A. O. Smith Water Heaters Reviews

A. O. Smith water heater installed by licensed plumber April 2015, total cost $1884. November 1, 2016 water heater is dead, no hot water and no fault codes. Plumber called and working with A. O. Smith determines that gas control valve is faulty. Cannot find the part on the west coast, has to be ordered from back east. Will take 4-5 days or can be overnighted if we pay $108. No charge for part since still under warranty. After our tenants were without water for Tuesday to Friday morning, the part is received and installed by the plumber. Cost for the plumber including shipping of part $598.

We had our hot water heater replaced in 2014. It was original to the house built in 2002 - worked fine, just thought it was getting old and wanted to replace it before we started having problems. The plumber we hired replaced it with a Smith hot water heater. Within 2 years, the Smith unit looked ten times worse than the one they replaced. We called the plumber and found out it was a defect in the unit and they said it was covered under a warranty. The plumber came out and replaced it, but we had to pay for labor and parts!!! Not sure why we should have to pay for the install when the unit was defective. Why isn't Smith paying for the install!! Wish I would have read the reviews on this website before it was replaced. Of course the new unit is also a Smith... when this one goes never again!! How is this company getting away with this? The warranty should cover the cost of the install!

I bought a house in July of 2013. This house was owned and built by the builder. It had 2 AO Smith ECS 40 200 electric hot water heaters. The Builder purchased these tanks on 9/16/2010, as the house was under construction. The builder did not close and move into the house until April 27, 2012. I have had to replace one of these tanks already as it failed. It was covered by warranty. Now I have the second tank failing. But AO Smith will not extend the warranty to cover this tank because it is out of the 6 year warranty period from the date of purchase. It doesn't matter that the tank wasn't put into service until 4/27/2012. They (AO Smith) goes off of purchase date. I find it hard to comprehend why a company wouldn't stand behind their product when it is 2 months out of warranty from its original purchase date and only 4.5 years from date of being place in service.

We are a reputable plumbing company in Florida. My boss has been Master Plumber for 32 years. We have used A.O Smith, Bradford White, and Rheem water heaters. The only one we have had problems with is Smith. One of customer had one installed, went bad, and Smith replaced it. Now less than a year later, this one went bad. Sure they're going to replace the water heater, but will not labor... The gentlemen is a school teacher with not a lot of income. When I take my car in for service, when it's under warranty, do they charge me labor? Big NO on that. Bad, bad business Smith... As for the other two competitors we use, never had an issue. BAD BUSINESS SMITH. A warranty is a warranty.

A. O. Smith GCV 40 300 water heater, built/installed in 2011. In the middle of the night I awoke to the sound of water pouring from the gas/temperature unit at the bottom of the water heater. Waiting until morning to hear from my plumber. Read of similar experiences on this site, including one from nearby Crofton MD. Will update.

We purchased our home from a builder, who had installed an A.O. Smith water heater with a date of 4/2012 on it. On 10/2016, the tank stopped working entirely. Two different plumbers said it was electrical, something wrong with the temperature gauge and its ability to communicate with the ejector pump on the top of the water heater. When I search for the issue online, looks like I'm not the only one with a faulty temperature gauge.

I purchased a A.O. Smith State water heater in April 2012 and installed it myself. Last Friday evening I heard the sound of water running in my office and opened up the water heater closet to find water running out of the bottom of the front gas/temperature unit. I had a plumber come on Monday morning and he said it was not the tank, but the gas/temperature valve unit had failed and that I needed to call on my warranty. I have now called five times. The first time they said that since it was installed inside the home and the door did not have a closer and weather stripping that they would have to flag it as an improper installation. They said I would need to fix these items and send them pictures as I did. As you can guess by now (and I should have been smarter than to fall for their antics) once I sent them pictures, they were not right and then there are other additional issue why they could not honor their warranty.

I purchased a brand new home with an A.O. Smith water heater in it. 4 1/2 years and the heater had split and completely rusted from the inside. Water heater was replaced under warranty but I had to pay for labor. Fast forward 14 months, and I woke up this morning with my garage flooded. The tank was completely rotted and rusted from the inside again. My plumber said his company no longer installs this type of water heater because they are chronically defective. I could have replaced it AGAIN under warranty for free, but I am choosing to spend $800 to buy a new water heater from a different manufacturer rather than risk further damage with an A.O. Smith. Their products are GARBAGE!!! These people should be sued for continuing to produce defective and dangerous products. DO NOT purchase A.O. Smith.

I purchased my house in December of 1995. When I purchased it the A.O. Smith Hot Water heater was already 6 years old (Installation sheet said it was installed in 1989). I finally replaced it on Saturday August 20, 2016. The water heater was at 27 years old. Other than having to light the pilot on occasion I never had an issue. It was a 40 gallon Gas Heater. Personally I think their product is awesome!

Yesterday our hot water heater failed. The gas regulator / thermostat failed and the pressure release valve failed. The melting disfigured pipe can only happen through a thermal event. AO Smith is saying that it happened due to water pressure (that is impossible), even though our pressure measure 60PSI and none of our neighbors have had over-pressure issues. If you have had problems with AO Smith warranty rejection and success in resolution, I'd love to how you resolved. I have 4 plumbers from 2 different organizations and a code enforcement manager that say it was a faulty gas regulator as cause.

We purchased an A. O. Smith hot water heater from Ferguson's Plumbing and had it installed. It NEVER WORKED FROM DAY 1. After dozens of calls to A. O. Smith and replacing numerous parts and reinstalling the way it was vented, it still does not work over 4 weeks later. I have had no hot water in my house for over a month and they don't care. They refuse to give us a new one and Ferguson's refuses to take it back without an authorization number from A. O. Smith. I am so disappointed with their customer service department. They just don't care. I do not know what to do. I have 3 kids and no hot water and no more money to buy another one. I wish I had bought one from Home Depot because they would have never treated me this bad. I thought going to a specialized plumbing store and paying more money that it would be a better product. I am now finding out that is not true. So sad they can take advantage of people like this.

Drain Go installed a brand new hot water heater, a GVC 40 300 model build 09/14/2012 capacity 40.0. Less than two years. No hot water. Started questioning people. When the plumber arrived the tech at AOS started arguing with the plumber. The plumber did as requested from AOS. Apparently the tech knew about the gas valve being defective. The defective piece just cost me 130.00. Class action should be launched on these people.

Had an 80 gallon AO Smith water heater installed at my new construction house. 2.5 years after the problems started happening. First call to the plumber and 2 bad heating elements AND 2 bad thermostats all replaced. Unit was still having issues. I had to reset the unit DAILY to get hot water as it kept shutting itself off. Called Tech Support. They said I was going to have to get a volt meter and go see what the problem was myself (they would walk me through it, oh how nice). I'm no electrician. I refused to do that as it was a liability for me to get shocked. They REFUSED to send a technician because they didn't have anybody within 70 miles of my house.

We have had an A.O. Smith water heater in our home since 1994. Never have had a problem until the June 05, 2016 (22 years old) when it finally sprung a leak underneath and partially flooded the basement. I would recommend this product highly and if I could afford another one, I would be replacing my old one with its new replacement. Very long lived, high quality and always heating efficiently. We had the 40 gallon, 32,000 BTU and 4 people with lots of laundry and a dishwasher utilizing the hot water. A+.

2nd water heater now from A.O. Smith. Both leaked into the electrical contact compartment in just a few years - rotting the wires making the water heater useless. Something is very wrong with the build of their tank. Others have the ability to prevent corrosion/sediment decay but this product evidently is extremely weak. I would never recommend an A.O. Smith electric water heater to anyone.

We purchased a new GPVH 50 100 in 2007 after our hot water heater of 15 years finally failed. This system was supposed to be the Cadillac of hot water heaters... Not so. Now after a second replacement in 2012, 5 service calls costing over $500; AO Smith says we have NO warranty. Wow! Even with repeated failures of the O2 sensor and pressure switch, they claim it's either our fault or that of the installer. On this unit from 2012, the top is already beginning to rust. Going to try and limp by until this GPVH 50 100 fails again... For sure we will never buy another product from AO SMITH, and will warn our friends as well... I suggest you do the same.

I replaced a 40-gallon AO Smith gas HWH in 2012 after only 4 years of use. The replacement unit just went bad after less than 4 years of use but AO Smith will not satisfy the 6-year warranty claiming the warranty is only valid from the installation date of the first unit in 2018. First of all two units with only 4 years of use before leaking is unacceptable. Secondly, not supporting the product you sell is even worse. I will never buy another one because AO Smith makes junk!

This is by far the worst customer service ever... Our water heater is only 3 years old and we have had to jump through hoops to prove that it is in fact the water heater. After 2 plumbers, the city inspector, 600 gallons of water to flush system, a new android, they still refuse to warranty the heater. This is unbelievable... I have no recourse but to purchase another - not a A.O. Smith...

We bought a A.O. Smith gas water heater (5/12/2014) to replace our old A.O. Smith water gas heater (last for 8 yrs. with no issues). We were told that A.O. Smith was the best gas water heater in the market. Not anymore! New A.O. Smith Water is poor build and we constantly having issues with the unit (brand new unit with bad burner screen). We would used the unit for couple days and it would said the unit needs to be cleaned again. We constantly had to reset the unit by shutting it off and turned it back on to get hot water. Otherwise we would constantly have to paid someone to come out and check. ($99 just to come out. Plus labor for whatever they need to do.) DON'T BUY A.O. SMITH UNIT, UNLESS YOU WANT TO KEEP PAID FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT!!! Plus no hot water!!! Bad warranty!!!

I purchased an A.O. Smith water heater 2 1/2 years ago. It has a 6-year warranty. The water heater stopped heating and the upper panel leaked water in the panel causing a short. It began to smoke and it is fried. The entire utility room filled with smoke and when the door was open it came out and filled the house with smoke. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if we were not home or the kids were home alone. We had to cut off power to it. I would never buy this product and do not even want a replacement of the same brand! With all the complaints I can't believe they are still in business.

I've had 2 of them. GDFE 50 gallon water heaters. First one bought and installed 1-2-2010. FAILED after 3 years almost to the day. Replaced under warranty, but it still cost me $500 for re-install costs. 2nd one was installed 1-4-2013. I was on vacation last week in California when my father in law called telling me there was a problem. His wife was walking the dog and noticed water spewing out of the exhaust vent on the outside of my house. Father in law was notified and turned off the water ASAP. The heater had failed for the second time, same issue, inner tank had ruptured. It was leaking onto the floor but the drain was keeping up so far. Luckily he was there. If he hadn't been, my basement would have flooded disastrously. This heater also supplied my in floor radiant heat tubes. Well, it had been snowing that week and was down in the 30's temp-wise.

Bought this to replace an oil fired water heater, due to nearing $1000 for a fill up at $4/gallon on oil, ouch. Got right scared and replaced it with this model. Did not take long and running out of hot water after two back to back showers, long showers in the 15-20 minute range, wife and teenager. Happened with oil fired but very few times. At that point lowered pressure to less than 50 psi from 60 psi and elevated tank temperature to 130F from 120F, switched to hybrid mode, flow at about 2.0 gallons per minute from a well so ground water at 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Helped but not enough. Raised electrical bill 20-30 dollars per month, savings are there even at $2 per gallon for oil. Had to put a point of use electric water heater in line to make up the extra hot water in high demand so savings are less. Called factory and asked for 5500 watt heater element and they say that was a no go. Still evaluating point of use heater.

This is the second replacement water heater, and it is just junk. After 13months, something keeps making noise, possibly the blower. It turns on and runs for long periods. The technician and company just say that because there is no 'fault' message, they cannot figure it out. The unit is in California, in a hot watershed, outdoors. It was installed to code with permits with all specs complied with. The first unit thermocoupler failed within the first year. Then, the interior imploded. The 2nd unit, a replacement 13 months old, now has a noise that the company and the technician cannot understand. Previous unit lasted nearly over 15 years in the same place. The likely problem is the motherboard is failing, but the company won't honor their parts warranty. This is a $3000 plus piece of junk. The company is worthless.

I am a union plumber and thought highly of A.O. Smith Water Heaters until I started using them. The product is very poorly made. Yes they will send you parts as it breaks and it will, but costly to hire me to fix. So my first experience using the warranty was enough for me. They told me they were back ordered, they would make the part within 24 hours from time I ordered it (thursday a little afternoon pst.). That they would ship it friday. If I pay 30 dollars I can get it Monday, so I did. Told customer bad news. They were fine till monday. Great. Monday comes, no part. Only to be told part won't be ship 'till wed. Morale of story, product is garbage, kvl warranty is garbage, save a lot of money and headaches. Don't buy A.O. SMITH. THEY ARE GARBAGE.

A. O. Smith HWH installed. Made a hissing sound day 1. Plumber returned a few times, said it was defective. I called the A. O. Smith. Said they would replace but had to use their recommended plumber, I did. They don't pay for install, RIDICULOUS!!

In 2009 purchase an OA Smith Water heater - in 2012 water heater leaked and since it was under warranty had the heater replaced with a cost for warranty fee. Had problems with this replacement and had to pay for factory serviceman to come out and replace a part (pilot kept going out). All is well until Feb 2016 when the water heater (replaced in 2012). Again went back to distributor only to find out that the one installed in 2012 was out of warranty. Had to purchase another new water heater - therefore spending over $900. For 2 water heaters in 8 years. Not counting money spent for installation, service and water damage to my finished basement. NEVER AGAIN will I purchase "the top of the line" AO Smith water heater and neither should you. Had gotten no response or help from corporate or consumer affairs.

Had an AO Smith water heater installed 22 months ago. 13 month into the ownership it died. Thermal coupling was replaced under warranty. Not the labor. The labor was another $175. 4 months later it died again. Same part. Same additional $175. Another 5 months and once again, it is dead. They were kind enough to look in their manual and "know exactly what's needed" and send out the part. Which was missing the gas line compression fitting. Which is not available at any local plumbing supply, gas and fireplace supply, or Home Depot. Another $175 plumber visit however was charged. Thankfully this guy pulled out the faulty part. How did the part keep failing? The tank is leaking of course. See the picture with the mold all over it. At this point I am not holding my breath for any warranty coverage as I wouldn't want this POS replaced with the same thing.

My 2013 50 gallon W/H Model #GCV 50300 blew the bottom out last night. A. O. gave me the local dist # & they said it was going to cost a $100 Warranty fee to exchange the W/H AND my plumber has to bring the W/H to them before they will release the new one. This makes labor double & that is not covered under warranty. I asked A. O. to cash me out the remaining worth of the 2-year-old W/H and they refused. A. O. Smith Water Heaters are BAD, BAD, BAD!!! I manage 100 properties & will never buy their products again!!!

Model XCV50100 - My husband and I live in an apartment. Our dryer and furnace are right next to this water heater. We have owned it for less than five years. The pilot light has gone out four different times resulting in no hot water. It takes our plumber three times to get it to stay on. I called and wrote customer service for this. Lo and behold discontinued model. They blamed it on everything else but their horrible lemon of a product. Horrible experience.

I am a Plumber since 1976. I have dealt with AO Smith since I began the trade. Since around the year 2000 they have went downhill on their products, AO Smith also makes Lochinvar, Whirlpool, and American water heaters. They will not admit to their problems. Believe me! The customer help people have no knowledge of the product. Just a guide book they read from, so don't expect help from them.

Hot Water Tank Model #GVC40 100 - Within the last 6 years of having this model installed brand new, I have had to call out the service man 5 times to help with the restarting of the pilot light. Every time it goes out, it will not restart with the normal directions printed on the tank. The service man has replaced a thermocouple, re-terminated the wire on the starter switch, another time took the entire bottom apart and did something else, etc, etc. After trying to look up directions on the internet of troubleshooting myself, I saw that many other consumers were having the same trouble. This product should have been RECALLED for DEFECTS! After spending over $1000 in past repairs, not including the original purchase price and installation, I am now looking into totally replacing the unit and spreading the word of this terrible product. Consumer ALERT: DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!

We have a 5 year old, 50-gallon A.O. Smith water heater. It has a broken thermocouple. This is a $10 item and relatively available. And easy to replace, DIY. But because of the design, the A.O. Smith thermocouple can only be replaced by ordering a complete new burner assembly at about $100 and not available except by special order. So it takes several days to arrive. So we are without hot water for several days unless we are willing to buy a whole new water heater for $500. We have opted for the new water heater and we can guarantee that this will never be one made by A.O. Smith.

Hi, I would like to escalate this to the highest management of A. O. Smith. I was not aware that you guys have such unprofessional post sales services and your technicians are highly unskilled and immature as your products are. I have purchased the geyser 1 month back and its creating lot of sound. When I lodged the complaint, the technician which was sent was highly unprofessional . He misbehaved and acted like a Bully and Gunda and said that you have to live with this noisy sound. He was not ready to listen and told to complain to anyone we want. Post sales service is highly unprofessional and of very low standards. When I asked his full name he said, "My name is Ravi and you can complain to anyone about me. You want? I don't care." Technician Name is 'RAVI'. It was not expected from Brand like A. O. Smith. Deeply regretting to choose product of your brand. My Geyser Model is HSE-VAS-015. Date of purchase is 9 Nov 2015.

Water heater stopped working after two months. My plumber and contractor checked it out and AO Gold sent an incompetent plumber that didn't even look at any of the parts, took pictures and sent them to customer service and I never heard back from AO Gold customer service, even though customer service that they would call me back within one hour. It's been two weeks and I still haven't heard back from them. I had to buy a new water heater because they would not cover it under warranty. I have had three water heaters installed by the same person in the same spot and all worked for years.

I had my water heater replaced on February 2014 and the plumber did install an AO Smith one, saying that was "top of the line". What a waste of time and money. The water heater started to leak this weekend and it is under warranty. However I am going to still have to pay $400 out pocket to have it replaced, as home warranty insurance won't pay for it since it is under warranty!! There is a $125 "exchange fee" and the rest is due to water lines that need to be adjusted to the new water heater. Why do I have to pay as a consumer the cost of their incompetency as manufacturers? And the worst part is that now, I am stuck with this brand as they will replace it for another one. I won't buy another AO Smith water heater never again.

My 60 gallon with a 10 year warranty A.O. Smith leaked after 6 years. I got a replacement (New) installed fill the water a new one start leaking from the exhaust wasted $700 to pay the contractor twice. I called A.O. Smith Corporate to complain but it was a waste of time. Horrible customer service and they don't care about their customers. Beware don't buy their heaters it is throwing money in the toilet. I needed three water heaters to get it right. VERY SAD.

We replaced an old water heater with a new AO Smith gas water heater. About 2 weeks later the screens on our faucets were filled with green and white grit which caused low water pressure. We have 2 water heaters. The non-Smith heater does not produce grit. AO Smith had us hire a plumber to come out to tell us what to do. He said that the water heater was producing grit. AO Smith customer service says that we have to pay to replace a part because the grit is caused by our water reacting to their heater part. We have city water which has never produced this problem in any of our other water heaters. Based on the current AO Smith lack of customer service we will probably have to replace the heater at our expense. Believe me it will NOT be with an AO Smith heater.

I bought a hot water heater about a year ago and it started to leak and rust. Customer service would not help me with the labor cost on replacing the unit. Then I got a new one 6 weeks ago and it has already leaked and rusted. They again will not help me with the labor cost to have it installed saying the Warranty carried over from the last water heater and they will not cover it. I am extremely dissatisfied and if I can give them less than one star I would. I will never ever use their services and I recommend anyone to stay away.

I have a 50-gallon water heater which is still under warranty and not hot water. The company is giving me the run around after having the plumber and electric company saying the problem is with the water heater, the elements and other part. Still no hot water. Now AO Smith wants me to call the electric company back out to my house. They are rude and just wanted to get out of replacing the water heater.

We have lived in our new house for 15 years and will now need to buy our 4th, new, hot water heat. I'll give you one guess, what brand was initially installed? Yep, A.O. Smith. The first one failed after 3 years. It was replaced on warranty. The second one failed after 4 years but A.O. Smith wouldn't replace it because it was a warranty replacement so I had to buy a new one. That was also an A.O. Smith and now that one is leaking out the bottom. Never again, A.O.Smith.

I had an A.O.Smith 50 gallon short boy water heater. The unit was approx. 2 years old. There was a loud bang and the water leaked all over my basement. I contacted A.O. Smith about the warranty. My unit did not have a rating plate on it (maybe it was removed by installer, or was never there in the 1st place.). Because the plate was missing, A.O.Smith would not honor the warranty. I sent pictures of the unit showing installation date to company, but this made no difference. I am now forced to buy another water heater. I can guarantee you, it will NOT be A.O.Smith!!!

Purchased an AO Smith hot water tank (40 gals). I installed it myself and was careful to fill the tank with water prior to hooking up the electricity. I've installed numerous tanks in my life so I know the correct procedure. 2 months later the upper element seal blew out and flooded my house. The leak flowed as much as a garden hose would on full pressure. It shot out a foot or so from the tank. We weren't home at the time so the damage was extensive.

DO NOT PURCHASE AN A.O. SMITH WATER HEATER! Be smart and allow our bad experience to help you make a better choice. The unit has REPEATED ISSUES with a variety of its components - the thermostat failed twice in 8 mos, the burner unit failed within 18 mos, making a loud frightening "popping" sound. We had to pay a plumber to repair the components with no reimbursement offered from the company! And we all know how expensive plumbers are. The plumber even stated they have had nothing but problems with A.O. Smith units and refuse to use them any longer, preferring to go with American Standard or Rheem. Steer very clear from this product!

Even being a plumbing contractor, A.O. Smith treats us like what sits in the bottom of the toilet. A.O. Smith representative for this area, Ron **, refuses to pay us when their garbage fails within the 1 year time frame and we have to go out and fix them at all hours. Their cover answer to all questions is, the plumber did something wrong. Why? Yes we did do something wrong. We bought one of your poorly designed units. They make us look bad to our clients, who we always strive to supply the best equipment and service. Never EVER buy a A.O. Smith. Period. Many of us have abandoned what was a good company years ago for Rheem or Bradford White. Good tech lines, answers and help.

Not only is our new water heater garbage, but customer service is even worse. Keep giving me and my plumber the run around. Obnoxious company with a clearly inferior product. After getting nowhere with customer service, I called the company president, hoping someone at a higher level would care what their customer service/parts department was telling people. Hoping for a callback tomorrow.

Our A. O. Smith propane water heater stopped working and the main component that we use to heat the water stopped working. A. O. Smith would not come to repair it. It is my family summer house and they classify us as a business. They refused to give us our warranty. The water heater was installed on 3/4/2014. Our plumber has to order and wait for over a week to get the part needed. The fee for the replacement was $1035, that I had to pay for. I would never recommend this company to anyone.

In 2007 we built our home in Florida. In Dec. 2009 our A. O. Smith Water Heater stopped working. Leaking all over the wash room and garage. We called the company and they installed a new A. O. Smith heater. On August 1, 2015 our water heater broke again. (Less than 6 years old). We were told this second one would last at least 10 years. When we called to our third heater we were told it was not under warranty and we would have to purchase our new heater. We went to Lowe's and ordered a Whirlpool. NEVER a A. O. Smith again.

I bought my water heater 2 years ago and have had to have it fixed twice. I paid $1000.00 for the water heater and after the plumber comes to fix it for the second time, I have spent $800.00 to keep it running. This is by far the worst experience I have ever had with product quality. You can be sure I will never buy another AO Smith water heater again. AO Smith will pay for the part if it breaks, but you have to pay for the labor. It cost me $350.00 to get it fixed the first time, and now I am having to pay another $450 in labor and $30 for rush delivery this time. There is no reason I should have to get a "top of the line" water heater repaired twice in 2 years. DO NOT BUY AO SMITH!!!

I purchased a water heater on 12/7/2010. It has a 6 year warranty. I found it rusted out in June of 2015. My plumber contacted the manufacturer for a replacement. They refused to speak to him and told him I had to call them. When I called they offered me $450 in the form of a check, not a water heater. As I did the research, I found that it was impossible to find a quality water heater for anywhere near that dollar amount. They finally agreed to $700 as I was out of town and argued. Then when I returned I learned it is very difficult to find a quality water heater and certainly harder to find an 80 gallon size.

A. O. Smith had problems with not only their dip tubes. Their 75 gallon tanks had leakers approximately 4" from the top. As a plumbing contractor A. O. Smith fails to take into consideration we plumbers sell is time. And to take a 75 gallon water heater down a flight of stairs, connect the gas and water supply and flue. As you're filling the tank only to hear "hissing" and then water spewing out and take it back to a supply house eats all our possible profits. They offered to give me $125 which did not come close to my employees' labor rate. When their sealed combustion assembly fails they say it's out of warranty.

As I look online, I see that my very bad experience with A.O. SMITH is far from unusual. They refused to honor my warranty. My excellent, patient, experienced plumber (30 years as a plumber) took a long time on the phone talking to a number of people. He explained, as a professional, in great detail why the heater needed to be replaced. They were not interested. They suggested sending out their representative, a MR. RAY **, for a fee of $185. James, from DRAINS UNLIMITED called Mr. ** and was told there must be rust build-up inside the tank. So, therefore, it is not under warranty. Decided this on the phone...

Purchased a new A.O. Smith power vent water heater for my home. The heater was over filled with insulation, which caused the top to bow up and the sides to buckle. Insulation was running down the sides. Contacted A.O. Smith. Company stated that this did not affect the operation. Thus, they would not replace it. Quality control should have caught this at the factory. Like buying a new car, with a few dents and scratches, CHECK BEFORE YOU ACCEPT.

We've had an A. O. Smith SV9570A 2062 propane hot water heater in our seasonal residence (5 months a year) for about 10 years. During this time it has functioned reasonably well, however it typically takes 30 to 45 seconds for the water to heat up. The temperature of water coming from our faucets is generally about 10-15 degrees less than the setting on the tank. Last year we were advised we needed a new thermocouple and the cost for an entire computerized thermocouple unit was $225 (we couldn't simply buy a thermocouple by itself) not counting labors far cry from the $10 it used to cost for us to buy and replace a thermocouple ourselves on older hot water heaters (NOT A. O. Smith.)

Sorry but we bought this house brand new and the Water Heater went out after 6 years. The warranty expired in May and it crapped out in June. Called to see if they could do anything and their customer support won't budge at all. The sad thing is there are friends of ours who have Water Heaters 10-15 years old with no problems. This one craps out after 6 years. If you're looking for a water heater DO NOT BUY this one.

Wish I had read the reviews before I had this water heater installed. Unit broke down less than two months in service. Even though the parts are covered, I have to pay for installing this part and a couple of days without hot water. This unit with the blower cost me over $2,300 for installation. No more AO Smith Water Heaters!!!!!! Bad product!!!

AO Smith water heaters are terrible. We built our home 15 years ago, the first water heater needed replaced after 10 years, ok. We bought a new one. That one failed in less than 3 years. AO Smith warranty replaced it. Current water heater is approx 3 years old and has failed. It is leaking out of the bottom. Water heater states 6 yr warranty however because it was a replacement, company will not honor another 6 year warranty.

My first A.O. Smith Water Heater was replaced after 19 years; was still working so this was planned replacement due to age. I had no problems, so I bought another A.O. Smith. Seven years later, the pilot assembly went out and the repair was estimated at $400 - 500. Really! This is more than half the cost of a new water heater. No more A.O. Smith.

My seven year old A-O Smith Water Heater broke and flooded my basement. Frustrated that a water heater that this would occur I called customer service and was told I should have been checking my Anode rod regularly. Not even plumbers do that!!! The rep was rude, insensitive and when I was told by HR at the home office that someone would reach out to me, no one did!! BAD PRODUCT and even worse customer service!!! Beware!!!

We foolishly let a plumber choose the brand of our new water heater. He installed a 50-gallon A.O. Smith ProMax, and 3-1/2 yrs later, it has gone out and needs to be replaced. When we called the plumbing company, we were told they no longer install A.O. Smith, because of all the problems they have. STAY AWAY from this brand, or you will have no hot water like us. What a waste of money!

AO Smith Water Heater, absolutely worst product I've had the misfortune to buy. It is totally undependable. The White/Riders Intelli-Vent a sensor filled electronic switch installed inline on the water heater randomly stops the water heater from doing its job of heating water. The water heater has been warranty replaced on less three years and has several service calls yearly.

In short, poor performing product, terrible customer service with a warranty department that is either incompetent, poorly trained, or just doesn't care. I'm a property owner (investor) and have been a property manager for 20+ years. During this time I've had numerous problems with water heaters and have resolved numerous issues with Warranty Departments. Dealing with AO Smith warranty department was incredibly frustrating and eventually became ridiculous. As a matter of fact this is the first negative review I have ever written on any products. So for me to take the time to do this, the experience would have to have been terrible. I am writing this a couple of weeks since I've dealt with their warranty department, so I've had time to calm down a bit, but have decided to write a review in hopes of saving consumers the level of frustration I reached.

I needed hot water heater, talked to **. VERY helpful. Got heater at Ferguson, 6712 Kinne st. Syracuse, NY. ** waited on me at counter. VERY helpful. Got everything needed to install. A.O. SMITH heater works great, last one was 14 years old. Thank you.

Second Water Heater in 5 yrs! Stay clear of this product. You will have the inconvenience of no hot water, waiting around for your plumber and PAYING for labor. This hot water heater only has a warranty until this February! AO Smith will not warrant for another 6 yrs. I will be holding my breath. Ridiculous!!

To replace a 30 year old water heater, we purchased an 85 gallon commercial water heater BTR-365A. I mean this water heater costs $8000 plus $2000 to install. Gas powered, electronic ignition, I thought you get what you pay for, so I got something nicer. I should have stuck with heaters from Lowe's. They last longer and I could install them myself.

My problems began with the day of installation (11/22/14) when the unit failed to heat. My installer contacted the company the next day and was successful in getting the water to heat. But the sound of "gravel" in the hot water lines, plus the deposit of powdery, white residue on my dishes in my dishwasher persist.

Bought a brand new house 11 years ago. It came with an A.O. Smith 40 gallon heater. 1st one needed replaced after 5 years. No big deal bought another A.O. smith - 3years - out again. They replaced it under the warranty with no issues. 3 years and 3 months later I come down stairs to find a massive hole in the side of the water heater with water shooting across my basement as if coming from a hose. Thinking it had a 6 year warranty made me feel a little better - nope A.O. Smith will not replace the water heater because I didn't get a 6 year warranty on the replacement, I got a 6 year warranty on the one before. They won't cover a 3 year old water heater - great company!!!

Had water heater installed May 2010. Within months required service, electric starter not working. Next year gas flow indicator needed repair, next year starter again. April 2015, gas flow valve. Just had it replaced, warranty covers parts, not labor. First problem with a water heater, 5 houses, 36 years.

Pilot light will go out at times. Have been told it gets dirty under the burner assy and needs to be cleaned out.. have paid for that a few times. When you re-lite the pilot, it is a very small flame and will not stay lite unless you hold the button in. Then a flame increases flame will stay lite. I keep it clean under the burner assy, but just acts up usually when we have guests. My brother had one put in a unfinished basement and has never cleaned anything and never one problem. I keep telling the tech that something else is wrong. Been nothing but a headache.

I paid $600 to have a new AO Smith Water Heater Installed. 2 years later the tank leaks, water all over the floor. Warranty is useless because no-one has them in stock. I have to pay full price again for a different water heater. Horrible AO service, does not back up their product. BEWARE and STAY AWAY from AO SMITH.

Pardon me, but is this normal to feel your in-basement new gas HW heater sound like a very loud, deep hum that actually vibrates your body while on the main floor of this smaller cape cod home? I've never heard or felt anything like this from a gas HW heater, and this is my 3rd professionally-installed AOS in the last 18 yrs. Heats the water, yes, but causes an initial fright to me every time it starts to heat water, BUT I have not had the experience someone else has of it over-heating water, either. If I were on the phone standing next to it, I'd have a hard time hearing the conversation on the phone. (Purchased from/installed on 3/14 on emergency basis from Gall Plumbing, Saukville, WI)

This A.O. Smith 40 gallon water heater was installed on June 9, 2009 to replace another A.O. Smith tank. It is installed in our garage. Last night it started leaking rusty water. (Of course at midnight on a Sat. night!!) Our plumber stated that they no longer use A.O. Smith products due to customer "dissatisfaction." It is within the 6 year warranty period, and our plumber said they would replace with the same product under the warranty, but the labor charges aren't included & they don't have it in stock. We needed this done the next day, and we elected not to replace with the A.O. Smith tank, which apparently is still being used. I would never buy another A.O. Smith product.

This has been a VERY DIFFICULT experience dealing with this company. My water heater has not worked correctly in months. We have a number of times and spent 400.00 on maybe it's this or maybe it's that, and still are required to do more test that run about another 200.00. Our water heater is under warranty until 2017. I'm tired of throwing away good money. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY unless you want a lot of PROBLEMS.

I have a new A.O. Smith hot water tank installed yesterday, March 16, 2015 by H2O Maestro from Lexington, KY. It is a GCV-40 301, serial #1407AO18938. It is VERY loud when heating water. Since the tank is in the middle part of my house, I can't get away from the noise. Can it be adjusted to be quieter?

Would be nice if the CLEANING instruction were on the outside of the unit like the ignition instructions. Next home purchase if it has a AO Smith water heater that POS is getting trashed.. Thanks.

We have a salon with a 75 gallon commercial water heater. We have been in our business for one year as of March 4, 2014. Our water heater was replaced, repaired, and continues to fail with the same problem. Not having hot water in a salon is not only a problem with sending people away because we have no hot water but it is also a state board issue. Our property management blames it on the location of the water heater and wants to move it outdoors. They claim the room is too warm, it is vented, exhaust fanned, and air conditioned with a slatted saloon style door. It is much warmer outside.

First I'd like to say I am an A.O. Smith customer for 30 years and have 7 water heaters in my buildings. We bought a GCV 50 300 gas hot water tank and after 6 months it started shutting off the pilot in the middle of the night due to condensation dripping on the pilot. I called A.O. Smith who had me do a bunch of different things to correct it including calling their service company that charged me 275.00 for no reason some warranty. Then at the end they told me I have to buy a bigger tank or add a mixing valve because their heaters are more efficient now and the condensation is normal. This is the first review I ever wrote about anything and I am disgusted with this company and I will be buying a hot water tank from a different manufacturer. Just didn't want anyone to go through the same headache as me.

I had a Bradford White 60 gallon gas water heater that was about 10 years old and had always performed exceedingly well until it started having a small leak last summer. I was not upset when it started leaking, however, because I figured getting 10 good years out of a gas hot water heater these days was pretty good. I contracted with a local large plumbing company to install a new Bradford White water heater, but after they had unhooked my old water heater, they discovered they had picked up an electric B/W, and that their supplier was out of B/W gas water heaters. The manager of the plumbing company offered to install a 75 gallon AO Smith gas water heater instead at the same cost. He assured me AO Smith was as good as B/W and I agreed to accept his offer.

I built a new house and one of the AO Smith water heaters I put in went out 5 years of living in the house. I called customer service and found out the water heater was insured for 6 years. I was told to send in the certificate of occupancy for the house. I informed them that it was a newly built house and no certificate of occupancy was issued. I sent in the Affidavit of Settlement and was told it wouldn't work even though it had all the information they needed. They would not cover the water heater. I was stuck buying another heater. In my opinion your better off buying a Whirlpool from Lowes or Home Depot.

We had a water heater from A. O. Smith's put in less than two years ago and it started leaking a week ago, and it is still under warranty. Well we are still waiting!!! Unforgivable!!! A whole week without hot water they told us three times they were coming but then called back with some stupid excuse. How are they still in business when they treat people this way?

Had new 50 gallon A. O. Smith gas water heater installed by licensed plumber on 2/2/15 with thermostat setting on hot (120F). OK for 6 days but water temperature then climbed to 140F and stayed there and water was steaming, coming out of faucet upstairs. Turned thermostat to low. Subcontractor for A.O Smith came after a few days and verified the problem. Replaced gas control valve and left setting on hot. Temperature of water still in upper 130s. Trying to get lower temperature by putting control knob between low and hot but response is very slow.

We bought a brand new A.O. Smith Water heater (GPS 75). However it lasts only for a bit over 6 years. First, the surface igniter burned out. It was replaced - cost more than $200 for parts and labor. Second, the control valve unit went out of order, costs another $800 for parts & labor. Our old water heater lasted for more than 20 years. The new one from A. O. Smith lasts for only 6 years. I would strongly recommend for any water heater sold at Home Depot and/or Lowe's, which is very popular, massively produced and cost much low for both parts and labor - I could buy more than two brand new water heater for $1200 at Lowe's or HD.

Installed on 12/27/14 a brand new GCNH-50. 4 days later it quit with 10 flashes. Called installer who came back and contacted customer service, made corrections. Then it worked only for a week. Same problem. Called customer again, this time they said I should clean the burner screen - even though I repeatedly told him it is only 10 days old. The answer was 'sometimes incorrect gas pressure can create clogs on the screen'. Again, I told him this is brand new. They refused to help further. The installer found a service representative who found that the gas nozzle was in fact incorrectly installed. Not to mention of course the burner screen was perfectly clean! It took him 3 hours to get that corrected, because some metal parts were bent. He had to file off some edge to correct it.

Had a new AO Smith gas water heater installed 3 years ago. Now leaking. Called and parts are covered but not labor. Cost over $300 for labor to install new unit. AO Smith says for their product to last, you need to have inner rod replaced EVERY YEAR. Cost...about $150 dollars per year. Never heard of a product that needs yearly maintenance at over $100 per year for it to last. Never had this problem with previous GE water heater products. Will NEVER buy AO Smith in future since they manufacture a substandard product that does not last!

Had a water heater control thermostat go bad, a customer's water heater. Called A O Smith (AKA State Water heater) Customer service who told me to go to one of their suppliers for the part. The supplier would not honor the warranty even though I had a claim number. I called A O Smith again while at the supplier and was told that I could purchase the part and submit the invoice for refund. I followed their instructions but after I waited a few days, I called to check on the progress of the refund. I was told that they only refund to the consumer not the repair company. This is not what I was told on the phone. I now have to go back to the customer and collect from her and she has to submit a claim. This now puts me and my credibility in Question with my client.

We moved into a brand new home that came with an AO Smith water heater (tankless). Within two weeks we had to have someone from AO Smith come and replace a defective pilot. After that we had to replace the pilot every year for five years. By the fifth year there were so many problems with our water heater that someone from A O Smith came and had to replace what they called a "defective pilot system". A new type of pilot system was then installed. It also turned out that our water heater had not been properly attached when the house had first been built. A week later, we had to have the entire water heater replaced by A O Smith.

I purchased my home five months ago and have been experiencing water not hot enough and of very short capacity. It is an A O Smith model ECT 40 200. My home is only five years old and the previous owner indicated that the original water heater failed and was replaced, under warranty and by the contractor/builder, after only one month. This morning the water heater lacked enough hot water for one shower and was making a strange, loud noise. I called A O Smith and they determined that it was "under warranty". I was instructed to remove the upper and lower covers and to disconnect the wires at both levels and to provide a resistance reading for each coil. I'm glad it's not my gall bladder that was acting up!

Installed a new 80-gal electric in Sept 2013. Failed two days ago and had both upper and lower starters replaced. Failed again after one day and had both thermostats replaced this AM. This is my 3 Ed home with an electric water heater. Never had any problems before, but never had this brand either.

Brand new, out of box, installed by licensed plumber - did not ignite. Many hours attempting to follow troubleshooting, no results. Would not accept the product as a return. Would only schedule a technician to visit after we uninstalled the new working water heater purchased after having no success with the AO Smith water heater. They wanted to replace the broken part. DO NOT BUY THEIR PRODUCTS!

We purchased a brand new home 7 days ago. Turn on breaker, water heater took 12 hours to heat up. 2 showers were taken, 1 load of dishes washed in the dishwasher and it popped the breaker. As of this morning still no hot water. This water heater is terrible.

A.O. Smith HSE SAS 25ltrs The product was installed on 6/5/14. It does a pretty good job in heating the water. But if you don't use it for around a month the water stinks real bad. I haven't experienced this at all in any other water heaters. This is the first one that we have used that has this problem. On contacting to service center they send a representative who comes and suggests us to drain the water heater. We end up wasting 25 liters of water. There are other water heaters which on staying idle for months and the water still would not stink.

My water heater failed to ignite and I was told by the installer that I would need to purchase a new gas valve which he said he would install for $326, labor only... I consulted the reviews and was very concerned as I was reading very negative reviews about the company as well as the water heater. I am happy to report that I had a completely satisfactory experience. A.O. Smith recommended that I clean the carbon buildup on the rod...explaining that is most often the cause of the problem. At my insistence they still shipped to me (for only $10 shipping) the new gas valve as I was still under warranty. They expressed concern that I should not pay such a high rate for installation of the gas valve if/when it is necessary to install it. They assured me that they could refer me to authorized repairmen that would do the repair for much less. They were extremely helpful, informative and courteous... This was over three different research phone calls and speaking to three different departments. They also sent me a replacement manual at my request. Too often it seems customers only take the time to complain... I try to follow a different path and share the positive. I am happy in Michigan. :)

We bought 2 geysers of AO Smith while renovating our house. After a month, one of the geysers stopped working. I called up the service cell. They said they will send someone to check. The person came after a week. He said it’s a small problem. A senior technician will come and rectify. After following up for 10 days they committed that the person will come on Saturday (since we could only be available on weekends). We stayed back home waiting for this guy all day but no show. They again committed for next day but no one came.

Have a new (3 months) A. O. Smith 50 gal electric water heater which has an electrical short that was energizing the household electrical system by back feeding through the ground wiring and causing personal shocks when touching metal surfaces of appliances. An electrician was contacted and established that the problem is internal to the water heater. We were advised that only an A. O. Smith tech could make a decision as to what to do. One was contacted several days ago, by the installer, as well as the local A. O. Smith sales rep. The tech is of the opinion that it cannot be the water heater so he has not bothered to look at the unit to verify the problem. I wish he would just come out, hook up the heater and place his hand against the electrical panel box or a furnace air duct and hold it there for a couple of seconds then explain the pulsation he feels.

We bought A.O. Smith 6-liter residential model. After 3 months, we felt shock in the water. Also complained the issue in customer care. No persons came. Since summer started, we didn't use it for six months. While we used it now, a heavy current is passing the hot water. Just a one sec escape from it. Dear people, please don't buy it to save your family.

The heater shuts off when the water gets warm. The pilot cannot be lit until the water is cold again.

An AO Smith new water heater model GNR-40-200 was purchased at a plumbing supply store and installed by our licensed plumber on August 12, 2013. On October 18, 2013 the water heater failed. The household had twin babies age 1 year at the time... so it was difficult to be without hot water for an extended period of time. It was difficult to find a 'warranted' plumber as required by AO Smith. We went through the pressure tests etc. and plumber determined the GAS CONTROL VALVE was faulty. AO Smith sent a new part and on 10-22-13 the water heater worked again. This was 4 DAYS without hot water with two babies in the house.

Very frustrating, A.O.Smith has poor quality control. This is our second hot water heater, the first was replaced under warranty after 3 years for leaks. Now mind you, this is their top of the line Vertex GPHE 50 gallon heater. The problem this time that after 3 and half years the igniter will not light the heater, even after new igniter was installed at a cost of $340.00. If any one has any solutions to this problem please post, thank you.

My 14 year old A.O. Smith Water Heater set itself on fire and almost burned my house down!!!! Model number is PGCG 40. Called them, and they will not do anything about it!!!

On 3/28/13 got new A.O. Smith water heater to replace prior heater of 15 1/2 yrs. Pilot light frequently goes out and have to reset. So no hot water until reheated. Have called & emailed AO Smith - no meaningful response - just general info. DWP verified no gas line problems; they replaced regulator & meter at insistence of local company rep. Plumber installer came several times - changing venting and making adjustments (better flex hose). Local factory rep come 2x to fix - replacing gas valve (2x) and pilot assembly. For brief period seemed okay then problems again. Local rep suggested may need to replace whole unit. Had 15+ yrs.

So the old water heater was 12 yrs old and started leaking water so I decided to get a new one. We purchased the water heater, took it home and we installed it. Upon lighting the pilot light was a LARGE YELLOW flame. However the heater came on heated the water and shut off. My son went to take a shower and it sounded like a jet engine and he heard the water boiling in the tank. I thought maybe this was just the burner so I did not worry, it’s brand new, all should be good. The next day after work I started my dishes and the water scalded my hands. It was on the lowest hot setting but once again it was now 2 days old, surely everything is ok. I went and looked, yep still a large yellow flame. This is a really hot heater but I really started feeling uneasy because the pilot light should not be yellow. By morning it had shut down so I relit the pilot light against all better judgment because the yellow flame kept worrying me and the dummy light was blinking 4 times - ok this is the gas control valve.

My water heater was manufactured in Dec 2006, so about 7 1/2 years old. The gas control valve was replaced around year 4. About six weeks ago, it started tripping off again. Local plumber says the blower and gas control valve need to be replaced. He also found that the internal baffle burned out and fell to the bottom of the unit and would also need to be replaced. Needless to say, all the replacement costs approach the cost of a brand new unit. So I contacted AO Smith for advice and was told to buy a new one. Wow, thanks for the customer service and support. No way I'll be buying another AO Smith unit if their lifespan is so pathetic.

My water heater was 20 yrs old. In January 2007, I contacted my local vendor and told them as preventative, I want to replace my HWH. They installed an AO Smith ProMax GCV 40 100, as advised in the owner's manual I flushed the unit yearly in the month of Sept or thereabouts, please note I have soft water as well. Oct/Nov 2013, the unit started popping which it had never done before. I just came on 6-1-14 to find water on my floor. I called my vendor who advised 1) it is out of warranty, 6 years and 2) the seams are crimped and not welded and over time the heat and expansion the seams start to leak, i.e. what I have now. So much for preventative maintenance, I got 7 years out of this unit what a jip. Don't buy AO Smith they are imported pieces of junk.

Purchased an A.O. Smith water heater from a local plumbing company on 06/12/2012. Water heater had 6-year warranty Model # GCVL 40 300; SN 1219J003175. On 05/23/14, water heater begin leaking from the bottom of the heater. Plumbing company that installed heater was closed for Memorial Day weekend and would not be available to inspect/replace water heater until 05/27/14. Contacted another plumbing company who installed a new Rheem Water Heater that I purchased from the local Home Depot. Because of holiday weekend, total cost for the labor and replacement around $750.00. Not happy or satisfied with A.O. Smith Water Heater and will never allow another one in my residence.

We built a new home and moved in Jun 2013, April 2014 our water heater stopped working. Model GPVH 50 100. Technician came out, replaced the gas valve and the pressure switch. One week later it stopped working again. Waiting on the technician to arrive. I'm demanding that our builder (Drees Homes) replace this unit (we are within our one year warranty) and stop installing these units in their new homes.

We built a large house with 3-50 gal A.O. Smith water heaters. 1 went out in 3 years. The other 2 finally went out at the 5.5 year mark - SERIOUSLY?!?! These were not cheap water heaters!! They are still covered under warranty but we have to pay for installation which was not cheap! Then there is the hassle factor of waiting for the plumber, A.O. Smith, and then the new heaters.... NOT HAPPY! DO NOT GO THERE - STAY AWAY FROM A.O. SMITH!!!

Replaced an older heater with AO Smith 50 gal on Nov. 1, 2012. On Nov 18, 2013 heater not working. Technician told to get new control Valve which cost me $240 in labor. Nov 25, 2013 had to call same technician for same reason. He replaced the same valve at no cost because of the short time between. Today, April 30, 2014 we have no hot water. Same 4 blinks, same valve issue. Waiting for technician to come out AGAIN. Based on previous comments, looks like our Tech purchased the wrong water heater because AO Smith apparently doesn't care about customer service.

Ours was a little over 4 years old when the thermocouple went out. Unlike most water heaters where you can buy a new one at the hardware store and install it yourself, this one had to be special ordered! It took about a week to get it. What should be a $10 part and a DIY job cost me $184 in labor. Fast forward just 3 months later and it started leaking. It developed a leak after only 4 1/2 years! Yes, it is under warranty, but it's costing me almost $300 in labor to install another one. Unfortunately I'm stuck with A.O. Smith. In under 5 years this water heater cost me $500.

The heaters make clinking noises when heating and cooling down... Very irritating if heater is in the house... AO Smith doesn't care... Don't buy AO Smith.

I haven't seen anyone else with the same problem I have, so here goes. My water heater works fine - as long as you keep using it. When you use hot water, the tank fills, the burners kick on, the water heats. But that's where it stops. The water heater never kicks on again to maintain the temperature of the water. If the heater does not cycle within a few hours of me needing hot water, I'm out of luck. If I go on vacation I have to run the hot water until the water heater kicks on, then wait until the water heats up, to take a shower. This does make for a very efficient water heater.

I had house re-piped about 10 years ago and for the last 5 years I have had these black particles in my hot water, of course no longer under warranty (6 years). The company came and installed a new rod in my tank and we didn't notice it for a while, however it came back. It's not present all the time but when it is I can draw a cup of water and sit it on the counter and within minutes this black stuff is floating at top of cup. And when you pour it out, it leaves a ring around the cup that has to be wash good with soap to remove the stain, it's like a rubbery sticky feeling. Can anyone help me to determine what the problem is.

I purchased a AO Smith 40 gal LP heater in Jan 2014. The next day, it ceased functioning. Over the next 10 days, I spent almost $1000 to get this heater working for my tenants. Since the service contractor for AO Smith was not available to do the repair (he was on vacation), they took the opportunity to hang the cost of the repairs on me. Repeated calls to the tech dept., warranty dept., and corporate communication dept. were to no avail. They would only cover $75 "as a courtesy" and otherwise completely put up a brick wall. They would not address any of the issues surrounding the efforts it took to get this junker running. This is the most blatantly dishonest and crooked company I have ever dealt with, and I have been a general contractor for 20 years!

On 8/30/2012, I purchased 1- BTR 500A water heater for $10,947.00 to replace the existing same heater in a customer's location. February 2013, received a call from my customer - heater was not working. Decided to replace control /gas valve from past experience. This repair did not improve condition. Contacted supplier and was directed to a factory direct warranty contractor in my area. Contractor made suggestion of repair to venting system which I paid to complete. Received call next day from my customer the heater was not working.

A.O. Smith water heater replaced a Rheem heater 13 months ago and now the new water heater is leaking. A.O. Smith will not warranty or HELP in any way because of their replacement policy. They will not stand behind their product in any way. NOT a good recommendation of their product or company. Their own website lists under their "values" is making money! Easy to do if you don't stand behind your product and warranty!

I purchased a new AO Smith ProMax GSV50100 50-gallon water heater about two or three years ago. After about one year, the pilot light would just go out for no apparent reason. I contacted AO Smith who stated, as they have told so many others, "That's your problem, we're not covering it under warranty." So I did some research and asked around and found out it was a common problem which AO Smith blamed on everyone but themselves. I vacuumed out the area where the air intake for the combustion chamber is and we got about another year out of it.

I have had an AO Smith gas water heater - res. unit & cannot keep it lit. At least 1x day I have to spend up to 30 min. trying to get the pilot to stay on, then get the main flame on & stay on! The installer told me after the install, "Oh yeah, these have a reputation for this type of issue." I will never buy another.

We have three 100 gal water heaters in the building... One was getting older and need replacing we ordered 1 AO Smith and had it installed... Ordered 2 more to replace older ones....First one installed started have problems. Called customer service.. They sent out replacement vacuum parts. It worked for a couple of months and again it shut down..

I moved into my home in 9/9/2001. The water heater had been installed on 10/20/2000. For the last 13.5 years not one problem. Several weeks ago, it started to Leak though I am still getting hot water. I'm just wondering do I need a new heater or can this one be fixed?

Although the heater performed properly for years heating my floor heating system, I heard a chirping one day from the venter fan. The next day I had no heat. The plastic fan blades inside the housing had melted and stopped the fan, thus no proven draft = no burner flame. After buying another assembly which now has a high temp button limit wired into the fan housing, the fan would only operate for 30-60 seconds until cut out. So my assumption that a worn out bearing allowed the fan blade to stick and then melt was probably in error. And now reading the New bad stories of pilot issues will probably be headed elsewhere.

We have been having trouble with our tankless hot water heater for some time now. It comes on and then after about 30 seconds shuts down. My husband is a third generation Licensed Master Plumber in two states and has spent the past 30 years installing many hot water heaters and said he never would buy an AO Smith Product again! Their service department is useless, this unit has been discontinued and basically we wasted our money and will have to replace this unit and its only seven years old!!!! He installed 12 Rinnai Units in a condo development where the building is 200 years old and never had a single service issue!!!! AO Smith service department is way below par, stay away from them!!!!

I just replaced the second GPSH/GPCR heater on 12/30/2014. Replacing an identical heater installed 11/17/2006. The 2006 installation was to replace the same identical heater installed about 8 years earlier. (NO records left of first heater installation). Both heaters ruptured at about 4 feet off the floor, the tanks simply swelled up and split open. I build boilers for model steam engines for a hobby. We have engines running in our club that are over 50 years old. Does the term "GLASS LINED" give you the impression the tanks are coated with porcelain? I always thought that's what it meant. I'm going to dismantle the last tank and see why it failed. I'm sure very thin meal and NO inside coating is the problem, BUT I GUESS SELLING TANKS IS HOW YOU STAY IN BUSINESS!! Not from me anymore, I just bought a Navien Tankless STAINLESS STEEL heater. This will last and if A O SMITH made their tanks out of Stainless so would theirs. At $1500 bucks a heater I see a whole lot of profit here with all the cheap material going into construction of the tanks. That's all I have to say.

Weatherization a program through Energy Assistance, here in the state of Wisconsin, installed this hot water tank through their program in 3/2010. The warranty expired 3/2011, since the warranty expired (warranty of the actual tank), the parts are still under warranty... but my issue is the water tank has been repaired 4 times since it was installed and each time I am out of at least $200 an hour for repairs. I am on a fixed income and I am without hot water at this time. IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET AN AO SMITH TECHNICIAN to REPAIR or REPLACE IT... I don't mean to be rude, but the previous technician, who repaired it last month, suggested I go on this website and voice my complaint. Model # GPVH4100 / Serial # 1008A007404 AOSmith ProMax

Model GCV40300 installed about 2 years ago, pilot light kept going out every couple of weeks, than be good, then go out. Last week it went out for good. Called a plumber, they got it back on said call AO Smith, see if the part in under warranty. WOW all my part are covered until 2017. They will not ship it out because the plumber did not do a diagnostic test with them. The plumber will not come out or I'll get charged for another service fee and testing fee. My problems are real deep with AO Smith and Mr. Rooter. DO NOT USE EITHER OF THEM.

Had the unit repaired 3 times in 5 years, first time, 9 months after install gas valve and wire harness assembly and parts replaced. One year after that filter valve replaced due to not igniting and now power supply assembly requires replacement unit, won't light, repair costs with service free and labor 500.00 in the past five years while parts under warranty. I've contacted the better business bureau and filed a complaint manufacturing, basically said service fees and labor not covered under warranty and they sent a pdf of the warranty so basically they are not standing behind their product with annual costly repairs.

1.5 year old, professionally installed and inspected tank with two different problems, over $1000 in repairs and Smith says parts are not under warranty. BS.

A.O. Smith provides excellent and prompt service as per the timeline.

Pilot light won't stay on and now won't even light. Looked up new pilot assembly for our A.O. Smith GCV 40 to find it's been discontinued. Seems to me they are well aware of the problems. Why would they not want to fix what they know is a defect in their products?

We installed an A.O. Smith 55 gal., 6 year, hot water tank in June 2007. In Jan.2008, we needed to replace the thermostat at our expense. In May 2010, the heater needed to be replaced under warranty. Now, November 2013, we were told by our plumber that the tank has a leak and needs to be replaced. Because the warranty extends from the original purchase date, less than six and a half years, they will not give any consideration in helping us with a new unit. Two units in less than 6 1/2 years! They claim the fault lies with it being connected to a water softener. We spoke with other plumbing companies and they laughed. The moral of the story is that if you are on a water softener, don't buy an A. O. Smith heater. The idea that a unit won't last more than 3 years under these conditions, and that they will not stand behind their product is ludicrous.

Oct. 16, 2011, after letting my dogs out, the laundry room caught on fire. The electric water heater's smart box shorted out and caught the downstairs in flames and smoke. The sad thing is that A.O. Smith said it wasn't them. Don't buy any water heater from them. They won't take responsibility for the ** product they put out. My son almost died... They suck and I will keep informing Americans of their ** ups.

We have had a repeated over and over problem with this heater. It is now a rental unit and she has for the last two years complained of no hot water repeatedly. I had Premier Plumbing of Fresno out to check it out. They said it needed a new igniter switch so we did that. Now one mo. later, it is still no hot water. Then I was told it was the problem with the wire igniting before it reached the switch, so he charged me again, only half of the reg price. Tonight I got a call from renter, it is worse than ever. It has only warm water, and only a small amount. They should not be able to sell these problem units without a lifetime guarantee, because they have so many problems.

Pop off valve only leaked at end of every heating cycle, replaced T&P valve at a $200 cost. Results=same problem. Was told it was the thermostat next at $121 plus TN sales tax. And I still have same problem. Something told me after reading all bad reviews I should just junk it and get another different name brand. Wonder if A.O.Smith would refund me my parts cost and I can just repair my ceiling myself. That last name "Smith" is close to what it is, i.e... drop the m and move h to its spot and there you have it. I tell you what, I'm in an industry of seeing many people everyday and I definitely will spread the word about this bad product.

I replaced the thermocouple and thermostat. Cleaned out the bottom. AO Smith originally sent me the wrong thermocouple. Had to wait another two days to get the new one. Parts department is not open on weekends. I had to pay for the part and shipping because my water heater is out of warranty.

Had 40 Gallon A.O. Smith Water Heater installed November 25, 2008. Pilot has gone out twice, had one replaced June 16, 2011 and then again April 18, 2012. Now it has happened again for the third time, ready for a new water heater if I have to go through this problem every year. I decided to look to see if anyone else has been having the same problems. In reading the reviews it seems like I really do need to replace instead of trying to have this one fixed.

Our AO Smith water heater element caught fire and ruined our water heater. It was installed in 2007, still under warranty. Six-year warranty, but plumbers refused to install AO Smith because of fire hazards, etc. Called around, no one would install. So we bought a different brand. Speaks volumes when plumbers won't install this brand. Too much liability. Totally inferior products. Buyer be aware... Told neighbors in our development that have them also, same problems...

My 75-gallon ProMax water heater just went out a little less than 9 months after the warranty expired. That is amazing planned obsolescence.

Would not buy at gun point stay away unless you like cold water one year old unit only good for scrap or give to someone you don't like.

Purchased gas tankless water heater on 5/2013 & installed by a licensed plumber. Started having issues within two weeks. Plumber has worked with A.O. Smith technicians to resolve issue but no success.

ProMax gas-fired 75 gallon water heater installed 7/17/07 under crappy 6-year warranty begins leaking 7/18/13. You do the math. Based on all the other negative reviews I've seen on this site, why this company isn't being investigated for fraud (or total incompetence) is beyond me. I just got the latest A.O. Smith model to replace the other one (the mechanical systems contractor that I use swears by Smith and claims Bradford White is an inferior product and would end up costing the same because they'd have to reconfigure vent, etc. to fit) and if it does the same thing I'm going to file a cause of action on many counts, and this may end up as a class-action lawsuit depending on the broad nature of the issue.

We have repaired, then replaced one water heater within 3 years of installation. Now, 5 years after installation, the second one burst, flooding our house and garage.

My A.O. Smith water heater that was installed on Friday is now working on Tuesday, four days later. Yeah! Thanks go to Brandon of Pro-Gas who had the foresight to bring the second part (pilot assembly) he knew was needed to get the water heater working. AO Smith sent out the gas control module. By replacing the two parts, the heater started to work. Also thanks go to Freddie, who installed the heater and spent extra hours trying to get it to work on Friday and coming back to troubleshoot it on Saturday (unfortunately supply houses don't carry all the parts and most are closed on Saturday). My suggestions are to install on a Monday and be ready to be without hot water while technicians troubleshoot and parts are acquired to get the brand new water heater working.

Don't buy it. They won't pay to fix a brand new heater that never worked(!) on a weekend. That is if anyone even carries the part(s) needed which can't be gotten on a weekend.

AO Smith gcxv 50l 100 water heater - Pilot light went out after 2 months and won't re-light. NW Sundance services installed it and they were a struggle to deal with...If any water heater company request the AO Smith deny it and go elsewhere!

I had a to replace the water heater in my house, so the technician brought a brand new water heater to replace my 36-year-old water heater which by the way worked great until it finally gave out. The new AO Smith water heater was installed for 1 day and it's giving me problems already. According to the status light code, I have to replace the gas control valve/thermostat. This is ridiculous. I haven't even had a chance to use it yet since the water won't get hot due to this valve. The quality of this product is horrible. I had a water heater from 1977 and worked great. The technician that installed it told me that this water heater was "top-of-the-line". What a joke!!!

We replace our old water heater to AO Smith water heater on 3/2013. It was fine for 2 months and then we start hearing noise from the water heater every time we turn on the water and especially loud right after we turn off the water. The sound is just like water swirling sound down to a deep hole sound. We call the plumber that installed the water heater. They came 3 times to try to find out what caused that. They change the coming water tube, release the pressure valve. Nothing works. Now when I call them, they do not come any more. We put 2 brick on the top of the water heater. The sound was reduced but only lasted 2 weeks. It came back again. I just did not know what to do. The water heater only 4 months old, how can I tolerated the sound for 6 years that AO Smith promise the warranty. Very sad.

A.O Smith Pro Max water heater with 6 year tank and parts warranty was installed by a licensed plumber 4/20/07. I noticed a small wet spot under it 3 months. At 6 years and 2 months I called A.O. Smith and was told that "too bad, I was past the warranty". Talk about planned obsolescence. Don't buy this cheap piece of junk!

I had a 50-gal. AO Smith power vent water heater installed on January 30, 2012. Today, July 8, 2013, it quit working. It cost me $98 today to find that the gas valve is bad. AO Smith wants $30 to mail me a new one; then it will cost another $200 to replace it. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY! They do not stand behind their product, and after reviewing the many complaints on the internet, they surely know this gas valve is faulty.

My elderly parents purchased an AO Smith water heater back in December of 2011. It was a 6-year gas heater. It has given them nothing but problems. They have had the same part replaced twice in the last month at a cost of $360. The company is aware the part is defective, but all they can tell my folks is they are "working on a new part" and will continue to replace the defective part with another defective part when it breaks. Keep in mind that their warranty does not cover labor.

We installed a 66-gallon water heater made by AO Smith. The water heater was installed on Dec 28, 2009. Three and a half years later, the water heater is corroding and rusting out around the thermostat. AO Smith would not do anything for us. We spent over $800.00 for a water heater that only lasted less than four years. I think AO Smith, being a leader in making water heaters, should stand by their product. They constantly boast about how well their product is built but don't stand behind it. I personally will never buy any more AO Smith product.

AO Smith Water Heater Promax - Sucks - Non standard thermocouple: Other Water Heater Thermocouple, $20 - A.O. Smith does not offer a thermocouple; you have to buy the whole burner assembly! These guys are crooks! NOTE: A.O. SMITH ALSO uses a nonstandard thermocouple fitting so you CANNOT buy one from your local plumbing supply. I would recommend NOT EVER buying an A.O. Smith Water Heater when EVERYONE else uses a universal thermocouple that's easy to obtain and install.

A. O. Smith GNR 50 - It has broken down twice since we bought it 18 months ago. Company honored parts warranty but we had to pay $30 freight and $175 labor to install defective part!

I had 2 ProMax water heaters. The pilot would not stay on on both of them. One of them burst right after the warranty expired. I still have the other one, but I have to light the pilot every morning so my family will have hot water when they get up. I hate these heaters. I am just waiting until I can afford a new heater and it won't be AO Smith.