installing these in garages and leaving open gas cans from their lawn mower next to them causing them to blow the house up.

Now if you have a water heater that is newly installed like less than a year and the pilot start to go out week after week and then stops being able to be re-lite and the module number ends in NOV3. Here is the fix you need to replace the gas valve they made several in the last few years that have bad gas valves. This is not dangerous they fail in the closed position this part can not be purchased locally and even at the chase you can find it don't put it in yourself it will void the warranty let the repair guy that whirlpool sends out do it. Now recently I have started to stock this part on my truck and whirlpool has stopped sending it out when the customer calls.

IMPORTANT KEEP READING Now don't go right for this you will also need to look at other things on your water heater before you can say for sure their are plenty of other problems you could have you need to check the screen on the bottom ring to make sure it does not need to be cleaned. Problem 2 if your basement has flooded more than a damp floor were talking inches deep the screen could of rusted and you will need to replace the water heater at your cost no fixing it, it is not whirlpool fault that your basement floods. problem 3 it could have a bad thermacouple on some you can replace others you have to replace the hole burner assembly. My last advice is stop yelling at the repair guy he has no ties to whirlpool other than he has been sent to repair it he is their to help you.

I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater several years ago and it worked fine for the first year and a half. After that, I started having issues with the pilot light going out. Since that point, I've had to have a technician come out almost once a month to relight the pilot. Ironically, the pilot light is apparently at the TOP of the tank as opposed to the bottom so special tools must be used to relight it. Get this - we use a bent wire hanger & a birthday candle. Yes - that's right! A wire hanger with a birthday candle. I'm tired of having issues & will replace it next month with something other than a Whirlpool.

Whirlpool water heater - still under warranty - pilot light won't stay lit. Called customer service (INDIA) said to go to Lowes for replacement part - Lowes is trying to locate one for me. Just read everyone else's description - add me to the list as another unhappy owner of a non-working Whirlpool waterheater

No hot water for family showers, dishes etc

Whirlpool water heater with POS thermo-couple. Thank you for the reviews. I,m not even going to try and get this water heater fixed. Will never buy another whirlpool product.Question; THINKING ABOUT A TANKLESS WATER HEATING SYSTEM?

Economic damage- hows $1500-$2000 dollars for new system Physical damage- Ever try taking a shower in 35 degree water.

In July 2004, I had installed the Whirlpool Energy Smart 50-gallon Lifetime Warranty electric water heater model EE3Z50RD055V, manufactured by American Water Heater and/or US/Craftmaster Water Heater Co of Johnson City, Tennessee. In February, 2009, the Therm-O-Disc (TOD) electronic control board caught fire, burning a relay, the printed circuit board and the plastic housing, leaving us with no hot water for 24 hours after which I installed a replacement control board, shipped overnight by the manufacturer. I am in the process of documenting my experience with and opinions of this control board and its tarnishing of the image of an otherwise (so far) dependable water heater.

bought two whirlpool waterheaters in the last 6 years and pilot light won't stay lit. thats almost $1,000.00 for junk. i want a full refund to buy a different brand. been reading about whirlpool, google has several pages of complaints about whirlpool and lowes still sells them. found out about recalls that i was never informed about. sent in warrenty registration both times. whirlpool sent new door assembly but didn't work. had to install myself and wait months for this. had to have hot water wife is handy cap and daughter is ill.

so i bought second water heater and it's less than three years old and now it stoped working. waiting for more junk parts to fix heater #2.been through the books, websites, the tank water heater forum. old water heater lasted 30 years. wish i still had it i would weld the tank leak and keep on using it. no more whirlpool crap for me. lowes wont refund money and still sells them.

no hot water for handy cap wife and ill daughter. worked on water heater installing new part for nothing the first time. found out by reading the tank forum many others having the same problem. whirlpool needs to fix this problem. i hope they go out of buisness. they should supply plumbers with replacement parts and be availible to fix their water heaters fast, not wait days, weeks or in my case months and i still had to put the part in myself. now i'm waiting for the part for the second water heater. still no hot water.

The thermocouple on the Whirlpool Flame Lock hot water tank burns out on a frequent basis (sometimes in less than a year) and is difficult to replace. It requires disconnecting the pilot gas line and opening up a sealed chamber for access and the thermocouple costs at least twice as much as a standard thermocouple. They are difficult to find since home centers don't carry them (even many of the Lowe's where they used to be available). This means they may require replacement by a plumber for a job that used to be simple for most homeowners. Access could have been engineered to be easier so the frequent cleaning required and replacement not be such a difficult job.

We purchased a Whirlpool water heater in 2007, (FG1F4040S3PV). The pilot wouldn't stay lit so I called the 877-number. Spoke with a very rude foreign person who told me they'd send the replacement part out for a fee and that I could put it in myself. I paid the fee, we rec'd the part when expected but it doesn't work either. I want our money back and the amount we paid for the water heater, they can have it back if they think it's so great. I'll never purchase a whirlpool product again. They asked me to register the product - I did when it was purchased, why wasn't I notified immediately when they realized there was a problem?

My husband and I are professional people, we need to have a decent hot water tank to be able to bathe, we live in the country are we suppose to pay hotel bills to take a shower? Both my husband and I have bad backs, part of our therapy is hot baths, we're now having back pain. It's getting a little ridiculous.

I purchased a Whirlpool hotwater heater from Lowes with an extended warranty for 5 years on 1/6/06. Warranty expires on 1/6/2012. On 3/10/09 the pilot light went out and could not relight to stay lit. I called Lowes with no satisfaction. I was told to call the manufacturer, who gave me another number to call. I was told it must be the thermocoupler because this one has left handed thread and you can't find one like it anywhere.

I called every Lowe's and every plumber in the phone book and there is no way you can get one. I was told by the manufacturer that I need a flame guard kit and I can order it from them and it will take 3 days to receive and I have to pay $30.00 for shipping. In the mean time I am without hotwater and my husband and I are both almost 80 years old. I asked why I have to pay shipping if it is under warranty and he just said, That's the way it is.

I will never buy anything from Lowe's again, even if I just need a screw. The he told me if he ships it to me, they will have to locate a plumber of their choice and he doesn't know how long that would take because it depends on the plumbers schedule. I just don't know what to do. Lowe's said they will not replace the waterheater even though it is still under warranty. So the extra money I paid for the extended warranty was just more money in their pocket. What a ripoff. If I could boycot Lowe's without getting in trouble, I would. I am still without hotwater and Lowe's is to blame.

Purchased a Whirlpool 40 gallon hot water heater from Lowes on 5/4/08, 3/4/09 pilot light went out. Relit for one cycle then permantetly went out again, I could hear water leaking on the flame. This hot water heater has leaked since day one, and has never provided enough hot water to complete one normal shower.

Cold water due to malfunctioning Whirlpool water heater model FG1F3030T3NOV. Pilot light will not stay lit. Need to light it again and then after 10 minutes will shut down again. Unit is barely two years old.

I bought a whilpool water heater and after six months my water started to smell like sulfer. I have never had this problem with my old heater that i had for 25 years. I looked online to solve the problem and ended up changing the anode rod to a zinc rod that worked for about a month now the smell is back. I drain the heater and that works for a couple of weeks. Is this an ongoing problem with these flameloc heaters like the pilot light.I haven't had the piolt light trouble yet.

I bought a Whirlpool 40gal. gas water heater from Lowes in March of 08. On Sunday, March 8, 2009 the pilot on the water heater went out. We re-lit it and it went out again. We called the 800 number on the tank and they have said they will send out some part that needs to be replaced. We have scheduled the technician to come on Thursday since the part is supposed to arrive today (Tuesday).

Waiting to see if this works. However, no one should be having a problem with a brand new water heater this soon! I see there are TONS of complaints about this water heater. I wish I had known. Cold showers and boiling water for dishes is not a good thing.

I bought a Whirlpool 40gal. gas water heater from Lowes in March of 08. On Sunday, March 8, 2009 the pilot on the water heater went out. We re-lit it and it went out again. We called the 800 number on the tank and they have said they will send out some part that needs to be replaced. We have scheduled the technician to come on Thursday since the part is supposed to arrive today (Tuesday). Waiting to see if this works. However, no one should be having a problem with a brand new water heater this soon! I see there are TONS of complaints about this water heater. I wish I had known. Cold showers and boiling water for dishes is not a good thing.

We bought the water heater at Lowe's May 8, 2008 - less than one year ago!! It came with a 12 year warranty and lasted less than 12 months. My story is pretty much like everyone else - last Thursday night, NO HOT WATER. Everytime my husband tried to ignite the pilot light, nothing. He tried for over an hour that night and again the next day. When he would release the reset button, the gas flow would not continue to keep the pilot light on. The next day he went through the trouble-shooter section of the user guide, it sounded like the thermo coupling needed replacing. He went to Lowe's and was told that they don't carry that model anymore - he needed to contact Whirlpool.

Our first call to Whirlpool--to someone who spoke very limited English--said that it wasn't the thermo coupling but the thermostat and they would ship one out but we had to pay the shipping costs of $20 and we wouldn't get it until Tuesday. My husband said he would try to find it on his own. Well that was impossible so he contacted Whirlpool again. This time he actually got someone who spoke English. Again, they would ship the part out but this time they would absorb the shipping costs, and again, we should receive it by Tuesday. Also, when the part arrived we are to contact a local Whirlpool contracted plumber and he would install the part (they gave us the number), we'll see what happens with that!

What was amazing was that when we contacted Whirlpool they knew exactly when we bought the water heater and from where. So, why didn't Whirlpool contact us, and everyone else, to inform the consumer of this problem? We are now into our 4th day with no hot water with at least 2 more to follow. My family has been driving to my son's home (8 miles away) to take our showers. Also, we have been heating up water on the stove to wash our hands, faces, and dishes. After reading the other consumer complaints, I sure hope the guy at Whirlpool knows what he is talking about! Please add my name to the Class Action Law Suit. Thank you.

Whirlpool water heater, junk. Thermocupulator breaks every couple of months. Whirlpool customer service does nothing to help other than give you an attitude. Ridiculous! I will never buy another whirlpool product again!!!

Purchased a Whirlpool 40 gal water heater Bfg1h4040t3nov. It lasted 11 months. Never had prior water heater problems. Reasearched whirlpool, and they have been having problems since 2004. DO NOT PURCHASE A WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATER FROM LOWES. Lowes doesn't even carry the parts. I will be telling everyone DO NOT BUY A WHIRLPOOL!!!!!!!!!

We payed $400 dollars for the water heater and $150 dollars to put it in.

On the Whirlpool gas water heater, when the pilot goes out and will not relite, or stay lit, the problem is a "single use shut off device" if circuit is open you have to replace the entire gas valve control.

We purchased a Whirlpool 30gallon water heater with the flame lock model in November of 2007 from Lowes. As many people have reported, the pilot light would not stay on. My husband first went to our local small business plumbing supply store to get a replacement part. The owner told him that he hears about this problem at least once a week! My husband researched the model number and found many complaints about customers dealing with both Lowes and Whirlpool. So, we decided to attempt returning the faulty water heater back to Lowes and request our money back $348.

At first, the customer service manager told us that the standard procedure to correct the problem is for us to work directly with the manufacturer. We told her that we researched the repair on-line, were shocked to find the many customer complaints and that we did not want to spend the time and energy in repairing it. We printed the first 5 pages of the water heater complaints from this Consumer Affairs site and showed them to her, pointing out the 182 total pages with the most recent complaints on 3/3/2009. We told her that we were very surprised that Lowes continued to sell an inferior quality water heater, even after a class action suit. She picked up the phone and talked to another manager. They both agreed they had not heard about this issue before, but agreed to refund the money.

Lowes returned our money! Way to go Lowes. I hope that others can benefit from our experience and can get their money back.

My Whirlpool 50 gallon hot water heater, purchased brand new and installed on 09/07/03, was cold on the morning of Friday 3/06/09. I called the customer service number on the side of the tank. I was told that I needed a thermal conversion kit, part number C6910813. I did not want to wait the five days for delivery so I checked with all the local retailers, plumbers, etc to see if they had that part, but no one did.

I wanted hot water as soon as possible, so I called a plumber hoping he could find the part or use a generic part. He couldn't find one either, and he tried a generic part. The part I needed was reverse thread so that only the official Whirlpool part would fit my heater.

I called Whirlpool back and they said a special order would be made and it would be at my home on Saturday 3/14/09, but I would have to pay the shipping fee of $20.00. I made arrangements for a plumber to install it on Monday.

I went out of town, and when I returned there was no package. I called Whirlpool and they said that due to a glitch in the system my order was not sent out.

My Wife argued with them about the shipping fee, but they told her what they told me, I would have to wait five business days for delivery.

Five days without a hot shower? My wife told them we would pay the shipping fee, but don't expect us to ever buy a Whirlpool product again.

The part is suppose to be here on Tuesday, 03/19/09. I guess its cold showers for at least two more mornings.

Pilot light went out 6 days ago. I called a plumber and he brought the part for the coupling only it didn't fit, and no hardward store carries this brand. could'nt get it to work, so I called whirlpool, I thought, and was in another country. They told me it was the thermal coupling unit and I could get a replacement at Lowes. No Lowes I contacted had this part so I called back only to be told they would have to ship me one and I would receive it on Friday.

Here it is Saturday, my plumber came back and still nothing worked. no pilot light, no hot water. It's been six days now without hot water. I called whirlpool back and they said it might be the injector switch so they are shipping me one which I won't get till Tuesday of next week and won't be able to get it installed till wednesday. Who knows if this is the problem or the thermal coupling they sent me is defective.

I'm so frustrated with dealing with these people, who could care less, that I will ever purchase a whirlpool product again. I'm going to tell everyone I know about their service, or (lack of). My water heater is only four years old and has a nine year warranty. After reading their website it seems I'm not the only one with this issue with whirlpool. So, to make a long story short, I don't know when I'll have hot water. Very upset.... what a racket these people have going. Will you please add my name to the Class Action Law suit. Thank you,

Purchased a Whirlpool Gas Hotwater heater Model# BFG1J4040T3NOV from Lowes in November 2007. On March 2, 2008 pilot light would not remain lit. Whirlpool directed me to a website to obtain a repair kit to fix problem. After ordering two of these kits, neither of which resolved the problem and being three days without hot water. I was forced to buy another water heater to get hot water in my house. Searchs on the internet revealed thousands of people have the same issue with this model and Whirlpool continues to sell this to the public.

No hot water for three days, spending of $500 for a new hotwater heater plus the cost of installation. Apparently there is a class action suit against whirlpool on this issue - sign me up!

Same song second verse! We are shocked that this has happened to all these people. These stories are OURS! No hot water for 3 days, 9 yr. warranty, lasted 4 yrs! Heating water on the stove for dishes.ICE COLD SHOWER in March, when it's 35 out!!! Not good in my book! If we would have known about all this, we wouldn't have gone back to Lowes for heater #2. Back it goes tomorrow! We paid $20 for shipping of part that is not the one shown on the website!! Almost 11 pm and NO HOT WATER!

We have 3 kids, work 12 hour days, no hot water for dishes, laundry, SHOWERS, and the stress of a frigid shower is horrid. It would be nice to get our money back. Oh, and I love the disappearing ink on the receipts, so that after a couple years one can no longer even prove you bought the item!!!

A Whirlpool 40 gallon gas hot water heater was purchased a few years back. The water supplied from this heater has never been sufficient to even take a full shower (10-15 minutes long) with hot or even warm water. To add to the frustration, the last couple days, the pilot light has had to be relit, probably 5 times. In order for me to take a shower after coming home from work in the evening, the pilot light has had to be relit.

Well, after coming home this evening and the pilot light out, I went to relight the hot water heater, and the gas flow would not continue after the reset button was released. After screwing with it on and off for about 3 hours, I gave up hope and decided to look online to see if I could figure out the problem. To my amazement, there was a class action lawsuit against Whirlpool for the faulty hot water heater, mainly the thermocouping within the ignition source. After a little furter reading, I was convinced that this was my problem, all the symptoms were there.

This frustrates me to a point beyond belief. I work a very demanding job in which I am thoroughly dirty, stinky, and tired at the end of the day, and all that I want to do upon my arrival home is take a warm shower, and this evening I have to settle on a cold one.

I am forced to take a cold shower in leui of no hot water this evening. I am unable to do my laundry, clean my dirty dishes, and give my three sons a bath without having to boil water to do it (ages 7 years, 5 years and 1 month old). I have decided that I will purchase a new, larger hot water heater, perferably not Whirlpool, as a result. I am not going to replace the thermocoupling just to have the same problem occur 6 months down the road. Cost of a new hot water heater will be several hundred dollars.

Purchased hot water heater in Jan 2008. In Feb 2009 (after 1yr Lowes warranty expired), the pilot kept going out. The pilot was re-lit on at least 3 separate occasions over the course of 3 weeks, but each time, after a few days, it would go out again. Finally, on the last attempt at lighting, we discovered that there was water dripping on the pilot. This water heater was operational for a year without incident.

Since we could not correct the problem, we had to replace the unit since this unit serviced 3 separate apartments and the tenants were getting tired of taking cold showers in the winter. I called Whirlpool for a RA# so that I could return it to Lowes for credit and/or re-imbursement. When I contacted whirlpool for the RA number and explained that the pilot kept going out, she told me that when the temperature increases and then decreases, condensation builds up and drips down on the pilot light causing it to go out.

According to her, all I had to do was turn the temperature on hot (the temperature was set on hot already - which I told her) and not use the water for 2 hours and the problem would be solved. According to her, it was a very common problem and not a defect therefore, they would not provide me with the RA# so I could return it to Lowes. At that point, I asked for the supervisor - which was a waste of time, because she just kept repeating the same thing that the customer service rep said. I have always hot gas hot water heaters for close to 30 years, and NEVER had this problem before.....

For us, we lost one tenant due to this re-curring problem ($550 in lost rent for at least one month). The other tenant we discounted their rent by $100 becuase of the inconvenience & we couldn't afford to loose more tenants. In addition, we spent over $400 on a replacement hot water heater.

Hot water heater (flame lock) not working. 4 years old, 6 year warranty. Called 877 number they sent conversion kit. Still not working right now.

My four year old Whirlpool FG water heater began leaking in my basement. We have two water heaters and have been trying to switch to the other and the pilot wont light. After reading the other comments about this water heater we will probably have to replace both of them.

The Thermo-Coupler in my Whirlpool Flamelock water heater has went bad 3 times in 7 months. The local Lowes Store from where it was purchased agreed to take back the defective heater if I could give them a return authorization number from Whirlpool. They refuse to issue me one.

I have spent over $200 on repairs for this heater.

WOW! I just ran across this site about the whirlpool water heater model # BFGIH4040T3NOV. I purchased it on 3/11/2008. 2 weeks ago the pilot went out and would not light (sound familiar!) This was purchased from lowes.They wanted me to install the repair parts,a new gas valve ,but with some arguing I got them to send the new part and authorize the repair which happens to be sears.Repair was done and it worked 10 minutes ,just as he was leaving,so he then said it was the burner,and ordered that, and would return in 4 days.Well the part did not show up in time.

So now I call whirlpool (india) and demand a refund as I want nothing to do with with this heater--of course there's nothing they can do, but she did put me through to american heater co (the maker) I talked to bruce and explained that it would be cheaper to refund me rather than spend a fortune trying to fix it. Well at this point they are going to repalace the contol and burner next monday,and if it doe's not work I was told I would get a credit.

I also called lowes and of course they know nothing about this, and would not do a thing till I straighten this out with whirlpool.Thanks to this forum, as it guided me well. My heart goe's out to all that are unfortunate enough to have this heater---good luck and shame on whirlpool and lowes in fernley, nv-as they know what they are doing.

HOUSE IS A RENTAL WITH A SMALL CHILD, THEY WILL BE MOVING OUT AS A CONSEQUENCE. I PURCHASED THIS UNIT JUST SO I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS. WHAT A JOKE

I purchase a hot water heater last summer less than 10 months later the hot water will not stay lit. I am informed by candy that the control has gone bad. This to me is a defective equipment. I was told that a part would be overnighted but I would have to schedule service with sears so in the meantime I sit with no hot water

This is rediculuous how can they sell this faulty equipment. We now have to go with hot water for who knows how long but they sure have my money for this piece of junk. I want restitution for being sold a lemon

I purchased a 50 Gal. Flame-loc Water heater from Lowe's about 9 months ago. The Flame will not stay lit. I called Whirlpool and spoke with some guy in India who took all my information. He told me that I would need to call the repairman and gave me the 800 number which happens to be the Sears repair dept. He went on to say that the part would be sent to me and the repairman would come and install it at no charge. I just got a call from the rapairman dept. and the female voice on the phone informed me that the repairman could not make it out for 4 days. I told her that I would make the rape-air myself and ask her if she could go without hot water for 5 days.

Then I found this website and am offering my complaint along with everyone else. May be someone needs to make a U-tube Video of a disgruntled purchaser of the Whirlpool Flame-loc water heater blowing it up - demolishing it - or just throwing it in the dump -- SOMETHING that will cause Whirlpool to feel our pain and do something to improve their product. My last water heater lasted 15 years and was still working when I replaced it. I was beginning to get concerned that it would go out and did not want to have to replace it in the middle of winter. So much for that thought. It is the middle of winter now.

It seems that Whirlpool feels that furnishing The Part is going the extra mile so to speak. However; they have no regard for your grief, inconvenience, time waiting on the repairman, or your growing lack of confidence in their products.

We recently purchased a new Whirlpool gas water heater a little more than a year ago...same old story, pilot light went out and would not stay lit. We called Whirlpool who told us that they knew what the problem was and that they would send us the part over night and would cost $20 for shipping. I had a technician come out to install the new parts they sent, after installing, the pilot light would still not stay lit.

We called Water Heater America and they told us they would not replace the whole unite unless the technician who did the work would personally write up a report stating that the whole heater was defective!!

We have been w/o hot water not for 7 DAYS! and so far we are in the whole $150 for labor and to have the new part shipped! We will never purchase another Whirlpool product EVER again!

Purchased a 40 gal. Whirlpool water heater from Lowes. Installed in Jan. 08. Pilot light went out and fails to relite. Replaced thermocouple and still wont relight. I have a good pilot flame. Model #BFG2F4040T3NOV

Looks like I will be added to a long list of unhappy customers. I bought a Whirlpool Flame Lock Natural Gas hot water heater in April 2008. On 3/1/2009, I am experiencing my pilot light not staying lit. For the past three days, I have been re-lighting it often as I have a family of six that need showers. The model # is BFG1H5040T3NOV.

What a pain and it sounds like my only recourse is to try and replace the gas value myself or have a plumber do it. Not looking forward to spending $$ that I should not have to, especially during these economic times. Very unsatisfied customer. I will never by Whirlpool again!

Call American Water Heater Company and they should be able to send you a kit to fix your water heater FREE. We had problems with 3 separate water heaters and they sent us 3 kits sent free of charge. Their address is Johnson City, NJ, 37607

I had a whirlpool gas waterheater made by american hot water company for about four years until the pilot light went out.Same old story,as I read hundreds of complaints.I guess I was one of the lucky ones to get four years out of this piece of junk.I replaced burner unit they had sent me.six months later failed again.Bought a Bradford White,which had great reviews.This unit is very quiet and water is much hotter at the same setting.I want to warn consumers about the other brand, Us Craftmasters hot waterheater.Same exact watertank as the whirlpool also made by american hot water company in Johnson city Tn.This tank is sold at keystone plumbing.Don't buy!!!!

After replacing the burner unit that whirlpool sent me,did not heat properly.The unit was very loud when heating and water was not as hot. also when unit failed again after six months the burner unit was chared and insulation on igniter wire was burnt.This is a dangerous watertank.

I bought a Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater from Lowes in January 2008. It lasted a year. I have had two different repairmen work on it, only to have it go out again the same day. Another repairman coming tomorrow morning. I see now that there was a class action against Lowes and Whirlpool for this water heater, but to get in on it you had to submit a claim in 2008. But Lowes and Whirlpool are still making and selling a defective product (and they know it, but won't admit it), so what about those of us who are having problems now? My plumber today said he got out of installing them for Lowe's and became the official Whirlpool warranty repairman because there was more money to be had fixing them.

We bought our water heater in an emergency situation (as most people do), so we couldn't exactly research our options. We bought what Lowe's had, and Lowe's was selling a defective product, even after a class action had been served. I spent almost $700 for the heater and installation, only to have it last one year (the previous heater lasted almost 30). I have spent nearly a week without hot water, which is extremely difficult with young children.

5 month old whirlpool water heater purchased from Lowes. Pilot light does not light. They are sending the part and then we coordinate with Sears, another fiasco. These units are obviously defective.

cold showers, unable to treat medical problems, great inconvenience.

I, too, have a Whirlpool water heater I purchased last year from Lowes and am having trouble getting the pilot light to stay lit. For about a month it has been like playing a game as to whether we will have hot water or not from day to day. Finally, this morning, the pilot would not stay lit. I looked through the paperwork I still have that was included when I purchased the water heater looking for a remidy, but found none. I have emailed Whirlpools customer service dept. of my trouble, but have yet to get a reply.

The water heater has a six year waranty that looks like it is not worth the paper it is printed on, as Whirlpool will only cover the cost of the defective part IF they deem it defective, not shipping of the part or the cost of a service man to diagnose the problem or install the part. Whirlpool failed to give any part numbers in the literature included in the water heater packet, so I guess I am stuck dealing with Whirlpool. I will never buy another Whirlpool product.

We are yet another family that purchased a Whirlpool Flamelock water heater and now have had no hot water for 3 1/2 days. They sent out a repair man, but no part. Now they have sent the part, but the delivery is delayed for some unknown reason. This is just ridiculous. I cannot believe they are still selling these water heaters anywhere, especially at Lowe's which I used to believe was a great place to shop. At this point I want a full refund so I can purchase a water heater of a different brand. The Whirlpool customer service told us the replacement part will fix the problem- yeah right- kind of like it fixed everyone elses that has broken a zillion times!!!! Extremely unhappy customer!!!

We have a water tank in our home Model # FG1F4034T3NOV. The hot water was cold so we went to Lowes and was told to replaced the burning unit on 02-23-09 we did that and the water heated up and we had hot water. We woke up the next morning 02-24-09 and the pilot light went out again, and again we had no hot water. We called Whirl Pool and they told us to replace the Gas Valve and sent us the part. On 02/25/09 we had the part put on our water tank and the pilot light still won't stay lit, we called customer service and they they are saying the reset button is not working.

Why would they send us a broken part, they said they will send new parts today but we will have to go another day or two with cold water. We have a 3 small children in our home one being a newborn and we are very unhappy that they we don't have hot water. They won't replace the water tank, only the parts. It seems that the whole water tank is the issue because the parts keep breaking. They need to take this water tank off the market many complaints on this website.

MODEL: BFG1H4040T3NOV SERIAL: 0744112002 I purchased a Whirlpool 40 gallon water heater from Lowe's in Cleveland OH, in December 2007. I am a one person household, but have never liked the performance of this thing. It seems like there is barely enough hot water to take one shower, or wash one load of clothes/dishes. In February 2009, the beast died. The pilot light will not stay lit. I too called the '877' number listed on the tank and spoke with Randy in India who told me this was a warranty repair, and I would have to call Sears to schedule the repair after I received my parts via UPS.

I initiated the first call on a Friday, and on Monday I had the parts with the service call technician from Sears scheduled for Wednesday between 8-12 noon. It is now noon on Wednesday, and the tech just called me to say he would be here about 1:30pm! So much for being on time and for me wasting a whole day! When I was shopping for a new hot water heater I was not aware of the issues with Whirlpool tanks.

Up to this point I have been pleased with Lowe's customer service and products, and I choose to purchase from Lowe's due to their home installation. I guess I am not the only one here to make a stupid mistake. According to the repetitive comments here, I will plan on replacing my new Whirlpool hot water heater when it dies again in the next couple of months. By the way, the tank purchase with installation was about $630 in total.

Have a whirlpool water heater that went out sunday evening, after getti ng online, and tring to figure out what might be wrong with it end up at this website, after reading some of the complaints, I broke my wife the bad news, we might need to purshase a new water heater. I was for sure after reading, that is was the thermo couple. Was considering buying a new unit, but decided to look for a replacement part.

Went to Lowes the following morning. Lowes does not carry, the thermo coupler for the heater we have, ask for some help about the thermo couple, the lady at our lowes gave me that look, (you own one too) but to my suprize she was very helpful and knowledable about the issuses with the water heater after a couple of minutes of thumbing through her book she went to the back of the store came back about 5 mintues later with a box. I opened it and was suprized to find a replacement. Was looking for the price tag, there was not any, replacement part was free. Went home read the instructions and replace the upgraded assembly. I guess Im one of the luck ones.

one night without hot water.

Bought Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowes. Lasted one year and one month. Keeps going out, constantly tried to relight. Water dripping inside. Had gas company out. Everything connecting to heater was fine. Called the number on heater many times. Was told I had the wrong serial number several times. I told them I had a photograph to prove it was mine. After that they said to keep the heater on for an hour on high to get rid of condensation. It only stays on for 10 minutes at the most. Lowes was no help, but I have to say their staff really tried to help.

They don't send repair people out after a year. Whirlpool is the worst. My heater is still out, and I see all the other complaints here. Were there any good results for anyone? I see something about class action lawsuit in this site. Don't those usually pay a few pennies to the people who file, and much money to the attorneys?

I bought last year at Lowes 40 gallon water heater and it just broke down as every one is saying, I called the service because it has 6 years warrenty and they tol me to change the pilot at the door which there is thermocouple, I paid $21 and I received overnight but unlucky to get shower at this cold night 6F and me and my kids and my wife have been without hot water for 5 days, so he unlock we have it was none of those parts works. They are bad I think because the thermocouple is closed circuit, I just tested the resistance and it is short connection somewhere. Thank you Lowes for your junk.

I bought a whirlpool hot water heater in 2005 from Lowes and stop working, i replased the one i had and that one was 15 years old. I hope that the problem is fixed or we should all get a voucher for a new one that works. I called customer service and the said they will ship an upgrade out to me next day. I hope it comes i have been without hot water since yesterday, i have a 6yr old and one on the way. It is winter now and having no hot water is not fun!! I hope that this part works, and another thing they are making me pay for next day and it should'nt be if it is their problem why should we pay for the shipping!!

I bought a Whirlpool 'flame lock' water heater from Lowes in December 2007 (model #BFG1F4040S3NOV). After 14 months, the pilot light would not stay lit. For three days, I would relight it in the morning and it would stay on long enough to heat the tank once, then the pilot light would shut off again. On the fourth day, I could not get the pilot light to light at all. I thought it might be the thermocouple and replaced it myself, but the pilot light still wouldn't stay on. I did an internet search for 'Whirlpool flame lock water heater' and found this web site, along with several others detailing the problems with these water heaters. After much reading, I decided my problem might be a bad thermostat/gas valve.

I called Lowes and was told to contact Whirlpool customer service to order a replacement kit. I told him I had been dealing with this issue for several days already and did not want to wait several more days to be mailed a replacement kit for something that shouldn't need replacing in the first place. He said he had just received another shipment of gas valves (it sounded like they went through a lot of these!) and they were $54.00 each. I reluctantly went to Lowes to buy one. I noticed dozens of these same water heaters still on the shelves, with no mention of the 'special offer' Whirlpool gives on the replacement kits. After a half-day spent obtaining the part, draining the water heater, removing the bad part and installing the new one, I now have hot water again.

From everything I've read, I dont' feel very confident that this will last more than a few months. I found the Whirlpool website, where they offer the replacement kit for $8.00 shipping (ground only). If you don't want to wait a week to take a shower, you can pay extra to have it sent overnight. It looks like they don't offer anything as far as getting it installed goes, so unless you are comfortable doing it yourself, you will still be out over $100 to pay a plumber to do it. I did email Whirlpool customer service and they indicated they would reimburse me the cost of the thermostat/gas valve if I sent them my receipt, which sounds like the best I could hope for at this point.

I usually research any purchase over $150 or so before I make it, but my previous water heater developed a sudden leak (after 12 years of trouble-free service) so I needed a quick replacement. I have definitely learned my lesson. I am disappointed in both Whirlpool and Lowes for continuing to sell these water heaters, and for not offering better service when their products prematurely fail.

The economic damage was minimal since I did all the work myself. I spent $54 on the thermostat/gas valve, for which I hope to be reimbursed. I wasted 40 gallons of water draining the water heater. The main problem has been the hassle of dealing with a water heater that should not be broken after 14 months, and the time and effort I have spent trying to fix somebody else's incompetence. It wouldn't be quite as frustrating, but a few days before all this happened I read an article on Whirlpool and their CEO's 2008 compensation.

Here is a quote from the Associated Press report - Whirlpool Corp. Chief Executive J.M. Fettig's compensation was cut in half to $6.1 million in fiscal 2008 as the home appliance maker struggled during a recession that has sapped consumer's desire to spend on big-ticket items. I can say it is not the recession that has sapped my desire to spend my hard-earned money on a product that doesn't work. I also read that the CEO gets a discount on Whirlpool products, so I can only hope that he is having to take a cold shower as I write this!

I purchased a Whirlpool model BFG1JF040T3NOV Feb 24, 2008 from Lowes. Got up this morning, no hot water. Luckily we have another bathroom with a seperate hot water heater. Checked it this afternoon, pilot out. Relit. Lasted on cycle and now it won't stay lit at all. Judging from the other complaints on this forum, sounds like I've been had. I called their 800 number, but they are closed. I'll call tomorrow.

New hot water heater. 11 months. No hot water.

I purchased a New Whirlpool water Heater in April 2008 from Lowe's after my old one stopped working after about 10 yrs or so. After installing the Whirlpool 40 gallon gas water heater MODEL#BFG1F4034T3NOV, now not even one year later the pilot light went out and will not stay lit. I have children with no hot water, called customer service and got someone from India who only spoke broken English which makes it kind of hard to explain your problem. Now they are sending someone from sears to look at it in two days.

Whirlpool should replace the heater or give back the purchase price for water heater. We paid for a product that doesn't work as stated. They should have stated water heater has problem with pilot light going off. Then I could have made the choice to have this incontinence. I could have gone with another brand but I thought I was getting quality with Whirlpool and thought I could trust Lowe's products.

I was BADLY mistaken and I am a VERY unhappy customer and astonished by the number of people with the same problems that I have. Whirlpool tells you they know about the defects, and they will fix the problem so it doesn't keep happening. I also found out that there is/was a class action lawsuit, because this is a known problem. This product should be pulled from every store and scrapped, and all customers should be granted a voucher for a new water heater cost free.

The hot water heater , Whirlpool Flame Lock, quit working becasue the pilot light goes out. It will not turn back on either. It has a 6 year warranty and I have had it 13 months!

We built house in 2004, used Whirlpool water heater. Within 2 yrs pilot light continues to go out and we are without hot water. We have replaced thermocouple and now we are told to replace gas value. We have 2 50 gallons tanks purchased from Lowe's in Sherman Texas, and we have NO hot water. What does anyone recommend. All complaints above on this model are exactly our problems as well. Has anyone had any success?

I purchased a whirlpool hot water heater from lowes, it has not been a year and the pilot light keeps going off, i have to take off from work and have somebody come over to fix this problem and the not having hot water for days is not pleasant in winter time either,

whirlpool shoud replace or pay for this defective product that they sold to consumers, the customer service people that I call everytime said that this is an ongoing problem with the gas water heaters and that they are aware of it, however w/p does not do anything to help the consumer. it is sad.

We bought a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes on04-28-08 and 10 months later the pilot will not stay lit. Customer Service ant Whirlpool was no help so I thought that I should call the store and complain, because this product has a 9 year warranty, and Whirlpool is sending a part that will not be here for 3 days. By the time it gets here who know how long it will take to get installed. The closet installer that Whirlpool could give me is 45 miles. Even after explaining that their is a 3 year old in the house who needs an bath. They could or would not help me because they said it has not been a year, and it is a breach of contract with Whirlpool to work on a warrantied product before a year is out. Lowes should very seriously think about not doing business with Whirlpool any more if they want to keep customers.

We bought a Water heater from Lowes 04-23-2008 it is now 10 months later and the pilot will not stay lit, we call 1-877-817-6750, and they were useless. This was answered by someone in India, that we could barely understand, and they could not understand us. They than told us that we would get a part shipped to us and it would arrive in 3 days. When we told them that this was unexceptable because there is a 3 year old in this house, who needs to have an bath, and unlike an adult, is not going to tolerate a cold bath. We than asked to be transferred to a supervisor, after waiting for a supervisor we go hung up on. W called back and got the same response.

We were then told that when we got the part 3 days later we need to call a technition. And she could not find one in our area. Riverside is one of the biggest counties in California, The closest she could give me was in Anaheim, which is 45 miles away. She had no map or any knowledge of where we were located, and was giving me city names as far as 250 miles away, such as San Jose.

I thought that if I called and set up a appointment for Wednesday the day after this part was to arrive, I would not have to wait for him until Friday or Monday. I called him and left a message 4 hours ago. I then called Lowes and they said they could do nothing because it would be a breech of contract with Whirlpool to touch this product before a year was up. So they were no help either. My husbands company has recently been bought by General Electric, and we have appliances from them as well and have never had a problem. In the future I think we will buy directly from them and avoid Lowes all together. We will never buy a Whirlpool product again.

No damage except cold showers when it is 40 degrees outside.

Bought a Whirlpool hot water heater FG1H4040T3Nov Feb 2005 and Feb 2009 it went dead, Pilot light wont stay lit. This model does have the conversion kit went to lowes and picked it up installed it, still doesn't work. Heading to home depot right now. Will never shop at Lowe's again. Lowe's knows about the problem with Whirlpool's but continues to sell this junk.....bye bye lowe's no more of my hard earned money.

On 3 March 2005 I replaced my 18 year old water heater with the Whirlpool water heater Model FG1H4040T3NOV unit. In 2006 the pilot light went out and would not relight so I went back to Lowes to get a new thermocuple where I was told that I had to call the 800 number for assistance on this unique model water heater. I came home and called a local plumber who came out and said that he did not have parts for this model and that I had to call Whirlpool for repalcement parts, he also said that this was the worst model water heater he had ever seen in his 50 years in the industry.

I called Whirlpool and after much waiting finally got to someone in the English only department of customer service that assured me that in fact there was problem with this model water ehater and that for $30.00 I could have the repalcement part shipped overnight. In the past year as part of the class action law suit I have received two repelcaement elements and in the past 4 days I have replaced both of them. The first one last 2 days and the second one lasted one day. As soon as I get over the flu I am headed to Home Depot to get another water heater. Since Lowes is so desparate to make money and will not pull this substandard product of their shelves I feel like I need to go elsewhere to do business. Please rest assured it will not be a Whirlpool water heater, furthermore I will never purchase another Whirlpool product in my house.

No financial challenges or hardships other than being without hot wearter for a few days. The issue is the lack of trust that I no longer have for Whirlpool and Lowes, the disregard for the customer and the potential for a disaster when one of these substandard and unsafe water heaters explodes and seriouslly injures or kills people.

The subject is the Whirlpool EE3Z50RD055V 50-gallon Energy Smart electric water heater. After 4-1/2 years of service, the control board of the subject Whirlpool water heater crashed and burned. Relay K1 apparently became intermittent and arced itself to death. It was so hot, it burned through the circuit board and into the plastic housing bottom. It burned some of the relay contacts' wiring too. This was not due to an external circuit fault, to wit, the wires were burned only in close proximity to relay K1 and nowhere else. Charcoal smell now permeates the air in the utility room.

I thoroughly inspected and tested the entire water heater electrical system and found no other damage. Also, its plumbing remains sound...no leaks etc. Spent only a few minutes on the service phone line. Agreed to pay 20 bucks for overnight shipping. The replacement control board kit was on the front porch when I arrived home from work this afternoon. I rigged a temporary manual control circuit so the wife & I could have nice, hot showers this morning. Made sure the circuit was dead before leaving the house... Looks like the designers switched to P&B relays on the replacement unit which BTW was manufactured late in 2008. Well, this has been fun, but the XYL says I have to quit playing with the water heater now and put it back on 'automatic'.

Who knows...perhaps I'll get to do this again in a few years, albeit at somewhat greater expense.

$20.00 overnight shipping charges. Loss of hot water for 24 hours' time. Thirty minutes of my time & effort to effect repairs.

Model number MHE2F40RS035V bought 2 days only heats up ten minute goes cold. Called doesn't have any one in this area to fix it said only pay 75 dollars for service call. Would not help found any one I would have to find and pay out of my pocket for it to be fixed. Would only reinburst my 75 dollars on cost. I have payed 300 dollars for new hot water heater should not have to pay to have it fixed in only two days. This wrong! I need hot water I have two kids. It is too cold to have to go somewhere every morning to take bath. It runs up light bill whos paying that cost me it isn't right. I will never buy anything Whirlpool again.

Purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes the pilot light goes out> Always have to replaced Thermocouple or gas valve. Only three years old with a nine year warranty.

Have children with no hot water have to wait for replacement part from Whirlpool then have to call Public Service and Gas co. to try and fix problem. Then months later the same thing happens. Whirlpool should replace the heater or give back the purchase price for water heater. We paid for a product that doesn't work as stated. They should have stated water heater has problem with pilot light going off. Then I could have made the choice to have this inconvience.Whirlpool tells you they know about the defects. Well FIX the problem so it doesn't keep happening.

Purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowes the pilot light goes out> Always have to replaced Thermocouple or gas valve. Only three years old with a nine year warranty.

Have children with no hot water have to wait for replacement part from Whirlpool then have to call Public Service and Gas co. to try and fix problem. Then months later the same thing happens. Whirlpool should replace the heater or give back the purchase price for water heater. We paid for a product that doesn't work as stated. They should have stated water heater has problem with pilot light going off. Then I could have made the choice to have this inconvience. Whirlpool tells you they know about the defects. Well FIX the problem so it doesn't keep happening.

In regards to my Whirlpool water heater: I purchased this water heater new from a large home improvement center locally in May of 2008. My first concern is that I registered the warranty online on the date of purchase and they had no record of that when I called the warranty number when I did have an issue. I called the warranty department on Wednesday, 02/12/09 concerning my water heater. The pilot light kept going out after a heating cycle was completed. I was told by their representative that this is a known issue with the gas valve. The rep. told me that they were going to overnight a replacement gas valve that should arrive on 02/13/09, and provided me with a number to call and schedule a technician to come out to the house to replace the valve.

I informed the rep. that I was leaving town for the weekend on the morning of 02/13/09 and asked how the replacement part was being shipped. The rep answered by UPS. I then asked the rep if a signature was going to be required for delivery and was told no, the UPS driver would just leave it at the door. I was grateful and told the rep to go ahead and ship the part because I had someone available to pick up my mail and packages while I was gone, and also told the rep I would call the technician's number to schedule an appointment for the following Wednesday, 02/18/09, giving time for the part to arrive and for me to return home from my trip. During my trip, I continually checked with the person picking up my mail and packages and no package from UPS was delivered.

The tech arrived Wednesday morning, 02/18/09 and did not have the replacement part on his truck. When I told him what the warranty rep said about the techs having the part on their trucks, he said that he wished they could carry the part because it is a common problem, but they weren't allowed by contract with Whirlpool Warranty. The tech instructed me to call the warranty department back and request that the part be shipped out overnight and he would have a service scheduling agent call me to reschedule the appointment as soon as possible. I called the warranty department back for a third time, and explained the whole situation to a third rep. She apologized, admitted that not shipping the part in the first place was their error and she was shipping out the replacement part overnight and I was to expect it on

Thursday, 02/19/09. I then requested to speak with a supervisor to register a complaint in the way this issue has been handled by the warranty department so far. The rep informed me that she had no way of transferring me to a supervisor, but that she would personally walk my message to her supervisor and have them call me back soon. I then called the service technician number to reschedule my appointment. The soonest they could schedule an appointment was for Friday, 02/20/09, in the afternoon. I took the appointment due to that being the soonest they could provide service. I waited several hours for a warranty supervisor to call back and finally called the warranty line a fourth time and asked to speak to a supervisor directly. Somehow, I was magically connected with a supervisor, even though the last rep I spoke with said she had no way to transfer me to one. I explained verbatim the whole situation to this supervisor and stressed the fact that it is the middle of February and my family s now facing being without hot water until Friday afternoon.

So I am currently waiting for that call providing me with a tracking number so I know when to expect the replacement gas valve that should have been overnighted and been received on 02/13/09. It is now 02/18/09. I am now supposed to receive the part on 02/19/09 and have it replaced on 02/20/09. Not counting the weekend we were out of town that makes it 3 days we are going to be without hot water in the middle of winter, assuming the valve would have been replaced today if it had been shipped as was promised.

What other consequences can there be other than my fmaily is without hot water in the middle of winter. We either have to go without showers and doing laundry or check into a hotel, paying out of my own pocket, which I cannot afford to do. I feel I am getting the run around with this company and being taken advantage of, possibly because I am a woman. I do hope that that supervisor's family does not have to go without hot watr for 3 or more days in the middle of winter.

Purchased a Whirlpool FG series water heater from Lowes almost four years ago to the day. I don't really need to tell you how that's going, do I. Pilot went out on Valentines day. As soon as The Gas Company tech (that came out to inspect the water heater) saw it he informed me of Whirlpools ongoing problems. I was boiling water on my stove to wash dishes and he told that I better get use to it if I keep this water heater.

Lowes is currently out of the converter kit that I need, of course. I was informed by the appliece department at Lowes that I could order it from Whirlpool but they would charge me $20 for the overnight freight. I'm only four years into a six year complete warrenty, a warrenty that won't include the guy I'm going to have to pay to do the work. It would probably be more cost effective to buy a new water heater. Seams like a racket to me.

On June 28th, 2008, my family purchased a Whirlpool Gas Water Heater with Flamelock (model # BFG1F4040S3NOV). Yesterday, 2/17/2009, the pilot went out. I've relighted it several times so that my family could bathe, but now it won't stay lit. I have a 2 year old and a 6 month old child and have been told that the soonest a part can get here is Friday (today is Wednesday), and that we won't be able to get a technician in until Saturday.

How, after only 7 months, can a product like this (one that is so essential to daily living) go bad? I'm quite disappointed and frustrated that we have to bother our friends with showering at their home. The worker at Lowe's was very kind--though, I think they might want to rethink their association with a brand that consistently manufactures crummy appliances. When I spoke with the customer service rep, I was told that my model was not the one that required the so called Enhancement kit. When I asked her why, then, did they make another model that had an eerily similar problem, she told me that she wasn't a technician and that since she couldn't actually look at the heater herself, she couldn't give me any such answers. Hmmmm... Well, her company now has one less Whirlpool customer.

As a result, I needed to leave work early today, and may need to leave an academic conference for which I am the organizer!!! This is the kind of thing that kills one's career!!! Ahhh!

Bought and installed hot water heater BFG1F4034T3NOV on 5/23/08, water heater pilot light went out on 2/14/09. Relit once and probably made it through one heating cycle. It then wouldn't relight. Checked everything and thought it was the valve. Called the warranty line Monday and they indicated Lowes would have the part, which the didn't (if they did, we apparently would have to file a claim to get reimbursed).

Lowes didn't have a part number to check other stores and the warranty number couldn't give Lowes assistant any information. I called back myself and they sent the valve overnight. There was no shipping charges as indicated in previous posts. I put the valve in and it's working... for now. All in all customer service was better than I expected based on what I've seen here, that said it still is a heck of an inconvenience based on something that is still fairly new. I won't buy a water heater from them again based on how these were apparently made.

No hot water for 2.5 days, wasted trip to Lowes.

Bought a new natural gas water heater in March 2008 because we were switching from LP to Natural gas. We bought our whirlpool heater from Lowes. It went out yesterday, 2/17/09 and we called our plummer (who was not the one who installed it) He checked it out and explained the thermal cupler problem and relit the piliot light for us. It went out again last night and after reading all the complaints listed with this heater here, we are just going to replace the unit with what he recommends. We will not buy Whirlpool products again without researching them first!

another story of a junk whirlpool water heater from lowes. model number bfg1f4040s3nov. had it for 13 months and now the pilot light went out and wont relight. called customer service and got someone from india who only spoke broken english which makes it kind of hard to explain your problem. Now they are sending someone from sears to look at it in two days. That will put my at a week without hot water assuming that they actually can fix it when the come.

I spent the little extra money to buy this product assuming that whirlpool made good products and trusted that lowes sold good product. But i was sorely mistaken. I am only 21 and just bought my house. I am capable of repairing this myself but can not afford to be taking off work to wait for the repairman. Something needs to happen with this situation. THIS IS PATHETIC!

I, like thousands of others, bought a faulty whirlpool water heater. Model #bfg1f4040s3nov. My pilot like went out on it and would not relight. I replaced the thermocouple and still no luck. I have been without hot water for four days now and have to wait two more until a technician can come out and look at it. Which from what i can tell from the other posts, i can look forward to many more situations like this in the future. I am really tempted to just junk this water heater and buy a different brand to avoid the future headaches.

I am only 21 with and new house and can not afford to miss work or fixing hot water heaters. I could have gone with the less expensive brands but i thought i was getting quality with whirlpool and thought i could trust lowe's products. I was BADLY mistaken. I am a VERY unhappy customer and astonished by the number of people with the same problems that i have.

Like i stated, i will be without hot water for a week and can not afford to be missing work. This situation is absolutely pathetic! I am ashamed at both lowes and whirlpool!

I have a Whirlpool hot water heater that stopped working about 3 months ago--pilot light wouldn't stay lit. After asking a friend who's a plumber to take a look at it, he called Lowe's to inquire about a new part and was informed about the class action lawsuit and the free replacement part. Now yesterday the same problem happened--pilot won't stay lit.

Called Whirlpool and was told that because I am not the original purchaser of the water heater (it's only 4 years old, but was already in the house when I bought it) that I'm not covered under the warranty--even though it has 5 years left on it--and would have to pay $106 + shipping for a new replacement part. After finding hundreds, if not thousands, of similar complaints online I called back and told them that I don't think it's fair for them to play the 'voided' warranty-card when their product is clearly defective. Was told too bad. So, I sent an email to the corporate office explaining that I would pay if I had too, but that I would get $106 worth of customer service time hearing me complain about having to pay for it!

After my fourth straight phone call and 45 minutes of complaints to customer service, received two separate phone calls from supervisors who waived the fee. After reading all the other problems, I think I'm just going to buy a new water heater; this new part will probably break soon anyways. Terrible company, will never deal with Whirlpool again.

water heater went out in 8 months, of installing it.

had no water witrh two kids famiuly of 4 for 5 days

Bought new 50 gal hot water (ng) around Aug 2007. Pilot went out, kept relighting until that even stopped working. Called lowes and manager said i could return for refund. Like a dummy, my wife and I bought another 50 Gal BFG1H5040T3 natural gas from Lowe,s again May 14, 2008. Even commented to her before we paid for it we was making a big mistake and to make sure we saved the receipt. Well on 2-11-09 the heater went out again. Called lowe,s talked to appliance man told him this was 2nd heater that went out. He told me have to get a RA no. from whirlpool to be able to return.

Took a vac day on wed 2-12-09 called whirlpool talked to Harry, he told me it was like buying a car, 1 out of every 20,000 might have something wrong. So he told me it was the gas valve and he would have 1 overnighted and sears would put it on. I then started researching and found this Website, I told my wife and we decided to call lowe,s and talked to manager he told me to bring it back and I could a instore credit. THANK YOU MANAGER. I then went to Sears and bought a Kenmore made by A O Smith

1 day vac lost and about 8 hrs of unstalling and installing, after reading all these complaints and the Special Needs people I consider myself lucky? NO More Whirlpool Products.

We purchased the Flame Lock water heater in 2003 FG1J4040t3NV and it worked fine until this past week. The pilot light went out and will not stay lit now. While doing research I stumbled on the site with all the complaints. We took the burner apart and cleaned the thermocoupler and it's lit for now. Too bad we missed the class action lawsuit - it would have been nice to know about the problems before we took cold showers this weekend and again this morning. I was wondering if anyone knew where we could get the left thread thermocouplers? It seems Lowes doesn't carry them and I don't want to wait weeks for a shipment from Whirlpool if I don't have to - any ideas?

We had the repairman out today. Took the water heater apart, cleaned and put it back together so we've only paid for one call so far.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater less than 3 years ago that had a 9 year warranty. When it began leaking I called Whirlpool. They did not want to send anyone out to look at it, they just wanted to replace it. They gave me a return authorization and told me to go back to where it was originally purchased (Lowes). They indicated that the water heater would be covered, but installation would not be. I wasn't thrilled with that since I had paid $150 to have it installed initially.

I took my RA number to Lowes to arrange for the replacement. Due to changes in both building codes and water heater style, the installation/labor of the new heater ended up costing me $460. I understand being reponsible for charges due to changes in building code (approx $100), but after numerous calls to Whirlpool they refuse to participate in any of the fees, including those due to changes in their water heater style. Basically, I'm out of pocket $460 because they sell a faulty product.

The only damage is to my bank account and Whirlpool's reputation. I work in a consumer oriented business, and when we have a problem we make it right. I just wanted the complaint filed and on record. It appears from looking at numerous websites that this is a problem thousands of people are having with Whirlpool's water heaters right now, and Whirlpool is basically turning their nose up and providing the minimum necessary provided by the verbage of their warranty policy.

I bought a new 40gal hot water heater two years ago and have had to replace the thermal coupling three times and then whirlpool sent me a replacement burner assembly and it worked about six months. called whirlpool and now they say i need a new gas valve and it will cost me thirty dollars. I shouldnt have to pay for anything the water heater is still under waranty and after all the trouble ive had i think it would be better if they just replaced the water heater instead of having to put new parts in this one until the warranty runs out and then they wont have to do anything.

i am dissabled and cant afford to keep replacing parts

We bought a New Whirlpool water Heater January 2008 from Lowe's after our old one(Not a Whirlpool)went short of ten years. Yes it lasted almost ten years without a problem. After installing the Whirlpool 40 gallon gas water heater we noticed that our showers would not give us a uniform hot water. We would consistently have to turn the cold water off to get any hot water. We have been taking cold showers for a year! At first we thought it had something to do with our water regulator but after reading all these many posts we know now it was the water heater. Now one year later the gas pilot on the water heater goes out and won't stay on and we have no hot water!

we called the number on the heater and got someone in India who told us it was the gas control value and gave us a Sears number to call to get it fixed. I called Sears and had to wait two days for a repair man to come. Again after reading these posts I called Sears and ask them to make sure they had the part with them when they came. The women at Sears said they would have to assess it first but that they do carry parts on their trucks. After taking off work and waiting for Sears Repair to come between 8-12 they came at 11:55,the repair man didn't even come in for 5 minutes and told us we had to order the parts. They can't keep enough in stock. This has been three days now and we might not get the part until four more days. The repair man told us that even though we replace the new part it is no guarantee.

This water heater hasn't worked right seance day one! What a piece of junk! I think Whirlpool and Lowe's owes us all a refund for this heater and time lose and aggravation at having to replace it and take cold showers. Maybe this company should stop shipping their manufacturing to Mexico and start letting Americans make their product. I am truly disgusted with this company and at Lowe's for still selling it to us after they know it is faulty. I see nothing but problems with this heater for the next years to come. I can't afford to replace it at this time but if I have to it certainly won't be a Whirlpool or from Lowe's.

I originally bought a Whirlpool (could of bought another brand) because I thought they made excellent product, Shame on you Whirlpool your reputation is now in the gutter along with any other products [they] try to sell. What kind of a deal [with] Lowe's? Shame on you Lowe's. taking the American people for a ride. I want my money back! We paid over $300.00 dollars for this heater thinking it was a better product then the less expensive ones and we got duped! Yea and we got the white grit on our shower head and kitchen sprayer too. I now know that is from this water heater. We need to get the media involved. Or better yet install one in the White House! Got to go boil water now, hope my stove doesn't give out! Include me in any class action suit involving this water heater model number #BFG1F4040S3Nov.

Bought a Whirlpool Energy Smart water heater in April 2008 and within 4-6 months, the hot water became less and less whil showering. As time went on, the hot water became less and less to where you have to shower in approx. 5 minutes, than the water is cold. Accrding to the troubleshooting with insuffcient hot water, we adjusted the temp with no change. Then we replaced both heating elements...again no change.

Called about the warranty and was told that it sounded like the lower element wasn't getting the proper voltage. Was also told that if they send someone to look at it and everything isn't up to code, then we would have to foot the bill for the service call or turn it into our homeowners. Either way, it would be coming out of our pocket. You can about guarantee that they will have something that isn't up to code. Just can't imagine that they would make/sell a water heater that won't even last a year. Now we are to where we have to decide on buying a new one or having it fixed. If we decide to but a new one, you can guarantee it will not be a Whirlpool.

Bought a Whirlpool water heater about 18 months ago at Lowes. Had it professionally installed. The water heater quit heating. Called customer service. Customer service is in India. Explained the problem. Customer service acted like they had no idea what part I actually needed. (My plumber told me to order the entire burner assembly...and to be prepared to order it often because this water heater is the laughing stock of water heaters: Model BFG1J504OT3NOV903. Got the parts. Plumber said Good luck with that, after installing the burner assembly.

Water heated up once, and after 5 days without hot water and a $160.00 repair bill, the pilot won't keep the flame burning. Checked on line and saw that Lowes was still selling these. Couldn't believe it. Called Lowes and told the manager. Said they had never heard any complaints about this water heater. HA! I did some research afterwards and discovered that there has already been a CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED AGAINST LOWES AND WHIRLPOOL for this water heater. UNBELIEVABLE! Wish I had done research before hand. This water heater, and now Whirlpool for all intents and purposes, are junk. Wouldn't buy a Whirlpool anything, ever. Same goes with Maytag, but that's another story.

We are out about $1200.00 over this water heater and haven't even gotten 2 years out of it.

Water heater purchased at Lowe's Model FG1F30303PV failed numerous times and finally failed completely on2/9/2009. Went into Lowe's to get replacement and guess what they had boxes of these for various models that are under recall. I will never but anything that is made by whirpool and sold at lowe's. I am very surprised at lowe's response to this and the ho hum attitude expressed by them. I am in the commercial and resdential maintenance and deal with a lot of people. I am going to share what has happened to me with everyone I come into contact.

I bought a Flame Lock gas water heater from Lowes manufacterd by Whirlpool in 2004 and I've replaced every part in it. I've repalaced the gas valve twice!Once again I,m working onit again. This has been the worst product I've ever purchased. We've taken more cold showers since we bought this water heater than I have in my life time and I'm 53yrs. Something should be done about this peice of garabbge. If this was a small company someone would of had to close there doors, but in these cases only the comsumer suffers. Where's the BBB when something really needs to be looked into.

many a cold showers, spent hours working on it, numerous heaadaces and o well, don't care attatude from WHIRLPOOL.

bad thermocouple on 3 year old water heater. Whirlpool rep wanted my credit card # to ship replacement parts. advised I don't give that info.

Will never purchase whirlpool product of any kind. Will never shop @ Lowes again.

First mistake: I purchased a Whirlpool Water-heater from Lowes. I paid an electrician to install it. It did not work. We placed it back in the box to return it to Lowes. When I returned it to Lowes, Lowes asked me to call a 1-877 number (customer service in India). I was told I was not allowed to return this water heater to Lowes. This item was faulty from the factory. No where on the box does it say Do Not Return To Lowes. There is a sticker on the tank, but I bought this item in the box, and so my second mistake was trusting Whirlpool and Lowes. I was not able to make an informed decision on this purchase.

Why is Whirlpool still producing faulty products? Why is Lowes still selling them? I read complaints from 2004, and it is 2/1/2009. Why can I not return this water heater to the store where I purchased it? It does not work! I can not give it away.

Water Heater problem. First mistake: I purchased a Whirlpool Water heater from Lowes. I paid an electrician to install it. It did not work. We placed it back in the to return it to Lowes. When I returned it to Lowes, Lowes asked me to call a 1-877 number (customer service in India). I was told I was not allowed to return this water heater to Lowes. This item was faulty from the factory. No where on the box does it say Do Not Return To Lowes. There is a sticker on the tank, but I bought this item in the box, and I was not able to buy this item fully informed.

My second mistake was trusting Whirlpool and Lowes. I started reading about Whirlpool Water heaters and I have read complaints a mile long back from 2004. Why is Whirlpool still selling these defective water heaters and why is Lowes still selling them? All I want is my $303 plus tax back. I will never buy a Whirlpool product or shop at Lowes.

6 months old Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater and I have joined the ranks of hundreds of so very happy persons that put faith in a Whirlpool product. NOT Guess what the problem is, thermocouple. Thank Whirlpool its been a pleasure doing business with you for the last time. However, count me in for the class action suite.

I've had this Whirlpool gas water heater for almost 2 years. I've had to replace the thermocoupler once already. From what I've ready, I'm lucky. But it's gone out again tonight. The first one went out under warranty. I don't know if this one will be or not. Of course, Lowe's is closed and we will not have hot water for bathing until sometime tomorrow, if I can find the part. I guarantee that I will not buy another Whirlpool product.

My 2 year old Whirlpool water heater went bad. I replaced the thermocouple 3x to no avail. I ended up replacing the water heater - again with a Whirlpool water heater. I installed the water heater and noticed it is exactly like the other/bad one. I just noticed your Class Action lawsuit file last summer. Should I take it back to Lowes or what? I cannot afford spending $500 on a water heater every 2 years. Thanks

Bought 2 whirlpool water heaters in 8/07. One year and 3 months later one of them went out. Had a plumber out to install the new flame guard from whirlpool. One hot shower and it went out again. Called whirlpool was sent another new flame guard. Had it installed. One hot shower and it went out again. Called Whirlpool again. Was sent another flame guard and a door panel and what do you know the third time is a charm! I'm now out $412.50 on a plumber! I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND WHIRLPOOL TO ANYONE!! This is obviously something that has been going on since 2000 and they still haven't remedied the problem!! And I'm not sure why LOWE'S is still selling these water heaters!

I have had a Whirlpool water heater for about 4 years now and can't tell you how many times I have had the freakin' thermocouple replaced at least 5 times and now I can't even find a supplier in my area that carries them anymore. I am extremely frustrated with this purchase and if I had the money I would just trash it and NEVER buy another whirlpool appliance again!

I have 6 kids and no hot water for showers/baths, dishwashing and clothes washing for the past 4 days on and off (dam thing stayed on for a couple of hours a few nights ago, but not long enough for all of us to shower!) I have taken off of work to have a technician come and try to fix it but he can't get the part. I myself have bought 2 different parts that might work according to dealers. Needless to say they didn't work. Now I have to take off another day to be here when it is delivered and have someone come install it! no more $$

I bought Whirlpool water 8 months ago and pilot won't stay lit and water heater will not work. We are without hot water for the last 6 days. (Within weeks of buying the unit the pilot had gone out and I was able to light it according to instructions. When I called Lowes manager I was told that there might be fluctuation in gas and water heater should work fine and that he also had Whirlpool and was working for the last 2 years for him. It seems Lowes knows about the problem but they keep selling faulty units)

I had to waste two days of work counting today (I am waiting for the technician to show up and I am told I am 11th in queue)

Bought this water heater less than 2 yrs.ago. pilot light wouldnt stay lit, then after a few days just completely would not even light. Called customer service, I think I recieved someone from India or who knows where. I have 3 children and we take lots of showers, also lots of dishes. not exactly my idea of fun having to boil water several times a day for 4 days now. will definitely not buy another whirlpool product.

I called Whirlpool regarding my model #EE2H5ORD045V Electric Water Heater as it would not heat water. I explained to the service tech that the light on the circuit board was not lit at all, no flashes, nothing. I (with experience behind me) had checked the line voltage, voltage to/at the circuit board and determined that the proper voltage was indeed at the circuit board but went no further.

The service tech then transferred me to someone who promptly informed me they would indeed supply me with a new circuit board but would not pay for shipping, a $20 cost. When you are without hot water, what's $20? Overnight shipping to cover the 240 miles would take three days, overnight-hmm? A conversation with the service tech informed me that this was not a new problem to him. It seems that these particular circuit boards are a problem period.

The only damage may be to my ego. I like many people like to be clean. Five days without hot water seems to make on feel unclean. Knowing that something as simple as a circuit board is keeping me from having a nice, long, shower is hurting my ego.

I brought a gas water heater brand Whirpool. It's not Loews fault that it does not work after 8 mos. I've had a plummber her 2 times to fix it. Loews says that Whirlpool has provided free, a conversion box. But, still doesn't not work we have been without hot wter for 4 days. Plus cost of plummber. Whirpool is junk. My other water heater was over 20 years old before it went out. Lowes does not sell the ritght parts to fix heater. So even though they give replacement parts, they don't work. So have to pay for one at supply house. Not right someone woes me money. Also had to take a day off work to wait to be fixed.

Loss of pay, loss of time, loss of money to buy new part, plus payment to plummber

I installed the 40 gallon Whirlpool hot water heater on 1/8/08 and guess what I have been without hot water for two days. It was not the thermocouple, I called whirlpool and got India and they told me to go purchase a gas valve at Lowes and they would reinburse me if I send my receipt in after 3-4 weeks. Call the Sears repair place they instructed me to call and they would not be able to come out until maybe Tuesday, it is SUNDAY and I have been without hot water for two days already. This product is a piece of junk! After reading all of the complaints, I want to be reinbursed for the cost of the hot water heater, I can not have an unreliable hot water heater. $350.00

Two days without hot water in 10 degree weather. One day off of work $250.00, plus $60.00 for gas valve and $75.00 for installation

we purchased a whirlpool hot water heater dec 2007 and started having problems Dec 2008. The piolet light would go off and you would have to restart it. Then on Jan.29th it stopped completely. I called the warranty information on the heater as required and they stated one would be fed-exed by Sat. I sat home all day Sat. on my day off waiting for the part and it never came. I called them on sun. and they said it was delivered and tried to give me a tracking #. I said forget it I am going to Lowes. They told me the part had been recalled and they were giving the part for free at Lowes. I called the # the warranty place gave me and still cannot get service to install part until Tuesday!!

I have been have to heat water for dishes and drive 36 miles to take a shower of take a cold one. We have 3 children in our home and I know they already had a lawsuit about these water heaters. What I dont understand is why they didnt recall them or let us know when I called them to get it fixed right away instead of making us go without hot water for 5 days!!

I bought a Whirlpool 40 gal. gas water heater in May, 2008. The pilot light will not stay light after I release the red button. I have changed the themocouple, the problem continues, and now the problem is in the gas valve. I have read numerous posts on the internet about this company (American water heater) and all the problems are just like mine. A call to the company is no help.

cold water only, parts that don't work and lost work days replacing the parts. probably end up replacing the heater and losing more work days. With the economy so bad, have to replace heater myself.

Well now it's the fourth and final failure of my Gas Water Heater. I've repaired this worthless junk using the even more worthless parts Whirlpool provides as a free kit from Lowes. I was really hoping to get to warmer weather before having to replace this, but having to repair it daily is not part of the plan either. When I got my last repair kit at Lowes, last weekend, I asked the guy helping me if Lowes was still selling this Whirlpool trash. He said Yes, because they were taking care customers by supplying the repair kits. He also offered to trade mine for a new Whirlpool for about $50.

Tomorrow I will replace the water heater with anything but a Whirlpool. Even $50 is too much to pay for such a worthless product. This thing is a Fraud perpetrated on the consumer. I will never trust another Whirlpool product. Based on my experience, I feel really bad for folks who can't do their own repairs on these Lemons. I'm sharing my experience, hopefully to prevent some other misfortunate soul from trying to fix this trash by throwing good money after bad.

I built a new house, new fixtures. The fixtures where all getting plugged up with white grains. I have a water softener and water filter. I finally figured the stuff is coming out of the water heater. I called wirlpool, they told me to drain it and soak in in vinager for 6 hours. I did that and it continues to spit out this grainular stuff. I am going to need to buy a new heater, this has been very frustrating. I have been dealing with it for 2 years.

I have had to clean out the screens on my dishwasher, washing machine, shower heads, bathroom and kitchen faucets, many times.

WHIRLPOOL ELECTRIC 50 gal. WATER HEATER Model #EE3250RD055V -- 10 year warranty only covers parts. (I have owned this Water Heater for only a couple of years). You have to pay to have parts shipped to you and you have to pay for the labor to fix. This is not a trouble free Water Heater and the ENERGY SMART temperature control box that sits on top of this unit is constantly shorting out with burnt wires. This is a manufactures defect in design and parts. This water heater is a fire hazard.

If I pay for a plumber to unweld all the pipes, disconnect all the wiring, manually haul all the water out of the tank, pay to have it picked up at the place of purchase (Lowes), then WHIRLPOOL will give me a free unit if they determine to replace it..you will have to jump through hoops to get this approved. BUT, I have to pay to have it shipped to my house, pay again to have a plumber reweld the pipes in, and connect the electric to the electrical box.

THIS IS A BAD PRODUCT. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A RELIABLE BRAND. I have a 2nd water heater, RUUD, for 7 years now and it has never given me a problem. I hate this WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATER and the money I don't have to constantly pay to fix this thing. I am about to have it tossed and buy another RUUD...but why should I have to incur these costs for a BAD PRODUCT = WHIRLPOOL WATER HEATER. Shame on you Whirlpool for producing a faulty product and for falsely advertising this product as dependable.

$1,000 + (Purchase, repairs) to replace will incur additional plumber fees and electrical fees

I bought a whirlpool water heater 2/09/2008 and I have had nothing but problems with it. I have the New (haha) upgraded heater with the flame lock enhancement system already installed. Have been with out hot water 3 weeks now. I am lucky in a way because after not being able to light the pilot I googled whirlpool water heaters and found nothing but complaints. I finally got a plumber out here to fix the heater and after he couldnt get the pilot light to lite.

I decieded to go ahead and replace the water heater. I will not be shopping at Lowes for this. I learned my lesson...they are selling a defective product and give you nothing but the run around when it comes to standing behind a product. Whirlpool in my opion is nothing but a crooked company. Knowingly producing such a product and Lowes for selling the product adn laughing all the way to the bank. It is just not fair consumers have to be ripped off. Water heaters are not cheap and they are even more expensive to have to pay for someone to install them. I want my money back for the faulty heater that lowes and whirlpool sold me knowing it was defective.

I have children and we need hot water to clean ourselves as well as our dishes.

Water heater is constantly going through thermocouples and have replaced the gas vavle.

Causes us a huge hassle since the water heater in in a restraunt. have to drop everything and get water heater going to restraunt can operate.

Multiple issues with thermocouple and gas valve on water heater

constantly running out of hot water cant take showers at night taking off work to gho get parts to get water heater going again

March 2007. Replaced the Rheem with a Whirlpool Flamelock 50 Gal Gas Water Heater which came with a 12 year warranty. Within an hour of the install, the pilot light went out. It took several tries to keep it lit. I was furious. Its brand new! The old tank stayed lit even during a 3 day power outage! Sigh. Seemed the condensation dripping down would snuf out the flame. Poor design.

May 2007. Called Whirlpool to file a claim since the pilot light and flame would not stay lit. Whirlpoo would not admit that the condensation would do this. I recieved a authorization number for repair and had a repair service come and replace the control module on the tank. Struck me as odd that this would need replaced already on a tank that was just a few months old. From May 2007 to Jan 2009. I have come to the conclusion that this water heater is the WORST home product I have ever bought. I finally nailed down what will surely make the flame go out: too much water usage. I discovered my 2 daughters were prone to sneaking in long showers (30-40 min each). This would essentially drain the tank of hot water, replacing it with cold water. The tank would ignite, start to heat the water, then condensation would snuf out the flame. This happens infrequent now but I had to actually train my wife and daughters how to check and relight this (inferior item) since I travel alot.

As of 28 Jan 2009, this Whirlpool Flamelock water heater will randomly flash a Code 6. This equates to a failure of the Upper Sensor. Daughter goes to take shower last night and asks if tank is still lit. I go to check to see pilot light is lit and control module has a normal blink of its indicator light. Had to turn off water heater for a minute, relight it, condensation snuffed out flame, relight again, babysit it in my cold garage for 20 minutes to ensure it stayed lit. I'll be calling Whirlpool again today to get an authorization to repair the Upper Sensor.

Sadly, I will most likely endup replacing this Whirlppol Flamelock with a different brand well before the end of the warranty. There has been no damage other than to my temper. I am considering another Rheem like I had before or a Bradford-White which is sold exclusively through plumbing shops.

This is another Lowes / Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater horror story. After reading the hordes of stories and details of a lawsuit Im left pondering two issues. Why does Whirlpool still make this lemon and why does Lowes continue to sell it? I purchased water heater model number BFG1H4040T3NOV from Lowess on 23 December 2006. It worked fine for almost fifteen months, but failed on 16 March 2008. Whirlpool sent a replacement thermostatic valve after I tested the thermocouple, inspected the thermocouple port on the gas valve and cleaned a screen at the bottom of the tank (requires disassembling the burner section).

It was operational three days and lots of work later. After only nine months the heater failed again. Whirlpool is sending another valve so after wasting four or five hours working on their junk, we should be good for another nine months. This is less expensive but much more inconvenient than the Whirlpool self-cleaning oven that costs $45.00 to repair each time we use the self-clean feature. Im guessing Whirlpool outsourced their engineering operation nine years ago. Now if they can manage to outsource a loyal customer base they might stay in business.

$377.64 is what this heater cost in December 2006. It failed twice in two years and has a nine year warranty that covers parts (but not the freight). We plan to install the replacement part, but start saving to buy a real water heater.

I bought a Whirlpool hot water tank with Flamelock back in May 2008, It had been leaking gas so I called Whirlpool who directed me to Sears to come out and fix it. They replaced it with a new thermostat, I came home only to find that it was still leaking gas so I had to call them to come back out again tomorrow. What an inconvenience not to mention all the worry of my house exploding. I have yet to experience the other problem with the thermocouple but Im sure thats next.

I recenlty replaced 13 year old water heater (forgot the brand) which never missed a beat until the day it burst, with a new Whirlpool Flame Lock 40 Gallon gas water heater, Model BFG1F4040S3PV in July 2008. What a nightmare! Like everyone else who has complained here, the pilot light extinguished and would not reignite. Reading the users manual, I decided to replace the thermocoupler. I purchased a new coupler from Lowes for $12.00. This particular unit has a right-hand thread design, unlike what I have read in most other complaints here. the heater relit and I thought all was well. Within 24hrs, the pilot light again extinguished. I decided it had to be something else, and so I took the burner assemble apart and clean the shield, and then cleaned the vent located in the bottom of the combustion chamber. Neither appeared dirty. Still the pilot would extinguish as soon as you released the by-pass switch. It simply would not stay lit.

So, I decided maybe I overtightened the coupler and damaged it. I made a second trip to Lowe's and purchased another new coupler and reinstalled it taking particular caution as I reinserted it into the burner assembly and attached it to the thermostat. Pilot light lit right up, but again, within a couple of hours it was out again. Frustrated, I contacted Whirlpool's Customer Service Center. The person who answered was from India and could barely speak English. Nonetheless, I described the problem, and the fact i had replaced two, not one, thermocouplers, and so he provided the telephone number to Sears Service center along with an authorization number. It gets worse.

I contacted Sears and two days later they came to repair the unit. Funny how the side of their van says 'same day service'. Total time without hot water so far; 4 days. The Sears service technician shows up, diagnoses a bad thermocoupler, and lo and behold says he'll have to order the part!!!! First, I was beside myself he did not have a ten dollar thermocoupler on his truck, particularly since he was dispatched to repair a gas hot water heater where the pilot light would not stay lit. I told the technician I had already installed two of them, and this had not corrected the problem. Nonetheless, his meter said it was bad, and he left saying he'd return when he had the part. I contacted Whirlpool a second time, and demanded they ship a new gas valve/thermostat overnight delivery.

They agreed, but in the meantime I contacted every Lowe Center in the surrounding area (about 6 separate stores) and none had this part, even though their shelves were running over with these heaters. One Lowe's store within driving distance would never answer the phone when you selected the Plumbing department, so I decided to drive there and received a $200 speeding ticket for doing 5 mph over the speed limit in what I have painfully since discovered is a notorious speed trap section. After a week with no hot water,

I finally received the gas valve. I have just installed it and so far, it appears to be working. But I have no confidence in this product whatsoever. After a week with no hot water in the middle of January, and with virtually no support or sympathy from Lowe's or Whirlpool I discover Whirlpool has been sued and settled a class-action lawsuit. My question: why is the product still junk if they settled. Does settlement not imply they have fixed the problem? This Whirlpool heater is a piece of junk, and here they still selling them every day at Lowe's, and Home Depot, the latter under the GE flag. Was American's ideal of a fix to simply dx the left-handed thread thermocoupler to go with a right-hand version? This hardly solves the underlying problem.

Why is Lowes, Whirlpool, and American Water Heater not being penalized further for continuing to pass off garbage to unsuspecting customers? I have had water heaters go out in the past on many occassions, but only at the end of their service life. Otherwise, they are pretty much a plug n' play device, requiring very little maintenance. This Whirpool/American junk is nothing but a headache. Mine is gone the next time it screws up, and I'll make certain that no matter the brand, it is not built in Johnson City, Tennessee!

I Purchased a Whirlpool Hot Water Tank in 2008 and has replaced the thermocouple within 6 months,Whirlpool did send the parts and a Rep to replace but now I am having to relight the hot water tank repeatedly in order to get hot water. It seems that the thermocouple has possibly gone out again.

Having to wait til the next day to take a shower or Bath with the anticipation the the Hot Water Tank may light back up once it is relit. Presently it is not working and will try again next day.

Puchased Whirlpool gas water heater on 5-31-08. Started ahving problems about three days ago. Goes out and won't relight. Called Whirlpool and some guy in India said the pilot ignitor was bad. Doesn't explain why it went out in the first place. Purchase and ignitor and replaced. Tank lit. Lasted one day and now out again. This time relit, but based on internet problems with Whirlpool tanks, I expect it will go out again. Second day with no hot water. Aggravating. what can I do to get my money back?

Electric Water Heater. I had the new electronic control unit go bad shortly after the installation of the new hot water heater. I installed the new part which is the control board and was up and running,(without hot water for only a week) until it happened again. The control board went bad again. The water heater when installed properly should not give trouble or you would expect it to be trouble free, from a new electric water heater installation. This is a horrible product and has soured me on whirlpool products. Whirlpool electric water heaters have one of the worst designs, when the replacement product is not the fix but just as sorry as the poor design problem in the start.

Time without Hot Water in the winter - Price-Less!

I purchased my 40 gallon natural gas water heater at Lowes. I installed it myself. The pilot will not light and it must be dismantled in order to correct the problem. One should not have to dismantle a new water heater to get it to work. Took is back to Lowes after one week.

I had to drain the water and unhook the water and gas and spent the better part of my Saturday removing the water heater just so I could return it back to Lowes, What a waste of time.

Well, third time's Not a charm. My repaired Whirlpool Gas water Heater has failed for the third time, twice the repair part provided by Whirlpool has failed. No Pilot Light. Ref my complaint of 12/24/08, the day I replaced the last failed thermocouple. That's less than one month. Whirlpool not only provides a worthless product, but exceeds even that by providing even more worthless repair parts. I am a DYI'er so the failures haven't cost me an arm and a leg, but I sure feel sorry for the folks paying a plumber every time their's fails.

11-26-2004 = Bought A Whirlpool water heater at Lowe's 8-2007 = installed new (replacement) thermostat, thermocouple 1-13-2009 = pilot went out. It will relight, but as soon as you let go of the reset and move to on, the pilot goes out. Called Whirlpool and talked with Charles and Lucy. Then I called Whirlpool Headquarters in Michigan and spoke with a woman who took all of my information and then had me talk to Aaron with American Products. They sent new thermostat, thermocouple (AGAIN)! 1-6 2009 = installed all new parts again, but it still does the same thing as above and we have no hot water. All of the above named people told me that these new (replacement) parts would fix my water heater.