A. O. Smith Water Heaters Reviews

Purchased an A. O. Smith water heater in 2021. It worked fine until early 2026, when it stopped functioning. After confirming that my unit was still under warranty, I hired a handyman who identified the failed part (something in the pilot assembly). I expected a straightforward warranty claim—either by phone or through the website.

Horrible customer service. Got about a week out of a water heater. Definitely going back to Rheem. Just know if your water heater goes out whether a day or a month you will be required to work on it they won’t replace it or repair. Just cover parts.

First, I would have never chosen A.O. Smith water heater!! It was the Whirlpool replacement after a leak from Lowe's. Now the rest: the wait times are obscene, but based on the quality of their products I would imagine they get an insurmountable number of complaints calls. Their cheap product keeps failing and they want to keep replacing the same faulty parts instead of replacing the unit. It has failed twice now in a 6 month time span. When I pushed back they had someone call from technical support to tell me my warranty was expired....which is not true. Legend has it that I'm still on hold, waiting for someone to answer... I am legend.

Water heart installed on 3/6/25. Been repaired on 10/25, 12/25 & 1/26 Took about 20 days to break down the third time. This is beyond frustrating. We did not have hot water for Christmas! Don't buy!!!

Too bad I cannot give them 0 Stars. We moved into our new house in November of 2023. It has an AO Smith tankless water heater. On January 13, 2026 the unit quit working. No hot water since then. Two service calls later 1st one at $179 and 2nd at $392.50 a hotel bill to take a shower at $130 and a part which we found locally that may or may not be the issue (the ignitor) at $50 and we still don't have hot water.

I purchased a new AO Smith Signature 300 out of the box at Lowe's - discount was given for no box. Salesman said it was brand new, never used. I checked for scratches and other signs of use and it looked good. Got it home and installed it but the pilot wouldn't light. Called AO Smith and they said the problem was the flammable vapor sensor and said it wasn't under warranty. It will take 5 days to deliver (no shower, laundry, dishwasher, etc) and then I have to pay a plumber to install the part because the water heater has to be taken apart.

Absolutely horrific experience. I've been contacting AO Smith for months to try to get my water heater replaced because it's under warranty. They gave me a distributor to call and they said they don't even sell my water heater. I went on to call 5 more distributors who said they don't carry it and can't even help me because I would need to front the cost of the new water heater. This is absolutely ridiculous. I am so sick and tired of these companies taking advantage of people. I was waiting on hold with their Ashland location for an hour today. They were not helpful in any way and took pleasure in telling me there's just, "nothing they can really do." I will be telling everyone I know how terrible this company is.

I bought one Lowe's that would shut off after 30 seconds after install. Terrible customer service. Both Lowe's and A.O. Smith give you a runaround on returns. The want you to wait until one of their people can come out to look at it. I had a professional plumber do the install but not good enough for them. Scam.

Purchased a water heater in May 2025. Have had plumbers come out due to no hot water and they will not send a replacement. Their customer service is horrible. The worst I have ever encountered- From Tiffany and Val, they lack customer service and my experience has been awful - & case # ** - have asked for a supervisor twice and agents claim no one to speak to at the moment and they must create a case for a supervisor to call me back and 5 days later I still have not heard from a supervisor as of yet!

My AO Smith products (a water heater and water softener) seem to work well. However, customer service is worse than horrible. You call the main customer service phone number for a simple question, and the representatives pretty much know nothing. They pass you onto "technical support" and NO ONE at Tech support answers the phone EVER. I tried three separate times, on three separate phones, and after 2 hours each time waiting on hold, the call disconnects automatically. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. Thank goodness my AO Smith units are still functioning, because (given my experience with Customer service) I'm guessing it would be a nightmare if they needed any sort of repair. BUMMER!

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.