Bradford White Reviews

I had a call last night with Bradford White about a warranty issue on my hot water heater, and I’m honestly still shaking my head. This unit is only about eight and a half years old; not brand new, but definitely not ancient either. A heating element went out, I gave them the warning codes, and the response I got was just unbelievable.

Sensor got faulty. Company refused to replace it even under warranty. Called several times and they keep directing to whole sale parts which won’t give the part and the company refuses to replace the part even if the part is under warranty. Cheaply build.

Our water heater is two years old (manufactured Oct 2022, purchased/installed Spring 2023) and the tank separated entirely off the base (July 2025). Presumably it pressurized to the point it expanded and ripped the screws straight through the base so the water heater was resting on a rounded bottom and in danger of tipping over.

Purchased their 40 gallon gas model two years ago. Since then the pilot light has gone out FIFTEEN times in those two years! A year ago we had the pilot light assembly replaced - the company paid for the parts, but we had to pay the plumber ($135.00) The pilot light still kicks out! The latest is a company rep told me the company now believes the problem is a 'VENTING PROBLEM". Strange that our previous water heater, a KENMORE, only had two incidents of pilot light outage in 12 YEARS! I will not purchase a Bradford White product again. In the meantime, I am filing complaints with the BBB and the Federal Trade Commission.

I purchased a Bradford White water heater in 2018 and it had a 6 year warranty for a model RG240S6N, but had a major leak 6 1/2 years after installation. I would not recommend a Bradford White water heater.

I had a Bradford White water heater installed in April 2018, and by mid-2025 — just over 7 years later — it began leaking and required full replacement. The unit came with a 6-year warranty, so it was out of warranty by just over a year. Still, this kind of failure in such a short time from a “professional-grade” product is very disappointing.

Purchased Bradford White May 2025. Gas leaking into hot water. Went to Lowe's to Buy hot water heater. They didn't have the size I needed, so Lowe's said. "They have this service. (Called lead) that could help me find the right size and BTU I wanted," so I gave them my name and number. DNR is LOWE'S LEAD COMPANY for hot water heaters. DNR called me. Said they got my name from Lowe's and could help me the size and BTU I was looking for.. I ordered Bradford White gas hot water heater thru Lowe's lead company, paid through LOWE'S ADVANTAGE CARD, Here's the problem with Bradford White; Smelled gas in shower, called NIPSCO gas company to check newly installed hot water heater.

Purchased a 100 gallon commercial hot water heater in Nov of 2023 and it was installed by a professional plumber in a home, that is divided into 4 living units. Now in May of 2025 the pilot light will not stay lit. Asked Bradford White how to troubleshoot the issue. The area is well vented, with good egress of flue gas. The thermal pile had a 444mV reading, which is good. The pilot when viewed was bright blue with a little yellow flicker at top of flame, very common. Each time the pilot goes out, it seems to be harder to relight. They only have a 12 month parts warranty, which for a hot water heater priced at this level seems ridiculous. Asked if customer service could help in any way and they fell flat on their face, basically telling me to pound sand. It does not seem like I'm alone as many of these reviews are about poor reliability and lack luster customer service.

Our Bradford White electric 50 gl. tank within a year the upper element went bad. This came with the house when we had it built in 2024. The lower element seemed fine, but if you're gonna drain your tank you might as well replace both elements. I've never seen an element do this before, I've seen a lot of different answers for this, but a lot of them don't apply to me. I don't have hard water or a water softener, the electric ground was fine, and the tank was always full so it didn't run with no water in it. I've never been a Bradford White fan, and now I know why.

I am a retired US ARMY officer who lives in Richmond VA. 2.5 years ago we had a 80g Bradford White electric water heater installed by Mundin Plumbing. The wire harness fried itself, and despite having a year old electrical box installed at the house... Bradford White and Mundin Plumbing said the warranty does not cover electrical surges...and this was my problem to solve and I could be given a "refund for parts" on the tank. No one from Bradford actually diagnosed the problem in person! The Mundin rep was only a plumber, not electrician! ONLY one picture was taken of the top element compartment, and this is how the final diagnosis was determined!! This is a standard 'kick the can' and put the problem back to the consumer problem again.

This company is by far the worst company I’ve ever experienced with using their product and speaking with their customer service! Absolutely Terrible!!!! The Bradford White hot water tank could’ve caused a fire, had I not looked at the heating elements that’s next to the thermostat dial. The wiring that goes to the terminal or loose and showed signs of fire burns from the poor connections, and the wires were melted as well. I spoke to Customer Service (Krista) and when speaking to her it was like speaking to a dog that barks over you while trying to explain what the issue is with their product… I’ll NEVER purchase another product from Bradford White nor would I EVER use their product even if their product was given to me for free! You’ve been warned!!!! BEWARE!!!!

DO NOT purchase one of these water heaters. I purchased Model # RG240S6N, Serial # WK46844016 in April 2022. Last month I had to have a new valve put on because the pilot would not stay lit. I paid 1/3 of the total value of this tank. I reached out to Bradford White for suggestion, and they had no real answers, other than questioning if the plumber really needed to change out the valve. I sent them a copy of the invoice, and they really didn't stand behind this tank.

I spoke with Candice at the warranty department because our water heater that is only two years old, keeps turning itself off. Candice was very rude. I guess the warranty is not really a warranty, as you have to pay for a plumber to come out and do the repairs anyway. I will never buy another Bradford White product again. I do not respect companies that do not respect their customers.

I had a Bradford White for 4 yrs and 4 months. Something went wrong with it. I called the warranty center, I was told to call salesman for Colorado. He sent out service tech Ed - (that was a nightmare. I believe Ed was in cahoots with a furnace guy named John, who tried to high pressure me into buying a furnace. John pulled out my furnace blower - so I had no heat in 10 degrees. He called Excel - tried to get my gas red tagged and shut off - high pressure to buy his furnace. He also called the fire dept.) I shut wh off more than once but horrible fumes continued to come out of the water heater for several days (3+ days) after being shut off. Ed did nothing.

Had a new 40 gal gas water heater put in, jan 23 2025 was running out of hot water within 5 minutes, plumber came on the 27th and replaced the gas valve, probe. Same problem. Came back on the 30th and replaced the heater with another one. A little better but not up to par. Heater kicks in after a minute of filling up the sink with hot water.. and runs for 8 to 9 minutes, this this is going to cost us a lot on our gas bill. Wife took a 20 minute shower and had to start turning up the hot to keep it at a constant temp. Heater kicked in at less than a minute, and after she got done, the heater ran for 25 minutes making the total run time 45 minutes for a lousy shower. This going to cost us a fortune.

The quality of Bradford White natural gas water heater seems to deteriorate over the past years. Our first water heater of this brand lasted nearly 17 years almost trouble-free, but our second one of the same brand lasted only about 9 years with serious issues. With the 9 years, the pilot fire of this water heater often went out of itself without external interferences, and its ignition device was unable to light the pilot fire until numerous attempts. According to our contractor, the Honeywell gas controller on this water heater seemed defective from the very beginning, which may also explain why it was very difficult to adjust the water temperature on this water heater.

Gas water heater broke after 7 months. Told it was under warranty. Cold weather out. So instead of shipping the part second day or overnight, they took TWO WEEKS to get me the part. Who does that? Not even a year with the product and they do that? Unbelievable. Terrible company. Would never buy anything from them again.

My two-year-old Bradford White water heater started randomly turning itself off. I would relight it and a week, two weeks, sometimes four days later it would just turn off by itself. I called the plumber who contacted Bradford White and they agreed to pay for new parts but not the labor. So since Bradford White was not willing to pay for labor, it cost me $1000 to replace Bradford White’s faulty parts. This company is clearly not customer-friendly. Do not buy!!!

9/2020 replace 12-yr old elec 80 gal Rheem w/50 gal elec Bradford-White (B-W). B-W always ran out hot water; 3 people; leaking tank 2/2022 replaced; now replacement dead 8/2024. Done w/ Bradford-White.

I purchased a Bradford White water heater in May 2022 for a four-unit building, and it failed last month. According to Bradford White’s protocol, I had my plumber contact their customer service multiple times, but there was no response. I also reached out myself twice and submitted an online request, all without any follow-up. With tenants in four units left without hot water, I had no choice but to purchase and install a replacement unit from Home Depot. When I attempted to return the defective unit to the Bradford White retailer, they refused to honor the warranty. It seems Bradford White’s warranty service is designed to be so cumbersome that customers are forced to abandon the process and buy a new unit instead. This experience has led me to question the quality of their products and their commitment to customer support.

Brad was amazing! He went out of his way to do an exceptional job!! He was professional and friendly and explained everything that was done. I would highly recommend him for any service you are providing.

I do not recommend a Bradford White hot water heater. I bought a brand new heater (M250S6DS-1NCPP-458) in Sept 2020, at a cost of $1200. It was installed by a professional reputable plumber. In May 2021, it started pumping out boiling hot water. It cost me $500 for repair. Two elements and two thermostats were replaced. Bradford White & the plumber said it was installed wrong by the plumber who installed it and would not honour the repair. What a joke. Now June 2024, and it is pumping out boiling hot water again. Tell me Bradford White who is responsible now. It is well looked after and our water is very clean where I live. How much will this cost me this time. Bradford White DOES NOT stand behind their product. They don't even deserve a one rating.

We purchased our home in 2017 and it was a newly completed build. Yesterday our home alarm alerted us to water in the basement mechanical room. Upon inspection we found that our Bradford White water heater was leaking water out of the bottom all over. This led me to confirm if the water heater had a warranty or not. Turns out the 6year warranty was up in September 2023. If you are looking for a water heater that will make it just beyond warranty at best and then fail it would appear this is the brand... I am sure it is just a coincidence however and ours is the only one. My recommendation is that you think twice prior to purchasing this brand of water heater.

If I could give a lesser rating I would. This Bradford White gas water heater has been a disaster. Granted the plumbing company has been great but EVERYTHING on this water heater has been replaced three times. The last time they said it was the valves in my showers causing the problem NOT SO, the relief valve is BLOWING AGAIN. I have no idea what this is costing me, every time they come out they drain the water heater to replace a part, then it continues to blow hot water out the relief valve which costs me gas and water. VERY DISAPPOINTED and once again, because the unit if off, I'm going to the neighbors for a shower.

Our water heater had a small drip of water about a week ago. Last night it was pouring out water everywhere out of the bottom. Turns out it was a 6 year warranty that expired in August 2023. I have builder grade hot water heaters in my rental properties that have lasted 24+ years. I expect a $2,500 water heater to last longer than 6 years! Never buying Bradford White again!

Do NOT buy a Bradford White water heater. Here's my story: We built a house in 2018 and the builder put in a Bradford White water heater. By 2023, we dealt with 6 months of discolored, rusty water. They said we needed to replace the anode. We did that. We installed an electric one. Supposedly the best anode rod you could get to protect your heater. We STILL had discolored water but didn't have any further recourse. Then the heater started leaking from the bottom in Feb 2023. It was within warranty, so Bradford White covered the replacement. We had it replaced by a reputable plumbing service. We put the electric anode in to protect the new heater.

They advertise their water heaters last 15 to 20 years and they warranty them for 6 years. Mine lasted 6 years and 1 month and water leaking all over floor. This is the second Bradford White (and last) water heater I will buy. The first one lasted 5 years and 4 months. Neighbor bought one at Home Depot and still working after 15 years. Bradford White gas water heaters are junk. You would think for $2000 they would last longer than 5 or 6 years.

I bought a 50 gal Bradford White water tank approximately 6 yrs Ago. The warranty expires at the end of this year. Their website states the product lasts 10-15 yrs and this one lasted less than half. The warranty covers the tank but I still need to pay $1250 for a plumbing company to remove and replace it. That is the cost of a new tank. I will not replace this tank with another Bradford White. This product is garbage and lasted half the years they promoted. DO NOT BUY!

Our first water tank lasted 15 years, but this one needed replacing after less than 7! That's shameful for any company nowadays, especially a high-ticket item that 'should' last at least 10. We will never purchase another Bradford tank again.

Bradford/White Hydrojet hot water heater tank 30 gallons. Now just 3 years old releasing large quantities of water from pressure valve. Replaced valve AND turned down residential inlet psi to 65. No effect still releasing water daily. Tank was flushed once since being installed. Plumber says buy a new tank of quality. Pretty much says it all. Spent 850 to install hoping for 12 to 14 years worry free... l got barely three. Furthermore, you will see by reviewing the complaints that zero are answered by the company Bradford/White because they don’t care. So recommend you steer away from this manufacturer otherwise the risk appears to be fairly high.

I had a brand new Bradford and White Boiler installed less than a year ago. It failed shortly after. The company is not paying for the expensive labor to replace it. This company obviously does not stand behind their defective products. My plumber just used them but now I am researching them and never would have chosen this company.

Our water heater failed after 3 years. Our plumber installed ten of these heaters and 7 have failed in 3 years or less. We had three reps come to investigate and we were told they would have replacements installed at no cost to us or the plumber. They honored nothing! The plumber was on the hook for the install and we were on the hook for the replacement. Poor product and liars for reps!!!

Ordered a stein celebrating Super Bowl LVII on February 15, 2023 for estimated delivery by 7/10th. On 7/17 was told delivery has been pushed out to Aug 21st. On Aug 24th was told new expected delivery date was Oct 2nd. Oct 9 was told new delivery date was Nov 14 (but the website said on potential new sales shipping is expected Oct 29). There is a "5,700 limited edition" notation on the original order and is still on the website, but the cust service rep reported 500" on backorder. I do recommend this company.

I have a new Bradford White 40 gallon gas water heater with the motor on top. I have had it for almost 2 years now and I love it. No problems. USA MADE. Great Customer service and Great warranty. I love the water jet inside that reduces sediment build up. Genius. Great Job Bradford White. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM. THEY ARE THE BEST.

After old water heater finally kicked it- I miss it! 20 years!!.. Had new BW propane heater installed. Worked for a few weeks until propane bottle exchanged. 5 flashing lights of doom. I live remotely, so plumber only available every few weeks. Waited for new valve. Installed. Same thing a month later! This happened 3 times. All in all it was 6 total months with no hot water. Yes, a new regulator was also installed. Wasn’t the problem. A year later- 5 flashing lights of doom. No hot water again, and no plumber available for weeks. I loathe BW with a passion. Worst tank ever. Over 1000.00 in repairs because of BW bad product. Might just have to get a new water heater and throw BW in the garbage where it belongs.

Bradford White does not stand behind their product - Their warranty is worth nothing - The computer board went on our solar water heater that is only 3 years old - we called them about the warranty - they have no list of plumbers that honor their warranty - It took 5 representative for us to find that out - they gave us a plumber but he does not honor the warranty - They do not stock parts so "you have to find one yourself". Yup that is what we were told - We are going to go buy a water heater this evening as it is easier than working with reps that are not trained and was not able to help us - We dread what we will have to do to get reimbursed - Yes we have to pay and then they will reimburse us - when we talked to the rep they said, "Oh it has to be approved." - WELL it is still under warranty. Do not use Bradford White. They are a nightmare.

Bought houses with Bradford White tanks and they're much worse compared with other brands. Smart buyers should stay away from Bradford White tanks due to their unfriendly design for DIY maintenance, very expensive replacement parts such as Anode rods (10 times higher than normal rods), & questionable quality esp. those Honeywell Controllers Bradford used on its tanks.

Purchased 1/31/2019, model re2h50s10-1ncwt. One year later 1/20/20 f4 error code. Will only run on electric mode, we purchased it for Hydros. Took a month for company to respond to complaint to tell us to pay a plumber to look at it to diagnose. Has happened three times so far and a complete waste of money. The company clearly does not care about the product they sell. 11/16/21 same issue occurred and again today 7/18/23. This water tank does nothing but cost more money to not work, have no hot water or only runs on electric.

I had a General Electric heat pump water heater. Bradford White took over the warrantee service for this water heater. Consequently, when mine went bad - it was replaced by a Bradford White heat pump water heater. The General Electric heat pump water heater had no trouble keeping water hot even when we had company (for 6 People). The replacement Bradford White heat pump water heater will not generate enough hot water for 2 people - actually not even enough for one long hot shower. I have talked with two different support people at Bradford White - one said she would call back within 1/2 hr - 2days later I have still not received the call. I called again and was told there is nothing they can do. - The Bradford White will not function as well as the General Electric did. So now to have hot water on demand - I have to set my water heater to electric mode - so the money spent on the heat pump is a total waste.

I've had 3 water heater malfunctions in the last 4 years. The first one, the water heating element melted, which they acknowledged was an issue, dumping 40 gallons of water into my bedroom. The 2nd one had the tank leak, and the latest one, 5 month old water heater, just failed at the heating element again. Their customer service told me that I will need to file this through my home owner insurance and they will talk to their legal department. This is complete ** and lack of responsibility on Bradford White. Because my deductible is higher than the repairs, this will come out of my pocket, again! This is a shady company that does not stand by their products.