A. O. Smith Water Heaters Reviews

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.

The only permanent resolution to the problem caused by this poorly-engineered component is to remove the burner assembly, break out the undersized, difficult-to-clean ceramic arrester, and extract the particles using a shop vacuum having a right angle attachment. I replaced the burner assembly and the heater now operates with an open-vented combustion chamber, as all gas waters have for the past 100 years. Never purchase a heater with an undersized or poorly-accessible arrester system!!!

My 83-year old mother qualified for a weatherization program based on her income. She had a perfectly fine hot water heater, yet they insisted on replacing it with the A.O. Smith. It was free and they insisted it be done as part of the program. Two years later, no hot water. Trying to find someone to fix it under warranty was very difficult. They replaced every part possible, but still no hot water. She has gone 2 weeks now with no hot water. What now? She got something for free and now owes lots to repair something that still doesn't work.

I'm a landlord and I have an A.O. Smith 50 gal. water heater in one of my new houses. The house was built in 2008 and is in excellent condition. The tenant called me and said the water heater was leaking out the side near the top and around the bottom, and sent picture so I could have a quick look. I went over today to have a better look and near as I can tell, the inside tank is leaking and coming out of the seam near the top. I didn't think that was possible but the insulation is form fitting so it is possible after all. I have never heard of a tank leaking in my life that wasn't 30 years old but I have one now. I have not replaced it yet. I thought I would check for a warranty first, then I'm going to split that one apart and have a good look. Right now, all I can do is guess. There is no other explanation as nothing else is leaking.

As with all the other complaints I have read, I have had the same problem with my AO Smith water heater. It was installed in 11/2006 when my house was built. It worked well till about 4-5 yrs old. Since then, there has been nothing but problems with it. I have lit the pilot light so many times I can do it with my eyes closed. When problem first started it, I contacted the company and they told me to clean the filter but this didn't work. My solution is to buy another brand and throw this one in the trash where it belongs.

I bought a home that has an AO Smith 40-Gal GPSH Power Shot Gas water heater. This is a power vent model. Recently, I noticed a drip coming from the Temp Pressure Relief Valve (side mount) but not out of the pipe where it is supposed to come out but at the connection point of the valve to the water heater. So basically, it was leaking from inside the water heater because the threads and the area around the connection point were rusted. Ultimately, I had to have the entire water heater replaced as I was told by 2 plumbers that this couldn't be fixed.

I have an A. O. Smith Pro Max 40 gallon natural gas water heater installed in 2006. After 6.5 years, the pilot won't stay lit. I have cleaned the air intake vents, cleaned intake under the flame arrester, cleaned thermocouple, and blown out pilot tube. It will light but then go out anywhere from 1 day to 1 week. This is ridiculous! I do not know for sure if it's the control valve or the burner assembly. What should I replace? It's too expensive to start guessing. I am getting electrical continuity through the sensor on the burner assembly. I think a recall is needed. I think I am just past the warranty period, so this lemon is going to cost me big time. Where are you A. O. Smith? You could do a lot for your reputation if you could step up and recall this bad water heater.

We purchased a water heater A.O. Smith about 3 years ago. Within the first year, we had a problem that we had to keep cleaning the dust or dirt where the igniter is. A few months after calling them and complaining that we shouldn't have to do it 3 or 4 times a week (this is not normal), they sent someone and they replaced that part. Of course I had to pay for part of it, $99 to be exact. Now, for the last two weeks, it’s doing it again. I actually have to baby sit this problem or I get stuck going to take a shower and see I have no hot water. There are two people in my house (my husband and I) that use hot water. I use only cold water to wash clothes so as not to put wear and tear on this hot water tank.

AO Smith water heater gcv 50 300 - I bought an A. O. Smith water heater 1.5 years ago from a plumbing supplier. The water heater shots off 2 times a week, no hot water in the tank, plus the tank is leaking because of bad weld. I called the customer service and explained to them what happens (that is my family and the kids without any hot water). They told me to get a professional, certified A. O Smith plumber technician to check the water heater. I have to pay to the plumber. A. O. Smith won't cover any of my costs, just parts only and I got 6 years warranty. If I knew that's going to happen, I would never have bought the A. O. Smith water heater! Bad customer service. So as A. O. Smith water heaters! It's cheaper for me to throw this water heater away and never deal with A. O. Smith ever again! Too bad, too sad. I'm sorry! They don't care about you. Just their money! PS: Just be careful when you buy it!

Built a new house in 2009 and less than 4 years later, our A. O. Smith water heater sprang a leak. Yes, the water heater was under warranty but A. O. Smith does not extend your warranty on the replacement tank. So this water heater had a six year guarantee and went bad after 4 years, so the new replacement tank only has a two year warranty left on the original. Also, the warranty does not cover the service call which I just got in the mail. It was $97. What a ripoff! If you are building a new house or replacing your water heater, stay away from this junk.

Our house was built and finished in October of 2003. We had two 40-gal A.O. Smith ProMax hot water heaters installed. By the spring of 2009, one of the heaters started leaking and was replaced under warranty; however, we had to pay the installation fees. Less than one year later, now out of warranty, the second heater began to leak and we had to pay have it replaced. Now, less than four years later, the first one, replaced under warranty, is leaking. When I called the A.O. Smith customer service department, they informed me that the warranty on the new one only extended to the warranty on the original one, an additional six months. In the 9 1/2 years since the house was built, three A.O. Smith ProMax hot water heaters have gone bad and their warranty is useless. They obviously know that they make a poor product or they'd stand behind it with a better warranty.

I have over 200 installed in 2008, contacted and met with distributor, servicer and AO Smith rep. I was given two cleaning kits to clean flame arrestors. I wore those kits out. I had over 250 service calls to relight pilots and untold thousands of repair and maintenance costs.

In 2005, we had an A.O. Smith Hot(?) water heater installed. I had to retire due to a health problem in June, and this was where the story begins. My husband was still going to work, so he would get up and take his shower and he had hot water. Well, I would get up and the water in the bathtub was only warm, only on the days that I washed the laundry in cold water. I told my husband I don't get hot water, but he had it, so the problem didn't bother him, and he didn't have the experience. He told me I wasn't giving the heater enough time to recover. I thought over 12 hours would be enough time.

We built our home in 2007. The problems with our ProMax 40 began one week after we moved in. For the first year, we continued to call the contractor to fix the problem, which they weren't really able to determine. Of course, that's what we were thinking until I read all of these reviews. Near the one year mark, we bought the extra appliance insurance from our natural gas supplier. They sent their service techs out a number of times. They've worked and fixed everything from the thermocouple, pilots, screens, to having to replace the electrical line leading from the blower unit to the thermostat twice because of burnt/melted connections.

The pilot assembly on my AO Smith hot water heater - model #GCVX 50 - 100 is not functioning. I was told by an AO Smith technical representation on 1/26/2013 that the pilot assembly was a bad design, but AO Smith is not discounting or paying for the replacement part because it is not defective but rather a poor design. They have redesigned the part but only for newer models. The part I need to purchase will have the same "bad" design. I have left voice messages with Mr. Paul Jones - CEO of AO Smith telling him of my frustration with their management decision to not compensate consumers who have purchased their badly designed product.

Well, in my case, I consider myself lucky compared to others. The plumber picked it out, installed it for us in 2005. It is 6-yr warranty tank, so as of today, it is on its way out. When it comes to water heaters, the manufacturer mathematically calculated the tank will die within these time line presumably if you are lucky. If you are not lucky, you will run into headaches trying to get your money back on the unused warranty period. It's painful and a waste of your time and energy and aggravation. I sincerely appreciate the valuable feedback from others. I will not use A.O. Smith. It is costing more than other brands, but yet, the services stinks. Why bother?

Late this afternoon, I found my water heater wasn't working. The problem is error 6 (reported on the Intelli-Vent control). This is shown in page 35 of the instruction manual I have for the GPH 50 Series 100, printed 0810. The error is that the flame sensor (which detects that the gas is alight) is not reporting that the gas is burning. Obviously, if the controller turns on the gas and it doesn't burn, that is a problem so the controller shuts off the gas. Well, I fixed the problem but not with the help of the manual. Read on for the answer (or jump to #12 if you are impatient!).

My less than 4-year-old 50-gallon A.O. Smith Pro Max recently flooded my basement but only after giving completely mediocre service during its brief existence. Frequently I would have to run the hot water for a couple of minutes and shut it off to get it to heat the tank to a reasonable temperature and then wait 20 minutes to use it for a shower. Okay, bad enough, maybe it was a lemon, maybe it just happens sometime but this pales in comparison to dealing with customer service over the warranty. First off, the supplier who sold the unit to the original installer refused to honor the warranty because I was not using the original installer. I tried other licensed suppliers in area, none of whom stock A.O. Smith's heaters. That's right, they don't stock them but they will order you one. That tells me that no decent plumber wants to install this junk.

I replaced an original water heater with an AO Smith 50-gallon Gas heater. It failed after 3 years. They honored the warranty, but the service call was more than it would have been to get a new water heater from Sears. Then, after another almost 4 years, the replacement leaks. No warranty was offered. I won't be using AO Smith for the new tank.

I bought an A. O. Smith water heater in April 2012 - model #GVR30301. The pilot light won't stay lit. It goes out periodically and there isn't a pattern to this problem. I had the burner assembly replaced twice by a plumbing contractor with A. O. Smith. It still goes out. According to A. O. Smith tech support, it is an environmental issue. Not so according to the plumber. A. O. Smith said they will not call their contractor back to come and resolve the issue, that the contractor must call them. Well, the contractor has yet to be reimbursed by Smith for the last repair; therefore, they will not come back to resolve the problem until they receive a work order from A. O. Smith. This is ridiculous. They know there's a problem, but refuse to honor the warranty and call a plumber to get to the bottom of this. Angry, yes! Do not buy A. O. Smith water heaters. You will not receive the customer service or cooperation you would expect as a consumer.

From the date of installation, this hot water heater (Model GNR 40100) has suffered from a recurring problem - the pilot light goes out intermittently and requires relighting. This problem is particularly vexing because there seems to be no pattern to the failure. It may hold a flame for weeks without interruption, or it may snuff out after every burner cycle.

AO Smith FPSH 50 260 - Professionally installed in late 2004. 4 months following installation, problems started and continue through today (11-24-2012). Installation company came out multiple times following the installation. They called AO multiple times. Each time the unit would restart, and we thought it was fixed and within a couple of months no hot water. I wrote AO several letters but they never responded. I called only to receive canned responses (strangely similar to what the service techs experienced) and can understand why the installers gave up. One time, I called and they asked me if I was running the unit on an extension cord and then told me to see if there were any fluorescent lights on the same circuit. I actually pulled wire for a dedicated circuit. Every idea they provided was literally a wild goose chase. This company is terrible. In the eight years I've had this unit I've installed 2 burner assemblies, 3 Igniters, a gas valve assembly. and several switches - and never had more than 4-6 months without a problem.

I have a 50-gal AO Smith water heater. It's only about 1-2 years old and every 2-3 months, the pilot light would go out. And, I would need to relight it a number of times over the course of 1-2 days, then it would stay lit for a while again. Recently the problem got worse and it would not stay lit for more than 4-8 hours. It appears that others have had same problem too... but I found the solution. After reading various reviews and having my plumber look at it and suggest fixes, I also contacted AO Smith whereby they are sending me a "bulletin" and a "kit" to clean the flame arrestor (= screen underneath heater). AO Smith and others have suggested clogged or dirty flame arrestor is likely the problem. It was not! I cleaned it (it is awkward to try to get to from little filter slots at the bottom of the tank); mine was not at all dirty or clogged and cleaning made no difference.

Gvr 50 200 Water Heater - I live in a new home which is only 3 years old, along with the water heater. The water heater went bad just over 3 years old. I had water all over my garage; it soaked my drywall and the stand it was sitting on. It was under warranty, but it was only sold wholesale and it happened during a weekend, so none of the wholesale distributors happened to be open. I tried to get a hold of A.O. Smith and of course, they were not open either. They said they would replace their faulty product with another, but labor would not be included. Labor was going to be in the range of $450 or more for a new installation. I am very displeased with this product going after 3 years. I would not suggest this product to anyone. There are a lot of better products out there and A.O. Smith warranty is garbage. Bad company, bad product - another reason America is in a financial mess. Buy American, and get screwed by our own companies and products.

I have purchased two of your Geysers 6 months back at Kolkata from Therati market. My address is ** and my phone number is **. From the very first day, the two Geysers are giving the problem. One of the system is still not working from the time of installation and for the other one, the output pipe is bursting once a week. I am totally puzzled as I have bought the world's best company's geyser and until this date, I am facing such problem. I request you to kindly look into this matter at the earliest as your toll-free number is only busy and I am getting no response from the local dealer.

I have a State 75-gallon water heater, and I will never buy one again. My water heater stopped working this morning, and when I called a plumber out to fix it, I found out that there was a recall on my model. More importantly, the entire inside of my water heater is burned because of a manufacturer - State - defect. The burner flashed back into the body of the water heater and burned the inside of the heater, the outside gas control module, and the values. I am very, very lucky that my entire house didn't burn down because of this. Then, when I contacted State about having it fixed, they said it will take 3 business days just to ship me the parts, that I have to have one of their contracted installers install it, and they will not reimburse me for the plumbing costs for the very nice person who came out and figured this all out for me. So now I have no hot water for at least 4-5 days (or more since today is Friday) and then I have to pay the $300-plus to the plumber who was the only person who helped me with this issue. Don't do it. Buy anything else.

Every 6 months or so I have to adjust the hot surface ignitor for FPSH-40/50. Now it has become loose so I have to replace it. This has been going on for the last 10 years almost since it was new. There is a defect and I wish A.O. Smith would get it fixed.

Pilot light won’t stay lit on A.O. Smith water heater (model # GVR 50 101, serial # 0824J005147, built date of 6/11/2008).

Water heater has been nothing but a piece of junk. We have replaced the thermocouple multiple times. After thorough regular cleanings, the pilot light will not stay lit. The temperature control knob has split in half multiple times. Now, the burner assembly is defunct. We placed an order in for a new one on Monday. I'm still waiting today (Thursday) afternoon. I am super angry. This has and is a financial burden. I will definitely not purchase another or recommend it.

The pilot light in our AO SMITH Promax + 50 Gallon water heater continually goes out. I had three plumbers come out to look at it. They had all told me, "What a pile of junk this appliance is." AO Smith will not honor their warranty, because they said I should have cleaned out the flame arrestor. Legally, I don't think that can deny my claim on such a basis. I agree with what some others have said on this site, that we should have a class action lawsuit over possible breach of express warranty and perhaps breach of implied warranty. The FTC will take complaints, and you can call them at 1-877-382-4357. If you call, you can mention my case number, **. Mention that it may be a violation of the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act.

Their brand new propane water heater started faulting out when it was just a year old. It would fire up but then stop, then try again, etc. Instead of holding them to it, I paid a tech out of pocket. He said the little flame sensor down next to the burner wasn’t working right and it was acting like no flame was there even though there was. That would cause the unit to stop and try again. I have to open up the burner compartment, something a homeowner isn’t really supposed to have to do, to clean that sensor every few weeks. A.O. Smith danced around it and refused to honor the warranty, saying this was routine maintenance. Reaching inside the burner compartment every few weeks to clean sensors is routine? No, it’s not. There is something else wrong; it’s likely a defective part. In the same sentence that they called it routine maintenance, they also called it "defective", so they know it is but refused to honor the warranty! Dirtbags!

My A.O. Smith Water heater was installed 14 months ago. An exhaust valve on the heater failed. It was covered by the warranty. However, the valve was not available from any supplier. A.O. Smith was contacted and promised to send it. It did not come. I now have a nearly new water heater that will not work.

A. O. Smith GPVH 50 100 hot water tank installed in 11-08. This hot water tank has been giving us problems for the last three months. It does not operate by keeping the water hot. The settings malfunction and I have to go down in the basement, turn off the unit and reset to get hot water. I called the installer three times and they stated they knew of no issues or recalls. After pressing them for answers over a three week period, they finally admitted today that there are issues with the A. O. Smith tank and electronics. I paid $1,600.00 for the system including plumbing cost. The installer stated I was covered, but service call and hourly rate was my cost. It does not seem fair since a recall should be made including service calls related to this problem.

This unit was installed new in 2006. I vigilantly keep the air flow screen clean and even vacuum below the pilot and burner assembly to keep the air flow unobstructed. A. O. Smith provided under warranty a pressure control valve and two pilot light and thermocouple assemblies, which I had installed by three different plumbers. After the warranty expired, I purchased a pressure control regulator and a third pilot assembly and had a "master" plumber install them. In 6 years, I have spent more on plumbers and parts for the A. O. Smith GCV 50 gallon gas water heater than the unit originally cost! Now, the pilot again will not stay on.

I love this water heater. I'm using it for both my hot water supply and radiant heating in my basement. I've seen a lot of complaints about the pilot light on this website, but that particular problem will be found with any new water heater. The reason is because of new regulations for preventing explosions around the heaters. Once upon a time in America, some idiot parked a lawn mower next to their water heater; the fumes combusted and one frivolous lawsuit later, we have annoying restrictive covers on the pilot light which is sometimes too restrictive.

It’s the second time in five years to replace parts because the pilot will not stay lit or the gas valve will not allow the heater to work. It’s an expensive water heater and the expensive replacement parts do not work. Obviously, A.O. Smith should have to recall all these water heaters and get out of the business.

Today, 6/6/12, the thermocouple failed on a two year old 50 gallon heater/classic. The plumber charged me again to do repairs that I had done earlier in 12/1/11 for $343.00. It should be covered in warranty. Second time, same problem in 6 months.

I bought the AO Smith ProMAx 40-gallon water heater 5 years ago and I have replaced the thermocouple 5 times. It has nothing to do with too tight of a house or too leaky of a house. I believe it has everything to do with a faulty design. The new screen they provide with a replacement thermocouple is just as effective at starving the pilot light as the first screen. Now, to add insult to injury, the new thermocouple I just installed won't stay lit. I was going to contact AO Smith, but after reading so many people’s complaints about their interactions with the company, I will just be getting a replacement hot water heater from a competitor of AO smith and tell this story to everyone I meet. I can't say it strong enough: don't buy an AO Smith 40-gallon ProMax water heater.

A. O. Smith GPHE 50 gas water heater - This water heater was installed in our new home in October of 2009. It has stopped producing hot water 6 times in less than three years. Once, the Intelli-Vent control had to be replaced. The other 5 times it gives a LED status code that is not even in the manual and I had to turn the power off and on to the unit and it resets and heats. Today, Memorial Day, it quits and a re-cycle will not work. The blower motor smells hot. No repair is available in our area on a holiday so we go until tomorrow with no hot water. The vent pipe assembly #1 has leaked since day one and the plumber can't fix it. If you read the manual, it says this leak can be normal and to place a pan under it. I would not recommend this unit to anyone. If you like to have hot water at the tap when you turn it on, then this is not the hot water heater for you.

A. O. Smith model GCV40: I have been struggling for over 6 months to keep the pilot light lit on the brand-new 40-gallon water tank I purchased about a year ago. We have tried everything under the sun, including cleaning the poorly designed air filter at the bottom. I don't want to hear about how it won't work, because my house is "new" and air-tight. My house is over 50 years old. I would gladly join a class action lawsuit against this company, which obviously won't stop selling garbage to consumers.

I live in San Antonio, worst water west of Plymouth Rock! My contractor-grade AO Smith 40 gallon unit (electric) lasted the entire 15 years since the house was built. We drained it twice over the years, once to flush it, and once to replace the heating element. We get extremely heavy deposits of limestone in and on everything here, and the original did yeoman's service. I replaced it with another contractor-grade AO Smith, and found the new one had been upgraded with a second heating element, and double thermostats. This is a compliment - not a complaint! Attorneys can roll over and go back to sleep.

GVC 50 gallon water heater - The pilot won't stay lit, I have to light it at least every other day. The installer said to back off one of the screws on the glass panel to let more air through, no luck. We have an exact heater in other part of the house, no problems with it. We will never own another piece of junk from A. O. Smith. I think this is a very dangerous appliance and will probably replace both of them soon. These were installed on 12/30/08. Where is that warranty?

We have a ProMax hot water heater. The hot water heater blower never shuts off due to a plugged tube leading to the pressure switch sensor. The error code indicates it remained open longer than 5 seconds after the combustion blower was energized. Ever few months, I need to pull the rubber hose and clean out the tube leading to the pressure switch. It seems to build up a calcium deposit that plugs the tube. I need to know if there is a way to fix the problem so it does not occur again. A plastic tube was connected near the rubber boot to try to remove the condensation, but that has not fixed the problem.

I have an A.O. Smith water heater that was only in use for 1 year and 8 months. Then it leaked. The warranty was not honored because it was a replacement for another leaking water heater. I took the leaking heater apart to see where it was leaking. It turned out that it had been leaking on a seam weld, right at the bottom of the tank. The weld had been leaking for some period of time since there was a great deal of rust build-up around the leaking area. Calls to A.O. Smith were useless since it was a replacement tank which they told me carries no guarantee at all! Needless to say, they have lost another customer.

This unit (A.O. Smith Powershot direct vent water heater) has given me nothing but problems. They should include sand paper with it because you will be sanding the probe every 6 months just to keep the thing lit. The vent fan is loud—unbelievably loud. I had this unit only 7 years (ironic that the warranty was 6 years) and it started leaking from the top of the unit around the anode. I really expected more life out of this, especially considering how expensive they are. I had to replace it, but certainly not with another A.O. Smith. It was a $1450 lesson on a water heater not to purchase. I now own a very nice Rheem direct vent and you cannot believe the difference in sound when the fan comes on.

The house was built in 1997 and an A.O. Smith power vent water heater was installed. In 2004, the water heater failed and began leaking. I had another A.O. Smith 50-gallon water heater installed. It began leaking in 2008. I paid to have another A.O. Smith water heater installed under warranty. I had to pay for labor and another $100.00 for a 6-year warranty because something changed in the design of the water heater. Now in March of 2012, 3 years and 3 months later, I am having the 4th A.O. Smith 50-gallon power vent water heater installed under warranty. I still have to pay for labor. No more warranty after 2014. If I were to install another A.O. Smith 50-gallon water heater, it would cost me around $1500.00. It’s not going to happen. A.O. Smith basically said, “Oh well.” I will be going to Home Depot and buying a GE electric 50-gallon for $280 bucks. Lesson learned.

I am on my second A.O. Hot Water Heater in 3 years! The pilot light goes out several times a year! The thermal couple has been replaced, it has been cleaned several times. This is for a rental unit, so I have to call the plumber every time it goes out! In 2010, I spent $3000 on the new heater for instillation, new vent cut in. And still, in the last 14 months, have had an issue and 5 service calls! I am not happy with this unit and as luck would have it, it always goes on a weekend!

After moving into a new home in 2010, the water heater only lasted 4 years. It was replaced under warranty, but had to pay $350 for installation. It lasted for 8 months but then replaced. I paid installation and it lasted 4 years, but was replaced again. I paid installation, it lasted for 2 years and now no longer under warranty. I had to replace and pay installation at my cost. In addition, in 2009 a leak caused over $7000 in my home when 50 gallons leaked through the wall in the middle of the night. I had to pay $500 insurance deductible. I sent certified letter to AO Smith in Jan 2010, no response. I called twice, including this morning, and was pretty much told "too bad". There must be something we can do as a group with so many issues with their product. Any ideas? I'm calling 3 on your side in Phoenix and making as much noise as I can. I'm out over $2500 because their water heaters failed 5 times in 10 years! I cannot believe, as a consumer, that we just have to take it. Where is consumer affairs groups, etc? Help!

I have 2 50 gallon water heaters in parallel. I have had nothing but trouble on county water with softener. What more can I do? I have it new at home in ‘04. Now, 8 years old and both leak badly. I have had numerous problems; clean screens, manifold sensors, and etc. Wish I could work on their car. It would be pretty funny. Guess I will never ever buy one of these again or should I say 2 of these junk.

Every six months, I have to hire a plumber to come out and clean the igniter. I pay 100.00 dollars twice a year for six years to have hot water. I spoke to corporate and never got any where. What a piece of crap!

I bought a brand new 50-gallon water boiler about 6-7 (January 2012) weeks ago; it started leaking from inside of the tank about 3 weeks later. I received a new replacement tank 5 days later. But the new replacement tank started to leak today. I checked online that the warranty is voided/expired because they gave me a replacement already. What am I supposed to do if they gave me two bad units? Buy another boiler and pay the plumber again for the labor?

I cleaned the air intake screen and my propane water heater has been running ever since. On the very bottom of the water heater, there are slots. Above the slots, inside there is a screen. It fills up with dust and no air will go into the chamber where the pilot light is. No air, no fire, clean the screen.

It is brand new and the pilot light won't stay lit. So all the stories about keeping it clean doesn't work here. It is a piece of **. I don't care why it doesn't work! Buy something else!

My problem is: I put in new water heaters and they do not run correctly. The water heaters put out excessive noise (sounds like a jet plane, unsteady fluctuating flame which causes the pilot lit to go continuously, which causes the burner plate, control valve, and the coupler to become damaged within months.

I've been researching reviews of the AO Smith water heaters and found that almost everyone's complains of the pilot light going out. In most cases, this is because your house it too tight. Many new houses are sealed all too well, so when you open or close your entry doors into the house, the suction created when opening the door draws air down through the vent and extinguishes the pilot; and vice versa when closing the door. This creates a high pressure in the house and forces the high pressure out the vent extinguishing the pilot as well. Although not as often and as easily as opening the door.

My water heater does not stay lit/on. I light it between 6-12 times (sometimes more) per day, just to get hot water. I've had it checked and cleaned by a professional plumber several times throughout the year, and two days later, the same problem begins again. This has been happening since 2006. I bought a newly built home in 2006, and this was a brand new water heater that was installed in 2006. I began having this problem 2 months after moving into my home. Please help.

My Pro Max 40 Gal Propane unit started to not stay lit after 18 months. I called AO Smith and they denied my warranty since it is installed in my bathroom.

We built house in 2005. First, water heater wouldn't stay hot, then leaked. Second one, four years later, leaks all over the floor. A.O. Smith water heaters are junk! Two in seven years. Never own one again!

AO Smith water heater. Built our house new in 06. One year later, nothing but problems. It keeps going on vacation and won't stay lit. I replaced a few parts (not cheap) that they said would fix. It doesn't. This water heater is a joke and will never recommend to anyone ever! In fact I would do the opposite and tell people to not waste their money. For the price that water heater costs new you would think it would need to work longer than their so-called first year warranty. Instead, they make it fall apart. Cheap piece of **. Don't bother!

I bought a Sears Gas Miser 9 Hot water heater. After 3 years, the pilot light keeps going out. This is a piece of crap, in my humble opinion. I'll never buy another Sears product again.

I purchased AO Smith 50 gal natural gas hot water heater in Oct. 2007. I installed it in clean, vented, laundry-room closet. I had the same problem as all other similar complaints filed regarding the pilot light that will not remain lit. AO Smith was highly recommended but became highly disappointing, i.e., no hot water due to pilot light going out. All service recommendations were followed regarding the pilot and controller assembly. In July 2010 and again in 2011, I had the controller unit replaced by AO Smith service representative at $85 per install (AOS provided unit under warranty). The gas pressure checked OK at service line and burner. The inside and screen on bottom are clean, but the pilot would still not remain lit. After spending $170 for repair, I finally became fed up and replaced the unit in Nov. 2012 with different brand that works. I'm requesting a refund of my repair costs, lost time, dissatisfaction, and upset family.

This is the second time in 5 years of having a problem with the pilot light of my AO Smith water heater. It's clean, so I'm guessing it's something else, although I was told this was a fantastic brand and model. What frightens me though is one complaint that included AHS Warranty and that's exactly who I use. I called in my service request this morning and received no call from the plumber 3 hours later. He told me he'd be at my house 15 minutes ago. This is not the first time I've had poor service from AHS providers. I have a feeling they won't get it fixed. Ahhh... the phone is ringing now! He's across town - give him 20 minutes, he says.

Pilot light goes out constantly, leaving me with no hot water. It has happened 35 times at least. Then when you complain, they blame their customer by sending you to hotwaterheaters101.com which treats you like a moron because you don't know how to properly maintenance your water heater. This is a ruse. This is not your fault, this is poor engineering by AO Smith! I have cleaned, cleaned and cleaned this thing over and over again and it does not matter! The pilot light still goes out even after a fresh cleaning. Boycott AO Smith! Spend your money elsewhere and buyer beware!

The pilot light continues to go out. From day one of moving in my new home, I have contacted American Home Shield Insurance for my new home and four plumbers have been out already. No one can fix the problem. The thermocoupler was already replaced, etc. Excuse after excuse. I am afraid of something bad happening. I do not believe based on everyone's comments on this site that this hot water heater can ever be fixed. They are all lemons.

I was instructed by a local plumbing contractor to switch to the A.O.Smith Cyclone water heater in Aug. of 2007 for my small family restaurant. He stated that it was the best out there and would last my lifetime as it was designed for heavy duty operation. Within 3 months, it has already been serviced four times due to a multitude of issues.

I have two pro max water heaters 50 gallon. One is three years old and the pilot light keeps going out. I am a building official for 23 years now and I know about water heaters. I am getting very tired of cleaning combustion air screens, cleaning thermo couplers, etc.. If I had to pay a plumber/heating contractors to keep it running, I would have had to pay over $1,500 dollars in service calls. Its sister pro max installed next to the water heater from hell is same type, only six years old now and has been running fine, no problems. I have done all A. O. has told me to do. I have put in the replacement kit with gasket and it worked for four months and here I go again playing the screen-clean and relight game. I am getting real tired of this. A. O. Smith, get your act together or I may sue you myself.

The problem with A.O. Smith ProMax gas hot water heaters and the pilot going out and not being able to be re-lit/stay lit is because consumers, and obviously some professional plumbers, don't know how to maintain the intake screen that is on the bottom of the ProMax units. Due to federal regulations the combustion area of all gas water heaters has to be closed chamber (so that people are less likely to die). That way if the pilot goes out, the gas is sucked up the exhaust and out of your house instead of drifting around at floor level and blowing your home up like on the old open-bottom models. This leaves one area and one area only for air to get into the closed combustion chamber and it is on the very bottom of the unit with a screen on it.

We have had multiple service calls for our AO Smith water heater. The pilot light goes out at least once a day. We have had pretty much all components replaced and the next day it goes out again. This is a major inconvenience and also probably increases the risk of explosion since most people don't have to relight their water heaters daily. It's totally unacceptable. We have a Bradford White water heater as well in the other part of our house and have never had a single problem with that. This AO Smith is a royal piece of junk.

I had to replace the water heater on December 22, 2011. It cost me $3,000. The installation contractor was awesome and he stayed very late trying to get the thing installed (I'd leave no stars if you'd let me. This has been the most frustrating experience I have ever had as a homeowner). Today, December 26th, I have no hot water. The stupid thing broke. My installation guy has been trying to find parts to replace it but if he can't get parts tonight (it's now 8 pm), we won't get parts from AO Smith until Friday which means we will be without how water for a total of 3 day. I have left a message with AO Smith and hope they contact me otherwise I will seek damages.

I am a home remodeler, builder, and have my own business. In 24 years in business and having installed more than 500 water heaters, I never had experienced problems like I have with an AO Smith 75 gallon direct vent. The unit would not stay lit. I called AO Smith customer service and the rep called a service tech. He came out and said the water heater was junk, took it out, and installed a Bradford White. Then, the supplier would not accept a return on this $1200 water heater which sits in my shop. In my experience, AO Smith water heaters are total junk and I do not recommend this useless product.

I am very dissatisfied with the A.O. Smith water heater. I too have had to replace the complete control unit because the pilot light wouldn't stay lit. I live in a small town and the local plumber was on the phone with them for hours trying to figure out what was wrong. I was lucky that the part was still on warranty but had to pay the plumber. I'll never buy another and sure wouldn't recommend this brand. It's not 6 months later and I'm having the same problem.

Pilot light won't stay lit. It’s costing us a fortune to get it relit, cleaned, etc. We have tried everything the plumber says to do. I don’t know what else to do. I can't afford to replace the unit. A.O Smith should be willing to replace all these defective units at their own cost. I will never buy another.

Our goal is to provide the aquatics lab with a continual flow of hot water at a temperature range between 110 and 130 degrees F These heaters have been in service for 4-1/2 years and we have had to replace the elements at least every six months and on some occasions every month. I am not sure what material the original elements were made of but when we ordered replacements we were told to use incoloy.

For two days now, my 5-year old ProMax's pilot light keeps going out. After reading all the other postings, I'm thinking I might just replace the entire hot water heater. Thank you all for your posts! Hey, A.O. Smith, care to chime in here? Perhaps free replacement parts are in order before a class-action lawsuit is filed.

I had a A.O. Smith gas hot water heater installed four days ago. The next day, it was leaking water all around the base about 12 inches out. The plumber seemed shocked, but gladly replaced it with the same unit (GVC 50 300). Well, after yesterday's new installation, we woke up to another leaking unit. That's it, I will request a different brand. Has anyone had this issue? We haven't had it long enough to wait for a pilot light problem, but I'm definitely changing brands. (I had Sears before and it did actually last 12 years before we encountered a problem).

I am a plumber here in Austin, TX. I did a change-out with a 40 gal. elec. Two days later, I get a call from the homeowner that there was no hot water. I called tech support, I had voltage meter in hand, ohm out, and the voltage was correct. He told me to change out bottom element and after driving 30 miles, I got the correct element. I had it replaced, and hot water was working fine. However, two days later, there was no hot water again. I changed the heater with a new one by G.E. at my expense.

I have had nothing but problems keeping the pilot lit. I took out the burner, cleaned out burner area, blew air through the tubes for the pilot and disk cleaned air chamber. Got any other ideas?

This is about a A.O. Smith GPVR 50 101 Pro max. I installed itl in 2007, had it serviced twice. The first time was in 2008, a fume sensor for $180. It was 5 days without hot water. The 2nd time was in 12/2011, for the fume sensor & valve control; it's 3 weeks with no hot because the valve was on back order and costs $489. I decided to cancel the order and replace this unit with a standing pilot water heater from Sears Kenmore for $429. The aggravation was not worth it . I am very dissatisfied with the brand and will not purchase this brand ever again.

AO Smith Pro Max Plus Model No GPVR 50 101 Built 2/21/07 Installed in a new cabin we were building in about 2008. Worked for a couple of years.

My hot water heater Pro Max 30 was installed in 2004. After a couple of years, I had to replace the thermocouple. It worked for four years. I replaced it again in August 2011, but it wouldn't stay lit. It's driving my wife nuts. There was never any hot water. I always have to be careful to see if I have hot water, before trying to take a shower. The plumber wanted to install a Bradford White in 2004. I insisted on AO Smith. They have a terrible problem with this unit, and the explosion safety value, and thermocouple unit. They are not the same AO Smith like the old times. No more AO Smith products for me. Recall is needed now.

I had an AO Smith gas water heater (model GCV 30 100) installed less than 2 years ago. I am experiencing the exact same problem: pilot light won't stay lit. I have paid for two service calls to have it trouble shot and was told by the last plumber that AO Smith has created a 200 series and a 300 series in those two years in an attempt to correct a faulty product.

I purchased ProMax GCV 40-gallon water heater in Oct. 2007. No problems until around June 2011, and then the same as everyone seems to have, the pilot would not stay lit, going out occasionally. I cleaned the air screen and vacuumed out the unit but the problem got progressively worse, to where it would usually go out multiple times daily. After reading the comments here, it seemed that paying a plumber was going to be throwing money away. I removed the pilot light assembly and burner assembly to clean the inside of the unit and noticed a build up on the thermocouple. I cleaned it with a light grade sandpaper and reassembled the unit. Knock on wood, the pilot has not gone out since! I would never buy another AO Smith product.

We purchased a A.O. Smith Water heater in October 2007. We have had issues with it for the past three years now. We currently have been without a working water heater for 10 weeks! I am waiting yet again for A.O. Smith's parts to arrive--the same parts that they replaced last year. They will only send one part at a time! We have spent $350.00 in plumber fees, and cannot get the pilot light to stay lit. We get about 10 minutes of hot water before the pilot light goes out. Dissatisfied would be an understatement!

We bought the unit in 1993 an we experienced that the polite light would not light and the unit would try to relight a number of times. We spent about $600 in parts and service calls. We replaced the control box, the igniter, and all of the other things they thought that was causing the problem.

I have the same problem everyone else is having. My pilot light won't stay lit. I have a plumber coming to repair it now. I'm so annoyed! I have to pay 200 bucks to get it repaired.

Purchased eight 40 hot water tanks. The pilots will not stay lit. Had contractors clean the units with little success. A.O. Smith said that they needed a repair kit. I paid to have the repair kits installed. It replaced all of the parts except the tank itself. Still have the problem. I have had to scrap two of the tanks. These tanks are defective! I will never buy an another A.O Smith product.

The pilot light would stay lit. It cost me $172 to replace the assembly and according to the plumber, they are having lots of complaints on these water heaters for the same reason.

I have been going around in circles with many people, up and down the AO Smith supply chain regarding a water heater Model No. GPSX50 100 Serial No. A05A091262 for more than a month now. This unit has had several issues and repairs over the last 5 years, with 4 service calls. I want this unit replaced with one that will actually work. There is a lot of information regarding this unit on how much it breaks down, how bad the support is, and the fact that I have 4 neighbors that have/had the same unit. Its either a bad design, or incredibly unreliable.

Clean the air intake and the pilot light will stay on. Look through the air intake slots on the very bottom of the water heater and use a flashlight. The screen gets filled with dust and no air will go to the combustion chamber. No air, no fire.

The pilot light goes off frequently, after light up several times, it won't stay.

I have a new Promax water heater installed after the old one went bad after 5 years! Now after 2 years, it won't stay lit. I have read all the reviews, which I should have done before. I purchased the water heater and realize that the Promax O'Smith water heater is simply a bad water heater - poorly made. Stay away from this company! I wonder how they are able to get away with consistently making such a bad product.

I had an A.O. Smith Gas Water Heater installed 10/2010 and the pilot light keeps going out! After reading all the others having the same problem, I might bite the bullet and just pay to have a different brand installed! I don't want to live like this! I think A.O. Smith should give a refund to anyone who is not satisfied with their product! What kind of business practice is this? My model number is GNR 50 100. It's already 10/22/2011 and I'm still in the middle of this mess.

This electric 48 gallon water heater was purchased in April 2004. This past week, it started to leak with a badly welded knob on front of the unit. It saturated my carpet, and I had to replace it. It is barely off of warranty, and I never expected something like this to happen. Eventually, I had to purchase a new unit for over $700 and I don't know what to do about my ruined carpet in the hallway.

I have an A. O. Smith propane water heater. It's three years old. The pilot light would go out. I thought it was the thermocouple. The closed combustion chamber is a problem when it cannot get air. There are 3 or 4 vents on the bottom. And there is a screen like a screen door. This has to be cleaned so the burner has air. I think it is as simple as that. I cleaned mine and it has been running ever since. Get a flashlight and look.

As with all the other complaints listed here, my warranty expired in July 2011. It's now Oct 2011 and pilot light continually goes out. The pilot/thermocouple by itself can't be replaced as the unit is an assembly. My water heater is model no. GCV50-100

Our A.O. Smith Promax Water Heater was replaced 6 years ago and it is in need of being replaced again. The pilot light has gone bad and will not stay lit. I am told by my plumber that these heaters are defective and do not last. I have had three houses and never had a water heater fail, much less one that is only 6 years old. The average cost per year of an A.O. Smith water heater is extremely high. I will get another brand.

Being a plumber for 13 years, I can honestly confirm almost all the previous complaints. When A.O. Smith started using closed combustion on their heaters, I would have at least 3 return calls of the pilot going out on more than half of the heaters I installed. In my own house I installed a GCV-50 300 Series and gets the same issue.

We, too, have had issues with the A.O. Smith water heater. We purchased one on 3/12/04. On 3/21/06, we had to have it repaired, but after 6 months, it went out completely. We thought perhaps we had gotten a defective one, so we stayed with that brand and put a new one in on 10/5/06. On 1/7/09, we had to replace it again.

I am the unlucky owner of an A.O. Smith Model S. We have had trouble with the pilot light going out!

My husband and I replaced the water heater that was in our house for 4 years, with an A.O. Smith ProMax. Not even six months after we got it, we began to have problems with it staying lit. We had to get up hours earlier to lit it to have hot water. We then called the plumber back which had installed it and he replaced the water heater and not even six months later the same thing happened, it would not stay lit. I then called A.O Smith who said that they could send me the parts that were under warranty, but I would have to pay $50.00 to have it shipped. So my husband and I decided to get the parts from somewhere else and still, the pilot would not lit. So we still have no hot water! I just think that it is not right for this company to get away with doing this to so many people. If there is a class action lawsuit, count us in!

We purchased a new home in 2008 with a water heater installed (A.O. Smith ProMax GCV 50 100). The pilot light began going out every once in a while and I would have to relight it. The problem became much worse a month ago. The pilot light would not stay lit. I had to relight it six times a day. The plumber replaced the entire burner system including the thermo couple ($220) because he said that it was the only way to fix the problem with an A.O. Smith sealed combustion water heater.

This 10-year warrantied A.O. Smith Water Heater has been a disappointment. It developed a slow leak and after 2.5 years of use, it has to be replaced. The total cost the 1st time was $1750.00 and now it is going to be $850.00 for labor, since the tank has to be replaced free. The first A.O. Smith tank I had lasted 5 years and 3 months. It had a warranty of 5 years.

I also have a A. O. Smith piece of junk hot water tank. It is only 1 year old. The pilot light won't light. I have had nothing but trouble with it since having it installed 1 year ago. I'm hoping for a class action lawsuit. This is the very reason why there are class action lawsuits, companies that continue to rip people off.

I have an A. O. Smith gas water heater. After the hurricane Irene, the gas company visited since the pilot light was not lit. I am told that I have to throw away the unit – 50-gallon new – as its ceramic plate got wet and cannot be replaced.

The gas valve which controls the pilot light went out on our brand new A.O. Smith hot water heater after two weeks. When my father (he purchased it as a house warming gift for my husband and I) contacted A.O. Smith, he was told by them that "it worked for two weeks," implying that we did something wrong to have it malfunction after two weeks. All we did was have it installed and light the pilot. My father was told that the shipping for the part was going to be $10.

There is no help. The pilot goes out every other day.

Same as everyone else--pilot won't light on six-year-old GVC 50 100, faced with expensive replacement. Please, someone let us know if there's a class action suit impending.

I have a 4 year old hot water heater. Every year, the heating unit goes out and, under warranty, they replace the part but I pay for the labor. It just went out the 4th time and I know that after I pay labor for the 4th burner to be replaced, in 6 to 8 months I'll be doing it again.

I purchased a new water heater on September 5, 2007. The water heater pilot light will not stay lit. I have had it cleaned and several service calls on it during the time I have had it.

I have a A O Smith hot water heater in one year it leaks and the tanks rusted out i never seen a company not warranty or stand by there product i talk to the manufacture they basically told me where to go i would not recommend anyone to this company no customer care at all.

My complaint is the same as the other 200+. The water heater will not stay lit even though every part was replaced. They just replaced the entire water heater today (the last one was only three years old with numerous problems). It cost me $500 so far in labor charges. The company refuses to pay for this and is looking for any reason to blame me, as the consumer, for it not operating. I wish I had read these complaints before purchasing from AO Smith. This is a lesson well learned. I would love to band together to form a class action law suit. This company should not be allowed to get away with this complete and utter negligence!

OK, I have read a year's worth of complaints, and I have had problems with my AO Smith 38 natural gas sealed water heater for about 6 months now. It was manufactured in 2005, June 6, to be exact (out of warranty as of that date!). I have the problem that the pilot will extinguish and can then be lit again. I had read the manufacturer's literature and noted the part about cleaning the screen filter (if actually installed by the contractor, not installed). So I attempted to clean the round screen (located on the bottom of the combustion chamber).

I gave up and just purchased another unit (Rheem) so that I don't have to put up with that poor (service) attitude from what is obviously a less than desirable company making sub-standard products.

I purchased a brand new PowerVent Water Heater with 6-year warranty. I had the water heater installed. It worked for half a day and then stopped working. I had warranty plumber come out and they said it was the burner. So a part was ordered/shipped free of charge. That was not the problem. Another plumber thought it was the controller. Part was ordered and they wanted to charge me $50 for it to be shipped overnight.

In 2005, we built our house and contracted Port Orchard Plumbing for all our plumbing needs for the house. They chose to install an A.O. Smith Pro Max water heater. The problem started with the water heater about a year or less after we moved in. I called Port Orchard Plumbing to come out to fix it. The problem was that the pilot light kept going out; sometimes it would go months without a problem and then it would start to malfunction, and the pilot would not stay lit. You would have to get up extra early to light it; sometimes three or more times in order to get a hot shower. After many calls to Port Orchard Plumbing, they got fed up. They told me I had to call A.O. Smith myself to take care of the problem. I called A.O. Smith and they sent a part out. I had Port Orchard Plumbing come out and install it.

The pilot light goes out on this water heater regularly. The unit was purchased in 2007, and the pilot light has gone out on it about 15-20 times in the past 3.5 years. The other 200+ complaints below sound much like my experiences. I want you to ask your self something. It's not personal; this is just business.... How many times in the past 3.5 years did you wake up to a cold shower? Most everyone I talk to says they have not taken a cold shower in 3.5 years, and believe me, you will remember it if you do!

When we moved in five years ago, we had an A.O hot water heater in the house. It stopped working so we had a plumber come out, did all kinds of checks on the heater, could not get the pilot to light. I called A.O Smith and they replaced it with a new one.

I built my house in 2000. The local company, McGee Plumbing, which plumbed the whole house, put in the gas water heater. It was made by A O Smith. It lasted ten years before it began leaking. It was replaced with another, same model. Now here it is not quite 3 years and the tank has also burst. We can only get a replacement of the same model. I am now 86 years old. I really don't want to have to deal with this. But did I read someone write about a class action lawsuit? Count me in.

I had four of their water heaters installed seven years ago at my rental property and what a nightmare. Within the first year, I had to change one completely out because it would not stay lit. Then within five years, I could not keep a second one lit and had it worked on twice within the last two years and finally replaced it. I just recently replaced a third one because it will not stay lit.

This water heater is only four years old yet the pilot will not stay lit. I have called two plumbers and they each replaced parts but to no avail. Please do yourself a favor and stay away from AO Smith water heaters. They have serious engineering issues.

I had several calls to A. O. Smith and the replacement parts were sent. All movable parts have been replaced. The pilot light still goes out every 3 days (model GCV 50), still under warranty. A. O. Smith refuses to admit that there is a problem. Consumer Affairs has at least 200 complaints about this company. I would welcome all to join me in a class action suit against A. O. Smith.

I purchased an AO Gas Water Heater Pro Max, model # XCV 50 100 on 03/13/08. Within 1-1/2 year, the pilot light was not staying on and I had no hot water. I called the company, was told to have it cleaned. I call a plumber, paid him $100.00. He told me that this model was causing a lot of problems and to call the company and get a Thermocouples & RTD's and I would have to pay him to install it. I called the company, after a few attempts they send me the parts. The parts were installed in 06/08/10. It lasted on until now 04/22/11, I have the same problem. The company is telling me to get it cleaned again. That is not the problem. This unit should be on a recall with all the complaints on the same problem, I found on the computer. I would like this unit to be replaced with a new one and the company should even pay for the installation.

I have the same problem with my AO Smith water heater. We installed our new AO Smith water heater on Thursday, March 10, 2011. By Saturday, the pilot light went out and we couldn't get it to restart. I had to have a plumber come out and replaced the thermal couple. Sunday night came and the light went out again. I Called AO Smith on Monday, they sent out a technician to diagnose the problem. They ordered a new temperature valve, which didn't come in till Friday afternoon. During the week, while we were waiting for the replacement part to come in, the pilot light went out multiple times.

I purchased an A.O. Smith gas water heater in 2005. In the past ten months, I've had three separate plumbing calls, all for the same reason, pilot light would not stay lit. The two main components, the burner assembly and the outside little box with the dial and pilot ignition clicker, have all been replaced each time. Yesterday, I had the plumber over to fix again and last night after he did all the work, with the same thing but now with new parts, pilot light will not stay on.

House was purchased in 2003. This is the fourth time in three years the pilot has gone out. Warranty expired in 2009. Last service was 4 months ago (in paid for). I have used about 5 plumbers to try to fix this heater that obviously has a defect, especially after reading all of the other complaints. On my last conversation with AO four months ago, the representative stated I was the only customer complaining about their product. It caused several days of inconvenience, cold showers and delayed chores that required hot/warm water.

I have the same problem as everyone else. I bought a new home back in 2007. Since then my A.O. Smith 50 gal hot water heater will not stay lit. I have had multiple plumbers come out and take a look at it and all say the same thing. This is so frustrating to me and my family. I was under the impression that this would be a great water heater. Wow, was I wrong. The water heater has not to this day stay lit more than one week at a time. I have had this cleaned and changed everything. I am now to the point where I am looking to buy a new hot water heater—not an A.O. Smith. I am so disappointed in this product. It caused frustration to my self and my family and resulted to constant loss of time and being late to work multiple times because of waiting for hot water.

I have the same problem as everyone else. I bought a new home back in 2007. Since then my A.O. Smith 50 gal hot water heater will not stay lit. I have had multiple plumbers come out and take a look at it and all say the same thing. This is so frustrating to me and my family. I was under the impression that this would be a great water heater. Wow, was I wrong. The water heater has not to this day stay lit more than one week at a time. I have had this cleaned and changed everything. I am now to the point I am looking to buy a new hot water heater—not an A.O. Smith. I am so disappointed in this product. It caused frustration to my self and my family and resulted to constant loss of time and being late to work multiple times related to waiting for hot water.

I moved into a brand new home in 2003 which had an A.O. Smith water heater. About 1 year later, I noticed "dirty" hot water. It looked like sand had gotten into the water line. My plumber friend said maybe it was an installation problem, but the "dirt" should wash out. About a year later, my water heater sprung a leak. I called the local carrier of A.O. Smith and they promptly replaced it, but I had to pay for the installation. Now 1 year later, and again, I have "dirty" hot water. It is even brown when it comes out of the tap! Has anyone else had this problem? I am considering replacing it with a tankless system, but this isn't that old a tank.

A.O. Smith 50 gallon water heater pilot light won’t stay lit. This heater is junk. I bought this junk 2-1/2 years ago. Now I much get the flame arrester cleaned every month and then buy a new flame arrester when I can no longer clean this one. This is a company design flaw, and as far as I am concerned, it should be recalled and replaced at no cost to the consumer. Now I have to buy a new water heater, and eat this one. All my friends and people I know well, be informed about this product and guarantee they wont sell many of there products here. I’m a very disappointed consumer.

I ran across this site looking for the specifications on the unit and was shocked to see all the issues there have been. I will update if I get stuck with the bill. I had an A.O. Smith Model GVC 40 100 build date of 7/2006 that my church installed for me near the same time. The other day I heard running water coming from my basement. I went down to check to see what was going on and found the corner of my basement in 2 to 3 inches of water. The water was gushing out of the top of the water heater by the flu. I contacted an A.O. Smith authorized service company. They said that the tank was bad, but because of the date it was installed, they gave me a new unit model GVC 40 200 (having to install it myself). They are holding my credit card until A.O. Smith reimburses them. If they don't, I eat the bill. I have my fingers crossed as I have been out of work since November 2009 and I really can't afford to pay for it. I'll update if I get stuck with the bill.

We have had 4 A.O. Smith water heaters in the past 6 six years. You read that correctly, 4 in the last 6 years! We purchased a brand new home with 2 40 gallon State Water heaters installed. The first one failed 2 years after we moved in, they replaced it with another one, the second original water heater failed, 2 years later.

My A.O Smith Promax GCV 50 100 will not stay lit. The unit is only 4 years old. I am currently looking into the manufacturer's warranty for replace and repair. However, after reading all the issues with A O Smith products, it may be best to just purchase another unit from a different manufacturer.

I have a two-year-old A.O. Smith 75 gallon water heater and have major problems with a greenish slime or small particles building up on the hot water side. I had a plumber install a spin down filter right out of the water heater but this filter will clog up in one week. No problems with the cold water, just the hot. The hot valves on the tub get clogged, too. Any help out there? The Kinecito water representative told me A.O. Smith are notorious for this. Is the rod inside wrong or what?

I have a two-year-old A.O. Smith 75 gallon water heater and have major problems with a greenish slime or small particles building up on the hot water side. I had a plumber install a spin down filter right out of the water heater but this filter will clog up in one week. No problems with the cold water, just the hot. The hot valves on the tub get clogged, too.

AO Smith water heaters are awful and their customer service is even worse! I had a brand new gas water heater installed to replace the previous AO Smith water heater that was still under warranty and leaking water. The brand new water heater will not stay lit from the first hour it was installed one week ago. The plumber purchased a new thermal coupler and it worked for one day. He said I needed to call the customer service department to have them send me a new gas valve and heat element.

Like so many other people, I, too, am having problems with my water heater. Just like the rest, the pilot light keeps going out. It started around August 2010. At first it was about once in two weeks. It has become much more frequent, sometimes daily or every couple of days and sometimes shortly after you lite it.

I have a new home built in 2008 that has an A.O. Smith Promax water heater. We have had problems with this water heater since the first year with the pilot constantly going out. We, like most of what I have read from everyone here, had to light the pilot daily only to find by night no hot water again.

I bought new central air/furnace/hot water tank (A. O. Smith Promax 50) in august 2008. Around may of this year I woke up for work no hot water! Called the gas company payment not late? Called the installers they came out to look at it told me the burner assembly went out! I ordered a new one the installer told me it was from China and that these don’t really work but sir you are only under a 2 year warrantee on parts and labor and you will have to pay for the service call!

I have had the same problem all the other A.O. Smith water heater purchasers have had. Although, I purchased mine around 8 years ago but have had to deal with the pilot going out constantly. I just have not had the money to buy a new one. It started malfunctioning within two years of buying it but the installers went out of business so I didn't think I had any recourse which apparently I didn't anyway according to the other comments on here.

Model f6v40 100, built 10/29/04. The pilot light will not stay lit. I had replaced 2 time the total burner assembly plus the gas valve. I have had numerous service calls for the pilot light going out. The service people had replaced several times the thermocouple and cleaned the air screen yet the pilot light still continued to go out. The last time all replaceable parts were replaced was 8/20/2010 and at that time with the service person still there, the pilot went out 3 times. I had called a o smith several times and all I was told was there is no problem and all I need to do is clean the flame arrestor or filter screen. On 8/21/2010, I replaced this unsafe defective product with a different brand and my pilot light has not gone out again. There must be a recall and class action suit against this company before there is injury to someone or something.

My Family and i own an A.O. Smith Promax water heater. There have been numerous problems with this inferior product. Barely used for two years, this heater is constantly causing me trouble. The light will not stay lit underneath the heater. It is so frustrating. Many times I have to wake up extra early before I go to work just to turn the heater on (sometimes 3 or 4 in the morning). I have small children and a rather large family and showering under cold water will not do.