Bradford White Reviews

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About Bradford White

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Bradford White produces water heaters for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Operating since 1881, its offerings include gas, electric and tankless models.

Pros
  • Good warranty coverage
  • Reliable hot water supply
Cons
  • Frequent repairs needed
  • Poor customer service interactions

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Bradford White Reviews

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed July 6, 2026

    Would not recommend. We had a Bradford White tankless system installed last October. It was failing/cutting out and not producing hot water, by May. It lasted 7 months! That's all! It has to be replaced now, and we have been waiting 3 weeks for the installer to receive the replacement unit. Yes it worked great when it worked, and it has a lifetime warranty, but again, only took 7 months to fail (water exchange corroded and leaking, pressure relief valve constantly leaking) and we can't seem to get a replacement unit.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageRefunds & PayoutsMaintenanceBilling

    Reviewed July 2, 2026

    I have owned a Bradford White Aerotherm hybrid electric water heater for just under two years. A sensor malfunctioned and caused an F24 error code. Simple to fix, a sensor held in place by a plug and two screws (a simple Google search explained what to check and how to test the sensor). The problem is if a homeowner completes the repair, Bradford White will not honor any future warranty issues even if it is a completely different problem than the one repaired. You have to call an authorized reseller, and then pay for two service calls to have the part replaced ‘under warranty’.

    First call is for them to diagnose, then second call is to replace the part since parts are not stocked. Additionally, the reseller is required to take pictures and notify Bradford White if they suspect any work was performed by an unauthorized person. Surprisingly, some homeowners actually have the ability to replace a simple sensor and use a multimeter. It took over a month to get the replacement part installed. That’s a whole month running in all-electric mode. It was actually inefficient enough to notice on our electric bill. So this year’s hybrid savings was lost in one month.

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      Customer ServiceCoverageTechMaintenance

      Reviewed June 28, 2026

      Our 20+ year old Whirlpool water heater finally died. We had a plumber install a brand new Bradford White model# rg240t6n on Monday, 6/22/26. Morning of 6/23, we had no hot water. Went down to the basement and unit was off. Lit the pilot and things seemed fine. Wednesday morning 6/24... no hot water again, and we were unable to get the pilot to light. Called the plumber back out, and he was finally able to get it running after around 30 minutes. Told us it probably shut off because the temp control knob was set at too high of a temperature. Um...what? Okay cool, whatever, he turned it down to a lower temp setting.

      Thursday morning 6/25.... NO HOT WATER AGAIN. Plumber came back and replaced the control unit and gas valve. Said the valve was defective on the brand new 1600.00 unit. Okay great, problem solved, right? Worked fine for the next two days, then... guess what? NO HOT WATER this morning, 6/28. Pilot out again. Got it lit, ran for less than a minute, shut itself off again. Finally got it to stay lit continuously, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this won't be the last time we deal with this.

      What a fiasco. Why on Earth would we have to keep traipsing down to the basement and re-lighting the pilot on a 6 day old water heater??? Who has the patience for that? This is completely ridiculous and unacceptable, and if it keeps up we are going to have the plumber remove this SOB and replace it with a different brand.

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      Sales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedMaintenanceStaffEase of Use

      Reviewed June 2, 2026

      Bradford White may make a good how water heater but they do not stand behind the functioning of their systems. After installation, our recirculating system would not work because they have hidden "heat trap nipples" inside which cannot be removed. Then after multiple edits to our system by our licensed plumber, it still did not recirculate.

      Attempting to get verification of a solution to add more costs (recirculating pump) to our system, they denied having any role in helping us to verify a path forward. Their exact answer was "is therefore unable to assist in designing or configuring plumbing systems that incorporate third-party components or accessories". Basically they just left us with a non-functioning system which no local plumbers know the full answer to solve. They did not even know about the "heat trap nipples" embedded within the unit.... Bradford White is a terrible company after the sale.

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      Reviewed May 20, 2026

      Water heater fan can be heard starting and running above in kitchen and in front room next to kitchen. Had a AO smith before and could not hear it starting in kitchen or front room. With AO Smith couldn’t hardly hear it starting when you are in the same room.

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      Sales & Marketing

      Reviewed April 9, 2026

      Our 75-gallon Bradford White water heater failed after 5 years and 9 months, flooding our basement with 70+ gallons of water. The 6-year warranty was for the heater itself, no labor and not the water damage of course. BUT, the warranty claim has to go through a licensed plumber, so the new plumber (who did not install the BW water heater) has to find a BW wholesaler and submit the warranty on behalf of us, the owners. BUT the only recompense will be a discount if the new plumber buys a new unit from BW. There are no BW wholesalers in our area and we had to get a new hot water heater installed immediately. Needless to say it is NOT a Bradford White product. We would not recommend that anyone ever obtain a Bradford White product.

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      Billing

      Reviewed April 9, 2026

      I had a new Bradford White water heater installed back in 2020. Over the years I have work with over 7 water heater installed replacing leaking ones. With the new water heater I noticed when the setting at A, B, C was so hot that the pex pipes were too hot to touch. I tried to reduce the temperature to low. That created another problem. The heater water shut itself off. So a lot of time was spent to up the temperature to a minimum setting so the heater would stay on.

      In all the other water heaters brands I have used the control for setting the pilot light were straight forward to relight the pilot light. A couple years in, the ignition controller failed. This required a $600 bill for labour for replacement of the old controller. I recently had a new electronic gas meter installed. The same problems to occurred with trying to relight the pilot light. I took over an hour and over 30 tries to relight the pilot light. It seems to be a shame as the unit looks quite polished and solid. My experience is telling otherwise. Next water heater is an electric water heater. I am done with gas water heaters.

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      CoveragePrice

      Reviewed March 19, 2026

      As I write this review, we are still in the process of getting our 1 year old water heater replaced at our expense. Bradford White does not pay the labor which is another $650.00 on top the $1800.00 I paid March of 2025 to install. The water has been inspected and determined that there is internal leak, that has caused the burner unit to rust. Now knowing what the issue is Bradford White is still not standing by their product and passing the cost onto the consumer, rather than standing by their product and covering the cost of a faulty product. After reading other reviews and the issues that this company seems to have with their product, I would stay far away from this brand and any other brand that may be manufactured by this company. The last water heater installed in my home was purchased from Lowe's 8 years ago, and finally went out in March of 2025. It was not Bradford White.

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      Customer ServiceCoverageMaintenance

      Reviewed March 6, 2026

      Hands down one of the most miserable customer service experience. Our tankless system is only 3 years old and the company has been SO unresponsive to any of the service companies we have hired to fix it. It has been over 6 months with no resolution. NEVER buy a product from this company.

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      PricePunctuality & Speed

      Reviewed March 4, 2026

      The thermostat box went bad within first year, replaced under warranty, next box went bad 5 years later, not replaced under warranty, cheaper to get a new water heater, won't be buying a Bradford White.

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      Customer ServiceCoverageSales & MarketingPriceMaintenanceStaffTransparency

      Reviewed Feb. 27, 2026

      I experienced a warranty issue with my Bradford White water heater concerning the gas control knob. Although the unit was under warranty and the replacement part should have been covered, the knob is not sold separately. As a result, the entire gas control valve assembly had to be replaced, leading to significantly higher labor costs that were not covered under the warranty. I ended up paying nearly half the cost of a new water heater just to resolve this issue.

      Bradford White’s customer service has been both frustrating and unhelpful. I received conflicting explanations regarding the replacement of my gas control valve, as they could not provide the knob separately. To make matters worse, they unnecessarily referred me to another sales representative, further complicating the process and causing additional delays.

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      Customer ServiceRefunds & Payouts

      Reviewed Feb. 18, 2026

      We had a new Bradford White water heater installed less than 6 years ago. 2 weeks ago it leaked a huge amount of water into our finished basement. Called the plumber who determined the inner tank had failed. Less than 6 years old! Because it was under warranty for 6 years we received a new tank (took a week, but okay). Problem is that WE still had to pay for the install (close to $800). I really don't see why we need to pay for that seeing as it was their product that failed. I contacted them but was told that it is their policy not to pay for labor. I recommend a different manufacturer. This tank should have lasted at least 10-15 years.

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      Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

      Reviewed Feb. 12, 2026

      I've had my heat pump water for 6 years. The flush valve is poorly designed and leaks. Customer service offered no help and the warranty only covers the part, not the labor to diagnose or install. Bad customer service and poorly designed product.

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      Refunds & PayoutsBilling

      Reviewed Feb. 9, 2026

      I would give zero stars if I could. Purchased a top of the line water heat from Bradford White. Two years old and the relief valve goes bad. Bradford white will only reimburse for the part- $100 and I am responsible for the other $200 in labor. The $100 part the plumber has to put in the warranty for reimbursement but I received a bill for the part- so I am not sure how that will go. Look for a company with a better warranty.

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      CoverageMaintenance

      Reviewed Feb. 1, 2026

      Bradford White Water Heaters are supposed to be great products. But I have purchased two in the past 12 years due to leaks in the main tank. Prior to these two, our water heaters lasted 10-13 years. Our water is medium hard, 7 gpg, and we do not use a water softener. In both instances the tank started leaking right after the 6 year warranty. Draining the tank often and replacing the anode rod is the only way to lengthen the life of the tank. But, Bradford White designed their the anode rod so that is integrated into the hot water outlet.

      My best guess is that this saves them money. You can only use a Bradford White anode rod replacement. The anode rod is solid so that either a new one has to be bent or the heater turned onto it's side (at least with my 8ft ceilings.) Replacing the rod also means cutting out the hot water pipe fitting to loosen the fitting holding the rod. All this means paying a plumber to replace the anode rod. Bradford White does no supply an electronic anode rod, which last much longer. There are other good brands that have not screwed up the simple process of replacing the anode rod to lengthen the live of the tank. And a 6 year tank life if a rip-off.

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      Customer ServiceCoverage

      Reviewed Jan. 30, 2026

      Do not buy this brand of water heater. Ours was leaking and we watched a youtube video to see if we can fix it. The place where the leak is coming from is designed so that no tool can open it. We went to several hardware stores to see if we can find a tool to open the connection nobody had it. So I called the company and asked them if they have a tool. The guy on the phone said call a plumber and he did not know anything about the product. The water heater they make do not last and after 6 or 7 years they go bad.

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      Customer ServiceCoverageMaintenanceStaff

      Reviewed Jan. 28, 2026

      We have had a Bradford White tankless hot water heater for 14 months and are on our second service call. Their tech support is not helpful. We had to replace a recirculating pump in less than a year. And also having error codes regarding an input sensor that only goes away if we turn off the recirculating pump. And their tech support told us that the recirculating pump on the one we were sold would not work for the length of piping we have!! All around horrible.

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      Contract & TermsPriceRefunds & PayoutsMaintenanceStaff

      Reviewed Jan. 14, 2026

      I had a BW water heater installed 4 years ago; it came with a 6Y warranty. This heater stopped working 2 months ago and the replacement heater was provided at no charge under the warranty program. However, it cost me $1200 in labor and parts charges when the new heater was installed, When I spoke with BW about this cost that I had to incur because of their failed product they basically said "that's not our problem". Other manufacturers I have dealt with will help pay for the installation charges. I would not recommend BW products.

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      Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoverageTechPunctuality & SpeedMaintenance

      Reviewed Jan. 7, 2026

      I strongly advise against purchasing a Bradford White water heater. My unit "crapped out" after only 5 years, and the experience with their warranty department has been a nightmare. Despite the unit being under warranty, the company refused to provide a replacement. Instead, they forced me into a "trial and error" process, making me wait up to two weeks for individual parts to arrive just to "see" if they fixed the problem.

      Because Bradford White does not cover labor, I have spent thousands of dollars on plumbing fees for multiple service calls while their parts failed to solve the issue. They left my family without hot water in the dead of winter for weeks rather than simply honoring the warranty and replacing a clearly defective tank. Save yourself the money and the headache: buy from a company that actually stands behind their product and respects their customers' time and safety.

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      Customer ServicePriceRefunds & PayoutsStaffTimeliness

      Reviewed Dec. 20, 2025

      02/2024 My pro plumber installed a Bradford White hot water heater, $1700. 02/17/2025 my new Bradford White hot water heater quit working and was leaking from the bottom. Although replaced under warranty, I had to pay $200 for reinstallation. 11/18/2025, once again, my Bradford White water heater quit working, same issue leaking from the bottom. Replaced under warranty, another $300 reinstallation fee from my plumber. 12/12/2025 called Bradford White requesting to refund my installation fees of $500. They first accused the issues as faulty installation, until I mentioned their ongoing problems of leaking from the bottom and she changed her tune. She informed me that my plumber is the one to submit for reinstallation cost and have them to move forward with reimbursement from Ferguson distributors.

      My plumbing company had never heard of this so I went to the Ferguson dealership in Riverside California. They told me they had never heard of such a policy and to contact the local rep. That same day, I spoke to the rep and he was unaware as well. Total runaround, I am out now $500 for now, third effing water heater, in less than two years. Do not buy a Bradford White hot water heater, their craftsmanship & policies are terrible.

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      Staff

      Reviewed Dec. 17, 2025

      I had a water heater installed and was very satisfied with the two gentlemen that came. Friendly answered any questions, cleaned the area and carried away old water heater and Installed the new one and went through the process of explaining warranty and so on. Excellent work. Thank you.

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      CoverageMaintenanceStaff

      Reviewed Dec. 3, 2025

      We had their authorized installer replace an old one that served reliably for 21 years with a new one. The old one did not have any rust or leaks but the pilot just kept going off probably due to age. Didn’t want to fix as it already lasted 20 plus years. Twice the length of the warranty on it. Great quality

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      Tech

      Reviewed Nov. 21, 2025

      Stay away from Bradford White water heaters. Just bought a new house and it lasted 3 months. The plumber came out and installed a new one and and the burner would not light up to heat the water, had to go back and get another one, plumber says stay away from this brand. It is nothing but problems. Rick **

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      CoveragePriceRates

      Reviewed Nov. 19, 2025

      Do not recommend buying Bradford White at all, getting parts is a challenge (only through wholesalers), and it makes the parts extremely expensive and hard to reach. Warranty does not cover labor, but certified labor will overcharge to work with Bradford White products because they know warranty claim will be a challenge so they’ll charge for those working hours too. On top of that, failure rate of Bradford White products is significant, so you’ll end up needing replacements at least once during warranty window, and more times after. Also cost of Brand new products is significantly higher than other commercial brands that offer same performance and better reliability

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      Customer ServiceCoverageMaintenanceStaff

      Reviewed Nov. 17, 2025

      This brand came highly recommended, but it definitely disappointed in all aspects. Had my water heater replaced in July of 2025 and it was leaking water by November 2025. I called their customer service department and all they could do is read off to me the manufacture date and warranty. Considering I just paid to get this installed, now I have to pay someone to swap out their faulty unit and replace it - how is that my fault or any consumer's fault that your product is faulty. Their customer service people have an attitude about them as well, not very consumer friendly or even wanting to really help to fix this.

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      Bradford White author review by ConsumerAffairs Research Team

      Bradford White manufactures a wide range of residential, commercial and volume water heaters. They provide energy efficient units to customers with varying needs, including wholesalers, contractors, home builders and homeowners.

      • Types: Bradford White supplies various gas, electric, hybrid heat pump, solar and tankless water heaters for commercial and residential use. Units contain various vent types, including atmospheric, power, direct power and direct vents.  Consumers looking for NAECA approved water heaters can use Bradford White’s cross-reference guide to search for a unit that meets those standards.

      • Energy efficiency ratings: Bradford White provides a rating chart online to show consumers how efficient each model is. Among other figures, the chart shows the estimated yearly cost of each model and its energy factor number provided by the Department of Energy.

      • Innovations: Bradford White has developed multiple energy saving innovations for its water heaters including intelligent control, low emissions and smart diagnostics. Consumers can check out details and features of each innovation online.

      • Accessories: Bradford White has developed two residential water heater accessories: The Heater Hauler and the residential gas water heater stand. The Heater Hauler is a vinyl-laminated nylon bag designed to keep the water heater from leaking on unwanted surfaces during removal. The residential gas water heater stand is designed for garages or anywhere else a gas water heater needs to be elevated.

      • Warranties: Consumers can go online and register their water heater to get warranty details, read documents and check on their warranty’s duration. Also included is a list of items not covered under warranty.

      The ConsumerAffairs Research Team believes everyone deserves to make smart decisions. We aim to provide readers with the most up-to-date information available about today's consumer products and services.

      Bradford White Company Information

      Company Name:
      Bradford White
      Website:
      www.bradfordwhite.com