American Water Heaters Reviews

My water heater tank began leaking within the manufacturer's 6 year warranty period. Determined to take advantage of the warranty, I spent 2 days making phone calls and exchanging emails before I was finally able to get a 'no-customer service rep' from AWH to issue me an RMA for a replacement. Since the company only sells direct to wholesale distributors, who only deal direct with licensed plumbers, my next challenge was to find a way to actually get my hands on a new unit. Since the plumbing company that replaced my tank 5 years ago is no longer in business, the AWH representative provided me with a list of plumbing companies that I could contact in my area that do sell/install the brand. It was a broken record from every company that I contacted, we "no longer carry" or "never did carry" that brand of water heater. Not a single one of them have even heard of the brand. After some additional phone calls and research, I eventually found out that the distributor that would have sold this brand to the plumbing companies also no longer carries the brand. 5 days of a leaking water heater had passed before I got to this point.

I purchased a standard gas powered water heater from American Water Heater with a 6 year warranty. The heater failed in 7 years. The problem is simple, a failure in the electric gas feed regulator that results in the stop of all gas flow.

7-yr-old water heater and the thermocouple failed. No problem, a quick run to any of the many hardware/home improvement places around & grab a $12 replacement. Wrong! This unit has the discontinued left-hand threads, found nowhere else, so forced to order it from the manufacturer. I rigged a right-hand unit (by filing off the threads & placing it precariously in there as a temp fix), and called US Craftmaster. I thought since they had been in a major lawsuit, I might be sent a free replacement. If not, no worries, I'll pay the $15 or so since I jury-rigged it so we have hot water till the true replacement arrives. Called (surprisingly open on the Saturday before Easter) & ordered the piece, only to find out it has been discontinued. Now, they sell (possibly) a regular right-hand threaded thermocouple, with a left-to-right adapter for the bargain price of $34.95! I opted for the cheapest delivery of $10, instead of the $30 overnight delivery offered (which many people will fall prey to, as they don't have the know-how to rig a temp fix - we need hot water!).

I wanted a new hot water heater as the original 27 year old unit was starting to go, so my husband went to the local Lowe's and picked up a Whirlpool 40 gallon electric heater. First one didn't work and neither did the second one. We tried to follow all the recommendations by the help desk, nothing. We did research and found that 95% of a batch of 40 and 50 gallon shipped out had defective heating elements in them.

We bought our water heater from Lowe's after being sweet talked into it by the salesman there, who said it was the best for us, last for 12+ years, be very cost efficient/energy efficient to operate, and actually save us money. This model was not cheap, in fact it was significantly higher priced than the others we were initially considering (around $660.00). It worked fine for the first few years, but has been a continual annoyance for the past several years. My husband has to go and reset the mode switch, sometimes several times a day or we won't have hot water. It is a real bummer to turn on the shower in the morning and discover it is running cold.

I had two new gas hot water heaters installed Friday. They have tanks. They are so loud when heating the water and this is so annoying and bothersome. It sounds like an airplane. The two that I had for 15 years were quiet and I was not aware when they were refilling or heating water. I am going to call the company who installed them and ask them to replace. I definitely do not want to have them come in and make a mess in my home. This is simply not acceptable in an era of quiet appliance manufacturing. Newer should be quieter. Is this typical of your products?

After going on internet and diagnosing the thermocouple on my American Water Heater as bad by testing the thermocouple with a meter, I then tried to replace the LEFT-THREADED thermocouple. I could not find the right one, so again I go on the internet and found that AWH used left-threaded thermocouple for three years before a class-action lawsuit stopped the practice. Until I went on the internet and found this information, I was unaware of it and had not received notification about the replacement kit.

I am reporting because we were provided false information prior to installation. (We had previous great service from a Rheem gas water heater for 24 years). Plumber said numerous times that Model: FVG6250T403 NOV 200, Serial: 1347J007963 Item: 9211910034 was made in America. I only noticed TODAY Dec 30 2013 when I called to register for 6 yr warranty label "clearly" reads... MADE IN MEXICO. The customer service employee Lisa at American Water Heater Co indicated the water heaters were MADE IN MEXICO. Installation was completed on Fri, Dec 20, 2013. Upon learning correct information, we called plumber Tom ** and he said he thought water heater was made in TN. Offered to take out at no costs to us. We will never use his services again!

My husband purchased our Pro Water Heater from American Water Heater and as I write this we don't have any hot water, for the third time in two years! We paid plenty for this in the $1,000 range plus plumbers each time it goes out. The company refuses to take it back unless a plumber (which we would have to pay again) declares it a lemon (we are in California where lemon laws are strictly enforced). It's a dude, a lemon, it keeps breaking and even though we are two years into our six yr. warranty we have no recourse other than an attorney. All we want now is for them to take the unit back and pay us for it so we can buy one that works correctly.

We purchased our one year old home in 2006 when the hot water tank leaked to the point of having to replaced. Since the tank was not yet two years old, it was under warranty, so it was replaced. However the install and removal of the old tank cost $600. Now, a mere six years later, the same thing is happening. Mind you, there are only two people living in the home, not a family of six, so we're not blowing the hot water. Tomorrow, I will be having this unreliable, substandard tank replaced and it won't be with American Water Heater. Two tanks in a little over seven years is ridiculous. All customer service could offer me was their apologies. Not as sorry as I am. You just lost a customer and one who will be very vocal to family, friends and acquaintances about your substandard product and service.

Defective thermocouple/burner assembly went out on my water heater. After finding out that the thermocouple was a left hand thread and not universal I found out I had to replace the burner assembly unit. As of yet, I have not found one. I did some research and found out about this lawsuit. AWH never contacted me about this defective part and when I called about it, they were trying to charge me for the unit even though part of that settlement was to send customers a replacement.

I purchased the American Heat water heater less than two years ago. The water heater started going cold and then hot. After about three months of this, I called the company and told them what was going on. I was told to dismantle it and bring it in. I told them that I would either have to hire a plumber or an electrician to do this and then pay them again to put it back on after they had fixed it. I also told them that I was a recent burn victim and I had just spent six weeks in the burn unit and could not bring it in. The water just completely died this evening and I am out all this money for a brand new water heater.

When I moved into my house in 2012 I found an American Water Heater Company water heater, model #FG6140T403NOV in the basement. It was manufactured late 2003, installed by a plumber in 2005, and used for four years in a ONE-person household before I got to it in 2012 (no one lived there for three years). It is now mid-2013 and the pilot light has gone out. After many cold showers, some tomfoolery and a $120 plumber visit, the pilot will light but not stay lit - the plumber confirmed it's a bad thermocouple. A bad, LEFT-THREADED thermocouple.

Purchased and installed HW Heater May 18, 2013. Thrown breaker July 20. Next found water very hot July 21. Found tripped breaker again on July 22. Flipped breaker back on and began to monitor Temperature of water... very hot...155F. Called Whirlpool, suggested Luquire, 22 miles away for repair. After talking it over, called Luquire July 23. Thermostats gone wild. Repair person replaced both thermostats and lower element (tested bad) July 24. Note: If I needed hot water I just turned it on till hot then turned breaker back off. Then July 30 checked Heater....leaking! Whirlpool gave me a Return Number. So disconnected and returned unit July 31... Lowe's refunded $$. Got second unit just like first. No re-plumbing necessary. Then Aug. 8 got statement from Luquire for repair. Called Whirlpool and Luquire had not called for a P O #. So Luquire sent bill to me instead of American Water Heater Company. GRRRR. Saga continues. Such a hassle. Everyone seems to be trying but nothing is going smoothly. As of August 13, still have hot water. I'm waiting for the other shoe to fall. Will HW Heater work for 2 months, 2 years or 20 years (like the previous one)? AND will Whirlpool/AWHC cover all the cost of the warranty repair?

My American Water Heater Company (AWHC) water heater (WH) went out on Sunday 7/21/13. Of course, I had to wait till 7/22 to contact AWHC technical support, and, based on the troubleshooting codes, the representative sent a new thermopile assembly. My plumber installed the part but could not get the WH pilot to light. Of course, AWHC was closed by then (i.e. after 10pm), so I had to wait till the next day. It was determined that I needed a gas valve/thermostat (GVT), which was sent and arrived the next day.

I am having my own American Water Heater nightmare right now. Long story short, both my AWH water heaters (installed in parallel) went out last Friday. In both cases, the pilot would simply not stay lit. After calling Customer Service, they sent me the pilot/thermopile assemblies for both tanks. They arrived Monday. I installed one, tried it, and it didn't work. Exactly the same problem. I called again. The rep indicates he will send the control box for the tank in which I replaced the pilot assembly, but he would not send it for the other tank until I replaced the pilot assembly. I argued with him to no avail.

I am a licensed plumbing contractor. For 15 years I had installed another brand, which was completely reliable. One of my suppliers started carrying American Pro Line and were telling me how great they were, so I started installing them for a period of about 2 years. One of the worst decisions I have ever made as a contractor. The American Pro Line water heaters started using a Honeywell gas control valve. On many of my customers' water heaters, these valves would stop working within a few months. Others stopped working after the first year. Their warranty is parts and labor for the first year, but parts only on the 2nd-6th years. So in many cases, I have had to make several service calls to get my customers' water heater working and have lost time and money in doing so. For a few customers, there have been repeated problems to the extent that we replaced the whole gas control valve with a new one up to three times and still continued to have problems.

I bought a home 2 years ago in 2011. The previous homeowner bought an American Water Heater in 2004 with a 12-year warranty. The warranty has a clause stating that the warranty only applies to the original purchaser. Now I have had several problems in the last year with keeping the pilot lit. I've had thermal couplers replaced (twice) and had replaced a valve, and it is still routinely malfunctioning. I called up AWH and (stupidly) told them I wasn't the original purchaser. They just told me to try a couple of things and nothing worked. They recommended a new gas valve. I said, “I want repair work done under warranty.” They said, "Sorry, we won't honor the warranty because you weren't the original purchaser."

We have an American water heater & the pilot light went out Sunday night. My husband looked all over town Monday evening for the part that needed to be replaced (thermo reset switch), only to come up empty handed. Tuesday morning, I called around to local plumbers to see if they knew where I could find the part & one told me that American wasn't in our area anymore. So, I called American & they said they could overnight the part for $30 so I ordered it (it is still under warranty so I only had to pay for shipping). Well, we got the part Wednesday morning & it was the wrong part, so my husband called back & they sent another one, which we got Friday morning & again it's the wrong part. When my husband called back they told him that it was my fault the first part was wrong because I gave the wrong serial number; however, they had no explanation as to why a second wrong part was sent.

Whirlpool brand gas water heater BFG1F4040S3NOV - We purchased a gas water heater from Lowe's and had them install it in our home. It has operated okay until now. The pilot light went out and we could not get it to light and/or stay lit. We called in a plumber and received some bad news. He refused to even work on it. We were told this water heater was under a class action lawsuit. More bad news was yet to come. He told us the water heater was not even installed to code. We were not told about the asbestos pipe either. At this point, there is no resolution. I don't even know where to begin with this.

The pilot light on my American Water Heater would not stay lit. The plumber we called checked and saw that the model I had was involved in a class action lawsuit because of that issue and suggested I call their 800 number. I explained the problem to the rep who answered and asked her what I could do. She said I needed a certain part to fix the problem but my unit was out of warranty so I'd have to purchase it. I paid for it and when it arrived had the plumber back out to install it for me. The problem did not get resolved with that part so we replaced the water heater. I called them back and asked where to send the part back for a refund. She informed me that since we had installed the piece on my unit, it was considered used and could not be returned. She said that there was a second part that I should purchase to see if it would fix the problem.

I dunno how to do this shout-out. Some 11 years ago, I bought a top-of-the-line Maytag gas water heater at Home Depot Pro. Fast forward to the recent past. It started leaking! I buy the best possible water heater, and it leaks and generally dies on us. We went to Lowe's, shopping for another water heater. The guy there told me to call and see if I might be able to get some sort of warranty help. Well, it took a while, the better part of an afternoon. But I got the right person on the line, and presto! I now have at zero cost to me a brand-new, top-of-the-line Whirlpool water heater. Lowe's was the place I was sent to. I was firmly instructed that I must bring the old one, as they wanted to pull it apart and see how it failed to ensure that gets fixed.

We bought our house brand new back in 2005. Up until last week we have had no issues with our hot water heater (model number: FG6150T403NOV, serial number: 0425109812). However, last week the pilot light went out. We had a plumber come out and look at the unit. He cleaned and inspected the unit. At that time he noticed that the thermocouple was a left-handed thread and that it could be the problem. However, he was able to get the heater fired up and waited about 30 minutes before leaving. When I checked on it that evening, I noticed the pilot was out again. I finally called to get a replacement part. After being charge $33.00 for expedited shipping, I found out that the part was on backorder! I spoke with Sears parts (I guess they are affiliated with American) and was told that I would receive a credit (they would not answer what kind of credit). The part was not a thermocouple but a BFG conversion kit. I started researching this converter kit and found out it was driven by a class action lawsuit (even though I had to pay $102.00 total). Further research pushed me to calling up a local plumbing company and buying a new hot water heater (a Bradford). I would rather shell out the extra for a safe, new product, than take a chance on a conversion kit that might fix the issue (Is the redesign even UL certified?)

My American Proline (BFG12250T403NOV) leaked at 5 years of age. I bought the house a year ago, and American said the warranty did not get transferred. I called CenterPoint Energy Home Service Plus to see about their installation warranty but they also said the warranty did not get transferred to a new owner. I called Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Minneapolis and they said these were good units. They would not give me a quote over the phone. The guy who shows up give me this ** story about my water pressure being on the high side. They wanted $1,500 to $1,800 total to install a new one. What a total waste of my time. I installed a nice Kenmore unit myself (not difficult) for $650 plus $30 for a flex connector kit.

I have had to deal with repairing or replacing every water heater from this company (American Water Heater) within the first 3 years. They do not hold up well. The warranty is only for parts after the first year, so it became an added expense.

I purchased an American Water Heater Proline Plus 12-year Self Cleaning, serial #0320115544, model#FG12240T403NOM, on Jan. 10, 2004 with 12-year warranty. I can add to the list of complaints regarding the water heater, customer service, and company policies. My heater went out three days ago. When I called to inquire about how the warranty process works, a male customer rep immediately told me to have a plumber call them, period. End of discussion. This man did not want to talk to me (a female). It was a 2-minute call where I got no information, just irritation. So the next day, I had a plumber over who did call the company as directed, and this time, the female customer rep. was willing to talk with me!

I purchased on 1/18/08 model #BFG6240T403NO, serial #0745135192. I replaced the pilot on 3/16/09. Now the bottom is leaking all over the garage. I've called the manufacturer and got an RA number to replace the unit once the unit is returned to where the plumber bought the unit. But so far, I have had no luck finding a place to return or pick up a new one. The manufacturer service line has not been one bit helpful with information. I had no problem getting the return number but it's not much good if no one in San Jose or Santa Clara deals with American Water Heaters. The water needs to be replaced, only 4 years old.

My American-brand hot water heater quit working. When I called the plumber, he didn't even schedule a service call. He was so familiar with this defective brand he gave me the phone number to call for parts. They refuse to allow any other company or plumber to stock parts! The only way you can get parts is to call American brand and pay exorbitant shipping. And it took four phone calls and being placed on hold for 15 minutes at a time to get my request in. The part is supposed to arrive tomorrow but I am not hopeful this will occur from what I read in the other reviews. According to the plumber, this company was the subject of a class action lawsuit but it hasn't improved their service. Avoid them!

The company won't honor the warranty. The water heater is about 5 years old. It quit heating water about 2 or 3 months ago. The plumber who installed it says it needs parts and is under warranty. The company has stalled for several months. They simply won't ship the parts he has asked for or replace the defective heater. I hope whoever reads this will tell everyone they know not to purchase anything from American Water Heater Company. I think they also make Whirlpool.

The water heater is leaking water out of the overflow. It has flooded the basement.

Last month when the pilot light went out on our 1 year old Whirlpool hot water heater and would not stay re-lit, I replaced the thermo-coupler and all seemed well. Until Friday (2 days ago), the problem repeated itself and I replaced the thermo-coupler again. Yesterday was the third thermo-coupler replacement and 30 hours later, it is out again.

I had to replace and repair all units at my apartment Complex, 117 units. I need reimbursement for all replacements, etc.

Whirlpool hot water heater manufactured by American Water Heater Co. Model #FG1F3030T3NOV, serial #0605117824, product #0730402.

American Water Heater Co. Proline model FG6130S303Nov, serial number 04244100831, installed 8/5/2004. The gas valve failed on 6/2007 and was replaced. The thermocouple failed on 10/15/09 and I replaced it with a spare left by the serviceman. On 1/24/12, the thermocouple has failed again. The left-handed threaded thermocouple is non-standard and I have yet to find one. Supposedly, Lowe's has them. I can so far light the pilot by hand for one tank of hot water. I had a flashlight on top of the heater and it was scorched. I assumed it fell onto the pipe. Now, another flashlight has been scorched. The flue is clear. Fire hazard? Maybe. If Lowe's does not have the part, then the fun will really begin. I expect a new water heater will be the real solution and not made by the American Water Heater Company.

Since I bought this hot water heater, the pilot light constantly goes out. I am tired of calling the plumber. There have been so many complaints about this company. Why isn't something being done? I'm not rich and can't see myself running out and buying a new water heater because this company can't fix the problem and sell something decent. I feel I’ve been taken advantage of by purchasing a piece of junk! I would like an attorney about this matter!

We have now been without hot water for 9 days. We own a Whirlpool water heater that has a sticker on it saying to call the American Water Heater company for repairs. The control panel on the top of the water heater stopped working so we called AWH Company. They first told me that we had a lifetime warranty and took my serial number. Then after looking up the part, they said the cost would be $107.00. This included overnight shipping which cost $30 which of course you would pay for because no one wants to be without hot water any longer than necessary. However, it was after hours so it was actually going to take 2 days to get to us. When that part arrived and we carefully followed the instructions to install (we have remodeled many houses so we are not a novice) the part was damaged and did not work. We called back and they told us they would send another part but of course it was after hours again and it would be 2 more days.

I bought an American Heat tank-less heater model ADK-1 on 01/03/08 and submitted the lifetime warranty as specified on the warranty card shortly after before the 30 days to activate the warranty. I mailed it to the address on the card: American Heat Industries PO Box 941507 Miami, Fl 33194.

I have rental units and replaced old water heaters with American ProLine Plus 12 year Water Heaters with Flame Guard. I have had nothing but trouble with them. And I have had to deal with rude, incompetent "service people" who were recommended by American to repair their water heaters. I had one service call in which they finally agreed to replace the unit. The new one fell off the truck and was crushed in on the bottom. I had to argue with the guy not to install it as he tried to persuade me that it was fine.

This is about my model FG 50 gallon water heater. Sure enough, 2 months after the limited 6-year warranty expired, the thermal coupler went out. I tried to call the 800 number supplied by American, absolutely no response at all! Due to the non-industry standard of tightening to the left American uses on the thermal coupling, I was unable to find a replacement thermal coupling. Thank goodness, I ran across these complaints and was able to purchase the repair kit at Lowe's.

On Saturday morning, after Thanksgiving, we had no hot water. I got a thermostat at Lowe's, and after a lot of work, that the American Heater had a left hand thread. I was unable to get any help until Monday. After I called American, and was told that I would have to purchase a $35+ kit, and pay for shipping, I went on a long and hard day of trying to find a kit locally. After five hours of work, and a trip to Spokane WA. I found a kit at Lowe's that was free. I will never buy American again!

After living in this house for a year with no hot water problems, one of my American Water Heaters quit working last week. The pilot would light, but not stay lit. After reading comments online, then finding the company's number on the front of the heater, I called them this morning. Their rep suggested I might be able to find the part locally at Lowe’s. But the rep also admitted that in the past few years, those inventories have shrunk. I checked with my local Lowe’s and sure enough, there was zero in stock in the greater Houston area (which is a big area).

This water heater, American ProlineFlame Guard Model No. FG6140T403NOV, was in the house my wife and I bought 2 years ago. A couple of days ago, the pilot light went out, I started looking for the cause. After reading all the complaints about this product, I decided not to spend the first repair dollar on it. Instead I spent three hours of labor and $400 to get that beast out of our house. The replacement water heater had great reviews.

Bought a Whirlpool water Heater from Lowes in 2004 with a 12 year warranty. Model FG1J4040T3NOV, Serial No. 0437118196. Had all the same issues as everyone else. I have replaced every part too many times to count. I've decided to pack it in and buy a Bradford White to replace this junk unit. American Water Heater should be sued and put out of business. Lowes offered me a 10 % discount on another Whirlpool water heater, I'm not that desperate or stupid.

I had to replace my water heater because a worker from the local utility company kicked mine in, in a fit of rage. The utility company bought this POS from American Water Heater. The water heater that is already broken after a year and a half. I called the company and they said to call their authorized repair rep. After 3 hours on the phone, no-one showed up. I called and spoke to a supervisor at American Water Heaters and he said he would call the repair company. I told him good luck. Tomorrow will be a week with no hot water. I am tired of living in a third world country with no hot water! Made in America means nothing!

Horrible customer service and warranty! My water heater went out on a Saturday morning. I called customer service and they gave me a replacement code for the heater, telling me that they do not have a list of stores that cannot replace it. I called around and no one has these. I called customer service back and she told me that if I couldn't find anyone locally, I would have to pay for them to ship a new heater to me! What's the point of the warranty? I have no idea where this heater came from. We just bought the house 2 years ago!

I purchased the American Water Heater Proline in 2005. In 2008, the igniter/thermocouple went out. It took 4 days to get a warranty replacement unit. It was free, but there's cost to put in, in a 3 year old unit. I was told there was a factory defect and this kit would fix it. Three years later (warranty about to expire), the "kit" did the same thing. Another 4 days, I was without water while waiting for another kit. Do not buy their water heaters. They suck! Now I have to pay another $200 for a plumber to fix it. That means I have to use cold water for days. I have 4 properties. I had water heaters all my life. I never had such a bad experience. They dare put an American Flag on it and tout how well made it is. It is no wonder China is taking over. Stay away from this company!

American Gas Hot Water Heater Model FG6130T303NOV Serial# 0509128959 Product 0731307 pilot will not stay lit. On 2/4/11, I called American Water Heater and they said a voluntary recall was on the Manifold Door Switch and this hot water heater is registered with them and was still under warranty. I never received any information on a recall! Portsmouth Plumbing replaced the switch which was under warranty, but the labor of $125.00 was not. I have had to call American Water heater several times because the pilot will not stay lit.

I purchased your product, serial#0434126381, model fg121-40s40-3nomv in 2005. There were no problems until last night when the thermocoupler went out. I called a local plumber/technician who installed but he died 2 years ago. A local plumber tried to install a new coupler and found the unit had a reverse thread, I had to call several supply houses in the nearest city and finally found someone who told him that this unit was part of a voluntary recall because of the thermocoupler and the reverse threads. He had to drive 30 minutes to get a new unit and came back with an entirely new burner assembly with a new safety switch.

The pilot light will not stay lit. I installed the conversion kit and months later, it goes out again. I contacted the gas company to verify that there were no venting issues. After that was proved to be good, the technician determined that the thermo couple was faulty. I was shocked, considering I just replaced the conversion kit not long ago! I then contacted American to demand for a new unit. Well, that ended up being another hassle as the unit was not a retail purchase and could not be taken to a local Home Depot or Lowe's for the exchange. I then had to contact a wholesaler who carried the product that was willing to do the exchange. This has truly been a trying 9 months, and I got no support from American in making this an easy, warrantable transaction. I have nothing good to say about their product; and I advise anyone in the market for a water heater to look away from American products and go with another manufacturer.

Our electric water heater caught fire. The thermocoupler did not turn off the power and burned the water tank. Thankfully we caught it before my house burned to the ground. I have pictures of the water heater and the damage.

I installed an American Water Heater on 12-28-09. The pilot going out all the time is a nuisance, but easy enough to light.

American Proline water heater left handed thermocouple water heater repair kit. I have an American water heater that quit working. I called their customer support in which I was notified that I needed an "upgrade kit." This kit is to be mailed out which leaves my family without hot water in the middle of December. She then stated that I could install this myself and there was nothing to it.

I will join the many others who have complained about American Water Heaters! We moved into a new home in 2006 and had a new 50 gal propane AWH. It was good for about 2 years then it would stop working and we'd go through the relighting nightmares to no avail. Our plumber ended up coming out 5 times within the next year and replaced virtually every removable part! Then, it still stopped working again.

This water heater has been nothing but problems since we bought it. The pilot light goes out all the time. We have had to replace parts 4 times so far. The cost of having a plumber come in is expensive. Today it went out again. American said they will send us the part but we have to pay the thirty dollars shipping charge. We could have bought a new heater by now. Is there a class action suit against this company? I want to be in it if there is. American should not be allowed to get away with this.

Today again, no hot water, pilot out and it does not stay lit when I try to get it started up again. What gripes me is that each time the plumbing company that installed it comes out for a service call, they charge me and have never mentioned the ongoing issues with this piece of garbage. I could have purchased a new water heater by now!

Water tank model BFG1F4034T3PV serial number 0737135809 was purchased in 2006 for the Home Lumber Company in Caldwell, KS. The unit worked adequately until November 21,2009. Sam was the service call technician. The result of a trouble call was the thermal switch replacement on November 25, 2009.

We bought the house 2 years ago. Since then the water heater pilot light has gone out repeatedly, starting 2 months into residing here and plumber visits needed. This year alone starting on 6-5-10, we’ve more plumber visits for repairs. There are 10 receipts in front of me now. Several parts are being replaced! Hot water only last weeks, sometimes just one day! Places don’t carry this product anymore. Finally, they state if we do the uninstallation and, they will replace the same unit. No one carries this product anymore! I can’t live without hot water like this!

A new American water heater was installed 4 years ago. On 6-29-10, I had no hot water, so I called a plumber. He changed the thermal coupler and it worked okay until 9-28-10 when there’s no hot water again.

Every complaint I've read here is true based on my experience.

On September 1, 2010, I went out into the garage and smelled something burning. I found the wires on the top of EnergySmart unit burning. The black covering on the wires were melted and the cover on the top was in the process of melting. This HW heater was purchased on 4-9-2009 from Lowe’s 17 months ago for 457.96. Had we not been home, who knows what would have happened? There was no indication that there was a problem. Went and bought a Bradford White.

Model #FG6140T403NOV. Replaced the heating element 2 times so far. The plumber doesn't want to work on the heater that he sold me and said many problems dealing with this company. The cost of plumber has taken a toll on us, both times for labor.

I have had to install a thermocouple, and two new burner systems in this water in the past 4 years. I just found out that the heater has an undersized air intake that is hard to clean and difficult to get to as it is positioned underneath the water heater. I learned on this site that there is a law suit against this company because of these types of issues with the heater.

There is so much information related the numerous problems, delays, inconvenience and customer service issues it is somewhat easier to make a time line.

We purchased a water heater, Model-BFG6140S403NOV, from our local supply house on May 2008. We hired a plumber to install it and all was fine. Approximately a year after we had it, we noticed a strong odor of gas in our basement. We called the fire department and the local gas company. After checking the gas lines, it was confirmed that the gas was coming from the regulator of the water heater.

A plumber installed Model FG12240T40 in 2004. It was necessary to relight the pilot about 1x every two months. In May of 2009, the heater stopped working. The call center (in India) told me that the problem was the pilot assembly and it had been recalled and he would send me a new part which would arrive in about 4 days. I had never been notified of any recall and was given the name of General Installation Company in Los Angeles which is supposedly the authorized Factory Warranty Replacement Center for American Water Heater. It turned out they had a replacement part on hand.

We have an American Hot Water tank we purchased from Lowes In Westland, Michigan 3 years ago (Lowes installed it also). The pilot light has to be re-lit several times a day. Now we can't even get it lit. We already have paid $100.00 just to have it looked at. American is sending us two parts (I don't know what they are), and the plumber will have to install it. I don't know how much that will cost.

We too have had lousy experience with the people at American Water Heater Co. We are without water now, going on one week. At first, we did not think anything of it. We all know that everything breaks down at one point or another, so we decided to find out if there was still any warranty left on the item. They were somewhat helpful in providing the part for us, although we had to go to the other side of town to pick it up. But, that was fine. We called a plumber to come and install it and come to find out that that was still not what was causing the failure. We had to pay the plumber regardless, because that is what we called him out to do. Now, he told us to look for the thermostat. I have tried and it is no where to be found. It is going to cost us more money to locate the part then get it installed, and after reading all of this I have a feeling that it probably still will not work. So, I take it we will have to be out that money too. I too would like to be part of the law suit, at least just to cover the expenses that we have endured. Got to go, going to find a new water heater! Wish me luck!

I brought the residence new 6 years ago and had numerous problems with my hot water heater manufactured by American and had problems from the very beginning of my occupancy with the water heater. The thermocouple was defective and the pilot light malfunctioned numerous times requiring repair or relighting of the pilot light by my plumber. The pilot would never stay on and always required a service call to relight the pilot. I contacted the company to complain and they set me a thermocouple kit which was installed by my plumber. That also failed to work and I still don’t have hot water. I called my plumber back and he advised me to replace the unit with a new brand, which I’m in the process of now doing. I will file a complaint against American for the $1200 I will have to expend to have a reliable hot water heater installed. I will also be filing a formal complaint with Federal Consumer agencies in Washington, DC to apprise them of this fraud perpetrated against thousands of unaware victimized American citizens who are in possession of this defective product. I paid almost $500 out of pocket so far.

I am amazed to see so many complaints about the same exact issue. Same for me, pilot light will not stay lit on my American water heater. Seems to me after reading the comments, it may be worth it to just install a new one, a different brand! Too bad this company does not stand by their product and do the right thing.

We installed an American Water Heater, and approx 9 months later, the pilot light went out. I called the company, and they sent someone out to install a new gas valve. Since then (1 1/2 years into this), I have had approximately 4 gas valves installed, and then they came back out and installed a thermocoupler which doesn't work either. We have to re-light our water heater daily. It's a big pain! So far, American has paid for all repairs and labor, but I don't want to have to relight our heater daily.

We bought a tank-less water heater and just after 3 months it died. When we call the company to explain everything they have more than one excuses no to give us the warranty. I think with all the complaints that this company has the government should do something to stop selling a product that just last 3 months and stop selling products with "limited lifetime warranty". I lost more than $700 in this product and have no warm water for 2 weeks.

The issue with American Water Heaters starting with FG6 seems to be the same issue as all the others. I have very new water heater that goes out after a short two years. We pay for the unit and installation/upgrades ex. Yes, you have a warranty but you still have to repay for the installation and upgrades that run you about $400 plus. They tried the whole send you parts deal. There was no hot water for about 5+ days and the parts didn't make the unit work. This should fall under the lemon laws!

I bought a new home in May 2005. It came with an American Water Heater, model # FG6140T403NOV. After 2+ years, the pilot would not stay lighted. I had a replacement part shipped to us and paid $350 to have it installed. It has now failed and we have to get it replaced again. This model and their replacement parts are not reliable.

Same problem as everyone else except my plumber is an American servicer and is helpful. Two water heaters purchased one year ago and both went out within three weeks of each other this month. ACE plumbing replaced both the thermostats and thermocouples. We'll see what happens.

I got a replacement unit, and it cost to me $200, again. Can someone let me know if the flame is supposed to be this yellow? And yes, that is a water drop inside the unit. I have posted it on Youtube and uploaded it with a title "My American Water Heater Experience".

I have another unit that on September 28, 2009 BFG Conv Kit replaced. It works for now, but the flame burns very, very yellow! Model number is FG614OT403NOV.

American Water Heater’s blowing up families across America! This could be the headline if American Water Heaters does not take its issue with Water Heater gas conversion kits more seriously. At this time American Water Heater has a known issue with any of their heaters, which includes "FG" at beginning with serial number. The issue causes the pilot light to go out and the heater will not re-light. The consumer would probably not be aware of this issue for hours and faces the potential for significant gas leaks. Both my plumber and the telephone service staff of American Water Heater were well aware of the issue. The company's standard response is to charge for shipping out a replacement part, and the consumer is expected to replace the part.

I bought Model BFG6240T403NO in January, 2009. I have had the Thermocouple replaced on 5/11/09 and 7/6/09, while on11/3/09, i had the complete door assembly done. And finally today, 2/4/2010, we are having American Water replace the entire water heater. I am tired of cold showers, and the heater not staying lit.

I have read several issues about American Water Heaters and this includes the Whirlpool brand. I am a plumber and have worked tech support for American. I would like to make some clarifications to some people. 1) If you have an FG model, you will have a reverse thread thermocouple (stupid idea, yes). The thermocouple was discontinued and there is a conversion available. Lowe's and supply houses can carry this but cannot charge for it. Therefore most places do not carry this item as a choice of their own.

I purchased an American water heater after my old 12-year one started leaking. It was purchased in November of 2008. The pilot first went out in September 2009. I was able to re-light it and it stayed lit for 2 months. Then it started going out more frequently. I finally called the plumbing company that installed it. They only install, not repair. Desperate, I called a heating company who did not want to come out when they found what brand name I had. They did call American and got a reference number for me and two people in my area that carry the American parts. I did not have to pay for the repair but it was very inconvenient.

I bought a new home in 2001 and it has an American water heater. The pilot light went out constantly over the course of 3 years and then became less frequent. I was told this was due to wind, but now after reading the above comments, it is obvious a problem with the water heater. Today, I attempted 4 times to light it (no wind last night). It finally stayed lit, but the flame was so loud with what sounded like water dripping on it. I turned it down to vacation mode. Upon my return from work, I turned the heat up again so I will see if it will stay lit, until 2 days from now when a co-worker will install a new water heater - not American brand. I am tired of taking cold showers and waking up early to see if I need to relight the pilot light.

I purchased my 6-year-old house about a year and a half ago. My American Water Heater started going out every night and then would not relight at all. I spent a day and a half trying to call American Water Heater to see if the warranty was still in effect. I was informed that the warranty is non-transferable and when I bought the house the warranty would be voided.

I had an American water heater installed in September of 2008. After a few months, it began leaking and was replaced with another American water heater. Now, the replacement water heater is not working (the pilot will not stay on). I do not recommend anyone buying this brand.

The pilot light goes out and we have to relight it when we notice that we have no hot water. The plumber told us that this was the best brand we could buy, but I wish I had done some more research.

We bought an American hot water heater in 2004. It began giving problems as soon as we bought it. The pilot light will not stay lit. I called the company and tried to talked to a person who did not understand English very well. Now 5 years later, I have paid enough in repair bills to have bought a new hot water heater. I'm waiting for another repairman to show up tomorrow.

My plumber installed an American Water Heater "Flame-Lock" GU model on Saturday. By Sunday, the pilot light would not stay on, and no hot water. A sign on the heater says you cannot return the product to the vendor, but must call customer service. CS representatives told me that the product has no real history of problems, and that AWHC will not replace or refund unless its warranty representative confirms it cannot be repaired and rules out faulty installation or maintenance. When I called the warranty rep, he said they had done "hundreds" of repairs for the pilot light problem. I called CS and demanded replacement or refund. The representative stated, "If you have no further questions, I am terminating this call," and hung up on me.

Pilot light won't stay lit. This happened a year ago and company sent replacement part that cost me shipping and a lot to have installed. This time the company directs to instructions in the manual for maintenance that it should be dusted out by a trained professional if needed. The whole production of this product is just a scam for plumbers to get the repair jobs. The product is faulty. Company rep said the government requires they be made this way. Is that why the American brand name is so appropriate on this piece of junk?

I purchased this water heater from our local utilities company. Within the first year, we were replacing the pilot light; and to date, we have replaced 5. The last one was in 9/08, and it is out again. My daughter has a new baby; she needs her hot water.

It broke after 2 years. First it would not stay lit, and then would not light at all. The plumber who installed it ignored my calls. American Hot Water heaters said I needed new parts but have to pay for shipping. I am just going to get a new hot water heater from a different company. That is the cheapest option in the long run. After reading the other complaints, I know better than to waste money and time having the replacement parts shipped and have a plumber install them. My family has been without hot water for 2 weeks. I am getting a new hot water heater for $600.00.

I am having the same problem as everyone on my hot water tank that is 5 years old. Is there another class action lawsuit I can join? I keep getting the runaround.

I was told by a service person that the American Water Heater that I have requires a conversion kit due to the left handed thing on my water heater being defective. He told me to call the company or go to Lowe's to get the conversion kit. I called the company, had to speak to another person for the letter for that kit so I could pick it up at Lowe's. The first person told me that I need to pay $20 to have it shipped to me, and that it was not at Lowe's, which was a lie. My question is, why, if they are aware of their defective product, am I having to pay for any shipping?

I purchased a new hot water heater in June 2008. The local company (Clark & Rush Mechanical) that I contracted with recommended the American Water Heater Flame Guard model, although there was a class action lawsuit already issued in 2008 (which I was unaware of at the time of purchase). Similar to the other hundreds of people reporting problems with American Water Heater Company, I sadly have had the exact same experience. The pilot light on my unit stopped working and the local gas company representative that came out told me that I may have a bad sensor/control valve.

My husband purchased a new home in April 2006. The water heater was included. I always thought that we did not have adequate hot water, but I dealt with it. Today, we got up to ice cold water. No pilot light on the water heater. How handy it was that the instructions to light it were on a sticker, complete with diagrams. We tried the 10-minute wait. Nothing. He went on to work. I waited 15 minutes. Nothing. I tried again at 10-minute intervals for another 1.5 hour!

I bought a newly constructed home in April 2008, which included a new American Water Heater Co. gas water heater (model BFG6140S403NOV, serial number 0806T434519, product code 0732034). The new water heater stopped working on March 5, 2009, less than a year old! I called my plumber, who came out to see about the repair but told me that the control unit was "shot". I called my builder and was given a Customer Service number for American, which I called.

This American Water Heater will not stay lit. We have replaced the thermocouple assembly. The pilot went off after an hour and will not re-light. We give up. They have non-English speaking service reps and parts that don't fix the problem. This is a piece of junk. We have to purchase a new water heater.

Everything is happening that all the other consumers on this blog are saying! No hot water going on 1 week now. Water heater only 5 years old, called 1-800 number and got a heavily accented rep who insisted I could replace this myself, shipped wrong part. Day 2, waiting on plumber or someone who can assist me. Will never, ever, by anything by American Heater!

I'm the homeowner of a five-year old house built by Grand Homes. The original water heater installed was manufactured by Water Heaters of America. This unit has failed to work and it keeps shutting down the gas supply. American Water Heaters won't replace their defective unit. After reading several websites, I've found out that this unit has a class action lawsuit. I owned a 50 gas tank model FG1650T403NOV, which should have a six-year warranty. Because we are second owners, they claimed that we don't qualify for a replacement. This is outrageous! I have spent over $1,000 in plumbing services and been without hot water for about three weeks now. I'm about to purchase a new water heater now. I an frustrated and angry with Water Heaters of America. They don't stand behind their products and cause lots of distress to their consumers. Please help. Thank you.

I lost all hot water on June 2nd. Basically, my pilot light won't stay lit. Today is day 10 and still no hot water. I've only lived in this brand new constructed condo for 4 years! I called the 800-999-9515 for support on June 2nd, in which they said they would send me a new part that would need to be replaced, the thermal couple. I got the part replaced, yet same thing was happening except now the trip switch, that wasn't on "old" part, keeps triggering because according to Detroit Edison (our gas company that I called out when I kept smelling gas!), it's now overheating. He called the 800 number and got nowhere and was more than irritated when he left my house after having to explain to "John" from India 3-4 times what the problem was. I ended up speaking with a supervisor (couldn't understand his name) who stated it now needed another replacement part (the temp control unit) that would be at my doorstep first thing Tuesday morning.

The number they give for help transfers you to India. I could not understand the rep and asked to speak with someone in the United States. Spoke to Bruce. He was very nice and helpful; however, this company made a defective product and should stand behind it and not charge people to ship replacement parts for the defective merchandise! People should also not have to put out the expensive cost of a professional to install the replacement parts. They tell you on the phone that there are instructions and you can do it yourself! Not many people feel confident working on gas-fueled appliances and water heaters! If something goes wrong, God forbid, you probably would not even be covered due to it not being installed by a professional! I had a problem early on with this water heater from Whirlpool (model # FG1H4040T3NV) that was purchased at Lowe’s.

I'm an apartment manager. My employer has 33 of these water heaters in 3 different apartment complexes. The old ones never give us problems, but those bought within the last 5 years have all broken down. When I called the AWH customer service, they say "If your model number begins with FG, press 1". They put me through to a guy whose heavy Indian accent is extremely hard to understand (pathetic).

I have an American Water Heater. That is the brand name. It has a 6-year warranty. The thermocouple failed about two years ago and was replaced under warranty, but the labor was $85.00. It has now failed again. The needed thermocouple is no longer made, and when you call the 800 number, the call must go to India because you can't understand the person talking to you. I will be forced to buy a new water heater, if I want reliable hot water. There are numerous complaints about this company, and I want to be involved in any class action lawsuit.

My new home came with an American Water Heater model # FG6150T403NO. The unit itself comes with a six-year warranty and after five years, the pilot light will not stay lit and the inside is totally rusted. I've drained the tank before and it still rusts. I called American Water Heater toll free number to inquire about the warranty and was on hold for about 12 minutes before someone answered and quickly hung up the phone. I just heard the line click and then heard the line disconnect. I called back again after about 30 minutes (thinking they were just busy) and stayed on hold for another 15 minutes before someone finally answered. I could not understand the person who answered the phone. I'm not hard of hearing and can normally understand people quite well.

I had a new American Water Heater installed in October 2007 (1.5 years ago) and have had nothing but problems with it since. My plumber has been out at least 4 times to fix it. One of those times, he replaced a defective thermal coupler shipped to us by American Water Heater. The pilot light still continues to go out at least every couple months. AWH is trying to blame it on everything but the fact that their product is terrible. I finally told my plumber today, when I woke up to no hot water again, to rip it out and replace it with another brand. American Water Heater offered him a replacement heater when he called for me, but I do not trust this brand. I am going to tell everyone I know and then some to never buy this brand of water heater. I called them to complain and request some sort of compensation other than a new heater but I got absolutely nowhere. At least I got to vent. Do not use this company.

I am a plumbing professional and have been plumbing for more than 20 years. We installed an American Water Heater for one of our good repeat customers 1.5 years ago. The heater we usually install was not available the day we installed the American heater. Long story short, this heater has been a complete nightmare! I have personally been out to my customer’s home at least eight times. We were first told the heaters induction screen was not being kept clean. Then we were told it was the thermal coupling. Then we were told it was the controller. I replaced all of the above, yet my customer is still frequently left with no hot water.

We purchased a 50 gallon American Water Heater with a 12-year warranty in February of 2003. In the morning of 4/14/2009 (Tuesday), we discovered that we had no hot water. The heating element was out and would not turn on. We called the manufacturer and they said it was the thermal couple and they would send us the retrofit kit overnight via UPS, if we pay for the overnight shipping fees. We gladly agreed to the shipping costs and proceeded to give our credit card number over the phone.

My husband and I purchased our condo in Dec. 2005; at which time, it was new construction through Pasquinelli Builders. All appliances were already purchased and put in by Pasquinelli. We have an American Water Heater that on Saturday night, 4/11/09, the pilot light went out and we could not get it to stay lit. We called 3 different plumbers who all said we needed to call the 800 number on the water heater and they could not work on this American Water Heater. There was no answer which I thought was odd seeing how you need to get a water heater fixed on weekends.

I have had to have parts on my water heater replaced four times in less than a year with this company. I am frustrated beyond words. This has been a danger (gas leaking), terrible inconvenience and lots of days without hot water.

Approx. 4 years ago, we had an American Water heater installed. The first 3 years, things went pretty good. Then last Jan. 2008, the pilot light kept going out so I called the company and was told I needed a reset switch and to Next Day Air would be $24.95 so I did. We had a newborn baby at our house and needed hot water. The part came and we installed it and it worked for about 3 months and then the pilot light kept going out. We manually relighted it for several months and then I got tired of doing that and called the company once again to be told it was a different defective part, so they sent this regulator box that all the gas lines go into and expected us to install it when the directions say it it is very dangerous and the first sentence is to hire a professional. So we did just that and it worked for about a hour.