Whirlpool Water Heaters Reviews

I would like to append my report of 11/9/09. I've been in Atlanta this week. I had received a letter from Lowe's telling me to go to the Ft Lauderdale store nearest my residence for assistance. As the faulty water heater was in Atlanta, I have taken that and all the paperwork to the store from which the water heater was purchased. They were very helpful, apologized for Whirlpool's treatment of us and refunded the cost of the water heater in full. The store manager confirmed that apparently no serial number had been affixed to this unit! Lowe's has won my favor. On the other hand, I have never heard back from Whirlpool. The Lowe's manager acknowledged that they were so big that they were hard to work with.

My water heater would not stay lit. I was told it was the control module so they sent me the part and I replaced it. It work for a few weeks and went out again. So I called them the second time and then they said it was the the top thermal wire sensor and this time, that they will not replace the water heater. I talked with Greg, so I replaced it and it failed. It didn't work at all. I called a third time, 12/12/09 2:00PM, and talked with Prince the supervisor. He said that the control module is bad and that they were going to send me the part. If it doesn't work, they would replace the unit. The water heater is just over a year old. This is totally unacceptable for the water heater only being a year old since I purchased it. Every time it goes out, we are out of hot water for a week plus.

Wow! I called customer service today to get them to pay for the $60 gas valve I purchased at Lowe's. They actually gave me the name of A&E Sears Plumbers and an authorization number to have them replace it free of charge. I called A&E Sears and they will be out tomorrow at no cost to me for labor or parts. Whirlpool acknowledges the problem during the time frame and made good. I'm happy and will take the part I bought back to Lowe's. Now, this was good customer service.

So frustrating! I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater for a 2 family rental property (BFG1F5040T3NOV 50 gallon). It has been nothing but problems as it will not stay lit. I called customer service and spoke to someone overseas. They had me jump through a bunch of circles wasting more time and finally told me parts were covered but not labor.

I bought a new gas water heater with a 9 year warranty in late 2007. The hot heater stopped working in less than 12 months. Whirlpool refuses to replace heater or offer refund, but if they do replace it, they will not honor the warranty on the new heater. So that any problems that occur, you are out service or any help and you have to buy another hot water heater.

I purchased a Whirlpool 40 gal electrical water heater on 11/10/2007. It sprang a leak and I replaced it on 10/07/2008. The replacement sprang a leak and I replaced it on 07/07/2009. It sprang a leak and I replaced it on 11/29/2009. I am not very happy with Whirlpool water heaters to say the least. I have had a lot of Whirlpool products over the years and have been very pleased with them but their water heaters are a piece of junk. Having to replace a water heater three times in two years is not good for business.

On February 27th 2009, I purchased a water heater from Lowe’s home improvement center in Midland, Texas. I installed this heater myself, as I am fully qualified, I have previously installed numerous water heaters as I have owned apartments [4], mobile homes [7], 2 homes and have installed [3] for relatives. Prior to this purchase, around 8 years ago, I had installed in this home an almost identical whirlpool water heater which lasted for about 8 years, so I had no qualms about this heater. I should have suspected something was amiss with this heater because along with the warranty and installation instructions there is a photograph grade double sided page which gives explicit instructions FVIR troubleshooting guide. I know I have installed at least 30 water heaters in my life and never before, have there been included such an extensive repair guide with photos to assist home owners, in the event of problems.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowe's in April 2008 (Model #BFG1H404053NOV). Last Sunday, the pilot light went out. I followed the manual and did some troubleshooting, yet I was unsuccessful in fixing the problem. After playing with the heater all day, I was able keep the pilot light lit! Unfortunately, after heating the tank up, it went out again and I was unable to fix it this time.

I want someone to call me about all the problems I'm having with my Whirlpool hot water tank. This is my second water tank and this one is having the same problems as the first one. I'm having to replace parts on it every 6 to 8 months. I'm not sure why but the gas valve I have replaced about three times; the thermacoupler I have replaced about two times; the ignitor I have replaced two times. How many times do you have to replace something before they will do something about it? I even replaced the recall parts on it.

I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater 2 years ago and it won’t stay lit. I went back to the store and said it had a recall and gave me a fix it kit. More junk. Then the hot water heater after two days of wasting my time still doesn’t work! What a peace of junk. This is my daughter’s home with two small kids and can’t afford to be going out and getting another one. What a piece of junk. After two days of wasting my time and about ten trips to Lowe’s plus calls to India, still nothing! What a joke. And they sell this garbage in the USA! Then, when you try to get the thing replaced they laugh at you for buying it in the first place. Never again will I or any one in my family will buy another Whirlpool!

My water heater would not stay lit. I was told it was the thermocoupler. I called a repairmen to replace said part. He said Whirlpool has a left handed thermocoupler, everyone else has a right handed. I was told to call Lowe's as I could go down and pick up a recall kit. The first Lowe's I called had no clue to what I was talking about. The second Lowe's said call Whirlpool, get the correct number from them, no problem. I called Whirlpool. I was told that Lowe's does not carry this, it would have to be mailed to me. All this has happened during Thanksgiving week. No hot water now for over a week, bathing with a bucket and water boiled on the stove for a family of three is difficult. No hot water for laundry, dish washing, etc. I am now waiting for the part, out $92 bucks for the repairman to tell me he did not have the part. Very, very frustrating. I am waiting to see if my part arrives today. I have a feeling it will not. I was not given any tracking information to track delivery. I will greatly encourage anyone looking to buy a water heater, steer clear of Whirlpool. My heater is only 5 or 6 years old.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater. I have replaced controls three times and the whole unit once. It’s going bad again. I had to do the job myself each time. Lowe's is continuing to sell this junk unit.

I purchased a 40-gallon Whirlpool water heater. The electronic control board went out after only working for 12 hours. I called Lowe's, and they couldn't help me. I had to call the 800 number from Whirlpool. I called and after getting transferred around, I spoke to someone. They were very nice and didn't hesitate to FedEx another control board. I installed the second control board (it arrived in a box unprotected from static and being tossed around inside the box.), and it was bad as well. This occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday as well.

I purchased two 40-gallon Whirlpool water heaters from Lowe's just over a year ago. One unit's pilot went out. I had to buy a new gas valve ($125.00). I replaced the item myself at no labor cost. I just found this information online. I wish I would have found this site prior to purchase.

I purchased Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's. I had continued problems with pilot light going out. I replaced parts from Whirlpool four times and still having the same problems. Do not buy any Whirlpool water heater ever again from Lowe's. Inconvenience of constantly monitoring pilot light and with times no hot water for the a period of time. Frustrating and angry at both Whirlpool and Lowe's for continuing to sell the product.

Similar to others on this rant. Whirlpool water heater purchased at Lowe’s (why do they still sell these things). Pilot would not stay lit. WH still under warranty. I called the warranty department. I was told to get conversion kit (free) at Lowe’s. Just ask for part A6910810. Personnel at Lowe’s looked at me like I was crazy. I called warranty department again and asked them to ship it - of course, at my expense. If you happen to also arrive at this point, please note - the installation directions are incorrect. When it comes to the pilot tube connection, the directions say to hand tighten the nut and ferrule to the controller. Then, run the pilot tube through "until tube bottoms out then tighten nut with wrench.”

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowe’s last December. I had a lot of trouble with the pilot lite going out. I called Whirlpool and they told me the water heater had a 6-year warranty. The first year was with parts and labor. The next five years was just parts. One of the customer rep said that they were having trouble with that hot water heater, but Whirlpool would make it right.

My whirlpool water heater wouldn't light. I smelled gas and called the gas company. A tech came out, fixed the gas leak and tried to restart the water heater. It wouldn't stay on. He said he thought the thermo couple was bad. I called the toll-free number because Lowe's and no one else had the part to fix it. This was Friday, November 13, 2009. Whirlpool said they would over night the part at no charge except a $20.00 fee for shipping. It was there the next day; a different person said that it was scheduled to ship and be here Monday 11-16-09 and I would not be charged shipping.

I just found out about the class action lawsuit for the Whirlpool hot water heater with the left hand thermocouple and I have had to wait 5 days to get this past repaired. The part came in today and we had to pay an additional $20 to have it rushed from Whirlpool. Whirlpool told the plumber that the part can be purchased at Lowe's, but every Lowe's that the plumber went to said they never have the part and it has been on back order for a while. This is a monopoly and an inconvenience to me who is already recuperating using a wheelchair. Then, I could not even take a hot shower and it cost me $350 for the repairs.

I purchased a water heater from Lowe’s in 2004 and the pilot lights won't stay lit. The conversion kit I need is on back order. What can I do? Its model number is FG1H4040T3NOV.

I bought our Whirlpool Hot Water Heater in 2008. Its pilot light will not stay lit. I replaced the part once, and 6 months later, it went out again. Why is Lowe’s not held responsible for something they knew was a problem and still continue to sell them? They should be forced to replace all of them with one of equal value.

Hot water heater quit working on Sunday morning, November 9, 2009. I tried to relight it between 1:30 AM and 3:30 AM on Monday, November 10, 2009, so my wife could have a hot shower before going to work. I could not get it lit. I called the service number listed on the warranty paper and got someone in India named Ray. Ray told me a new thermocouple would be shipped out and I would receive it on Tuesday. I called again Tuesday afternoon when the part arrived to find it had not shipped. I talked to Ray's supervisor Peter to ensure the part would be sent. He said it would arrive today, Thursday, November 12, 2009. I went to Lowe’s where we bought it to ask for a new replacement. Salesman told us it was a kit and he had them on backorder. Our name was put on the list. Salesman also told us the manufacturer rushed to modify the water heaters because of a government mandate and that caused the product to be defective. The representatives at the Indian call center kept telling me to buy a universal thermocouple and put it in to fix the problems.

My hot water heater, I’ve replaced its gas burner three times the last two years and have done without hot water for days. I will not buy any Whirlpool product again.

Follow-up to 11-10 failure. I received an igniter via UPS and installed it. Support had me reset the thermal switch. Documentation on thermal switch reset is unclear. On 11-7, the support person said the button at the center does not move. Today, the support person said it moves slightly. On the discussion of 11-7 failure, we agreed that the malfunction could be dirt clogging orifice preventing gas flow. The door assembly was removed, burner and orifice cleaned. Door assembly was reinstalled, the pilot and main burner lit. I will monitor it.

I purchased a 50 gallon Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's on 2/18/04. On 4/3/07, I purchased and paid to replace the gas valve. On 4/23/07, I replaced the thermocouple. On 12/24/08, I called the plumber because I couldn't get the water heater to restart. The plumber restarted the water heater. On 11/2/09, I called the plumber again to restart the water heater, but the plumber couldn't get it to stay on. I replaced hot water heater on 11/3/09. I was forced to replace a 5 year old water heater after having already replaced all main parts after only 3 years. Original cost of water heater that required repeated service calls and eventual replacement was $664, including Lowe's installation charge. Thermocouple and installation: $134, gas valve: $134 including installation. I submitted a claim to Whirlpool for reimbursement for cost of recalled thermocouple (case #**) so cost of thermocouple and gas valve already covered.

I installed a BFG conversion kit on November 7, 2009, and a failure was encountered on November 10. I suspect it's the thermocouple. I could not light the pilot as the original igniter failed. I called Support (India) who will ship a new igniter. I requested for a thermocouple be shipped also.

We purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater and the pilot light would not stay lit. After talking with a plumber and searching our town for the repair parts, we were told that it would be a week for the parts. We tried calling Whirlpool, only for constant hold times. I never spoke with anyone. We wised up and switched our water heater to electric.

Add me to the list. I bought a Whirlpool 40-gallon water heater from Lowe's. It crapped out in 13 months. The plot light will not stay lit. There's zero help from Lowe's, zero help from Whirlpool. After reading all complaints in this website, I decided to cut my losses and purchase another tank... not from Lowe's, not a Whirlpool. Shame on Lowe's for selling this junk.

We purchased our Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in November 2000. A couple of years later, we had to replace the thermocouple. Because of the class action lawsuit with Whirlpool, we were reimbursed the $15 we spent. The device has gone bad again, but now we cannot get this part. The entire burner unit assembly needs to be replaced with a Kit Code A. We were told we could get this kit from Lowe's at no cost. I've called all the Lowe's locations in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit and Stark counties. Everyone is out and the part is on backorder. Each store is telling me something different, but most are saying the part has been backordered for about one month or longer. The stores told me to call Whirlpool directly, so I called Whirlpool.

In August 2008 we had a new Whirlpool water heater (model BFG1H5040T3N) purchased from Lowe's installed in a property owned in Atlanta. In October 2009 the pilot light went out. Our handyman relit it. A day later it went out again.

I bought 40 gallon gas water heater in 2004. I had to replace thermocouple three times, which is time consuming as well as inconvenient. Yesterday, I installed BFG Conversion Kit. Installation instructions are general, incomplete and cover multiple models. I believe a class action lawsuit should be initiated to recover costs and inconvenience. I believe another failure is in my near future.

I called about a Whirlpool water heater that quit working after 18 months that it is under warranty. I was given instructions to contact a repair center to fix the problem, but I would have to pay for the service call due to a manufacturing defect. The part is covered, (about $15.00) but the service will cost $90.00 plus to fix. Since Whirlpool is familiar with the problem, and continues to sell a defective product, why should I have to pay to fix (service call plus parts) for something that is under warranty for 6 years (tank and parts)?

We purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater model #BFG2F4040T3NOV a little over a year ago. Within the first few months, the pilot went out several times and we had a hard time getting it to stay lit. Finally we got it to stay lit, until 2 days ago. The pilot went out so we lit it and it stayed on and heated 1 tank of water and did not go back on. We had to keep relighting the pilot to have hot water.

Our Whirlpool hot water tank model#SG1J5040T3NOV 50 gallon is only two years old and has stopped working; it has a 12-year warranty. We purchased it at Lowe’s and they had to call six other Lowe's stores to find one with a "repair kit for our model", which happened to be 55 minutes away, and now that we have "the kit" at home, it doesn't even fit our model anyway. The paperwork that came with the kit is three pages long, but no model number is printed on it to associate the part with the kit. We bought it at Lowe’s in good faith they only sell quality products. I guess the times have changed and so will our choice of where to shop next time. After reading the other experiences on this site, I will just head over to Home Depot and purchase a new one from them, and not a Whirlpool!

My plumber is now installing the third water heater since Tuesday, Nov. 3rd! It is now Saturday, Nov. 7th! To say the least, I have been inconvenienced to no end. This has been expensive and time consuming. I have missed important medical appointments! Lowe's has been more than supportive and cooperative, but your product is obviously no good! Paying a plumber 3 times, returning to Lowe's, having to impose on neighbor to bathe, dirty dishes and odd and end supplies that have to be purchased each time a water heater is replaced. To say the least, this is ridiculous!

Second Whirlpool water heater in 4 years. This one is one year old and won’t stay lit. I have to deal with people in India on complaints. Sold by Lowe’s. I have to pay shipping on replacement parts. My daughter bought the same water heater and has had same problems. 3m water heaters with same defective problems. Model BFG 1F 5040T3 nov. Lowe’s store 82 miles away. I have returned 2 heaters for replacements, one defective again after working for one year.

Our hot water heater is 3 years old. In the last 3 weeks, 3 different parts have failed. Getting repair on it is almost impossible. Whirlpool (India) says these parts aren't covered and they didn't manufacture it anyway. Most plumbers we called wouldn't touch it because it is a Whirlpool and they know it's junk. Lowe's says they would like to get out of their contract and not sell them because they are junk. So in the meantime, for the 2nd time in 2 weeks, we had lots of water in the basement and have to pay a premium to get someone to try to fix it. Don't buy Whirlpool.

We got the Whirlpool water heater about three years ago, and I could just copy any of the many complaints I just read and my story is the same. I agree that Whirlpool should take responsibility for the bad product they put out on the market. Their name has certainly gone down the drain. Definitely, something has to be done.

Well, on March 24, 2007, I had to call a plumber to install a water heater; the old one was leaking. The heater was installed, and on April 22,2009, I called Whirlpool to let them know that we had no hot water and no flame. They sent a new igniter, and it worked for 6 months. Then on October 27, out it went again; and we've been without hot water. I called, and they will send another igniter at no charge. I hope that is what the problem is; if not, it could be something else.

I purchased a 40 gallon electric water heater from Lowe's one year and five months ago. It leaked water and caused damage to the floor, baseboards and wall. This was under parts warranty and so I exchanged it but labor to remove and replace unit was not covered. Now, I have damage to my house that needs repaired. I have taken pictures of this damage clearly showing the outline of the heater and damage from the water to the floor, baseboards and wall. I have the plumber's name and number that inspected the damage.

We have owned a Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater (FG1H4040T3NOV) for about 1 year and the thermocouple burned out again. This is a very dangerous and stressful situation, trying to replace a $15.00 part only to have it burn out in 6 months. It's impossible to clean the air intake vent due to location underneath the heater. The gas must be turned off and on and is very nerve wracking. Consequences are the cost of water heater; $380.00, multiple repairs and parts replacement times tow is $250.00, plus 2-3 days work (on each episode) trying and failing, causing loss of work due to urgency in resolution, and several times emptying and refilling the water heater

It fired up for about 20 minutes and shut off again. I called Whirlpool and spoke to someone who was clearly in India. I was told the problem is the gas control/thermostat. They are now sending the replacement part which will arrive on Wednesday! So, a week with no hot water. We are a family of mom, dad and five kids! Based on the postings here, I suspect that we will pay someone to replace the component and it will still not work. This is ridiculous. I will never, ever buy another Whirlpool product ever.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater (SG1J4040T3NOV) today at Lowe's. It was installed today, and the pilot light will not stay on! What a piece of junk! If Lowe's and Whirlpool are going to sell it, they need to make sure it is quality. If this was an issue back in 2006, why hasn't this been corrected by Whirlpool?

I bought a house that had a Whirlpool Water Heater installed last year. There were new parts on the floor that were not used to have the heater repaired. I don't know what part was used to repair it. The gas company said that this heater had problems. The heater was lit but the pilot light stayed on 2 days. Then went off. It was relit but would not stay on.

I purchased a Whirlpool H/W heater for a rental I have from Lowe's and had it installed by them. Heater has a nine-year warranty (purchased on 01/19/05). When thermocoupler failed, Whirlpool did replace free of charge but it cost me $185 to have installed. This was a poorly designed part and should have been installed by them with no cost to me. This should have been a recalled part and not wait for people to complain about their heaters failing. Whirlpool needs to stand 100% behind their warranty and stop selling crap. Lowe's installed but would not replace part. Renters screaming for hot water. This was a real inconvenience for me because I had to find a Lowe's that had the replacement part, find someone to install it and then deliver it to the plumber, let alone pay $185.

No hot water. Basically, I have the same complaint that is on the message boards. I only have the unit for 1 year, and I was getting a runaround. I will be calling outside plumbers for service.

I bought model BFG1F3030T2NHOV last year (2008). It has repeatedly been messing up not wanting to stay lit. We had it serviced at the beginning of the year. They replaced the box, I believe, I was there. They couldn't tell my boyfriend why it was messing up or what to do about it. Since then, it went off again and we've had to manually re-lit it and reset it and it just doesn't want to stay on. I called about 10 minutes ago and first of all I couldn't understand the man! He kept saying that he couldn't troubleshoot without knowing what was wrong. Hello!

The hot water heater went out, and it won't re-lit after numerous attempts. The unit is less than three years old. The temperature is low and we are unable to shower with warm water.

Famous water heater problem, Whirlpool BFG1H4040T3NOV. My husband was able to get a replacement ignitor for Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's, installed it and it worked for all of a few hours. Now, I can't get the new replacement ignitor to stay lit. I should have gone to Sears.

Add me to the long and growing list of angry Whirlpool water heater owners. I bought one of their infamous flame-lock models and can't keep it going despite repeated cleaning of the bottom vent and the replacing of thermocouples. I bought it at Lowe's and paid extra to get the model with the nine-year warranty on parts and tank. I'd rather throw this piece of junk in the ocean and buy a new one than spent another seven years of constant repairs!

I wrote an email to Whirlpool about a defective hot water heater. I received 3 voice mail messages from American Heater since I was not at home. I tried 20 or more times to reach them at the number they left for me to contact them by phone. The line is consistently busy, and I have not been able to reach anyone.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater less than two years ago, and it will not light. The thermocouple has left-handed threads. I went to Lowe's to buy a new one and they only sell right-handed threaded ones. The salesman said, "Good luck." So I guess, there goes $400.00 down the tube. He suggested I call Whirlpool, but from the looks of it, there's been a lot of problems with these heaters and with the amount of having these fixed, you can buy a new heater. And Lowe's is still selling the same Whirlpool heaters. I suggest, go elsewhere; I know I will.

My hot water heater went out twice now. After having the same problem as everyone else, I had problems finding a left-handed thread thermocouple. I called everywhere and was told that Lowe's had some. I went there, and they said that the one I needed was pulled due to defects. They had free replacement burner assemblies from the manufacturer, since they had a recall. I ended up getting the last one that they had. You can call Lowe's to see if you can get the replacement. They will need your model and serial number to see what kit you will need. Apparently, this fix is for American Water Heaters and Whirlpool.

I was promised a replacement ignition/pilot light unit for my Whirlpool water heater. I was given a UPS tracking # **. And now less than one day before the promised arrival date, UPS has no record of the tracking number I was given. I have gotten nothing but the run around since the water heater failed. I have sent a letter to Jeff Fettig, CEO at Whirlpool Corporation, expressing my growing frustration with the shoddy products now bearing the once revered Whirlpool name. I have called every Lowe’s store within 30 miles of my house and none of them are able to get enough repair kits to meet the ever growing requests and none have had a kit in stock for a considerable period of time.

I purchased a water heater back in 2007 and around September 2008 it went dead. It will not heat the water. So I returned it back to Lowe’s with no problems. Today, I woke up this morning and my water heater is dead. How do I know? I took a bath with cold water. Again, I call Lowe’s and they suggested I call Whirlpool again. Again, they walked me through the steps again to reignite it and I finally got mad. They then transfer me to America Water Heaters and they are trying to blame it on the bottom being dirty and that a lot of maintenance is required to maintain them from going off.

I've had this water heater about 9 months, and I guess by the stories, my thermocoupler went out. It's hard to find a good product nowadays.

Congratulations! I am now the happy owner of a Whirlpool water heater that will not stay lit, and like other posts, you call the 800 number and you are speaking to India. When you contact Lowe's, they give you another 800 number. The heater was purchased in late 2006 and started acting up two days ago. And unlike some of the other posts, mine will not relight at all.

On Sept. 28, 2009, our hot water heater quit working. I called the toll-free service number and was instructed to perform a few tests and to call them back with the results. After performing the diagnostic tests as instructed, I called Whirlpool back and was told by them that the thermal switch was bad. I was told at that time that the parts were covered under the warranty and that I was responsible for the shipping costs. After asking them if I could purchase the part locally, they said no. I was then told the price differences of shipping between receiving the part in a day and a half to options of many days later. I exclaimed that I was out of hot water and was told they would waive the shipping costs and that I would receive the part in the next day and a half.

My two-year old Whirlpool gas water heater, model BFGF303053NOV, which I bought from Lowe's quit working. The pilot light went out and I could not relight it. The Whirlpool rep said I needed part #295098 or 6910794. Our Lowe's doesn't have neither.

I have waited patiently to receive the new manifold door, but still have not received it. I called the 800 number that was provided on the webpage for the lawsuit and the person I spoke with checked and told me that I was on the list to receive the new manifold door, but didn't know when it would be sent out. That was over a year ago and I still have not received it. Now the webpage is no longer available. Where can I turn to for help with this? I have not had hot water in half of the house for a good four years or so. It's a good thing I have a second water heater that works for the other half of the house.

Before we even got any water heated, the sensor went bad and Lowe's wanted an RA number from the manufacturer and they (Whirlpool have sold their name to this other service company). They just want to send people out and charge you labor. Sounds like Whirlpool knew they had a defective product so instead of recalling it and costing them millions, they found a company that would buy the name and they would keep going out and fix them because they new they would be breaking down.

I purchased a gas water heater from Whirlpool in February of 2008. It is junk! Within three months of having it installed, the coupler quit working. They mailed me a new one and now (just yesterday) my hot water heater is not working again! Whirlpool is sending me another replacement. This is insane. My family has been without water because of this junk heater that I paid good money for. This is the second time with the same water heater. My family can not take showers or wash dishes, do laundry or anything. Now, I have to pay out of pocket again to have a repairman come and install this coupler again. I feel that I have been taken advantage of by Whirlpool and will never purchase another item from them as long as I live! I even paid Lowe's extra money for the extended warranty on this thing. That of course does nothing for me.

I bought Whirlpool Hot water heater from Lowe's in late 2006. Little did we know about the said class action lawsuit on this model. If we had, we would have never gone with this company. So fast forward to early 2008 and surprise our pilot light starts the game of going out every day. So we do what anyone else would do, we called a plumber. This plumber, before they even came out, told us about the recall and to call the number on the side. We called the number and go through the problem of talking to some Indian person who barely understands English who can't do anything but read what he's given.

They keep sending out the same part over and over again. The part lasted under a year then went out. We replaced it 3 times and can't get the water heater replaced. They just keep shipping out the part and expect us to pay for the shipping. We have no water.

My roommates and I turned the power off to bomb for spiders. The Whirlpool water heater will not relight. I followed all the steps several times. I even had one person watch the window for a flame for an hour worth of trying. Whirlpool people are completely useless. Why replace the thermocouple on a machine that is only two years old? Another repair man will arrive between 12 and 5 tomorrow. The expense from these Whirlpool products has officially become beyond annoying and entered cruel. I doubt I will purchase another Whirlpool product or other appliance from Lowe's in the future.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowe's to replace the old one at one of my rental apartments back in 2007. The heater worked fine for about 1.5 years and the problem started around February 2009. My tenants did not have hot water and had to re-light the pilot light every 2-3 days. It has been going on for weeks and they finally called me. I called Whirlpool to report the problem and they told me they would walk my tenants through fixing the problem. My tenant called them and the problem was not solved. They then mailed to us the parts to be replaced. I had to pay for the overnight mail and the part didn't arrive until 2-3 days any way. I had to pay my HVAC guy to install this door assembly they sent to us.

I bought the piece less than two years ago. I have put out close to $300 and about a week without water each time. The customer service people are jerks. So beware, don't buy a Whirlpool! So I'm getting ready to file a lawsuit against them.

I have the same problem after 14 months. I am only posting to help others. I did not attempt to fix any of the problems. I tested it, and it was the gas valve. I went straight to Lowe's and explained the problem with no luck. I was told to call Whirlpool; no luck there. I went back to Lowe's, and it was a different manager. I asked for the corporate phone number, and he started to listen. Then he said to bring it in and he would refund it. If you have no luck with the first manager, just leave and come back when there is a different manager. Tell them you know about the class action suit and how Lowe's and Whirlpool knows about the junk they are selling. It worked for me, and I received a refund of the entire amount plus taxes.

Gas water heater with flamelock purchased at Lowe’s, North Augusta, SC in March 2008. Model BFG1F404083NOV; S/N 08097401608; product 0733136. Same problem that everyone has had with this unit: no hot water! I replaced thermocouple and it did not fix it. Whirlpool hung up on me because I will not wait until Monday afternoon for repair. Lowe’s said that at least there were 50 recalls on same product just at his store. Biggest problem is that my wife is home and sick with the flu and I can't be without hot water for a full weekend! This has resulted to anguish and frustration, which are priceless. Plus there’s the cost of plumber on a Friday night - $99 to start and who knows how much more after it is repaired at $100/hour!

Whirlpool water heater does not relight. I called and a repair man already had been here once. Next day, there’s no hot water. I called back. Now they have to order part. What’s up?

I purchased a water heater in 1/08, and it has broken three times. Same problem every time. I need a new water heater. It breaks down on average every 7 months. I have a child with asthma in the home. Anything cold seems to always set off an attack for her. This is getting ridiculous.

Installed the Whirlpool water heater on 5-17-08. It fired up and worked flawlessly until 9-04-09. I replaced the thermocouple and it fired right up. It will only stay on for a couple of minutes. After going through the manual and trying to eliminate all options, I am convinced that the thermal switch is the problem. I will be contacting Lowe's but I am quite apprehensive after reading about the amount of problems that everyone else is having.

Well this has been going on for 3 yrs. Call Whirlpool, they can not help. Get this, get that thermocouple. I got it 16 times and then it was supposed to be the gas valve. That wasn't it, wait it will take 7 to 14 days to get here. They don't give a f they are on the receiving end they have water for free. So again, left handed thread goes to right handed thread "you shouldn't have no problems". On Jan 5 it was installed .

September 7, 2009. Pilot light will not stay lite on a water heater that is not even 2 years old (unit purchased 10/07). I was instructed to go to Lowe’s and pick up a "gas control value" which they did not have. The Lowe’s representative told me that they had numerous complaints about Whirlpools and that Whirlpool was actually giving free replacement parts. I called Whirlpool back and they basically told me to shelve it. They did say they would try to have the part out to me by next Thursday (9/10). I subsequently called Lowe’s and chewed their tails out for continuing to sell a product that they know is defective. This has resulted to mental anxiety, cold water, and aggravation.

This is the 2nd time since May of 2007 that my water heater broke and needs a thermocouple. It was also recommended that I replace the box on the outside with the gas valves. I am aware of complaints on other models, defects and class action suits. However, I was told today by Whirlpool that nothing can be done besides what was done the last time because there is no sign of defect with the thermocouple, even though there is obviously an issue with my model BFG1F3030T3NOV, 0733002, serial# 0717116541.

About 6 years ago, we bought a water heater for our house. For about 5 times or more, we had to buy the replacement parts for it as the pilot wouldn't stay lit. I called the company and they said I have to have a technician inspect the water heater but that such expense would have to come out of my pocket. I told him that water heaters from this company were defective. But he said they don't replace the water heaters unless someone comes and tells them that it's not repairable.

I have the same Whirpool hot water heater thermocouple problem as all the other customers but with a small twist. I replaced the flame control unit tonight and now have a burning smell. Door screws are tight, no fiberglass obstructions, clean gasket surface, vents appear to be clear, and a good up draft. It smells as if the door gasket is burning. But I'm afraid of tightening the screws any further and stripping out the threads. Sounds like I need to cut my losses and replace the unit with a non-Whirlpool product.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas hot water heater in September of 2007 from Lowe's Hardware. Right away, we noticed that the hot water heater came on quicker, stayed on longer, and the water was not as hot as with our old unit, which was more than 25 years old. Also, our gas usage was higher. Then, the thermocouple began going out every three or four months. We only had about six months of continuous trouble free operation from this unit before the pilot light began going out. I have replaced the thermocouple four times, and it is not working again now.

I bought a Whirlpool Water heater in March of 2006, FG1F4034T3NOV. About a year and a half later we received the recall replacement (burner assembly), we didn't know it needed to be replaced until it showed up in the mail. We installed it and for about 10 months, it worked and then the pilot light wouldn't stay lit.

I purchased a Whirlpool flame-lock water heater with model number FG1F3030S3PV from Lowe's on March 1, 2007. I had it professionally installed, but after three days, it stopped working. The plumber came back out and replaced the thermocouple. That worked for about 3 months, then it went out again. I have since had it replaced an additional 4 times.

I am having all the same issues as everyone else. I have had my hot water heater for 4 years. The pilot light keeps going out. I have paid $240 for 2 service calls. Once they replaced the entire burner. Now today, I can’t get the pilot light to ignite. I got it started once and it lasted for approximately 20 minutes. Now it’s out again and I can’t relight it. It’s not fair that all these problems are happening to everyone and Whirlpool should reimburse everyone. Now all weekend I got no hot water till I can get a new heater. You can bet it won’t be a Whirlpool.

I purchased a Whirlpool Gas Water Heater with Flame Lock from Lowe's in October of 2008. I was not aware of a problem with this heater. By July 2009, we were without hot water. I called and Whirlpool sent the replacement part. On July 8, 2009, technician came and replaced the thermocouple and the gas value. I had hot water until August 21, 2009. I tried to relight the pilot, but couldn't get flame to stay (just like before).

Same problem as everyone else, pilot went out on my Whirlpool water heater that is less than one year old. I replaced the thermocouple, which did not fix the problem. I ended up replacing the thermostat ($55.00) from Lowe's, where I purchased the heater. If it happens again, I will buy a different brand heater. Dealing with Whirlpool's Indian affairs service department is useless. Never again will I buy a Whirlpool appliance.

Whirlpool Propane Model #FG1F40S3PV Flame Lock does not stay lit. I’m sick of it. I have to replace it. I'd like to know the water is hot when a get in shower.

I purchased a hot water heater from Lowe's Monroe, LA 71202 July 22, 2008. August 17 2009, the pilot light went out and we could not keep it on. Told Whirlpool service and they sent out a Sears tech. He came, replaced temperature dial on front of tank. He left in a few short min and no pilot. When I got home, still no pilot. He did not bother to stay and make sure it was fixed. Now, they won't get anybody out till tomorrow 8-20-09. They should have to come back today. I have been through so many people with this problem and nobody was willing to try and help get another tech out today. I see that this same hot water heater has a recall. I never received a notice about this. I will never buy Whirlpool again. One more thing, is there another problem with this product that the consumer should know about?

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater in Nov. of 2006. Several times during this time period, we had our pilot light go out. On Aug 17, 2009, the pilot light went out, and we were not able to get it to stay lit. We called a plumber and we explained our problem! He asked us if it was a Whirlpool water heater, we said yes. Then he said it is still under warranty and we should call Whirlpool and have them send us a new valve. Then, I made arrangements to have him install it when it came in today Aug 18, 2009.

I, too, purchased a Whirlpool gas hot water heater a year and a half ago. About 3 weeks ago, it went out. I called India and they said go to Lowe’s and get Kit B. I did that. It worked for all of 1 day and went out again. This time, we bought a new heater. It worked for 1 week and went out. After trying Kit B again and replacing the thermostat, Lowe’s said that they would replace it without an RA# since we had only had it a week, but it would help if I had an RA#. After 39 minutes with my new Indian friend, I finally got them to give me one. I had to be very hard nosed.

We purchased our Whirlpool Flame Lock Gas Water Heater through Lowe's in March 2008. It was very reasonably priced and carries a 12-year warranty. On August 14, 2009 (only one year, six months later), we had no hot water. Our plumber replaced the thermocouple ($7 at Lowe's) and the heater fired back up. However, once the water reached temperature and the burner turned off, the pilot also went out. Thereafter, the pilot would only remain lit when you hold down the red reset button. Once you release it, the pilot immediately goes out. We then bought a replacement Robertshaw Gas Control Valve/Thermostat ($54 at Lowe's). Once it was installed and the heater was again filled with water, it fired right up and has been working ever since.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater 30 gallon Model# BFG1F3030T3NOHV in August 2008. On August 12, 2009 the pilot light went out and would not relight. I had it checked and was told it's the gas/thermostat valve. I contacted Lowe's and was told by an employee named Troy that I had to buy the new gas valve and send my receipt to Whirlpool for reimbursement.

I bought a 40-gallon gas fired Whirlpool water heater on May 21, 2008. I have a 6-year warranty for parts and any leaks. On the week of August 3rd, the pilot light went out and the installer advised that Whirlpool needs to have the valve replaced which is under warranty. I called Whirlpool on August 12th and they had me contact one of their contractors, A & E Sears, to schedule an appointment. I called A & E Sears, gave them the authorization number (**) and they told me that someone will arrive between the hours of 8AM and 5PM on August 14th. Therefore, I took a day off from work and received a call from the service technician at 3:58PM to tell me that I had a leak and that the water heater needs to be replaced. The gentleman did not bother to come over and look, so I called Whirlpool about my discussion with the service technician and the customer service rep told me to contact A & E Sears back and explained that a water heater does not have to be replaced.

My one-year-old water heater failed. The customer service rep in India hung up on me when I asked to speak to a supervisor. I called back to another rep, who eventually gave me a referral to a repair company to schedule a repair visit. The gas provider was already out and determined that this water heater has numerous problems with the gas valve and thermocouple. There should be a recall on this water heater.

I have model number BFG1H4404T3N0V, a Whirlpool gas hot water heater with a 10-year warranty. The unit is less than 3 years old. It's pilot will not stay lit. Yesterday, the pilot went off 3 times. I reset it, and it's dead again later. This is very embarrassing, and I hope our voices will be heard. There are so many scams in this world. Why do we need a "legit" one? Hello, Consumer Affairs. Do something, please!

On October 21, 2006, I bought a Model#FG1F4040S3PV propane Whirlpool water heater and I'm having the same trouble everyone else has- thermocouple! It kept going out and finally it quit working. I replaced it with a "G" kit and two months later, no hot water. I called the 877 number and got India! I was shifted to someone else who basically told me, “Sorry about your luck.”

In 10-21-2006, I bought a model#FG1F4040S3PV propane Whirlpool water heater. I’m having the same trouble everyone else is, thermocouple! It kept going out. Finally, it quit working. I replaced it with a "G" kit. Two months later, I got no hot water so I called the 877# and got India! Anyway, I was shifted to someone else who basically told me, “Sorry about your luck.” They also told me since I installed it in a manufactured home, that it voided the warranty and there was nothing on the packaging that stated this, only in the owner’s manual. First off, when you’ve installed as many of these as me, they are all the same. Second, you have to buy the thing to be able to read the owner’s manual.

I was having trouble with my water. Whirlpool went to Lowe's this last weekend to get a thermocouple. I've seen on the box that it's not for FG model numbers. I asked a person in that department if they have them for FG models. He went to the back storeroom and came back with a box. It was the whole lower unit for my gas water heater and said it was free. Whirlpool had sent them a pallet of them, they were recalled.

I have a Whirlpool Gas Hot Waterheater with a 10-year warranty (Model #BFG14404T3N0V); the unit is less than 3 years old. The pilot will not stay lit. I have replaced the burner unit, and igniter, spent over $300 in plumbing fees, and I am still having the same problem. Lowe's said they would replace the heater but would not pay for installation fees.

Whirlpool gas hot water heater (model #FG1F4034T3NOV) bought for $717.56. The replacement thermocouple is $9.82, enhanced BFG gas thermostat for $59.52. Hot shower = Priceless. After dealing with 3 different whirlpool operators and 6 different trips to Lowe's, I am currently shopping for another water heater to replace my 4-year old Whirlpool gas heater. Much like everyone else on the other 180 pages of complaints, I am tired of dealing with the Indian operators with automated responses, the multiple trips to Lowe's, the countless hours installing these "upgraded parts" and most of all, the cold showers after a 12-14 hour shift!

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater model #BFG1H4040T3NOV serial #0638120159 on October 17, 2006 for $716.67, installed at the Lowe's in Beavercreek OH. This was to replace a 3-year-old Whirlpool water heater that was in the house I had purchased a year before. In the first year that I was in the house, I replaced the thermocoupler 3 times. On the fourth time, I decided to buy a new water heater and purchased the above mentioned one.

I purchase a Whirlpool water heater in January 2009. The flame guard gas control failed to work. It had the pilot relit and went out again next day. I have been waiting now since Friday for the hot water tank part and the person to repair. I have read 179 stories of malfunctioning unit. All models of this 50 gallon should be replaced at no cost to customer. There's no customer service from Whirlpool. They are all in India. This all makes me very sad and mad. We pay small fortunes for inferior products time and time again. When will there be quality and integrity put into American bought products again?

This sounds like a broken record, but can you say thermocouple? Yes, it's a 40 gallon Whirlpool, and my product, too, has been recalled and I am on my second thermocouple, to which I had to pay shipping fees to have it sent the next day air and then had to incur 2x the amount of money to have someone come install it. The first replacement thermocouple lasted right at a year or a little less. Then what makes it worse is the threads are left-hand threads versus right-hand threads so you can't buy parts from Lowe’s because they don't stock it, which is frustrating because they all tell us to go to Lowe’s to get the part.

In 2007, we purchased a hot water tank and have had no problems until yesterday. The pilot light went off and wouldn't stay on. We had DTE come out and look at it and light the pilot, only to have it go out a couple hours later again. I spent lots of time on the phone with Whirlpool and Lowe's to no avail. I went to Lowe's today and found out there was a recall on that hot water tank. One of my complaints is Whirlpool wanted me to pay for the shipping for the necessary part. I also got a repair kit from Lowe's today, only to find out it is the wrong one. So they have to send for it, and again, we have to pay for shipping. That is crap.

My gas water heater was purchased in May 2009. I anticipated a good 8 or 10 years since my previous heater lasted 15 years; Model No. FG1F5040T3NOV. Last week, my water began cooling and we found the pilot light was out. I am a widow caring for my only son with pancreatic cancer so this was emergent. I, myself, was unable to light it so a friend came over and got it lit. However, it kept going out. It was frustrating. At last, I called the number on the heater and reached a man in India who recited the directions so fast I couldn't write them down. I am good with accents, but I just asked him to please speak slower. He rudely told me not to interrupt. I found another number online and spent the entire day on the phone, eventually, being referred to eight different numbers all of whom kept me on hold and quickly directed me to someone else as they didn't want to address the issue. I had a friend go to Lowe’s since I am unable to leave my son, but he was there a half hour and no one seemed to know about the part. I then called another friend who got the part and installed it, but it didn't work. After I got it uninstalled, I paid a young man to install the new part.

The thermal coupler has gone out twice in one year on my water heater. I’m trying to get a 3rd coupler fixed, and the only help I receive is from people calling themselves "American" names and admitting they are located in India. Do not buy Whirlpool water heater or you will find yourself like me, writing this complaint instead of just reading them.

I purchased a Whirlpool 40 Gallon Gas Hot Water Heater from Lowe's in March 2008 and it worked without issue until July 15th, 2009. I noticed the water was just lukewarm and on investigating, I found the pilot was not lit, nor could I keep it lit. I called Whirlpool and talked with Dave who had an amazing Indian accent. He gave me troubleshooting tips and I ran through them, but no success. I called back and talked with Linda who had the same kind of Indian accent and she said they would pay for replacement parts and that the thermocouple needed replacing. I called Lowe’s and they said they had a replacement KIT and it was free of charge. I put the conversion kit in, but still no luck. BTW, the conversion kit has a thermocouple adapter that is left hand threaded that won’t work on the BFG models, so I didn’t use that piece.

Our Whirlpool gas water heater pilot went out. It wouldn't stay lit, and we were out of hot water for a day before we realized it went out. We followed the directions that were on the water heater, and still, the pilot light didn't stay lit. We did a little research online and called American Water Heater. A representative was able to help us light the pilot. The direction that representative gave wasn't provided on the product which would be helpful when this happens. Let's hope that this is not a reoccurring problem.

I am one of the many victims of Whirlpool gas water heater! The thermocoupler was replaced twice with the old style (left-hand threads) before I discovered this site. Whirlpool sent out retro unit which I replaced without issues. All worked well for about 18 months. I purchased off the shelf a thermocoupler from Lowes on 7/15/09, installed it and had the same problem; pilot will not stay lit.

I purchased a 40 Gallon Whirlpool Water heater in October 2008. It began to leak a week ago so I contacted Whirlpool. They said the item was under warranty, but I had to pay to have it uninstalled and it was my responsibility to get it back to Lowe’s. (I was told to rent a truck). They would reimburse me up to $135 for the installation (which costs $295), but I would have to pay for it and they would reimburse me. I asked why couldn't Lowe's remove the old one when they installed the new one and was told that was not possible. I fail to understand how they expect me to have such out of pocket expenses and be without hot water in the interim when it is their faulty product. I'm not angry at Lowe's, but I am left in quite a predicament. Suffice it to say this is the last Whirlpool product I will ever purchase.

Whirlpool water heater from hell. I've bought two (50-gallon) Whirlpool water heaters from Lowe's approximately 4 years ago. Each water heater cost around $350. About one year ago, our misery started when the pilot lights in both water heaters would not stay lit. It has cost me over $800 in labor cost to replace the "conversion kits" to keep the pilot lights lit. The first two conversion kits were free, but I have to drive 26 miles to the nearest Lowe's and 45 minutes to fill out all the necessary paperwork.

I'm yet another victim of the Whirlpool/American Water Heater Co. The heater failed to light and the pilot would not stay lit. I paid a plumber to fix it who talked to both AWHC and Whirlpool several times. I went to Lowe's to get the replacement thermocouple unit and it lasted 6 hours. I called the WAHC 877 number on the tank and talked to an idiot who tried to tell me I didn't know how to light the pilot and who insisted I wasn't resetting the thermal reset switch. I've done all of the cleaning, etc and can only keep it working by by-passing the thermal switch but won't do this because the unit also burns poorly.

In 2003 or 2004, I purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater from Lowe's that is the Whirlpool brand and since then, I have had several problems with the water heater. I have had to replace the thermocouple three times since then and only once have I been reimbursed by Whirlpool. When I became fed up with them after the third time, I called Lowe's once again to get a replacement thermocouple and they told me that they would not sell me one, but that they would replace the entire water heater for a new one.

I recently had the same problem, as everyone else, with a Whirlpool gas water heater purchased at Lowe's. The pilot light went out 2 days ago, and didn't think much about it. We got it lit again, only for it to go out within a matter of hours. This time, we could not get it lit. We couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong. We just installed the unit in May 2008. I went online to do a little research, before we went ahead and called a plumber. I discovered this website, and knew we were in trouble!

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater (model # FG1F3030T3NOV, product #0334100531), a few years ago. After about 3 years, the pilot light went out for no apparent reason. I reset and re-lit it. After a while, it went out again. This time it would not relight. I had a plumber come in, and he said the thermocouple needed to be replaced. I had it done. A few months later, the pilot light has gone out again. I bought another (2nd one) thermocouple to put in, but was unable to, because the one in it was a left hand thread, and the one I bought was not. After several phone calls to several places, I was finally told that the left hand thread was no longer available, but there was a conversion kit to change it over. I got the kit and installed the new thermocouple. When I lit the pilot light, and turned the unit on, a flame shot out from under the heater.

The water heater breaks down all the time, thermocouple after thermocouple. I had to take cold showers. The 12 year warranty is a joke. Whirlpool sucks. Try something else.

I thought (briefly) that the Whirlpool water heater was fixed. I used a replacement unit thing that Lowe's gave me (after traveling 30 miles to get it at a different Lowe's store). It looked to be the exact same unit that I already had, and it was not threaded incorrectly either. After the replacement, I got one tank of hot water, before the same pilot light problem recurred. Well, that one warm shower did feel good. Now, however, it's back to the cold ones. The pilot will light, but won't stay lit.

I purchased a Whirlpool (FG1H4040T3NOV) with a 9-year warranty from Lowe's in 2002, so I guess I am luckier than most in the few service problems I've had with it. I had to replace the thermocouple (old style) only once, about two years ago. The unit failed again last week, and after several relights, the water heater finally would not light, and the thermostat/gas valve knob would turn freely, leaking gas into the utility closet. Whirlpool sent me both a free thermostat/gas valve, and what they call the BFG manifold adapter kit, and a $20 shipping charge. The installation of the gas valve required draining the tank (I'm in an upstairs condo), and totally disassembling the water heater to replace these parts. This is not a job for most who do-it-themselves.

I read at this site about the problems with Whirlpool water heaters. When I was looking online to learn how to fix my Whirlpool water heater, which was doing the same things as I read here, gas pilot light kept going out, re-lit it several times, would go out again by the next day, and finally, it would light but would go out again, as soon as I let go of the red button. Anyway, I was discouraged after reading everyone's bad luck here, but I went to Lowe's to see about a thermocouple. I told the guy about reading about a fix it kit here. I guess there is some problem with the threading on the thermocouple that is backwards, and when you buy a thermocouple, it won't work or something. Anyway, that is what the Lowe's man said. He was very nice though, and knew about the fix it kit, which is free from Whirlpool, and Lowe's has them in stock, except the Lowe's I went to was out of my particular kit, a "D".

Thermocouple broke after only 16 months of use. The service repair is going to take 4 days or more. I bought a replacement thermocouple from Lowe's and installed it myself. It stopped working after one cycle. What a piece of junk. Lowe's is knowingly selling these defective water heaters to unsuspecting customers. Leaving us holding the bag and taking cold showers! I want my money back so I can purchase a water heater that works!

I purchased a hot water heater and have had problems with the thermal coupling going out and the burner system being replaced and many times having to deal with customer service who could care less about the problem. My basement now has water going into a bedroom due to a bad valve that was let loose. I am so upset with this tank, and I will never purchase another Whirlpool product ever again. My model number is fg1f4040s3nov, product 0730261, serial 0526109983. I hope this gets to others who need to purchase a Whirlpool product. Please do not.

My husband bought two Whirlpool water heaters, one for our home, and one for my mother's home. I knew something was not right with these water heaters, when they both have continuously broken down. My husband went out and replaced our water heater, without using our warranty. Why would we want another piece of junk? I'm furious that we are out of the cost of a new unit. As for my mother, we have to fix my mother's water heater, as she is an elderly widow, living on a very limited income. She has been taking cold showers, while she waits for my husband to find the time to fix it for her. He is a superintendent for a plumbing contractor company. I will never buy another Whirlpool product after reading about Whirlpool's knowledge of this defect, and doing nothing to protect its customers. Shame on them!

We purchased a Whirlpool Hot water heater on 6/06/06, at Lowe's. On 6/08/06, Lowe's installed it. On 06/10/06, we had no hot water. They sent the installer to fix it, and he replaced the thermocouple. The pilot went out several times since, and we haven't been able to relight it until now. Again, the thermocouple has gone bad, and we have gone without hot water for 2 days, and my husband has missed half a day of work, to look for a repairman. 2 out of our entire phone book will even touch a Whirlpool hot water heater. 99 % of the repairmen will not look at a Whirpool heater, or attempt to fix them. I am appalled at Lowe's for selling such an inferior product, and Whirlpool for making it. Our old hot water heater, which was a Hotpoint, lasted over 20 years without any repairs.

Same issues with water heater bought in Nov 2007. The pilot will not stay lit as of May 2009. We went 2.5 weeks without hot water due to different maintenance people, wrong parts shipments and scheduling screw ups. Customer service (I say that lightly) in India always had a different story than Tennessee. Finally, I worked with Lowe's to replace the unit but had to pay another $500+ to remove/install the unit because we used a private technician to put it in originally. Now the new unit has gone out just a month later. I tried to relight the pilot, got it lit but it then started to burn orange and crackle when I attempted to put the cover back on. It scared me to the point of turning the unit and gas off. I have to call Lowe's yet again as they did the installation this time. I will never buy a Whirlpool again.

My hot water heater stopped working. It was installed in 2003. I checked and there is no flame. I called the number and they told me to pick the conversion kit. When I opened the box, it looks complicated to me so I asked to send someone to have it installed and they are refusing it. I am going to call them again and then talk to their manager to see if he can send someone to install it. The Indian CS was very rude. I have no hot water.

I have purchased (2) 30-gal water heaters (model number UG1F3030T3NV, product number 0730377) from Lowe's. The first one I had problems from within hours of installation. A loud humming sound would start every time the burner would ignite. The first time this happened, I seriously thought the thing was going to explode. Let me explain that the sound is loud, fog-horn level loud! We called Whirpool; they advise to drain it and re-fill it and that would solve the problem. We tried it and guess what? It did not work.

I am dealing with the same problem as everyone else on the site about my water heater not staying lit. And to the person who Whirlpool gave the runaround about not acknowledging their model no., etc. Whirlpool has a website specifically for hot water heaters, www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com and a specific number for calling regarding such, which is 877-817-6750. Seems they purposely try not to give this number out and play like they know nothing about water heaters. I had to ask for a supervisor who then gave me the number.The problems with these units keeps continuing and I cannot understand how they keep making them and Lowe's keeps on selling them.

I was overcome by carbon monoxide after repairing Whirlpool hot water tank FG1 model. They sent the recalled part and we had it put on by a licensed plumber. It cost $75.00. Suddenly after 2 months, I smelled something and walked around the house and basement. The smell was stronger near the hot water tank. I heard a sound upstairs and ran up to find the carbon monoxide detector going off, called 911, the numbers were over 300 in basement and over 180 upstairs. I was taken to the hospital and given oxygen for 6 hours and sent home. They have argued with me because I wanted money to replace the tank. They said they would give me another one, but I refused that because I would never trust that kind of tank again. We are still fighting about it. I would like to know if anyone had a problem with carbon monoxide like I did. I'm okay now, but I worry everyday that something might happen because of the exposure.

Add my name to the list. I've got a 1-year-old (used for 1 year) water heater sitting in my garage that I can't bring myself to throw away, because it's new, and I paid a lot for it! But, it's basically useless. When the tenant's water heaters go bad, you're expected to solve the problem A.S.A.P.! Left handed thermocouplers are not available (last time I checked), so I had to buy a new one. Yes, a different brand!

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in 2007. Two years later, the pilot light went out and couldn't be reset and re-lit. I called a plumber that we deal with on occasion and he just shook his head when he saw it was a Whirlpool. He called Lowe's to see if they carried the repair kit for the heater and they didn't. So, he replaced the thermocouple and got it working again, but suggested if it went out again to seriously think out replacing the unit. It also appears that the unit is already accumulating a lot of sediment in the bottom, which we have been periodically draining off. This particular repair cost us $144.00 for a part, that should have been under warranty and the labor to install it, since we couldn't find anyone with Whirlpool to provide the part.

I purchased water heater in November and now the pilot light doesn't stay lit. I replaced the thermocouple myself and it still doesn't stay lit. I called Whirlpool and was given a repair number (labor and parts) and have a plumber scheduled to arrive at 09:30AM tomorrow. After finding all the complaints about this water heater, I called Lowe's to ask if they still sell this product and the answer is yes, they still sell this product.

I have a Whirlpool water heater where the thermocouple goes bad every 18 months. The first time I called Whirlpool and they told me to replace the thermocouple, I did and it worked good for 18 months. Now it is broken again. No hot water. I called the company and was told I have to pay for them to ship me a new thermocouple and pay to have it installed again. When I told them the water heater was a piece of junk and I wanted a new one, I was told it was my fault because I let dust get in the combustion chamber. I will never, if I live to be 10000 years old, buy another Whirlpool item again. Why does Lowe's sell such junk? How does a company get away with selling such garbage? My family again has no hot water.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater from Lowe's last fall. Two days ago the pilot light suddenly went out, no high winds, nothing. Thinking nothing about it, we followed the instructions that are on the side of the tank and managed to get it re-lit. It's happened twice since then.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water tank from Lowe's 4 years ago. In that time frame, I have replaced 8 thermocouples. Now the gas valve needs to be replaced. A year ago, Whirlpool sent me a whole new burner assembly and said this should correct the problem. Wrong. I would like to have the whole unit replaced, but they tell me they can't do that, all they can do is send me new parts. This is very frustrating. I am fortunate enough to have the skills to do the repairs myself but what about all the people that have to pay for a plumber to fix it. Whirlpool knows there are major issues with these units and they need to do something about it before someone gets hurt or dies from one of these defective units.

Whirlpool water heater model FG1F5040T3NOV purchased summer of 2005 from Lowe's. It lasted less than 2 years and then the thermocouple problem came up. The pilot kept having to be re-lit. After finding out that Lowe's did not have replacement part, I also found out that there was a recall on the unit. They sent a replacement unit after I got a hold of the company and had it replaced. The pilot once again will not stay lit. It has been 15 months for the replacement unit. Obviously, there is still a problem with the units. I've had water heaters last for close to 20 years. This is not right. It cost me $200.00 the first time and probably the same this time. The company does not pay for all the time and hassle. I may go electric, but not a Whirlpool.

I purchased a hot water heater approximately 5 years ago and have had nothing but grief. The thermocoupling has been replaced 7 times and it always happens on a holiday which makes it that much more of an inconvenience. So here we are again, have to either replace the heater itself or pay out of pocket to have it fixed again.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009, my water heater stopped working (not pilot light). I followed the directions posted on the water heater carefully to no avail. On Wednesday, June 17, I called the number that was also posted on the water heater and got someone in India that I didn't understand very well (I can't hear well, so I need the person on the other end of the phone to speak very clearly). I was told that the thermocouple was bad and that I could get the part from Lowe's (with the number she gave me). I got the part and had it installed, but it did not work either. I was able to at least get the pilot light to light, but it would not stay lit once the red button was released.

Once again, I am faced with trying to get a left handed treaded thermo coupler for my 40-gallon gas hot water heater purchased from Lowe’s. It seems Whirlpool does not acknowledge this serial #, model#, or product number. Lowe’s does not carry this part, and it’s impossible to locate. Lowe’s tells me its Whirlpool’s problem and Whirlpool doesn't even acknowledge the product. Why is Lowe’s selling Whirlpool's lemons?

We bought a Whirlpool 40 gallon natural gas water heater from Lowe's 14 months ago. Earlier this week, the pilot mysteriously went out. With help from Whirlpool telephone support, I was able to get it relit. The next day it went out again. This time I could not get it relit. Doing some web research on the problem, I came across the mountain of similar complaints on consumeraffairs.com, and quickly concluded I had a lemon on my hands. I went to Lowe's, discussed it with the manager, and was able to get the 100% refund on the heater (but not the installation), partly because I was armed with all the information posted on this site. I will replace it with another brand, probably Bradford White.

I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater from Lowe's in January 2008, Model # BFG1F4034T3NOV. The pilot light went out in June 2009. I called the gas company to relight and I was told it would not stay lit due to bad gas valve. I called a plumber and he told me I needed a new gas valve and burner assembly.

I purchased a Whirlpool BFG1J5040T3NOV from Lowe’s in March 2009. Two weeks ago, the pilot went out during the night and I could not re-light it. Lowe’s was no help and the Whirlpool service representative in India said they would send me the part under warranty if I could identify the specific problem. In reading this blog, I saw a comment that the actual manufacturer is American Water Heater Co. I called them at 800-456-9805. The service representative who answered immediately pulled up my file, verified it was still under warranty and gave me an authorization number to call Sears home service at 800-676-5589 to have the problem gas control valve replaced.

I have the exact same complaints as many of the consumers listed on your site with the Whirlpool gas flame lock water heater. Since we bought the water heater in Oct. 2004, we have had four service calls, all involving the pilot light outage. I have gone through all, through the same routes trying to get someone to fix this, and each time I have had a list of numbers, starting in Bangladore, India, through to Johnson City, Tenn. and back, to try to get someone to take care of this. We have now spent more to fix the heater than we did to buy it and install it four years ago. I give up, we are going to get a completely different brand of heater (another $1,000 worth of parts, labor and permits to have installed).

Wow. I wish I had read this site before purchasing my Whirlpool at Lowe’s a year ago. Same thing, no hot water for a week now as I play phone tag with the repairmen, Whirlpool customer service, and Sears technical experts. I had the gas company out today (took another day off from work) to see if there’s a problem with low gas pressure. The guy walked up to the house and asked, “What is the problem?” I said water heater won’t light. He says, "You got a Whirlpool from Lowe’s don't you?" I'm in trouble! I have replaced a thermocouple, had the company sent me a new thermostat control, I've broken two piezoelectric push starters trying to light the thing, and, oh, by the way, my wife is upset. Whirlpool and Lowe’s have both made my life an inevitably difficult right now. It’s amazing what a cold shower can bring about. I'm going to Menards right now to buy another water heater so I can quit wasting good time after bad. After reading this, I think you all can tell that I do not recommend buying a Whirlpool water heater.

The thermocouple has gone bad on our Whirlpool Flame Lock gas water heater. The unit has a 12-year warranty, but we’ve purchase about 13 months ago.

I’ve been waiting 3 days now for a repairman that never showed up for the 1st appointment. I waited home 11 hours to be called at 6 pm to say he wasn't going to make the appointment. This is the second Whirlpool Natural Gas Hot Water Heater I have purchased from Lowe’s. After the 1st one kept going out due to faulty thermo coupler and numerous calls and overnight shipping fees, I replaced that unit. I should have known a new one would be no better. Apparently, the new known defect is the gas control valve (thermostat) another faulty product still being sold.

We purchased a Whirlpool 40-gallon gas water heater from Lowe's less than two years ago. Typical story, the igniter does not work. I cannot add anything to what the other complainants have said, except that it now seems that you cannot even get a replacement part (igniter). I wouldn't want it even if it were available. I am buying a Bradford & White water heater. It’s very expensive, but our plumber (very reliable) says this is a good brand. We will never buy Whirlpool again, and Lowe's is also in our bad list.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater (model #FG1J5040T3NOW) in September of 2004, paid over $400 for the water heater, and $400 to have it installed. The pilot light went out and wouldn't light, after just a year. It cost me over $150 to get it repaired. In June of 2009, it went out again, and this time, I was told by 2 plumbers, that the water heater was completely shot. That is a lot of money in 5 years, for a Whirlpool water heater. Now, I am paying $1,145 to have a new one installed, and believe me, it is not a whirlpool. I will never ever buy a Whirlpool product again, nor will I purchase a major appliance from Lowe's. I feel Lowe's and Whirlpool have screwed me over, and I am not happy.

I purchased a Whirlpool Electric Hot Water Heater from Lowe’s in January 11, 2009. The water heater control melted. I contacted Whirlpool and they sent a Sears repairman. I do not know why they sent him when they were mailing a control board when it required the whole control box which was melted. So far we have been without hot water for four days and they are to send a part to repair it when it looks as though it is a fire hazard and the whole unit should be replaced, in our opinion. This is our last ever Whirlpool purchase. We paid an electrician $311 to install this and it was to replace a lifetime water heater that we had purchased at Lowe’s that was discontinued by the company. Whirlpool was our sad replacement.

I bought water heater and have had nothing but problems. I did replace burn unit and several thermal couplers. Still, it’s a pile of ** that has not made my life easier. I have to replace my water heater.

Pilot went out on my 14-month old heater. I replaced the thermocouple. It still would not stay lit. I googled Whirlpool and got a long list of complaints. I went to Lowe’s and had them call Whirlpool. Whirlpool said my heater was not one of the ones with problems. My model number starts with BFG. The website I read had a lot of heaters with the BFG prefix. They all had the same symptoms I did. Most were purchased in 2008. I decided to replace with another brand. Whirlpool said there was no recall or problems with my model. I did not want to spend $100-$200 to fix mine with no guarantee that it would remain trouble free.

I am having the pilot light issue with a Whirlpool hot water heater like so many other people on this and other websites. It is less than a year old. They are sending a repair technician out tomorrow which I am happy about but I am concerned that this will be the first of many service calls. What I can't believe is that Lowe’s and/or Whirlpool would continue to sell a product with a known defect even after the class action settlement! I wish I had researched the web before I bought the water heater.

I purchased fourteen 30 gallon water heaters for apartments in our apartment building in February 2008. By January 2009, six had failed already so Whirlpool authorized the replacement of the thermostat units on all 14 of them in March. As of June 2009, three more have failed requiring a second service call. We're losing tenants since the Whirlpool authorized service center, Sears, can never schedule service same day, leaving tenants out of hot water for 2-3 days at a time! This is insane!

The water heater I purchased has a 6-year warranty, but I am finding it extremely difficult to get any cooperation from Whirlpool. My calls have been dropped and I still have no clue as to how I'm going to heat my home.

I bought a 40 gal. Whirlpool water heater (model # FG1F403473NOV, serial # 0520129477) from Lowe's in August of 2005. It is less than four years old and I have replaced the burner assembly twice and the thermocouple once. The first time I replaced the whole assembly, it cost me $30 something dollars for rush delivery. Second time Lowe's had the assembly but I had to go to a store that had the piece. This time, they told me to just change the thermocouple and gave me a part # that Lowe's said did not exist. They sold me a universal part and said if it didn't work, I was SOL because they couldn't get the part Whirlpool told me to get. Luckily, since I already replaced the burner assembly twice, it had a new fitting that worked with the universal thermocouple. I just got called by my wife who said she smelled gas. Guess what, I forgot to tighten the gas line back. See, Whirlpool and Lowe's won't send anyone to fix it. You have to do it yourself, whether you know how to fix things or not.

I had a problem with a Whirlpool water heater. I called the manufacturer in India, I think. Not helpful at all. They told me about a company local to me called Water Heater Man. They were so helpful they did the job right and informed me of everything I needed to know. I would recommend this company to everyone in SoCal. If you have a problem with a water heater, they are the people to call. The number for everyone is 800-372-1800. If you have an American or Whirlpool water heater with the pilot not staying lit, they know how you feel and how to fix it. Thank you, Water Heater Man.

On 12-11-07, we purchased a hot water tank from Lowe's in Bryant. We have had it repaired on 2-11-09, 3-9-09, 3-11-09, and as of yesterday, we are once again without hot water. At this point, I am pretty hacked off at Lowe's, Sears repair, and the Whirlpool corporation. After hours on the phone, we were given an "invalid" repair #. Sears can repair it for the fourth time Monday leaving my family without hot water for over 3 days. This is totally unacceptable. We have already missed several hours of work taking time to meet the repair people in the past (I only get 2 weeks vacation and this is not how I like to spend it). I feel like this hot water tank is a piece of crap and that Lowe's or Whirlpool should replace it. We paid extra for it up front thinking we were getting a "decent, better" brand because we didn't want any of these hassles.

Pilot light went out on model FG Whirlpool hot water heater yet again. Last summer, husband replaced thermocoupler. There were no problems until now. Pilot light started after trying for a day. It stayed on for about 4 hrs, then went out. I called gas company, no one could come out to look at it for 5 days. My dad started looking for a new thermocoupler because that was probably the problem according to everyone that we called. He looked at every appliance repair place to find out no one has a left-handed thread. So Tuesday came after Memorial Day, I did more calling on the phone with no luck. Wednesday came, my mom called Whirlpool, spoke to someone who did not speak English very well and she did not get much info due to the language barrier. They told her Lowe's had the part.

I made a serious mistake by purchasing a hot water tank from this corporation. Nothing but trouble for the last three years. The pilot light keeps going out. The unit that it replaced gave me 16 years of service without failure. They do not stand behind their product, even though they know it has a defective design. Besides the fact that I have been dealing without hot water for four days now, I have to hire someone to install the redesigned parts on their defective hot water tank. They won't even admit that there is a problem and have a recall.

I purchased the Flame Lock 40-gallon HWH in Aug. 2007. Over the last year and a half, the HWH would shut down unexpectedly and require restarting of the pilot. Once done, it would heat water until this happens again. It must have happened over a dozen times since new. I thought something was up and called service. They quickly agreed to send new gas control valve but charged me $20 for shipping. Now I knew something was wrong. A quick google search revealed class action lawsuit and all of the outstanding consumer problems. I talked to Lowe's about it too and hopefully the new parts will resolve this issue. I'm not too confident though.

My Whirlpool (Model # EE3Z50RD055V) Water Heater’s Electronic Control Board went bad after only turning the power off to my unit to do the maintenance drain as recommended. This has happened to a lot of people from what I read online. I wonder how many replacements have been sent to homeowners due to the failure of the original version, which has since been upgraded. I wonder why Whirlpool uses a new Electronic Control Board. Now, I am having to pay $20 shipping and pay a plumber $$$ (?) to replace the defective one. Whirlpool tells me that only they have the part and no one (stores or plumbers) carries it but them. Hopefully, everyone is contacting Whirlpool via e-mail, etc., and voicing their dissatisfaction in having to pay out for their defective part.

I saw many complaints about Whirlpool water heaters - some were from a few years ago. I bought a Whirlpool water heater last year and got the same problem. I wonder why Whirlpool is still selling the problem water heaters. Is there any lawsuit currently?

I just wanted to be added to the list of unhappy owners of Whirlpool water heater and its failed thermocouple. Lowe's has got to deal with the thousands of dissatisfied customers.

I just installed a new Whirlpool gas hot water heater. After turning the hot water on to fill the tub or washer, there is a large drop in hot water pressure. If I turn off the hot water and wait a minute, the pressure will be normal for a few minutes and then drop again. I purged the air out of the hot water lines after installation. Whirlpool did not have a solution to the problem.

I was sold a defective Whirlpool water heater by Lowe's. The part that needed replacing by the warranty company, since the product is barely 9 months old, was to be installed by Sears. We were told by the Sears repairman that they replace about 5 or 6 per week. Whirlpool waits for the part, the igniter, to break and then sends the part out to the consumer whenever. Then it is up to the consumer (us to call Sears to schedule an appointment for the part to be replaced). We were inconvenienced. We were without hot water in the dead of the winter for 5 days and neither Whirlpool corporate or Lowe's corporate contacted us after I sent letters of complaint to both offices.

I have a problem (thermo) with the hot water heater. I went to Lowe’s in Tyler, Texas. I received a replacement part after much questioning. Part did not work. I called the 1-877 number for help and was told repairman would be at my address on Tuesday morning. I called at 11am to follow up on repairman and was told he’s in Texas, only 165 miles away. I was told by Sears repair line that Whirlpool gave them this address. This is false because the address in Dallas, Texas, was my old address 9 years ago. I’m currently waiting on the service tech to call as requested. I have currently purchased 4 w/h at Lowe’s, and I don’t think I will go to another vendor for other needs. Lowe’s should pull out these products.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater on 12/22/2007 and had it installed by a professional installer. It has broken three times and the third time was the end of it. The pilot will not stay lit. I have now replaced it with a Kenmore water heater and am hoping for the best. No more Whirlpool appliances in this house! Calling Whirlpool was useless. They told me to throw it in the trash. Now, that is the customer service that we have come to love in this country. Sorry, that advice came from India.

We, too, bought a Flame Lock Whirlpool Water Heater, Model #FG1H4040T#NOV in 2005. Despite the 9-year warranty, it has been repaired 4 different times, all due to the pilot light not staying lit. We have replaced the thermocouple twice, the entire thermocouple assembly, the gas valve box, door assembly (which I never have received), and now I am looking at another repair in exactly one week. After four days with no hot water and replacing the gas valve box, it still doesn't work! The last straw was when the Whirlpool representative told me to pull out the wires and connect and wire them together with a paper clip! I didn't pay over $500 for a water heater to have to jerry-rig it together with a paper clip - absurd!

I purchased a Whirlpool LP hot water heater from Lowe's last fall. In May of 2009, the pilot light went out and would not re-light. I replaced the thermocouple, to no avail. I went to Lowe's that told me they could not help and that I should call Whirlpool. I called Whirlpool and spoke with someone from India, who told me to call back with a serial number and some other gibberish that I could not understand. After researching the water heater literature, I checked the thermal switch. It was not tripped. So by process of elimination, I surmise the gas control valve/thermostat unit is faulty. This item is made by Robert Shaw. I decided to look online for suppliers of Robert Shaw components and that's when I discovered the grave error I made in purchasing a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's.

Whirlpool flamelock hot water heater was purchased from Lowe's. It has had two thermal couplers replaced in the first two years. A thermal couple bypass mechanism to protect overheating of the thermal couplers was added as an attempted fix for the thermal couplers. An electronic gas valve was replaced to help correct the possible cause for the pilot light not wanting to stay on. More often than not, once a month, the pilot light goes out. Cold showers once a month or more is the norm. Parts from Whirlpool are sent but labor costs $90 each time to assess the hot water heater. The labor costs alone equal the cost of a new hot water heater.

I was/am a class member in the class action lawsuit against Whirlpool regarding their Flame Lock design water heaters. After several thermocouple replacements and many days and nights without hot water, I finally found out about the class action lawsuit from a plumber who I had contacted in a desperate search for another thermocouple. Neither Lowe's nor Whirlpool would give me any information regarding this. I submitted the proper forms and received the fix parts. The bottom line is I have found that I need to disassemble the burner assembly on this water heater every 2-3 months to clean the inside of the combustion chamber, every time disconnecting and re-connecting the burner and pilot gas lines and thermocouple connection. How safe is that? I am so fed up with this situation that I am purchasing a new water heater and will never purchase another Whirlpool appliance again. Not so much because of the defective water heater but because of the way it was handled. No information at retailers or from the manufacturer. Obviously, they only stand behind their products (or products they have put their name on) if they work.

I purchased a Gas Water Heater (Model # FG1H4040T3NOV) with the Flame Lock Safety System from Lowe's (Ft. Oglethorpe, GA) on February 26, 2005. It was installed the next day. It worked fine until about two months ago when it stopped producing hot water. What a hassle it was to have to go down to the basement to relight the pilot light! I did this 7 times in one day! I took the entire unit out, cleaned it according to the manual I got when I purchased the heater, and vacuumed the flame trap and all around/under the heater. I reinstalled the unit and was so proud of myself for fixing this. However, two weeks later, this happened again. I was constantly running up and down the stairs from the basement, re-lighting the pilot light.

I'm another one who purchased a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's without knowing the history. Heater was purchased and installed on 5/2/09 and the pilot light had gone out by 5/7/09. I have to get up at 4:30 am to light the pilot if I want a warm shower. The gas valve was replaced on 5/14/09 and the pilot light was out within six hours. Now, they're sending me a complete burner assembly for a water heater that is less than two weeks old. Whirlpool is at fault for making such inferior products, but Lowe's had better get smart. I'm not going to spend my money where there is no concern about selling such inferior products. We'll see if the burner replacement cures the problem, but I will probably get rid of the heater anyway. I don't want to have to go through all this again in 2-3 years.

We have a Whirlpool water heater that was part of the class action lawsuit last year. We had to pay, out-of- pocket, $180 to have a plumber come out and tell us what the problem was and then to return to put the thermocouple on that was sent to us. Now, less than 1 year later, our water heater is out again. Are there any follow-up actions being taken against Whirlpool regarding this problem? And/or is there another recourse that can be taken? Thank you.

After 1 year, the thermocouple on my gas hot water heater broke. I have no hot water.

I have the same complaint as everyone else. I have a 5-yr old water heater that I replaced parts on 6 months ago. My water heater went out 2 weeks ago. I was sent to get the conversion kit and this did not fix the problem. I took it back to Lowe’s and got a 2nd conversion kit, and still the problem was not fixed. Whirlpool or Lowe’s have been no help at all. I'm replacing my water heater this week with anything other than a Whirlpool. I have also filed a complaint with the BBB. I don't think that the company is treating everyone fairly as this is a known defect.

I purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater (Model#BFG1H404S3NOV) at Lowe's on 4/5/2008 & installed it on 5/26/2008. On 4/12/2009 (Easter), with a house full of people, the pilot on this less then 1 year old heater would not stay lit. Whirlpool did send a new thermostat in a timely manner, but it looked exactly like the one that failed & it took 4 hours to install.

I also have a Whirlpool hot water heater and the pilot light will not stay lit. I called customer service and they stated the problem was the thermocouple. I replaced it with one I bought from Lowe's and it didn't fix the problem. I was given a work order number and a plumber came out and relit the pilot light. The following day it was out again. I relit the light and now I'm waiting to see what happens, but I'm sure this isn't the last of my problems. The water heater is model number BFG1F404S303NOV. I have no hot water and my wife is pissed.

I purchased a Flame Lock 50 Gallon Gas Hot Water Heater on May 26, 2008 from Lowe's not knowing this long history. It failed and stopped working on May 7, 2009. No hot water for 3 days with 2 sick children and 90-degree weather. This is a big health issue.

I bought this Whirlpool water heater four years ago. Yesterday, the pilot light stopped working. It just kept going off after I lit it. This is a product that is supposed to have 10 years working life and I'm not even half way there. It is a terrible product. I would never buy Whirlpool again. It will cost me a thousand dollars to replace this water heater, not to mention all the cold showers my family has to put up with using this terrible product. I'm interested in a class action lawsuit against Whirlpool!

Our company has purchased five Whirlpool water heaters from Lowe’s within the past year, and they all turned out defective. We have attempted to return them or have them repaired, but the manufacturer and Lowe’s refused to return or repair the defective anode part under the warranty. It has caused tenants not to pay their rent, and they have to endure smelly water due to the defective anode rod in the water heater.

As with everyone else, I purchased a Whirlpool BFG1F4040S3NOV "once in a while" water heater, only to have it stop in its tracks one year to the day from date of purchase. When a water heater goes, you run out and buy one pronto, but a Whirlpool? Never again. Sorry, as a contractor, never have I seen or heard so many complaints about an obviously defective, inferior product. As with all, waiting for my "special" replacement parts to be shipped, I personally went with the value meal #2 - the thermocouple and gas valve. It's been a week now without constant hot water. Let's see how the parts work - or not - and since I have been out of work for 7 months, I cannot afford to buy a new heater but when I do find a job, never, never again, will I buy another Whirlpool product of any kind, nor will I ever install one, or remotely recommend a purchase by a customer. Keep going for those profits, Whirlpool. Customer Service and quality control, be damned. It seems to have worked well for a lot of other companies, lately. I hope you enjoy your free fall! Thanks for more unnecessary aggravation.

I bought a Whirlpool water heater from Lowe's in 5/2005. It had to be replaced in 4/2008 because it wouldn't stay lit. We had the same problem with the new one this week. I had the repairman here to fix it today.

The FG Whirlpool Water Heater is a piece of junk. Second time in two years, the valve/themacouple needed to be replaced. As you can see, the reviews on this water heater are all the same. Beware. Do not buy. I will never buy another Whirlpool product again. In fact I will not shop at Lowes anymore, either. This product should have been taken off their shelves years ago but they are still selling it. Tired of taking cold showers!

Another case of the infamous thermocouple failure for model FG1F3030T3NOV. I was fortunate in that it last almost three years before it shut down. Unlike most, I was able to contact Whirlpool India and thought it was curious that in their message they had a number to hit specifically for my model. Now I know why! Anyway, went to my local Lowe's and of course, they were out, but being in Southern California, there's always another a few miles down the road. They were nice enough to call the one down the road where they actually did have one in stock. The one thing I did notice when I was fiddlin' around with the water heater the night before, was if you simply close the main gas line just slightly (mine is right next to the unit), the flame will actually stay on. I suppose it then does not require so much oxygen. The result is we were able to have hot water for 2 days which we would not otherwise have!

Well I guess I'm another person not happy with my Whirlpool hot water heater. I bought mine in 03/08 and here it is 04/09 and I've had to replace the thermocouple twice in a week. I complained to the Lowe's I bought it from. They said they had a kit from Whirlpool to fix my model hot water heater. Guess what? When I opened the box, everything said it was for my model hot water tank but no. It's not the same. I went back to Lowe's and all the guy could tell me is to try to fix it with the parts given to me because it is the recommended part listed by Whirlpool for my tank. Well I still have no hot water and I have called several plumbers that will not come out to fix it. Once they hear it's a Whirlpool, they tell me it's a problem for Lowe's.

I bought a new Whirlpool electric hot water heater from Lowe's on Sunday. I installed it myself and it would not work. I called technical support number and was told they would ship out a part and I would get it on Tuesday. I called for installation of the part and they would not come out until Thursday because they only service our area on Tuesday and Thursday. The part came in on Tuesday, so I had a plumber come out and install it because I did not want to wait until Thursday. Guess what, the part did not work either.

I spent a little extra money buying a Whirlpool Flame Lock H/W tank from Lowe’s on November 05 for my rental. After 1 year, I had to replace the burner assembly (part was free). I paid $24.00 to get it shipped. I spent time doing it myself and have had 3 other incidents where the pilot light went out, but I was finally able to get it re-lit. Today at 9:00 PM, I get a call from the same tenant and it won’t relight at all this time. So I guess I'm back to having to replace unit parts all over again. By the way, another of my rentals the year before I bought a Richmond model at Sam’s Club, I have never touched or had a problem with it, and it was nearly $100.00 cheaper. I have always recommended and used Whirlpool appliances, but this really pisses me off!

Model #FG1F404053NOV, Serial #0516136227, Product# 0730261 Water heater stopped working. I called the warranty company and informed them of the problem I was having and they said there was a part I could pick up at Lowes free - at no cost to me. Nothing was said about coming out to install the part. When I called them back to see about installation, I could not get anybody to confirm with me. I was hung up on several times in the process. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was hung up on again.

My complaint is not with an individual but with a product (water heater mod #FG1F40400s3pv). I bought this unit new in 2005. I have had to replace the main burner unit, main gas valve, and thermocouple three times. Whirlpool sent me the parts for free but the overnight shipping was ridiculous. I have done nothing but work on this thing. It's constantly shutting itself off. I have removed burner unit, cleaned it repeatedly and checked my outside regulator and exhaust for sufficient air intake. I have had two other units in the same place and never had any problems with them. The tanks finally rusted out and I had to replace them. I have done nothing but work on this unit and I am getting pissed. The gentleman at the parts supply told me that Whirlpool has had a lot of complaints with this model. I personally feel like Whirlpool should replace this unit with no cost to me at all which includes the high priced shipping that I had to pay for the warranty parts. I am a self-employed maintenance man, fabricator and I guarantee my customers would not put up with this kind of product.

I hate to repeat everything that seems all other consumers have reported, but this is the second time this has happened within a year to me. I also bought the Whirlpool flame lock gas heater from Lowe's. The heater went out Friday night and we had to go the neighbors all weekend to take showers. I called a plumber this morning and he called the number on the heater. They told him we must go to Lowe's and pick up an Akit. The plumber charged $85. My husband drove the thirty miles to pick up the Akit. I then called the customer service. I use that as just the title because the first person I talked to wanted me to follow his instruction to fix the heater. I told him I was at work and my husband was on the way to pick up the part, then he asked to speak to the plumber. Of course, the plumber is not sitting at my house at $85 an hour waiting on someone to tell him how to fix the heater without the part. He then asked if I was refusing his service to walk me through how to fix the heater. I then asked to speak to his supervisor. He gave me a work order # and said to be sure to give it to the supervisor.

I purchased this product on 10/31/06. The past three days, we have had to relight the damn thing because the pilot light keeps going out. I heard of a class action lawsuit about this damn flamelock system and I want to know what to do about this problem. I even sent my product registration in to them on 11/03/06 so they know what I have. Is this what I can expect from Whirlpool or can you help me? I feel that a water heater should last more than 2 1/2 years. What the hell is up with Whirlpool? I hope you can help me with this issue as I am very pissed. I have always been a Whirlpool consumer. At this time, I have a washer, dryer, and stove. I am very tired of taking cold showers. I hope you can help me out before I have to take further action. Whirlpool should have my info on file, as I sent the registration card to them. Thank you and I hope to hear from you shortly!

I called three times about my water heater not working. I told them the pilot light went out and would not stay lit when we tried to re-light it. The first phone call, we were put on hold for over 15 minutes and no one ever came back to the phone. The second phone call, they gave us a phone number to a service center who could not come out for a few days. The third phone call, they suggested that they could send out a part, which we would not receive for at least two days, or we could go to our local Lowe’s and supposedly pick up the part and have a plumber come in and fix it. We ended up having to get a plumber out here and replace the water heater. We were informed that there was at least a two-week wait for the part to fix the Whirlpool water heater that we have had for only 1 year. In fact, the plumber was shocked that Whirlpool would suggest someone to get a part and just have any plumber come in and work on it.

My Whirlpool water heater (Model fgif4t3nov) failed to turn the water on due to thermocoupling problem. As a result, I had to purchase a new water heater from Home Depot at $481.55.

We bought a Whirlpool water heater model # BFG1F4034T3NOV two and a half years ago. It has not worked in two years. The pilot light will not stay lit. I have called and e-mailed the company with no real help. They have sent me two new parts which I had to pay to install and it still doesn't work. I have a family including a 3-year old daughter and cannot keep living this way. I cannot afford a new water heater. What am I to do? I am at the end of my rope now.

I purchased a Whirlpool water heater at Lowe's in 2005. After three and a half years, the thing went bad and they sent me a flame lock kit. That didn't fix the problem. They told me to go to Lowe's and exchange it. The problem is that they no longer manufacture those models so I had to get a new upgraded one. I only received a store credit of $510.00 when the new water heater cost me $580 plus tax. Now I'm out about $120. Why should I have to put money out of my pocket if their product went bad, and it had a 12-year warranty?

No hot water about every six months for about five years. My daughter has this same kind of gas hot water heater and has the same trouble. Like clockwork, after about six months, the thermocouple goes bad.

Same problems as everyone else. I originally purchased product in 2003. Now, I'm working on replacement from 2005. It seems like I'm a lot luckier than everyone else time-wise. Pilot light won't stay lit. They sent me many parts after scouring all of NJ for the parts Lowe's didn't have in stock. I had to pay a plumber because they sent me the wrong thermocouple. Duh. Too much money and aggravation for this. Six days with no hot water! We are a family of four. Please add me to the class action lawsuit. Never ever buy a Whirlpool water heater! They are aware they are making people's lives miserable and it seems like they really don't care.

I bought a 30 gal water heater in Oct. 2008. April 18th 2009, it stopped working. The husband bought a new heater at Lowe's to replace the new one on Sunday, but was told we needed to call the repair number and get a number to return the broken heater to receive credit. When we called, we were told we had to wait till Monday for the repairman to fix the heater since this was brand new and even though it broke on Sat. evening, we had to wait till Monday! I explained since this was new, then why should I need a repair and we had a family and needed showers for work and school! No dishes washed either. My husband wanted to replace it today! They said they would give $75.00 toward plumber fee. They will fix it at their convenience and not the consumer’s!

I purchased Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater at Lowe's in Parker, Colorado in September 2008. I had it installed in October 2008. It is now six months later and the pilot light will not light. Two thermal couple devices and a complete replacement of the burners, three service calls and it still won't light. Now we have to purchase a thermostat. I can't wait to see how much that's going to cost. Estimates are about $360. We've been without hot water since April 11th. It is now April 20th. Warranty? What warranty? We are paying for everything. Original cost is $550. Replacement parts are labor so far are $200 + $360 for a T-stat and it cost more to fix this after six months than to originally purchase it. Cost from an upset wife, no way to make this up. We've used Whirlpool products for years and we're surprised at how we were treated. As part of a remodel project, we're going to buy a new washer/dryer, fridge, and dishwasher. However, Whirlpool will not even be considered for these appliances.

I am a contractor that has installed and inspected many different types of hot water tanks. Honestly, I have never before seen anything quite like Whirlpool heaters. I seem to get a lot of calls complaining of limited hot water. One piece of advice I can give to consumers is to be sure they trust their installer. The problem I've run into is that most of these heaters are being installed incorrectly. First, Whirlpool has a heat trap adapter on both the hot and cold water inlets. Some installers think this is used for shipping purposes and remove it. If this happens, it will allow the dip tube to float - causing cold water to spray on top of the tank and mixing in with the hot water. The result is hot water usage of only about 2 minutes before getting cold.

I was baking in my top oven. When I pressed bake and start, my oven went into the self-cleaning mode, locking the door and then proceeding to burn my food. I didn't know what to do exactly so I finally went to the breaker box and shut off the power to the oven. When the oven cooled down, I turned the breaker switch back on. However, my oven would not come on - no lights in oven, no power, nothing. It's completely dead. The top oven door was still locked. Later in the day, my husband removed the control panel and was able to release the latch so the door would open. We have never used the self-cleaning feature even once, but when it comes on today, our oven no longer works.

We have a Whirlpool Flame Lock Water heater model FG1H404T and participated in the class action lawsuit regarding the thermocouple issue. We received a new thermocouple and gas unit in the mail in 2008 as a result of the litigation, hoping it would solve the problem. Guess what - it still does not work. They sent us the exact same thing we already had minus a couple pieces - it was missing the gas flow regulator (we had to take it off the old one), came with no screws, and still used the left-handed thread thermocouple that is special to this unit and not the right-handed thread one they supplied with the kit.

We purchased a 30 gallon Whirlpool water heater. The unit has stopped producing hot water 5 times in less than a year. I have replaced the heating tubes and thermostat each time. The tenant has just called again about another failure.