A. O. Smith Water Heaters Reviews

Bought a new electric water heater yesterday morning from Lowe’s and after installing waited a few hours water was not getting hot. After contacting customer service and confirming that the heating element was bad was given a parts authorization # and was told I could use it for a replacement element. Lowe’s refused to issue part without old element and because it was a long drive I had to pay for a part to repair a heater myself that was new. No authorized repairman close enough to do job. I called. I don’t know who to blame more, AO Smith or Lowe’s. I’ve been an industrial maintenance guy for 50yrs so I’m pretty familiar with how to install a water heater. Worst customer service ever from both companies. I could say more but I don’t know if AO Smith even cares. If they do want to check my case number was **.

Purchased A O Smith 30 gallon water heater from Lowes on 12/17/25; it stopped working 1/9/26. Do not waste your money buying this brand. Warning light reads clean burner screen on Brand New water heater.

I bought a A.O. Smith hot water heater, I couldn't get the Anode rod out, I spent 5 hrs, and finally had to go borrow a super powerful impact gun from a friend at 10pm that finally broke it loose, the rod was bent, I called the number that was on the paperwork, and spoke to a very rude, belligerent person in tech support named Mike. He said that AO smith does not ensure that the Anode rod is sound and told me that I was on my own to try to fix the problem.

Bought an electric on demand water heater. Did not provide steady hot water from the beginning but it was located in our guest house and I did not bother. It finally quit. Called AO Smith and was told needed to replace the main board, total $350 out of warranty. Then realized after the fact that was the price of the same water heater new. Spent 2 mos trying to return it. May calls, may emails, RMAs, and no replies. Finally gave up, lost my $350, they wore me out with their incompetence and poor quality. Bought a Rheem heater and perfect!

I purchased a 50 gallon A.O. Smith heat pump water heater at the end of October 2025 from Lowe's and as of January 7, I still cannot get their app to recognize the water heater. I have made a dozen calls to their tech line and they even shipped me a new control board but the app still cannot recognize the water heater. I have given up on getting the app to work so I requested a RMA number to replace or return the water heater but A.O. Smith now tells me the water heater does not need the app for it to work so they will not let me replace it or even repair it. I have solar and time of use energy rates at my home without the app I cannot monitor or control the water heater. One of the main reasons that I purchased the water heater was for the functionality of the app. I will never purchase a A.O. Smith product again.

We were on the phone for more than one hour being transferred to four different people and none could help me. The tank broke before the warranty expired. It seems that they purposely try to not help in order for you to give up.

Wow I wish I saw this site prior to buying my first unit. Bought a tankless unit from Lowes. 2 years later it developed a crack in the intake tube. Leaked all over the wall and flooded my garage. Then I got a warranty replacement and now that one has developed the same type of leak but from the output side. I called customer service and they were less than helpful. They try to tell me they barely see leak issues. SO I am the only customer that has a leaky unit and I happen to get 2 of them? Then they try to tell me that because my unit is mounted in the garage that extreme cold could cause a leak. I live in Orlando Florida. I don't even own pants... Unfortunately the warranty follows the original unit and not the replacement. I will not be buying another AO Smith unit. More than likely you are only here after an issue. But hopefully someone trying to buy a unit sees these reviews and buys something else. 1.2 stars on 100s reviews. Wow what a horrible company!

Had owned a 50 gallon electric State Select which was still going strong after 23 years, just figured it was time for an update. A.O. Smith "is" Select, so I purchased the Pro-line commercial grade 50 gallon electric. Perfect installation, perfect hot water every time. I stand by this brand, so do plumbers.

I have had 2 AO Smith water heaters in 8 years. 1st one lasted 3 years, then leaked. The warranty replacement lasted 5 years. Today we get the 3rd water heater installed (NOT an AO Smith). I would never buy another AO Smith product.

DO NOT, I repeat. DO NOT purchase this brand. I purchased and paid for a NEW hot water heater, only to get it installed and find out it was refurbished with a used, rusted out element. After speaking with customer service, they only wanted to replace the element and wanted me to keep a used heater that was paid for as a new unit. Very poor customer service.

I purchased my A.O. Smith Signature 300 Series 40-Gallons Short Icomm Smart Connectivity Lowe's model number EE9-40R55DV in Sept 2025. I specifically bought this model so I could remotely control the temp while I was away as well as detect water leaks. But mainly to curb electrical costs as I'm away sometimes. I had hoped buying an all in one solution vs. adding an external power box would be a good solution. The hot water heater part has so far worked well, even with the cheap plastic drain valve. The Icomm Smart Connectivity however has been horrible.

Worst product AO Smith has no technical support. Waste of my time and their junk product. DO NOT BUY AO SMITH TOTAL 💩💩💩 Waited 2 hours system kept hanging up on me. Horrible customer service. Will not ever buy or recommend ever again. American sh*t 💩💩💩💩

Don’t ever buy from this company. I bought a new water heater and less than a year later it was leaking. They sent me the part but they would only give me up to 100 dollars for someone to replace the part. Not only I can’t get a licensed plumber to fix it but 100 dollars 🤷‍♀️I wouldn’t even think that they would walk through the door for that price. I believe I shouldn’t have to pay anything out of pocket with how much I paid for this water heater.

Two years ago, I purchased a 50 gal AO Smith electric hot water heater. (E6-50H45Dv130) Today, after few weeks of erratic water temperatures and finally cold water only, I had to replace both the top and bottom heat elements in the hot-water heater. Much to my dismay and profound disappointment, both heat elements were of poor quality and seemly a cheap version. Then I replaced the original heat elements with higher quality aftermarket heat elements, quality that I was expecting from AO Smith in the first place. I am telling everyone I know not to purchase AO Smith electric hot-water heaters, as they are pathetic, and will be a great disappointment to the new owners with an extremely short life cycle.

This is a horrible product. It started giving me salty water. I called customer service twice, they were very rude and did not help. First they sent me instructions that never helped. Next I called again, the person hung up the phone while i was talking to her Never buy this product.

AO Smith's warranty policy is a shame. Had a vertex Combi unit installed. Next day I day issues with it starting up. Multiple calls to tech support. They pointed the finger at the gas company. Gas company says there’s no issue with the gas. 2 service techs later they replace the gas pump. Didn’t work. They decided it wasn’t worth them spending the money to fix it and offered a replacement. No warranty on labor. Question. How do I know the unit is defective if I don’t install it? They looked for any excuse to void the warranty. They act like they are doing me a favor by replacing the unit. Never had an experience like this in my life.

Do not buy anything from this manufacturer. We had defective water heater and it took eight phone calls over 2 days and they still are trying to transfer us to another department. They have tied me up for several hours as well as the Lowe's representative in the returns department. Unforgivable **.

Attention ceo of AO Smith water heater compan. I bought a A.O. Smith water heater from Lowe's. It caused a fire and water damage to my home. Lowe's refused to replace my water heater. Not fair. Please resolve this matter. Call me **.

A. O. Smith misleads consumers with a worthless warranty. The electric water heater I purchased malfunctioned the very day it was installed. The repair bill was More than $500. They paid only $100. Two years later, the tank cracked and leaked. It took five phone calls to customer service to replace it. They finally said I needed to disconnect the unit, empty it, take the 100 pound unit to Lowes, who would replace it, minus the current cost. Of course, that is impossible. I ditched the defective unit and ate the $3,000 it cost for less than two years of hot water.

I bought a tankless water heater that did not work so I returned it. Bought a second one thinking, just bad luck, got a lemon but no, the second did not work either. I have made several calls and haven’t got actual help except them telling me I needed a plumber. The company is not willing to help in any way except to reimburse me $100 for a plumber's bill that would cost me $600, as I was told by a plumber. I would never recommend this product or never will I buy this brand again! I’m out over $1000 with a useless tankless water heater, plumbing, wiring and a lot of wasted time.

Brand new Signature 300. Defective right out of the box. Pilot light would not stay lit. Went back & forth with tech support for hours. Finally determined the problem was a defective igniter assembly. Three days of cold showers. Going to be another day before part arrives. Buy another brand. My GE lasted 17 years.

Installed a water heater in 2023, the temperature and pressure release valve already starts dripping. Call the customer service, I was told that the parts is free but the shipping is not. I have to pay $12 for the shipping. I was told to pick up a local parts store, but the store does not sell parts to homeowners, only plumbers. Waste my time and gasoline to the supply store and spending time waiting over the phone. Not a decent company.

DON'T PURCHASE AO SMITH IN CALIFORNIA. They are handling Return #. Then emailing need proof of purchase when tank is old. Went to Lowe’s for exchange and wasted my time. Called back and they clicked on me

I would never recommend a AO Smith gas water heater. Valve worked great for few months. Now it constantly is clogged and will not allow gas to the burner. Zero confidence in their products. $550 wasted. My last gas unit lasted 20 years. Be lucky if these work a few months.

Warning warning. Don't buy a water heater from Lowe's unless you want your home to burn down and Lowe's don't care and I lost my tenant who passed away due to water heater because of a fire and I received a RGA number from A.O. Smith Water Heater company and Lowe's would not back it up because of the water heater being BIO HAZARD.

Hard to feel slighted by AO Smith water heater when it was installed free via a program my local electric company had about 4-5 years ago now. However the hybrid model we have after just 5 years now has a cracked tank and is a total replacement. So what was free has now become a $2300 replacement. Based on other reviews and my own experience, I would not recommend to a homeowner. Btw, the previous standard tank had been in the home for 20+ years, no issues, just consumed a bit more electricity. Please research before saying yes to this company.

I purchased an A.O. Smith water heater with the understanding that it was covered by a warranty. Recently, the unit began making extremely loud hammering noises whenever water is used, loud enough that even my townhouse neighbors can hear it. I contacted two licensed plumbers, both of whom inspected the unit. Both plumbers confirmed the problem and stated they would not continue to use or recommend A.O. Smith products due to repeated issues with performance and warranty support.

I moved into a new build three years ago and just got to replace a three-year old water heater that was leaking. There needs to be more accountability for products that cost this much. It was under warranty but labor is not included with that. And once replaced, the replacement is no longer under warranty. Isn't that shady? I went with a different brand with a different warranty. Businesses like this should be shut down - Not one ounce of care for their customers. Disappointed.

I moved into my new house with an A. O. Smith water heater. Within two months I begin having problems with loud noises when heating. Even called the fire department to make sure it wasn’t a fire risk. I called the manufacturer and was told to call a plumber in my area they recommended. Could never get the plumber to return the phone call and I am told it is the only tech in my area which is ridiculous. Then I was offered $100 to go find my own plumber and that is all they would cover towards a visit, determination of problem and labor. Which means I would end up paying for most of the repair for a brand new water heater.

I had a water heater from a different brand that lasted 17 years without any issues. Three years ago, my contractor installed an AO Smith water heater, and unfortunately, it broke down already. While I appreciate that the unit was still under warranty and AO Smith provided a replacement, I was surprised to learn that the company does not cover the replacement costs, which came to $500. This raises a serious concern for me—if this new unit breaks again in a few years, I’ll be forced to pay another $500 out of pocket. That’s not acceptable, especially given the reliability I experienced with my previous water heater. It makes me question the quality and longevity of AO Smith products.

Buyers BEWARE!!!! AO Smith does NOT stand behind their product! We purchased a new electric water heater on 01/01/25 and had it installed. On 07/13/25 it started tripping the breaker every time the hot water in the house was turned on. My husband contacted AO Smith and was told that it sounds like the heating elements stopped working. The representative then said that AO Smith would send us a voucher for the elements, which we will have to go pick up at Lowe’s, about 45 minutes away from our home. He then advised that my husband, who is not electrician, nor plumber, replace the elements. He said if my husband does not feel comfortable doing that, we can hire a plumber to do the work and pay the plumber, but that their company (AO Smith) would only reimburse onto $100.00 for labor!

I purchased my water heater in October 2020, and it has a 10 year warranty on parts, I think three years on labor. In June 2025, upon returning from a short trip, I could not get my module to move from vacation mode to standard mode. I made a call the next morning to the service department, and they helped walk me through pushing the buttons to reset. This did not work, they decided they needed to send me a new module. I paid for next day air as they all pay for ground shipping.

The AO Smith refund policy on brand-new water heaters is horrendous. I purchased a new electric water heater, it was installed, but even after waiting hours did not produce hot water. AO Smith prohibits refund or replacement of unit, despite it being 48 hrs from purchase. 1)! Customers are forced to find an “approved” plumber who will examine the new unit. 2) Customers are forced to locate and then drive to a vendor having the replacement parts in stock. 3) Customers are forced to drive back to house where defective [new] water heater to install replacement parts, hopefully repairing the problem. DO NOT BUY FROM A COMPANY WITH ABUSIVE REFUND POLICY.

Initially thought A.O. Smith was a good brand with a 10 year warranty. Purchased my hot water heater 07/2021 and it went out 2 days ago. The process for support & warranty was extremely difficult. After reading my serial number, of the label, 12 times had to video conference & OH that's it. Process was not helpful & will not ever purchase another product again. No customer service rendered & so don't expect one. BTW 2 days without hot water not great experience. Like to offer -2 stars.

Purchased at Lowe’s in Sonora, CA. They gave wrong one first & had to return and get a credit. Finally got right one after several hours of waiting. Paperwork is odd and not like the first receipt or the refund. Had faint propane smell from the start but I thought maybe it was normal for the brand. After 3 weeks I called propane company who found small leak at the “gas control valve/thermostat." They disconnected & capped the propane lines & red tagged the water heater on June 19, 2025.

The drain valve on my AO Smith water heater is made of plastic. The manual of the water heater says that the user should flush the tank once per year. I opened the valve to flush it three weeks ago, but the valve failed. I cannot close the valve anymore. I have nine year parts warranty. I called the manufacturer. They agreed to give me a new valve, but the new valve is still plastic. I would like to upgrade the valve to a metal one. I need to call a plumber to do the job.

AO smith proline xl installed 10/22/2022. Every year there is a headache with the unit. This time in May I experienced no hot water on a Wednesday night 4/30/25. I called another plumber because this is the third time I have had issues and wanted to get a fresh set of eyes on the unit. On 5/2/25, They called AO Smith directly and AO smith told them to camera the flue, change the flue, change the pressure switch and change the main control. All these measures have failed. It is now 5/12, and AO smith is telling them to change the burners. almost two weeks with no hot water!

This is the first A.O. Smith water heater that I've installed. I had a problem with a defective pressure relief valve and at first It was difficult to light the pilot light. I had to leave the customer with no hot water, because the water wouldn't stop running. The next day I had to buy a new pressure relief valve, because Lowe's would not exchange it. I would have had to bring the water heater back to the store. I've installed half dozen of the Rheem brand and I've never had any issues. They're man made so sometimes things happen, but I wasn't pleased with Lowe's not exchanging the part.

I bought a brand new 40 gallon tank at Lowe's. Had my plumber installed it. After turning it on my element was buzzing. Paid him $200. Called the warranty company at A.O. Smith. They will reimburse me $100 but I have to call him back. It's going to cost me a another 200 so $400 plus the hot water heater cost me a little over for. Not good business because I'm a carpenter so now I got to take another day off work.

I am very disappointed with AO Smith. My plumber bought a water heater from Lowes after the energy company deemed my 6-month-old water heater from AO as hazardous and explosive. I immediately contacted the same plumber that evening to remove it and take it back to Lowe's for an exchange, as I had no hot water for three days already. The company representatives were very nice and informed me to submit for a plumbing refund, which they capped at $ 150.00, while the plumber charged me $ 300.00 for his own time after hours. Not only did they trick me into buying a dangerous and defective heater, but they are also refusing to pay the $ 150.00 plumber fee because it was done after hours and not during business hours with the company.