Rheem Water Heaters Reviews

This is the worst company I’ve ever dealt with when it comes to water heaters. They would not transfer the previous owners Rheem water heater lifetime warranty to my name after I bought the home & having some issues with it. They said even though it was a lifetime warranty I still wasn’t able to have it transferred over to me. I have owned 5 homes before this one & all the other water heaters with their lifetime warranty were transferred over but not this company. They do this intentionally so the new homeowner will buy a new one from them or pay them for their service charge & repairs that’s all.

I owe it to Rheem Manufacturing for a quality product. This is my third one over 25 years. I thought my recent replacement was a bad heater after all the troubleshooting with customer service. Long story short, turns out I had a hot water line leak to my washing machine in a add on room.

Hot water smells like rotten egg, this is due to the magnesium anode rod the water heater comes stock with. Most water heater companies will replace the with zinc or aluminum for free. Not Rheem, they tell you to get lost and go buy one at Home Depot...

I have gone through 4 Rheem Electric Water Heaters in 2.5 years. Each one has leaked and caused floor damage. Rheem has replaced the water heaters after a long complaint process but I have had to pay someone to install 3 times. I would not recommend.

Had new Rheem pro electric water heater installed Jan 21. Jan 24 top leaked, April 26 Bottom leaked. That 3 in 5 years. But the one before it lasted 20 years.

I made a call to customer service on April 3 because my tankless water heater wasn't working and there were no error codes. They sent me a PDF file with instructions to remove the water control valve and inspect the impeller. I previously cleaned the burner and descaled the unit at their request. Consequently, the impeller was as clean as new. This unit was only 3 years and 11 months old, and there is a 5-year warranty on parts, so they said they would send a new control valve and it would go out on April 6th. I did not receive a tracking number on April 6th, so I called the next day and the next day etc. Consequently, after 2 weeks of this run around, I bought a Rinnai water heater. They finally sent a tracking number on April 21 that the part should arrive on Sunday 4/26. This is the only acknowledgement I received and it's too late, plus I doubt if the replacement valve would fix the problem because I suspect the PCB is the problem.

This review is completely based on our experience with this specific Rheem model water heater. Other models may be excellent. A Model GHE50SS-76 natural gas light commercial 50 gal water heater was installed in our new construction home October 2025. Our goals in constructing this house have been high quality, solid construction, high energy efficiency, reliability of mechanical items & appliances, low maintenance, safety features & ease of use. It has failed 3 times so far; once for a day (because I found a work around until the part could arrive & be installed), once for 2 weeks before we could get the part (the entire screen component, which is quite large) & get it repaired, this current time the temperature sensor in the condensing exhaust is defective. The part was supposedly overnighted to us Thursday, but has not arrived as of today (Saturday).

After only 3 years my tankless hot water heater stopped working. Upon calling I was essentially told to fix it myself and they would send me the part that would take 2-4 business days to arrive. I attempted to explain I had children and waiting 2-4 business days was not feasible. The customer service person said they would request it be expedited. 4 days after that they initiated the mailing of the part. I had to go to Amazon and buy the part to get next day shipping. It took them 4 days to even start the shipping process. Find another company that does water heaters.

Our Rheem water heater sprung a leak for the 2nd time! Called Rheem and waited on the phone for over an hour to speak with someone named Angela, who had an attitude, she informed us the part she determined we needed was out of stock for 3 weeks. The other option was they would send us a new heater, but we would need to pay for installation. Useless, piece of cr*p water heaters, customer service and warranty! We live in 4 year old community with 27 homes, over half of the homes have had issues with the Rheem water heaters installed by the builder! What a waste of time and joke this company is, DO NOT BUY A RHEEM WATER HEATER!!!

I had my water heater replaced 2/25/2026. Rheem is what Old Republic Home Protection would pay for. I was thrilled, a reputable new water heater with a six-or eight-year warranty. Yay me. Fast forward to 3/10/2026 and the water is cold again. The plumber said it needs a part which was mailed to my home. It's been 10 days and I still don't have hot water. The water heater is unrepairable so it will be replaced again (no charge per Rheem) but now the plumber says it will cost $125 replacement at the distributor.

I purchased a Rheem tankless electric water heater for $289. It worked for exactly one day. Returned it and got another. That lasted exactly one week. Got another that lasted 5 months (wow!). Customer (dis0service read from a list of issues. They sent me parts. Wrong parts. They wanted me to get a plumber to disconnect it and an electrician to disassemble it to check things out! That is where I drew the line! I was not going to pay a plumber and electrician $150 EACH to look at a $289 water heater. I ripped it out and offered to send it back to Rheem. They did not want it back.

Disappointing Performance Compared to Older Rheem Models. In 2023 I replaced my 21-year-old Rheem electric water heater, which was still working well but nearing the end of its life. Based on that long positive experience, I purchased a Rheem PROE 50 electric water heater from a plumbing supply house and had it installed by a professional plumber. Unfortunately, from the start it has not performed nearly as well as the old unit. It struggles to supply enough hot water for even two consecutive showers, something my 21-year-old Rheem handled easily.

I purchased a Rheem Performance Platinum about 12 years ago. It has worked perfectly. Unfortunately we have to replace every plumbing pipe in our home. We got 6 quotes for the job and every plumber recommended replacing our water heater. I planned on going with another Rheem but am a little leery after seeing the complaints about their customer service. They are horrible!

I just purchased a Rheem Tankless water heater. Called technical support with regards to electrical question. Waited 43 minutes and all you here is a recording how much we value your business and someone will be with "soon". I would like to know what their definition is of "soon".. I then hung up. ABSOLUTELY THE WORST OF THE WORST. I do not recommend this company for their customer service. But they want to sell you their products. A real pain in the butt with their AI call system. USELESS!!!!

Poor customer service, they were rude and condescending. Gas control valve failed twice. They said they had to have it officially diagnosed. The licensed plumber was here, told customer service how they diagnosed it and Rheem tech manager was not familiar with the diagnostic tools the plumber used. We are going to buy an entire new water heater.

I wouldn't recommend Rheem product to my worse enemy. Husband and I decided to upgrade our water (2017) to a larger container. At the time, our plumber suggested to go with Rheem. If I was in charge back during the replacement I would have asked questions and researched about review on this water heater. If I knew back then the quality of Rheem, I would have rejected the Rheem option and gone with another reputable brand. Our water heater only lasted 9yrs while they only offer 6yrs warranty with their water heater. My dishwasher, microwave oven, stove, dryer and washer are at least 10yrs old.

We had to replace costly parts and labor one year after its warranty expired. Now it’s not working again and we’re told it’s a faulty thermopile/gas valve. We’ve decided to purchase a new water heater, but definitely NOT RHEEM.

I have had to replace my Rheem performance Plus 50 gallon water heater 3 times in 8 years. The last hot water heater was purchased on December 2022. It started leaking just as the last one from the bottom April 2025. I purchased another Theme on February 11, 2026. The tank was still under warranty at Home Depot. I needed the adjusted price in order to apply to another unit. Home Depot only sells Rheem. I had no choice but to purchase this brand again. I am a senior citizens on a fix income and cannot afford the full price of a unit plus have the damage leaky tank drained, haul to Home Depot and reinstalled. This cost money. I have no confidence in this unit. I have to go into the attic often if not daily to ensure the unit is not leaking. I feel like I have no choice because of finances except go back to this Rheem manufactured hot water heater. If you have a choice do not buy this gas hot water heater. It is a total headache.

I have had my tankless water heater a year to the day and it's been a week with no solution from Rheem customer service. We are being told to drill holes in our wall for proper ventilation which we did a year ago at time of installation!! Troubleshooting over the phone with "experts" has been trial and error versus sending someone out to service our damn water heater!!! No customer should have to go through all this with a warranty!! I could care less of this brand name, the product is not as it used to be and the customer service reps are not educated enough about the products to help. I should not have to buy another water heater just to resolve this issue!!

I’m calling since morning around 10 and now is 05:10 in the evening. I was not successful to talk with anyone to solve the problem. Every time one person is responding he says please hold. I don’t know up to what time because it’s was morning, now is evening.

One I can say is that a 6 year warranty gas water heater is exactly that! My brother just called me to help him buy a new water heater. His is a Rheem and the tank is leaking from the bottom already. He bought it on 5/19/19! I remember water heaters lasting at least 15 years. My lady has a Rheem that boils every time you use the hot water from anywhere in the house (6 yr warranty expired). I just bought 2 of them about 2 years ago. I am worried about the life of them. Customer service is awful. Quality is in question!

I’m fixing to have my 3rd Rheem electric 50-gallon water installed in 8 years under warranty due to leaks internally in the units. The only reason I’m putting in the third Rheem in is because it’s covered under warranty. However, I’m not at all happy as I’m still having to pay labor to the tune of $300 every time one fails. This will be my last Rheem, if this one fails, I will move to a different brand regardless of the warranty. I definitely would not recommend Rheem units if you’re looking to purchase a new water heater.

This company is horrible. They do not stand by their product. I paid nearly 800 for 2 water heaters in 2020. They sat in my basement for 2 years before I could pipe them in. When they were piped in and running, they went for 1 year and then both pilot lights won't stay on now. They said the 3 year warranty was void even after explaining my situation. I even talked to a supervisor but they said there was nothing they could do. They offered no additional help. Extremely disappointed and out 800 bucks.

My landlord’s water heater leaks from the main tank just right after the 6 years warranty ran. According to my plumber, the tank is made with very poor-quality material. I don’t consider Rheem anymore.

I have been extraordinarily disappointed with my Rheem 50 gallon water heater. It is four years old and it failed. I had my plumber. Replaced the entire gas unit and it still has failed. After a long conversation with a Rheem employee, I was told the tank would be replaced. Unfortunately it was bought through Home Depot, which is a company I cannot support anymore, especially for appliance purchases. I need to pay my plumber to take the tank out take it back to Home Depot, where they will prorate their warranty, and provide a new tank that I will have to pay my plumber to install. If there is a worse warranty on the market for an appliance, such as this, I am unaware of it. I would never recommend anyone by a Rheem water heater.

We were maybe 20 days outside of the warranty from manufacturer date. The unit broke. It lasted 6 years. It was maintained and kept in perfect condition. Customer service said they can’t do anything for me and I can’t expect it to last that long even if we did everything right. To have a unit only last 6 years is poor quality. It’s like they plan for it to stop working right outside the warranty nor does the company care about their customers.

We bought ours 6/24/24, and it is a total loss. They now want us to pay $1,500 in labor to have a new one installed. That's just the labor. Oh, and since we still have the receipt, we may have to pay the difference in the new unit. Avoid them at all costs!!! At first, it was the ignition switch; they sent a replacement part. Then it was something else, mind you, we had to pay $225 for someone else to come out and say the entire unit was trash. There is ongoing litigation; you have until March to file: ** Rheem Water Heater Defective Drain Valve Class Action Settlement, Claim Up to $1,500 Available for Owners.

Hot water tank failed after 3.5 years of installation. Three calls to "customer service" for 2 different parts orders. Second part sent was a safety sensor which came with instructions that "if this part failed, you should replace the water heater." WHAT? What are you guys thinking? Customer service is VERY SLOW and transfers you to different departments that often never answer the phone. Or it puts you back in "phone tree hell." Also, file a claim for cash reimbursement under their warranty and allow "4 to 6 weeks" for processing (or for them to continue to use your money for as long as possible.) Poor customer service, poor product quality, poor warranty response. I'll never buy another Rheem product.

I purchased a Rheem water heater in September of 2019 and the unit has already had issues and is leaking, it is six months out of warranty. It use to be units would last 15 plus years and now it’s awful to have to replace every 6 years. You need to have better equipment!

Water Heater is 4 months old and already throws code A129. Can't even do the dishes without it throwing the code and having an empty tank with zero hot water. And of course it happens on Christmas and new years so Rheem isn’t even open to give support. So here we are about to buy a new water heater for our new house since Rheem is legitimately USELESS.