|
Fran of Kalamazoo MI (01/04/09)
Early 2007 purchased Whirlpool Flamelock water heater from Lowe's. Model SG1J40T3NOV. Installed successfully, worked for a year (just past warranty), then in Aug 2008 upper and lower sensor failed. After several calls to Whirlpool call center failed to result in solution, I tracked down mfg American Water Heater. I received replacement part via American Water Heater. Installed part. Worked ok for a month. During this time pilot went out. Now lower sensor failure again. In the process of tracking down information on this heater I learned of the many complaints about this item. I believe this item to be a lemon.
Cost $700. Repairman to replace sensor first time $70. Three months without hot water first time; now without hot water again.
Michael of New Albany IN (01/04/09)
01/02/08
water heater went out, pilot was out, I relite pilot light. it cycled, to heat, and pilot light went out again!
did some research and saw this web site, thank you for being here. found it very informing,and very interesting.
so after disassembling two time, I found my problem, it was the thermocouple. I disassemble one time and used a piece of emery cloth and clean the thermocouple, reassemble and it fired up and has been working all night.
I also found a web site with very good diagram. [http:www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/how/std_gas_how.php]
I know it might not work for all, but it did for me.
P.S. my water heater is new 04/07/08. almost made it 7 months.
Walter of El Paso TX (01/03/09)
I purchased a hot water heater, Whirlpool Model FG1F4034T3N08, S/N 0353104235. This water heater has failed three or four times now and has cost me plumber repair fees and also some parts cost each time. I estimate that I have paid at least as much in repairs as the water heater cost in the first place. A class action suit should be started against both Whirlpool and Lowes. These heaters have severe faults which should have caused the product to be recalled. Hundreds if not thousands of people have registered the same problems on the internet. When is someone going to take the necessary action to fill a class action lawsuit on this. Whirlpool should be required to recall this defective product and reimburse all repair and/or shipping costs to the customers involved. Lowe's should share the costs of reimbursement as they continued to sell this lemon after it became apparent that it was no good. My heater had several thermocouple problems and one control valve failure. Each occurance caused us to have no hot water for extended periods and of course the repair costs I already mentioned. If a class action suit is filed I want to be part of it. Such a suit should be widely publicised.
Lynette of Elgin IL (01/03/09)
I had a Whirlpool water heater installed on May 31, 2008 by contractors of Lowe's Home Center. On December 30, I contacted Lowe's stating that I did not have any hot water. The person advised me to contact Whirlpool who will walk me through the steps of re-lighing the pilot light. Meanwhile a service technician for my furnace came. He showed me how to light the pilot but it would not stay on. I called Lowe's again and the person requested my model number. She requestd me to come to the store and pick up a kit that Whirlpool had distributed and this would resolve the problem. I refused and requested Lowe's to send the installer out with the kit. I had to contact Lowe's twice again before hearing from the installer that he could not service me before January 5. This was unacceptable so I called Lowe's headquarter. Christina at the customer care desk informed me that my problem was not a Lowe's problem and provided me a number for American Water Heater which was Whirlpool. The recording spoke of purchasing the kit. I contacted Lowe's again and advised that I wanted the water heater removed and/or replaced. Lowe's tells me that they knew about this issue back in the summer when they began receiving complaints. Meanwhile they advised that they would replace my current water heater and that Whirlpool had finally corrected the issue. I am currently waiting on the installer and hopefully this will work. I told the gentleman at Lowes that they performed a disservice to me and others who have purchased these water heaters. Something should have been forwarded to the customers advising of the potential problem either from Lowe's or Whirlpool. Afer speaking to my sister, I learned that this was a problem as far back as 2004. My sister had purchased a Kenmore water heater with the same problem. (Whirlpool makes Kenmore.)
I will not recommend Lowe's to anyone for purchasing of household appliances and will not recommend Whirlpool either.
Due to no hot water, I had to shower at friends home. I had to eat out as I could not wash dishes or run the dishwasher. This was expensive and also an inconvenient for me as I had just had surgery. I could not boil water to use as my surgery recouperation required me to not bend over or lift anything more than 1 pound.
Kathy of Livingston TX (01/03/09)
I bought a Whirlpool hot water heater 17 months ago and it quit on me. After hours spent talking to someone in INDIA a part (which was wrong) was sent to me. I paid $15 for overnight shipping and $47.50 to a plumber to fix the heater. He said I didn't need that part, but a different one. This happened last week. I have a medically fragile child and need hot water to keep him and the house clean! I am thoroughly disgusted! I paid $715.91 to Lowes for the water heater and installation. Thank you.
Anna of Aztec NM (01/03/09)
I bought a Whirlpool 50 gallon water heater w/flame lock less than 7 months ago. Over the past few weeks the water seemed to be getting colder and colder, until the pilot light just would not stay on. I thought it was an isolated incident, however, it continued. I searched the Internet and found this site. I originally was freaked out about the horror stories I was reading. But, I e-mailed Whirlpool at their site and clicked on the Talk to us section. Lo and behold a recognized problem.
I e-mailed them with my phone number( you have to enter your phone number just right or it will not accept it, use parentheses and dashes) With in 2 hours I got a phone call from Whirlpool, I described the problem and he said OK. No questions, no explanations no needed information. The part is being shipped out the same day. Although according to the stories I have read, this might not be enough. I will continue my battle with Whirlpool (if indeed it does not help, for the 6 year warranty time period) and I will carry it on to Lowe's.
During these cold winter months with several inches of snow on the ground and two small children. It is very difficult not to have warm/hot water in the house. Carrying pots of stove heated water to the tub or basin is time consuming and ridiculous. If Whirlpool does not take care of this problem, than Lowe's needs to, or discontinue its contract with Whirlpool. Customer service should be number 1.
Joseph of Augusta GA (01/02/09)
A few days ago, my pilot light on my flame lock whirl pool water heater started going out. I relit it and about 5 minutes later the pilot light and the burn flame went out at the same time. So, I tried to relight the pilot, but when I would release the red button the flame would go out. I then went to the whirl pool web site to get additional troubleshooting instructions. By following these instruction, the problem seemed to be the BFG Gas Thermostat or the Thermocouple. So, I replace each of them and the pilot still doesn't stay lit. The website should have informed it's costumers of this problem. I've been working on this for two days and spent 65.00 dollars of my money attempting to repair it.
Don of Kent OH (01/02/09)
I purchased a Whirlpool Flamelock hotwater heater 2.5 years ago. The pilot light went out on New Years Day (how convenient!). Tried several times to relight it and finally deducted it was the termalcoupler. I read the complaints on this website and became very suspicious. I went to Lowe's to get a new thermalcoupler as this is where I purchased it. I told the clerk about my issue and the other complaints. She gave me a new manifold kit. Fortunately, I was able to install it and had hot water last night. I am cautiously skeptical though. Stay tuned......
I had no hot water at one of the more inconvenient times, a holiday. Go figure!!
John of East Peoria IL (01/02/09)
Pilot light won't stay lit. Under warranty. Lowe's (seller) doesn't have the upgrade kit in stock, but hopes to have it in a week. Can order the kit from Whirlpool but they want $30 for shipping, then have to have a plumber install it. I understand the new kit won't be ignitor start anymore. The local plumber (contractor for Lowe's says I should get a whole new valve and thermocouple, but the Whirlpool phone rep says, no, you only need the thermocouple kit. Lowes only sells Whirlpool brand water heaters.
The replacement will be $348 plus $250 installation. The Lowes salesman is trying to find some kits at another store, but it may be a WEEK or more, and they have a backlog of requests already. 14 in the last two weeks at just one Lowes here. Count me in on any class action lawsuit. This is ridiclous. A reputable company would have notified people of this problem and worked agressively to fix the problem before it occurred.
Will cost at least $600 to replace the water heater. To 'order' the kit from Whirlpool will be $30+ (shipping) plus another $150 to install, and this waterheater is still under warranty!
Steven of Dallas TX (01/02/09)
I purchased a whirlpool water heater from Lowes on 6/12/04. Model # FG1H4040T3NOV Serial # 0415126780 With the Flame Lock safty system. I thought that if I purchased a name brand like Whirlpool,from a reputable company like Lowes that it would last for atleast 10 yrs. Boy was I wrong. 4yrs & 6mo.later the pilot light goes out and won't light. I decided to check the internet to see if anyone else had this problem, much to my surprise I see not just a few but hundreds of complaints about the same problem.
I would think that if a huge company like Whirlpool cared about their name or their company. They would have recalled this piece of garbage they made and repaid their customers for their losses. Now I don't know about everyone else but I can't aford to wait and see what Whirlpool will do to fix this problem, and have no hot water for god knows how long. But I will say this I will never buy another large appliance from lowes because they don't seem to care,they continue to sell whirlpool water heaters, nor will I ever buy another Whirlpool product in my lifetime. If they don't care about their customers than I certainly don't care about them. I hope the CEO of Whirlpool reads these conplaints. Than they won't wonder why they go out of bussiness when nobody else buy their products either.
Total loss $609.85 with installation.
Wayne of Peoria IL (01/02/09)
Our 1 1/2 year old water heater quit working last week, and I called wirlpool about it, and found others have had the same issue, and even a lawsuit had been filed previously. They sent me a replacement part,but I'm still having the issue. Pilot light won't stay lit!
We have a had to take several very cold showers, and/or asked relatives to accommodate us. I've relit the pilot on occasions, just long enough to get hot water, and then it shuts off again. This is not only a hardship on our family, over the holidays, but also a safety issue. I need to hire an expert in this field now, and feel Wirlpool should pay for this.
Karris of Vancouver WA (01/02/09)
Our landlord replaced an old waterheater in April of 08 with a Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater. It worked well until 12/27/08 when the pilot light went out and we could not get it started again. Called the landlord and he sent out his repair man. He checked everything out and stated that the Thermalcouple had gone out. He replaced it, started the pilot and left. He was gone only for about an hour, I went out to check the water heater and the pilot had gone out again. I tried to restart it and it would not stay lit after letting go of the restart button.
I called the repair man and he went to Lowes and got another thermalcouple and replaced it again. He started it up, left and again I went out to check the pilot. It had again went out. I was able to start it this time and check periodicaly to make sure it stayed lit. When I went to bed, it was still lighted and so I thought it was fixed. Guess what, the next morning when I got up, the pilot was out and I could not get it to restart! I have called and left a message for the landlord. I believe he should get his money back on this waterheater as I have been looking on line and have found nothing but complaints on this product.
My family has spent nearly a week w/out hot water. This means that just to do dishes we have to heat the water up on the stove. And taking a bath requires that we heat water up and take spit baths. I have 5 adults and 3 small children in our home and this is a nightmere. I am hoping that the owner just replaces this defective device with something that works like it suppose to.
Alan of Fairmont NC (01/01/09)
I purchased a 40 gallon Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater from Lowes in Nov.03. Since then I have replaced the thermocouple 12 times and the gas valve 2 times. The parts used to be available from Lowes but now I have been told by Lowes that the parts have to be obtained from Whirlpool. Again I have no hot water and I have to wait for Whirlpool to ship the part to me and I have to pay for the shipping. How Lowes can continue to sell a item that has as many problems as this water heater has is beyond me.
Too many COLD showers, $15 for every thermocouple that I have changed, $13 shipping this time for the parts from Whirlpool.
Lisa of Citrus Heights CA (12/31/08)
We purchase a new Whirlpool Water Heater with Flame Lock April 2, 2008 - on December 28, 2008 it stopped working. The pilot light went out and would not stay lit. After 4 days and no hot water Whirlpool sent another Flame Lock Kit at our shipping expense. It was installed by a certified plumber and ONE HOUR later it went out and would not restart.
I will never buy anything with the Whirlpool name on it! We now find out this has been occurring to others for years? Why is Whirlpool still selling these defiective water heaters and why is Lowes still selling them? I AM WORKING ON STARTING ANOTHER CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST WHIRLPOOL & LOWES.
We are out the cost of the water heater $300, the installation $400, the plumber bill to tel us what was wrong with a 8 month old water heater $152, the plumber to install the new kit $185 and the shipping on the replacement part - unknown as of yet.
Belinda of Citrus Heights CA (12/31/08)
I purchased a hot water heater from Lowe's and had it installed on 9 Jul 08 by one of their installers. On 30 Dec 08, I no longer had hot water. I contacted the local gas company to see if the pilot light simply needed to be relit. At that time I was informed that the heater would not stay lit because of a defective part. I went back to Lowe's and was advised to call the manufacturer.
I have been making calls and given nothing but the run around. Nor have I been able to locate the part that is allegedly a stock item at Lowe's within a 100 mile radius of my home. Whirlpool placed me on hold after I called back yet again to find out if anyone else had the part and found myself left on hold for over 15 minutes until I was disconnected. Repeated calls went unanswered.
Jennifer of Salida CA (12/30/08)
We bought a Whirlpool Flame-Lock 50 gallon water heater from Lowes in January 2008. The pilot light went out 3 days ago. When I called Lowes they told us to call Whirlpool. The 800 number is in India. They referred us to Lowes to get the free part. The Lowes closest to us did not have it so my husband had to drive to the Lowes 25 miles away to get it. After putting it on we had a gas leak and PG &E had to come out. The PG&E worker told us that they have had nothing but problems with this water heater. He relit the pilot light only to go out again the next day!
We called Whirlpool who was now going to ship us the kit in three days. I complained that I am not a professional installer and the warranty should cover someone to put it in. So the woman gave me an service authorization to have someone to come from Sears to fix it. In the meantime I called the 800 number from Lowes to complain. The lady was very nice and told me someone would call me back within 24 hours. Within an hour, Matt, the manager from the Modesto Lowes, calls me back. He acknowledges the problem with these water heaters and agrees to take it back. We ended up getting a credit at Lowes but purchased the water heater from Sears since Lowes only carries Whirlpool.
After 4 days of no hot water, and $475 for a new water heater and another $150 paid to install it, we finally have hot water! I wish I would have read all the negative reviews first before purchasing. I am at least happy that Lowes gave us a credit and took the thing back. Maybe others that are in a similar situation may want to pursue that avenue.
Anna of Garfield Hts OH (12/30/08)
Feb 6-2008 we purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater with flame lock, from Lowes Home Centers. On 6-2-08 we had no hot water. Service was called, they replaced a washer on the dipstick, on 10-30-08 no hot water, they replaced the gas control valve, on 11-18-08 no hot water, they replaced the thermocoupling, on 12-29-08, again no hot water, service called again, this time they said it was the dip stick, so now they are coming to replace that.
damges no hot water for days at a time each time.
Nelda of Bethalto IL (12/30/08)
I purchased a Whirlpool water hearter from Lowe's in Alton, Il 62002. In less than five years, it started to leak and flooded my laundry room. I went to Lowe's and got a replacement in 2008 and on 12-29-2008 the pilot assembly went bad. I have had to pay for two installations and the labor to have the pilot assembly replaced. I called your customer service department and was told they would not reimburse me for this labor. I am 70 years old and am retired and live on a fixed income. I cannot afford these labor costs. The product has a 1 year warranty on parts and labor, yet I am still having to pay labor to have it repaired.
I have had to pay to have 2 water heaters installed and a pilot assembly replaced. I think I should be reimbursed for the labor for the second water heater and the pilot assembly. The bill for draining the first water heater and having it returned and installing the new one was $234. The labor for installing the pilot assembly is $156. I would have been willing to pay for installing the second one, but when the pilot assembly went out, I simply cannot keep payin this labor.
Robert of Aurora CO (12/30/08)
Nine months after purchasing a Whirlpool 50 gallon water heater the pilot light would not remain lit. I replaced the thermal couple at my own expense which only lasted 24 hours. I have been taking cold showers while I wait for my FLAMELOCK KIT to arive from Whirlpool. My reason for replacing my 12 year old 30 gallon heater with a 50 gallon heater was so that I could take back to back showers. I noticed that the new water heater ran out of hot water faster than the old one and has a slower recovery. My daughter made the same mistake I did, so I told her I would help her contact Whirlpool. I tried to visit Whirlpool.com on the web and water heaters are no longer listed as one of their products. I guess that ducking your head in the sand makes the problem go away.
I have no confidence that the new Whirlpool water heater will last even a reasonable amout of time. I suspect the main burner is undersized and they probably cut corners on the thickness of the tank wall as well. After spending $422 at Lowe's I will spend $480 at Bell for a good heater like the ones I installed in all my rental houses which have had no problems at all. I had guests ariving at Christmas and had to boil water on the stove to do dishes. We all took sponge baths using the same method. I have been waiting almost 2 weeks now and having a faster delivery method was not an option at their web site. I will probably never shop at Lowe's again and I will certainly never buy another Whirlpool product under any circumstance. I will also tell anyone who will listen about my experience.
Patricia of Blytheville AR (12/29/08)
Purchased the Whirlpool Flame Lock Hot Water Heater on July 14, 2004.Had to repair the Thermocoupple on 12-05-2005. At that time my husband was in Iraq and did not receive much support from Whirlpool. A year later I had to do the same thing. Now 2 years later the heater has went out again. This time we called Whirlpool and the customer service representative told us what to try and we did just that. Now it has been determined that we need new gas valves. What's next! Roto Rooter has a life-time hot water heater, they will install it and repair it at anytime free of charge.
Penny of Granville WV (12/29/08)
I purchased a Whirlpool hot Water tank from Lowes. I have had I believe, this is the third or fourth. Each time they go bad, either the thermcoupler, or electric ignitor.Lowes has replaced the tanks a couple of times as it was determined that the tanks were no good. The last time I had one installed was 08-27-07. I still had to pay 195.96 for installation, which I think is ridiculous given it was the tank that went bad.
There has also been controversy over the tank being installed in my double wide mobile home. Whirlpool states in their installation manual this tank is not for use in mobile homes. Lowes said it is not a mobile home, but a modular, and that it is safe as it is vented properly. I am in the middle as I don't know who or what to believe and am not able to buy another tank or pay for labor to install it. I am also disabled and can not do these things for myself. I have had subsequent major water damage to my floors in the laundry room as a result of these tanks blowing out and water spuing everywhere. I don't know what to do.
I feel that someone other than myself should have to not only replace the tank, but also repair the damage to my floors and walls in the laundry room . When I called Whirlpool yesterday, 12-28-08, I was told that my warrenty was void as the tank is in a mobile home. I called Lowes, and they said they would call me back and they didn't, I called Lowes again this morning and was told they would call me back by late this afternoon.
Ketan of Carol Stream IL (12/29/08)
I purchased a home in July of '08. We were told by the ex-owners that they installed a new hot water heater in March of '08. According to Whirlpool after they looked up my serial number they said it was purchased in November of '07. Either way, the hot water heater was not old. In the beginning of December of '08, the hot water heater went out (pilot light would not stay on).
I called Whirlpool and they told me that the warranty does NOT transfer with new ownership. I was stunned that they would refuse to do anything for me when the hot water heater was only a year old. I ended up calling a plumber and they replaced the thermocouple, which costed me $300. It worked fine for about 12 hours and went out again.
The plumbers came back (which by the way, were very good plumbers) and they told me the next step, which would be the gas valve. At this point I would be paying an additional $650. I decided that it would not be worth it for me to keep putting money into this hot water heater lemon. I bought a new hot water heater with a 10 year warranty that IS transferable and luckily the plumbers that I called put the $300 that I had already spent towards a new hot water heater.
Steven of Wagoner OK (12/29/08)
whirlpool flamelock waterheater peice of junk thermal cup. replaced doorswitch upgrade.thermal cup. out again less than a year where do i sign up on lawsuit
Jack of Warm Springs AR (12/29/08)
We have had nothing but trouble out of our Whirlpool water heater purchased at Lowes. We have had to replace the thermalcouple more than five times. The last time it went out we had to speak to a person in India on the phone. Only to find out now there is a replacement kit not just the thermalcouple. We used the kit and it lasted 24 days. Tomorrow we are going to give up and buy a new water heater and you can bet it won't be a Whirlpool. Actually we will never buy another Whirlpool product and will reccomend to all friends and family that they never buy a Whirlpool product. Its easy enough now days to check and see if off brands are made by Whirlpool and we will be very careful with future purchases.
Maria of Washington DC (12/29/08)
I purchased a Whirlpool Energy Smart Flame Lock gas hot water heater in September '07. The control was defective on the new heater and Whirlpool sent a new one after much debate. The pilot went out this month (December '08). It took four days to get the issue resolved (Christmas was the second day and Whirlpool was not contacted on that day. They were, however on the other three days). The first person we spoke with could not fix the problem.
Someone called later and told the plumber to bleed the gas line. Of course that did not work. After two hours of talking with various Whirlpool technicians on the 4th day without water, we got the pilot lit. The heater has a 12 year warranty. I am not optimistic that the controls can operate a year without servicing, let alone 12 years. This piece of junk replaced a water heater that lasted 25 years with no problem. Lowe's should stop selling this product.
Was without hot water for four days. Had guests (4 people) over Christmans.
Vonda of Neosho MO (12/29/08)
Purchased new 40 Gal. water heater in August 2004, replaced thermocoupler twice. We've been having trouble with it continuosly ever since the purchase. Flushed the tank to remove sediment only to realize the tank is cracked on 12-28-08. I have seen a lot of the complaints about the Whirlpool water heaters, sad to say I have to add my name to the list of complaints. A tank that is only 4 years old and already having all these problems. I have to purchase another water heater, obviously, but it will NOT be Whirlpool.
Brenda of Shreveport LA (12/28/08)
I purchased one of the Flame Lock hot water heaters in 2002. After replacing the heating element part twice, I was able to get one sent from Whirlpool after the lawsuit was settled. I don't remember the exact date the last (3rd) replacement was made but it was after the lawsuit was settled. HOWEVER,that 3rd replacement that Whirlpool said was supposed to be THE answer has now gone out. But it is too late to go back and ask for a replacement of my hot water heater. Now I'm replacing my hot water heater that had a 12-year warranty long before the warranty is up....all simply because I'm tired of putting out plumber bills to replace faulty parts.
I have sustained the cost of buying replacement parts twice and paying a plumber to replace the part. In addition, I had to pay a plumber to install the part that Whirlpool sent that was supposed to be the fix all to the Flame Lock heaters. I cannot afford parts and plumber bills every year or two. Therefore, I am replacing my hot water heater but cannot get payment for replacing the heater because of the deadlines of the lawsuit. The class action lawsuit should be re-opened since the so called fix all part didn't last much longer than the orginal and replacement parts.
Todd of Sheffield Lake OH (12/28/08)
I purchased a Flame Guard water heater from Lowes and after 1.5 years of frustration found out about the class action lawsuit regarding these waterheaters. This was after repeated calls to Lowes and Whirpool, neither of which informed me of the lawsuit or remedy. I found out from a plumber when I had exhaused all other means of getting replacement thermocouples. I filled out the forms, recieved the replacement parts, and installed them.
Since that time I have had so many issues with the thermo-couple reset switch tripping due to the combustion chamber getting dirty that I am replacing my 3 yr old water heater at my own expense. I WILL NEVER buy a water heater from whirlpool or one manufactured by American Water heater(if I can help it), nor will I buy another appliance at Lowes due to their lack of service, local knowledge of the problem, and lack of offering me any solution.
My water heater goes out once every 2 - 4 weeks or so, then if I dont clean the combustion chamber it will continue to go out once a day until I do. Cleaning this chamber is time consuming and difficult.
Brian of Flushing MI (12/28/08)
I purchased a hot water heater from Lowes in Oct. of 2007 (Whirlpool flame lock Model SG1J5040T3N0V) and it quit working on Dec. 24, 2008 (less than 14 months old). After spending 3 days online with whirlpool calling tech support and dismantleing this thing 10 or 12 times, and paying $100 for a professional to come over a take a look at it , they agreed to send me a burner replacement kit. As it turns out the gas feed tube leading to the burner has a pinhole leak which caused the entire inner wires to catch on FIRE rendering this unit unoperational. :(
A spoke with a manager at Lowes and he told me that they have had no problems with this unit and that they sell alot of these Whirlpools without any problems. It appears that I was lied to as I spoke with an employee at another store and he told me that he has heard of problems with Whirlpool brand heaters, and also that Lowes was in the process of pulling mobile home hot water heaters from thier shelves because of issues with them. a little FYI for people in the market for a hot water heater... AVOID WHIRLPOOL you WILL regret it! I purchased mine in a hurry ,on the weekend when the plumbing stores were closed. Only choice i had was Lowes. I normally stick with White brand heaters. I regret buying Whirlpool, and if I have anymore problems in the near future this one will go to the road and will be replaced with a White Hot water heater.
-= $468 for Top of the line? water heater 1.)7 days no hot water 2.) hours on line with whirlpool 3.) $100 for a professional to troubleshoot problems
Alan of Batavia OH (12/28/08)
Bought a whirlpool flame lock 40 gallon propane water heater at lowes. Within 6 months the unit was broken, would not hold pilot flame. First I went to Lowes, they did not want to deal with it and did not have the repair kit for the propane unit in stock. Called the 1-877 number on the side of the device and they said it was the regulator even after I told them it was a thermocouple issue. I find out later the regulator was a recall item they just wanted me to have to protect their own hides.
So after I install this regulator (now 4 days with no hot water in the middle of winter) I call them again and they send me the repair kit in the meantime I am mad that I haven't had a shower in 4 days. I drove about 100 miles to a lowes in Dayton Ohio to a lowes that had the repair kit I get back home and repair the unit and take a hot shower a couple hours later. less than 2 weeks it is broken again. I paid $30 for next day shipping on the parts from whirlpool and fortunately I have a spare set because I got the set from Lowes. It looks like I need a closet full of spares for this piece of junk.
too many days without hot water, hours of my personal time, $30 in shipping charges, several gallons of gasoline not to mention wear and tear on my truck and I still need to buy a decent water heater.
William of Fremont OH (12/28/08)
On January 28, 2008, my hot water heater needed replaced. I contacted Mr. Rooter Plumbing, who has a local franchise located in Perrysurg, Ohio. I was told that Mr. Rooter normally installs A.O. Smith water heaters, but they did not have any in stock. The plumber assigned to fix my heater, drove to the local Lowe's and purchased a Whirlpool Flame Lock hot water heater, and installed it. At no time was I advised of the pending litigation concerning these heaters, or given the opportunity to request that a heater not involved in the litigation be purchased from another vendor.
Less than one year later, the heater will not re-light, and I am without hot water for at least the next 3 days. Mr. Plumber, Lowe's and Whirlpool were all well aware of a class action lawsuit that had been filed concerning these hot water heaters, and they still sold it to me, having full knowledge that these heaters are defective, and should have been withdrawn from the market years ago. (See Bowen, et al v. Whirlpool Corp., et al filed on 11-10-2005 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in Santa Ana.) The class action suit has since been settled, and the deadline for participation has passed. I'm left out in the cold, all the way around.
My family is without hot water for at least the next 3 days, till Whirlpool sends a part they claim will fix the problem. Whirlpool claims the gas control valve is defective, without examination. Mr. Rooter has stated, also without examination of the heater, that the problem is due to the failure of the thermocouple. Mr. Rooter has repeatedly refused to even look at the water heater until Whirlpool sends a replacement part. No one is willing to replace the defective water heater, fix the existing heater, or give any kind of resolution for at least the next 3 days. And that's assuming that Whirlpool's guess on the problem is correct. Mr. Rooter purchased the heater at Lowe's for about $600, according to Lowe's website. Mr. Rooter charged me $889.40 to install the heater. This amount includes an additional $100 that I paid for an extended service plan from Mr. Rooter. Even if I replace the defective heater out of my own pocket, and could participate in the class action settlement, I would only be re-imbursed up to $150, depending on the number of claims filed. After all the litigation on these heaters, Whirlpool and Lowe's continues to manufatcure and sell them to even more unsuspecting customers.
Ricky of Bakersfield CA (12/27/08)
purchase an hot water heater back on 12/31/07 211456 50gal 6yr natural gas i called whirl pool and descibe the problem the pilot will not stay on and i want my money back they said cannot refund my money
two days with out hot water and paying for service call having to take showers at my parents house
Ted of Plano TX (12/26/08)
I replaced both the upper & lower heater element in our hot water heater model # EE2H50RD045V. When it was turned back on, we lost the Controller Board. Called whirlpoolon 12-24-08 2PM CTS. Says they will ship a new unit. Should receive it Next day for $15, 2nd day for $10, or Regular ground for $5. Then told us the early they would ship the part is Monday, 12-29-08. We were then told that we could buy one locally,If we could find it, and they would reimburse when we send them the receipt.
Cold showers or baths for the family for nearly a week just because they didn't feel like shipping it that day or on friday or saturday.
Robert of Hillsboro TX (12/26/08)
Water Heater too. After reading all the complaints, I am not even going to try to fix it. I will just replace it with another one (Another Brand). Thank God for the net. I would have never known all this if it wasn't for it. Thanks to all of you. Hey Whirlpool we keep you in business. Not the way to keep customers!!!!!!!!!
It was only a year old. It replaced the one that work for 28 yrs. without a problem.
Theresa of Marshfield MA (12/25/08)
purchased gas hot water heater on 3-10-04, thermo couple went on 5-07-08, cost $289.00 to replace, went again on 12-16-08 cost $25.00 to diagnose thermocouple gone again. whirlpool ok'd replacement with a new hot water heater with the flame lock system, cost us $445.00 to install. plumber told us thermocouple is a recall and whirlpool has to reimburse us for all labor costs. Is this true and how do we go about filing for reimbursement. Thank you
Mike of West Des Moines IA (12/25/08)
Bought a Whirlpool 40 gallon water heater from Lowe's in West Des Moines in 2002. It stopped working Xmas Eve 2008 and wouldn't light. I picked up a free manifold kit and pilot still won't light. Will have to wait until after Christmas to call someone. Meanwhile, imposing on good neighbors for showers.
Ernie of Garland TX (12/24/08)
Another failed Thermocouple in my Gas Hot Water Heater. The water heater was replaced about 3 years ago and theis will be the second thernocouple failure this year. The last time I was provided a kit and was able to replace the burner assy myself. This time this will probably cost me to fix. Whirlpool, I thought, had a reputation for quality products. Now I find out that not only are their products crap initially, but they can't even supply repair parts to fix them that are any better.
Obviously, the inconvience of no hot water and costs to repair. Other than that none to this point, but the water heater ain't fixed yet and probably won't stay fixed then.
John of Butler PA (12/24/08)
My pilot light would not stay lit and I called the 877 number on the side and talked to someone in India they told me to change the thermocoupler. It didn't fix the problem. I then called back and pressed 1 when it said If you model starts in FG and you need assistance Then I got to talk to an american, she immediately told me about the problem actually being in the gas valve, she overnighted the part and had someone out to replace it the next day free of charge. The guy just left and it is working....so far. So if you have a poroblem with your pilot call the 877 number on the side of your talk and press 1 you will talk to an american and get the service you derserve.
I didn't have hot water for 3 days and kept getting People from India or Pakistan that didn't even understand what I was saying! I have 2 small children and it wasn't easy. Called the number pressed 1 and got and AMERICAN on the phone and got my problem resolved.
Sherman of Laporte TX (12/23/08)
This is our second Whirlpool water heater. Thermocoupler AGAIN. There has to to a means to get Whirlpool to correct this issue or help defray the cost of a new water heated.
Warm water is one of the pleasures of life. I paid for the appliance and I expect it to work past the warranty limits. I will not purchase another Whirlpool product and intend on posting my experience in an ad in our local paper.
Baxter, of Rochester NY (12/22/08)
I purchased a new 30 gallon Whirlpool Gas Hot Water Heater in May of 2008. In the month of December, it no longer produced any hot water. The Thermocouple was replaced, and hot water returned for only one day. I am now back to taking cold showers.
This month of December has been very cold, and I work outside. With this I look forward to a nice hot shower, when I return to my home. The cost of buying a new Thermocouple, time, and time again, is going to be a bit much. Plus I do not have the time to spare, making sure that I am home from work waiting on a repairman.
Anna of Chino CA (12/22/08)
We purchase a 30 gallon water heater and had it professionally installed. Within the 1st 6 months of the new water heater the thermaocoupler needed to be replaced. Since the 1st time the malfunction occurred we have had to install a conversion kit and now we need to replace the thermostat. When does this end! We are tired of going without hot water. Why can't Whirlpool be considerate and stop selling water heaters that don't work.
Cold showers for days at a time, Fees paid to contractors to find and fix the defective parts on the water heater
Mathew of Milford MA (12/21/08)
I bought a Whirlpool water heater at Lowe's in January 2008. The water heater stopped working in December 2008. After doing some research on the internet I saw the same complaints about these water heaters. Faulty design, continuous replacing of the same parts etc. I also saw that there was a class action lawsuit on these water heaters manufactured prior to this model and it seems that there is no improvement in the newer models.
When I called customer service they pretty much new what I was going to say before I could even say it. That shows how many people have complained about the same issues. They are sending me replacement parts that will no doubt fail in a matter of months according to the complaints of other people. In the meantime, I have no hot water for 4 days and 18 of snow outside.
I paid $428 for the water heater and $100 to have it installed. $10.00 for a thermocouple that didn't fix the problem and now I will have to take a unpaid day off from work to wait for a plumber to install the gas valve that whirlpool is sending me. It is irresponsible for a company to sell a product this faulty and just as irresposible for Lowes to sell it. I plan on buying a new water heater if this new part fails in a few months which will be another $500 that I don't have. Whirlpool should recall these water heaters and issue refunds to anyone who owns one.
John of Layton UT (12/21/08)
All the repair technicians reported to me that I needed to call Whirlpool--which I did. Talked to a guy from India. He told me that I needed to wait a few days. Then I protested, that it was too long. Then he told me that Lowes had it. I go to Lowes, then the technican returns. Now the technican informes me the part that Whirlpool sent Lowes is faulty. Sure enough I look on the manual and the replacement part is missing a part. Can't be fixed. GRR...guess its back to taking cold showers. Unfortunately I live in Utah and its freezing here.
Costing me money for technicians, children do not have cold water, and my renter upstairs is upset that they have no hot water. This has placed me in hot water with everyone. Whirlpool could have made this right if the replacement part was not faulty too. But they made a faulty replacement part too. Wondering if I should just replace the whole thing today so I can have hot water tomorrow. I hate complaining...but I hate Whirlpool now.
Mark of Keansburg NJ (12/21/08)
I bought an electric Whirlpool hot water heater four months ago at Lowes in Hazlet NJ. The hot water heater cought on fire. I spent the next day on the phone with Whirlpool. I kept getting put on hold and disconnected, or they would give me the number of a repair service that did not work. It has been such an ordeal. Finally I was able to schedule a repairman to come take a look at it, but he may have to order parts, it could be another week. If that is the case I will have to just buy a new ( GE ) one.
At this point Whirlpool almost burned down my house. Has wasted many hours of my time because of a terrible customer service system. We have been without hot water for four days. Everytime I call their phone number I get a different story from the company. I don't think a company that puts peoples lives in danger should be in business, and Lowes is not much better since they continue to sell these things.
Mike of Bozeman MT (12/21/08)
exactly what happened to others who purchased a whirpool water heater with gas lock. 6 months, and then no hot water. i called the customer service because i could not relight my pilot. i talked to a woman in india who could barely speak english, and was obviously reading the relighting instructions which i had just read. i told her i need hot water now because it is winter in montana, etc etc. so she then told me my water heater was no longer under warranty. i started to yell, and asked her if she was calling me a liar since i had my receipt, etc etc.
so in the end, they sent me over to a woman in kentucky, who actually helped me relight the pilot by flooding the chamber. i know for a fact this is dangerous, but i needed the flame on. in the meantime, they made me fax my receipt over to them so they could verify that i was still capable of getting a warranty. they then took 3 days to ship me a thermocoupler, and still to this day, they have not contacted me about a plumber who can come and replace the part. no one here will deal with them, so i am stuck with a part which is useless to me. at least i now know how to flood the chamber with gas to relight my water heater.
so far nothing, but i could see my house burning down if i have to keep doing this.
Alan of Santa Clarita, CA (12/21/08)
2 years old- thermocouple won't stay lit. Left hand threads - Lowes only had right hand thread at one store and were out at the first one.
Steve of Dallas TX (12/21/08)
I am spending my third night without hot water and since it is Saturday it will be at least a couple more. Same problem as you guys, same Whirlpool model number, 3 months old. Replaced the entire manifold door assembly including the thermocouple in a kit provided by Lowe's. Still could not get pilot to stay lit. Almost tried a thermocouple adapter that came in the kit and it was threaded the wrong way.
To anyone saying we should have gone with Bradford-White or Rheem...Whirlpool used to have an excellent reputation for quality and value. I am not expecting good things when I call on Monday. Lowe's said their hands are tied and I would have to go through Whirlpool. When I asked them why they keep selling this piece of junk, they claim I am the first one to have problems. They said they had problems 5 years ago but fixed them. I will spend the money to fix it if it will stay working. I can make more money but I cannot replace the time I have spent. I would also sign up for a class action suit.
So far I am out lots of time and a little money- about $70 for a plumber because I did most of the work. But, we are not done yet as I still have no hot water.
Sandy of Akron OH (12/18/08)
We purchased a hot water heater from Lowes a few years back. Since then we have had to replace the thermocoupler 4 times. Being without hot water for days at a time waiting on the part to arrive each time. On Dec.12th the pilot light went out. We were told to replace the coupler again. That didn't work. Then we were told we needed a valve body and we woud have it on Tuesday.
Needless to say after installing this, the pilot still wouldn't stay lit. We called Whirlpool again, only to have them tell us it was a gas line. We called 4 plumbers after that. Everyone we called knew it was a Whirlpool without us having to tell them. They refused to come out and fix it ! We finally purchased a new tank & had it installed for $700.00. I would really like to know how a company stay's in business & the stores still carry this type of tank. Obviously there should be a recall on these tanks and the people should be re-imbursed for their time and money.
We had to take cold showers, boil water & purchase a new hot water tank. The new tank cost us $700.00. My husband ended up with a cold after 5 days of cold showers.
Rex of Baton Rouge LA (12/18/08)
I purchased the water heater from LOWES last November. Made it 1 year then the pilot ligh problem started. Payed $80 to a HomeCare service guy to relight it for me after I failed to suceed in lighting it the night before. Apparently the thermocouple was so faulty that it had to really cool down before it would reopen. Anyway I called the 800 number and the sent a new control unit for free (except for $14 shipping and they arranged for free labor from SEARS. It's working now - but from the reports above, I wonder how long it'll last.
One weird thing - the only thermostate probe (which was removed) was still covered in the protective plastic sheath over the copper probe. So the the original part had been installed with this condom-like plastic cover on the probe. I can't help but think that was a sloppy installation and that plastic should have been removed. I tried calling Sears to ask the technitian about this - but they could not locate any contact info for him.
What is the status of the class action suit?? We were without hot water for 1 week - during whic time it snowed pretty heavy here. I spent well over $1200 to have this $50 gallon unit purchased and installed from LOWES and it has never really been as good as the old corroded one we replaced.
Angele of Ft. Wayne IN (12/18/08)
I bought a water heater in the summer of 2008, when I turned on my gas this winter(2008) my water heater went out, I was told by the gas company that the flamelock was not right for that water heater, I purchased it from LOWES so I called them and was pretty much told it was whirlpools problem, so I called whirlpool the person I talked to spoke very little english and kept telling me to call back and they would instruct me how to light it finally I was told to order a part from the flamelock support website and have it installed by a plumber (100-150$) I paid 15.00 for the part and now I have to pay to have it installed, Im a single mom and do not have the money so its been two months now without hot water. I feel they know there product is bad and they should have to pay to fix it. I read on the website that this is a common occurance with this product. I will never buy another whirlpool product again.
I have a small child and we have had no hot water for two months and will probably not have any for another two, boiling water to take a bath and do dishes is very time consuming. All I want for Christmas is a hot shower.
Ray of Albuquerque NM (12/17/08)
Purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater in May of 08 from Lowes. December of 08, thermocoupler burned out Pilot lite will not stay lit. I had a plumber come out and was told the thermocoupler was burned out so I replace it with three (3) new thermocouplers and it still doesn't stay lit. I called whirlpool on December 16th and spoke with Chris and said I need to replace it again.
By that time i was fustrated and went to Lowes to purchase another ONE and was told by an associate that this happends all the time with the whirlpool water heaters. I will call Whirlpool back on the 17th of 2008 on Wednesday to see what I can do about getting hot water. It has snowed here for the past two days and we are having to go to neighboors to take a shower.
Mary of Hazlet NJ (12/17/08)
Bought water heater in 2006 from lowes model fg1f4034t3nov In 3 months after buying it it stopped working so called the repair man in and he told me that the thermocouple went on it since I had it under contract with my gas company it was covered and they fixed it only to have it go again 4 months later again. Now its 2008 and what happenes now is the pilot light keeps going out and I have no hot water.
wHERE AND WHAT DO i DO ITS COLD OUT SIDE AND WE NEED HOT WATER, i DONT HAVE MONEY TO BUY A NEW ONE RIGHT NOW.
John of Coon Rapids MN (12/16/08)
Same problem as described in other's earlier reports of defective thermocouple on Whirlpool water heaters purchased at Lowe's. I bought it less than a year ago and it's broken already. A service person will be coming tomorrow to fix it. If there's a class action here I want in. I will likely seek some sort of individual action if I find this happening on a regular basis.
Tracy of Robersonville NC (12/15/08)
I just found out about the lawsuit against whirlpool hot water heaters. I have had a serious issue for two mths now with no help. I am petrified of my house catching fire while we are at work and my beloved pets in here. Or at night. Please help. Thank you
John of Middleboro MA (12/15/08)
I made the mistake of buying a Whirlpool self destroying water heater. Its 3 months old, and its a piece of ----.. won't stay working, poor design, cheap parts, can we get us some class action suits?
Kevin of New Castle PA (12/15/08)
People who look for the Best price are Rheem, Ruud, A.O. Smith, Bradfor-White and others. Lowe's Whirlpool gas water heaters are terrible as far as burner problems. I have personally replaced many of these junks with name brand tanks in my plumbing trade.
Lionel of Wheelersburg OH (12/11/08)
This is a follow up to my previous post. I received the valve body the next week as promised. The repairman was supposed to come on Dec. 2nd.to install parts. Got a robot call on Dec. 1st confirming we would be home on the 2nd. On the 2nd. got a call saying they couldn't make it because of the weather, next possible date would be 12-11-08. The repairman came today from Sears in Chillicothe Oh. (fifty miles away), yes I said Sears I don't know why I should have asked the guy why Sears is doing Lowes repair work but I didn't. Since I had replaced the faulty tank all ready, away he went probably happy he didn't have to work on another Whirlpool hot water tank.
Bonnie of Philadelphia OR (12/11/08)
I had an older, but working, water heater, which I decided to replace before it went. A plumber installed a Whirlpool water heater (I had no idea about the make, or anything--I'm a therapist, not a plumber! 2 days ago, O hot water- after 2 days, and 1 plumbing visit,($119.00), I call Whirlpool and am told about thremocoupling problems...I don't care! Just make products that work! I'm afraid to get my products replaced! (Same thing happened with my roof!!)
the plumbing costs---the shipping cost, and 3-4 days of cold showers.
Ton of Decatur IL (12/11/08)
Purchased a whirlpool gas hot water heater 3 months ago and the pilot light will not stay lit. complained to the store and they gave me 800 number and called it and they are supposed to sent replacement parts. they said this happens all the time. meanwhile have not had hot water for 3 days. unacceptable
no hot water. unable to bathe or wash dishes or clean.
Randy of Orwell OH (12/10/08)
model fg1f4040s3nov, gas water heater, the thermo coupler quit working and can not find another one in this area. Water heater is only a few years old.
no hot water in house.
Jeffery of Noblesville IN (12/10/08)
I purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater 11/07, a BFG model - 9 year warranty. Last Friday the pilot light would not stay lit once the burner fired for a period of time. Reading all of the horror stories on here I was prepared for the worst when I called the warranty number. Much to my surpirse, I got a customer service rep here in the states. I explained the problem and got no push back at all. She indicated that they had problems with the gas valve on these models and advised that she would overnight a new valve out to me and then supplied me with an 800 number to call and an authorization code to have the valve installed free of charge.
Needless to say, I was shocked. Valve arrived by noon on Saturday. I called the number and scheduled installation for Monday afternoon. New valve is installed and pilot light is staying on. Based on the many complaints, I realize that the chance of this being a permanent fix is slim, but I did want to share my experience to date.
David of Hilton NY (12/09/08)
The FG4040S water heater had a six year warranty on tank and parts Have had numorous problems keeping the pilot lit No hot water and it is cold out Something is wrong with a company that cant back up a warranty, and Lowes is just as bad for not backing up its customers!
Mike of Portsmouth VA (12/07/08)
I purchased A Whirlpool Hot Water Dispenser- (The correct name) in 2006. It states a 6 year warranty on the Tank and Parts. The first time it went out, I did not know about the Class Action Suit. I went to Lowes, and found the replacement Thermal Coupler, and installed it myself. 2 month's later, it died again. Went back to lowes thinking that it was just defective, and simply purchased a second Thermal coupler, which worked for about 5 month's. Then the damn thing died again! Now I am getting pissed off. I was told to contact Whirlpool and get the part to replace/convert it. Had to pay shipping/handling (which I feel I shouldn't have to do. That's when I found out about the Lawsuit they were going through.
Anyway, received the conversion parts, and installed them without a hitch. Here it is 6 month's later, and it (the conversion kit) died again while washing clothes! Went back to lowes to get another Thermal Coupler, and found out that Lowes has pulled them off the shelf! (Today is Sunday) Lowes told me to contact Whirlpool Monday and see if I could get the conversion kit sent out to me again, but I may not get it because they have already sent me one earlier! I am ready to rip this HW heater out and throw it threw Lowes Window. I checked the price of converting it from Gas to electric, but that is money I do not have ($329.00 + tax)
With a family of 4, and having to wait for who knows how long to get it fixed, we are forced to go WITHOUT hot water, because THEY make an INFERIOR PRODUCT that cost the consumers Time and Money! If I get a resolution from this complaint, it would be that Whirlpool pays me for the Hot Water Heater that doesn't work, Pay's me for an Electric 40 Gallon Heater (different Brand that I choose) pay's for the removal and replacement of a new different brand, and pay's for the Installation of the necessary electrical wiring upgrade to make it work. As I see it, that should run about $1500.00-$2000.00 I will never purchase a Whirlpool Product EVER AGAIN!
Richard of Youngstown OH (12/07/08)
Whirlpool hot water tank purchased at Lowes failed to heat water after 6 months....thermostat had to be replaced. When i checked on the computer I saw that MANY people have had the same problem yet these tanks are still on the market. I have noticed there were law suits filed and yet these tanks are still on the market..WHY Can U file a lawsuit against both Lowes and Whirlpool
Without Hot water for 3 days.......wife crying upset and angry where the anger was taken out on me (her husband) not being able to take a bath, wash clothes, dishes etc
Christopher of Tomball TX (12/06/08)
Purchased and hot water heater in 03. Well to make a long story short pilot light went out and will not come back on. Called customer service and talked to Abu. I'm on my second part they sent and said I could install my self. Due to lack of funds I can't afford a plummer. Well this is in my attic and am about to put the second part on.
Richard of Chandler OK (12/06/08)
The flame lock hot water heater malfunctioned within 6 mos, then repaired by a local plumber. Now having same problem with thermocouple for the last 6 mos. Tried to order a conversion kit per the plumber, they stated we had to contact Whirlpool. Contacted Whirlpool they said the warranty was now void. The hot water heater may have only worked for a whole total of 6/7 mos!
Peggy of Houston TX (12/04/08)
Purchased water heater 4 yrs ago I have had nothing but problems. Can't find a plumber who will work on them. Have to wait for a part to come by mail. Found someone to install a thermocouple wanted 375.00 to install...I am buying a new heater for 750.00 installed. At this rate I am saving money. Very unhappy. Would like to know how to get in on the class action suit. If nothing more to get money back on new heater.
No hot water for weeks and expense and frustrations....
Michael of Huber Heights OH (12/04/08)
I bought a Whirlpool Hot Water Heater 2 years ago and now the pilot light will not stay lit. I tried 4 times to light it this morning. I called my plumber and he told me all about the problems consumers were having with these water heaters. Is there no government watchdog who oversees these type of problems? The public needs to be protected.
Alice of Coralville IA (12/04/08)
I purchased a 40-gal, 12-yr warranty gas flame-lock whirlpool water heater from Lowe's on 4/5/08. On 11/21/08, the pilot light went out. Called Lowes, they told me they couldn't help, I would have to call manufacturer. Called my plumber, they said they wouldn't touch whirlpool water heaters because the company was known to have allot of problems. Said if I got the parts they would come to replace.
Called manufacturer and talked to someone who could barely speak English. They sent the wrong part. Lowe's plumber came and relit pilot light. Pilot light went out after one day. Called manufacturer again, she sent 2 replacement parts, that didn't arrive on the day they assured me they would. Lowe's contracter came this morning to repair; assured me it was fixed. NO HOT WATER TONIGHT.
I am fed up. Have been without hot water for 2 wks. Don't think Lowe's will stand behind agreement. I am ready to call it an expensive lesson and buy a different brand. I am VERY UNHAPPY AND FRUSTRATED. Was not even aware there had been a class action suit filed. Lost out on that too. I will NEVER buy another whirlpool product. Always thought it was an upstanding, reliable company. Now I know better.
I am basically out about $600; the cost of the water heater and stallment.Also I have had to pay shipment on parts sent from factory. I have had to heat water on stove, haul up a flight of steps repeatedly in order to get clean. Then bought an electric tea kettle to heat water in bathroom. Another $60.
Kenneth of Beecher IL (12/04/08)
I finally received the class action settlement on the whirlpool hot water heater. I talked with a installer about the hot water heaters and he told me they first off had bad thermocouples and right away they would break [overheat] to soon. Secondly I think the manufactures got got sloppy when they had to design a flame lock one with a care less attitude. There goes your quality out the window. I got me a new one early this year and it has a different thermocouple which will take more heat before it destroy itself. We will see?
Rhonda of Coraopolis PA (12/03/08)
I purchase a whirlpool gas water heater with the flame lock safety system from Lowes Feb 2008 and the pilot light will not stay on. I called whirlpool and they are aware of problem and sending a new part. I called Lowes to report this problem also. I am very concerned having a new water heater that is defective.
no hot water and I paid good money to Lowes to get a new water heater.
James of Sicklerville NJ (12/03/08)
I have a whirlpool hot water heater FG1J5040T3NOV. I PURCHASED IT IN 2006. The burner would ignite and then go out extinguishing the pilot. I called Whirlpool tech. They informed that the gas valve was bad and that they would send me a new one. Four days later I received the new valve. And it is the wrong valve for my heater. I have called two plumbers in NJ and they have refused to work on any whirlpool water heaters because they are so problematic and dangerous to operate. I have now gone a week without hot water and have decided to replace the hot water heater with a new one. (Not a whirlpool.)
I have now spent approximately 1700.00 dollars on hot water heaters (installed). When I purchased the whirlpool hot water heater I bought the twelve-year model so I would avoid any problems for quite some time. I also contacted LOWES. Their response was that this is a Whirlpool problem not theirs. Too think that they would send me a replacement part under warranty and expect the consumer to install it especially involving gas, is just negligent. After reading other posts on this site it seems also negligent that they would continuously send out the wrong part. If I hadnt called a plumber and tried to install it myself I think this could have been disastrous.
1: I bought a twelve-year 50 gallon gas whirlpool water heater at Lowes Model # FG1J5040T3NOV in 2006. 2: The Gas valve went bad in 2008 apparently due to a worn or defective part. Consensus seems to point to defective. 3: Called Whirlpool They sent me the wrong part. 4: Called two plumbers in my area that refused to work on this product due to safety issues. Informing that these hot water heaters dangerous and should be recalled. 5: Called Lowes home improvements who told me there is nothing they could do and gave me the # of Whirlpool. Unfortunate 6: $500.00 dollar lose for me. Thank You
Bryan of Metamora IL (12/02/08)
I, too, have fallen victim to the perils of the infamous Whirlpool Flame Lock water heater. I purchased my new water heater from Lowe's in Peoria, IL this past March 2008. I paid $419 for the product including the parts necessary to have it installed, and another $250 paid to the Lowe's installation department to bring the product to my home and install it. For the first couple of weeks, all seemed great. Then I started noticing fluctuations in the water temperature, especially when taking showers or washing dishes. I never questioned that the problem was with the water heater since it was brand new, so I continued to adjust the water up or down when necessary.
On late Saturday, September 27, 2008, my water was virtually tepid, even when running the tap on the hottest setting. I went downstairs and discovered that the pilot light was out on the heater. After several attempts to re-ignite the pilot the reset button would not pop up when released, so I turned the dial to OFF and called Lowe's. I explained the situation and was told to call the number on the side of the tank. I was going to be gone Sunday, so I called Whirlpool on Monday, September 29th. I was told by the representative that I was lucky it had lasted 7 months, that most go out within 2 months. I was instructed that the kit would be overnighted to me, given an authorization number, and told to call an 800 number after I received the kit to schedule installation.
The next day I received the part and called the number given to me...Sears! But I bought the water heater at Lowe's! Lowe's installed the water heater, so why is Sears fixing it? I got the part Tuesday, September 30th and call Sears to set up the installation for the next day. Someone will be to your home for the repair between 8am and 5pm....I was then told that I had only about a 60% chance that the part was going to work, that it could be something else. I said it didn't make sense to me why Whirlpool didn't send someone out in the first place to determine what the problem was instead of attempting the diagnose it over the phone. I was told that they were doing me a favor since I would have had to pay for the service call if he had to come back again with the proper parts.
A while later he came upstairs and said that it was working, handed me a Sears Home Services receipt showing that the total labor charge was valued at $90.00, but that the service was performed at no charge. Well, lucky me! I only had to go without hot water for four days! All seemed ok for a few days, then the water fluctuations began again, but not a real noticeable difference with any consistency. Then on early Saturday, September 29th, while showering, the water just went tepid. No flame, no pilot light. I angrily called Whirlpool, got a foreign person I could barely understand, and told her to save her troubleshooting script and asked to speak to someone about having the water heater removed and replaced, that obviously I had purchased a defective product. I was told that Whirlpool couldn't do that.
I was again given an authorization number and told to call the 800 number (Sears) to schedule the repair. I was told someone would come out on Monday, December 1st, again between 8am-5pm. He asked if I had received the part from Whirlpool. I was told, it's always the control valve on this water heater. I told him that I did not have the part since I had only called them on Saturday. He called back and said he ordered the part and had it overnighted to me and that I may receive a duplicate since they may have sent one out on Saturday. He then told me to go to Whirlpool website to find out about the class action suit against Whirlpool over this water heater. This is how I found out about all of this mess...from the Sears technician!
I will wait until tomorrow to see if the part arrives and call Sears to reschedule the repair. I will repeat this process again within a month or two, I am most certain. I feel as if I've been robbed, not only by Whirlpool who doesn't seem to care about the defect of their product or the obligation to the consumer who purchases their defective products, but also by Lowe's who continues to put the product on their showroom floor to sell, knowingly aware of the class action suit against Whirlpool. And shame on Sears for contracting with Whirlpool to set up what I feel are bogus repair services.
All three of these companies make me feel as if they have really given me something of value, when all I have received since putting this water heater in my home is grief. I will be replacing this water heater the next time this happens, which will most likely be sometime soon. I probably will not have had this one even one year. And it cost me $669 and a lot of aggravation. And when I do replace it, I won't be going to Lowe's or Sears, and most definitely, it won't be a Whirlpool.
Charles of Royal Oak MI (12/02/08)
One year ago, I replaced my 15 year old, failing water heater that never gave me problems with a brand new Whirlpool Model BFG that has failed on me 2 times since I had it installed. It failed the first time less than one month of installing it. The pilot light will not stay lit. I called Whirlpool and they told me that the thermocouple was faulty. I had a tech out to install a new one, which didn't solve the problem. Whirlpool shipped me a new gas valve and made me pay for the shipping. I had the same tech out to install the gas valve.
It worked great up until last week Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) with guests in town. Complete nightmare! The pilot light will not stay lit. I called Whirlpool on a Saturday and they said they'd ship me a new gas valve, but that I'd have to pay for shipping. I refused to pay for it since I paid for it the first time and shouldn't have had to since the product is under warranty. They waived the shipping fee and told me that they'd ship the part on Monday and I'd receive it by Tuesday. I asked to speak to a supervisor. They said one would call me back. Never called back. I called back at 6:30. Asked for a supervisor. They said one would call me back. I told them I'd wait on the line for one. The line disconnected after I'd been on hold for 45 minutes.
I called back once more and waited for 30 minutes to talk to, FOR THE FIRST TIME, a rep in the USA (the rest were Indian with very thick accents reading from scripts). I explained my issue to the woman and she said that I can buy the part from Lowes and that Whirlpool will reimburse me. I asked what I should do about the part that I'm receiving tomorrow and she told me the order wasn't even closed yet. It wouldn't ship until tomorrow which means I wouldn't get it until Thursday or Friday.
Now I have to go to Lowes to buy a gas gauge made by the same company that made the gas gauge that's been failing all along since Whirpool makes their products in such a way that you're forced to buy the faulty products they came with after those fail. I'm furious with this company. I'm shocked at the way they do busienss and even more shocked at how many other customers have been completely ripped off! I will never, ever buy another Whirlpool product.
Ellen of Bellevue NE (12/01/08)
Purchased a Whirlpool Water Heater in December, 2007 from Lowe's, went out the first time in April, 2008. Took 4 days to have the part overnight shipped, was told noone carries the part. Lowe's does not have enough shelf space to carry part (they certainly had enough shelf space to carry the $500 water heater). Was told repeatedly by Whirlpool they were helping me, refused to transfer me to supervisor or give me number of Customer Service or Customer Relations. Lowe's Customer Care acknowledges problem, but refuses to take any accountability.
Water Heater goes out again in November, same problem , hot water heater won't stay lit. Repaired after 3 days. Again very rude at Whirlpool, no accountabilty at Lowe's, still don't carry part. I have never dealt with a company as rude as Whirlpool. I will never again buy Whirlpool, Lowe's or American Water Heaters.
Lisa of Omaha NE (12/01/08)
We purchased a Whirlpool 50 galloon water heater in December of 2003- Model # FG1G5040T3NOY Since our purchase we have had to have the thermocoupler replaced 5 times. The part expense of $14 was reimbursed but the $50 charge each time the plumber had to come over and fix the problem wasn't. I have now spent more on labor repairs to this water heater than I actually paid for the water heater itself.
I now have a water heater that is not working AGAIN. I am ready to take the unit and throw it in the parking lot of Lowe's since they won't replace the defective unit. It is an obvious Lemon and I now have to find another $300 to buy a new water heater and have it installed. I purchased the unit for $278 in December of 2003 - since then I have paid out $300 in labor to have the thermocoupler replaced 6 times and am sitting in my home with no hot water AGAIN!
Shaun of Denver CO (11/30/08)
I want to cry. My water heater's pilot light keeps going out on me. Replaced the thermocouple and it didn't help. Tried calling the 1800 # and was hung up on (by accident, but still annoying). I have a feeling that they'll just try to send me replacement parts that won't fix the problems. I have had this waterheater for less than a year and I think I'll be better off just replacing the thing with something more reliable. Can't clean clothes, dishes, myself, etc.
I hope a new class action lawsuit will be filed against Lowes and Whirlpool. This product is highly defective and there seem to be thousands of people adversely affected. It is unacceptable. I get the feeling Lowes and Whirlpool don't care too much about this issue based on their poor response to consumers' complaints. Why is Lowes still selling this defective product?
Jackie of Kalamazoo MI (11/30/08)
Our water heater went out last night so my husband figured ok change the thermocoupler so got up very early this Sunday morning of Thanksgiving weekend to go to a store and buy one but then found out he could not even get to it. (He has done this on other types in the past so it should have been no problem.) By chance I found this site and am going to take the information that one person said about the WC and have our propane folks come out and check that out.
I called for a plumber today only to find just to get him here would be $169 to pull into the driveway today. My husband works 3rd and I work days so scheduling and sleeping times are always a problem. We had planned ahead and put this water heater in and now it is not working. I am hoping what that gentleman found is correct and that we will be spared these problems.
My heart does go out to all of you who (thank you so much) shared your experiences as it may have just saved us some money we cannot afford. The hospital bills etc for my husband's stroke last month have started rolling in so to buy another water heater to install after just doing so this year is not something we would want to have to do. I agree with everyone that Lowes and Whirlpool should be totally ashamed of themselves and if you bought one of these, you should get some sort of compensation back since they were not able to inform the consumer of this in the first place thus should have immediately stopped selling these until the problem was taken care of.
Brenda of Charleston WV (11/29/08)
The pilot light wouldn't stay lit after about 6 months of working. I never had a problem getting a hold of Whirlpool and they shipped out all the parts for free, but the thing still wouldn't work after having a repair man (Paid by whirlpool) work on it twice. After 3 weeks of fooling with repair men Whirlpool had Lowes to replace it. I'm saving my money for when this one dies.
Bobby of Hammond LA (11/29/08)
So after a year and a half after replacing the thermocouple unit with the updated one, installing the updated reset switch with the additional one-time shut-off switch for the thermocouple, I'm back to square one again. Pilot will not stay lit. Opened the burner unit up to find the reset switch not popped out, so I will call them tomorrow about the shut-off switch. Seems to be loose, but I think that is how it's supposed to be. You'd figure they would have had all of this resolved by now. Still fooling with this thing after about 3 years, $500 in the hole, and I'm not very happy at all with the quality of this thing.
I've been a loyal Whirlpool buyer for years, and this is not acceptable. If nothing else, just resolve the problem so I can move on. Many a contractor has been burned on these things, and I'm ready to drain this thing, take it to my favorite range, and waste a fresh bananna clip in my SKS on it. These hot water heaters have been a problem for several years now, and it seems like everything has just been band-aid'ed up. If they can't resolve the problem this time, I think I'll take the hint and buy that G.E. Electric unit. I'll have the outlet and wiring installed and everything. Just tired of dealing with stuff that don't work.
Ruth of Goshen IN (11/29/08)
Bought Whirlpool water heater about a year ago @ Lowe's. It quit heating this week; called Whirlpool and per their instructions bought a new t-stat @ Lowe's; Whirlpool is to reimburse me when I sent the receipt to them. I replaced the t-stat but one of the spades broke out of the resettable thermal switch and when I tried to remove it, the ceramic broke out.
I went to the internet to see what to do about replacing it and found page after page of complaints about this water heater. Only one person of all that I have read about has had his problem solved to his satisfaction. I have the distinct impression that replacing the t-stat and/or thermal switch is wasted time. I wish the water heater purchase price could be refunded to me.
Steve of Ellicott City MD (11/28/08)
Concerning the ongoing issue of Whirlpool hot water heaters bought at Lowes, I also had a heater with a pilot light that became defective. I called Lowes and within two days they came out and replaced my heater (with the same model - but they said they'd keep replacing if needed!). So far so good.
Al of Neffs OH (11/27/08)
Whilpool hot water heaters break and no one seems to have parts to repair them. Specifily the FGxxxxxxxx models. Which I understand that the government made Whirlpool put out a retro kit to repair the FGxxxxx model and upgrade them to a BGxxxxxx.The thermocouple in the FGxxxxxx models have a left handed thread. Lowes is suppose to carry the adapters to convert this to a right hand thread but do they carry them? No. They use to carry them and they say they don't know if they will be getting them back in for stock.
Whirlpool, on the other hand, gave me a hard time. They said I didn't register my hot water tank. They wanted other personal information which I think they didn't need. They wanted me to contact other Lowes stores to get the thermocouple adapter. Then they all of a sudden got confused about the model I was calling about and started to tell me that I would have to purchase the parts for repair ( the tank was still under warranty, only a year old).All this made me angry and I told them never mind. Needless to say, the tank didn't get fixed. I went out and bought a A O Smith hot water tank. My suggestion, DON'T BUY WHIRLPOOL hot water tanks. You can't get parts for repair and they are now being made in Mexico.
Had to do without hot water for over a week. Cost me a big service bill to have a plumber tell he couldn't find the part to repair it, plus the cost of a new tank installed.
Alysia of New Castle PA (11/27/08)
Purchased this to replace 15+ year old water heater. Have had to replace thermocouple twice in approximately 3 years. Now this is the third time and we're told we have to install a converter kit at the cost of a small shipping price and just a 3 to 6 day wait. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. HAPPY HOLIDAYS WHIRLPOOL!! OH, let's not forget about LOWES too!!
At this point we have invested money in repairs, part replacement and gas money for the one time my husband had to travel to find a left thermocouple, and lost work to be home for repairmen well over the cost of the heater. Yet again, we look like a band of dirty hippies on a pilgrimage to my mothers to bathe.
Kim of Huntington WV (11/26/08)
We bought this piece of junk hot water heater five years ago. This past year, our pilot would not stay lit, if we could even get it to light in the first place. I found out we can't deal with Lowe's where it was purchased, but had to deal directly with Whirlpool. Good luch getting through to them! I started emailing, which did get results. They sent us a new thermocouplet part, which we had to pay S&H for. A month later, it went out again. Now, we can't get it lit at all. I have talked to the warranty department four times in the last two days, sent numerous emails, and told them I was not going to pay another S&H charge for their defective part. I was told to push the reset button, which would not work, and try to light it again, to no avail. The last conversation we had, the man told me to call some technical department, but they don't pay the labor. Well, I'm not either. Basically, I was told that there is nothing else that they can do unless I want to call in a repairman. My husband is a former master plumber, and he doesn't have the first clue what to do with this piece of junk.
Whirlpool will never be in my home again. At this point, there are not many economic losses because I refuse to pay it. Physically, my husband is disabled and has an extremely hard time getting down in front of this to replace parts or even look at it. He has been down a few days because he has tried to fix it. Here we are, the day before Thanksgiving, with no hot water now for a week this time! Last time, it was more than two weeks. I'm not sure what, but something needs to be done about this. Whirlpool sits in their offices, doing absolutely nothing to help the consumer. Maybe if we as consumers boycott all Whirlpool appliances, and they see a bigger economic loss than some consumers have, they might decide to do the right thing and replace the whole hot water heater with something that works and is dependable or reimburse our costs. Punitive damages wouldn't be a bad idea either. I am sick of these big corporations sitting back while we as the people who keep them in business have to suffer or do without. This is ridiculous. As long as they have their bank roll, they will look away. I bet they don't have an Whirlpool FG hot water heater in their homes. It's time for the consumers to stand up and say enough is enough. We need to pull together and do something drastic. I personally want a new hot water heater, not a Whirlpool, and I think they should have to pay for it.
Michael of Raleigh NC (11/26/08)
I purchased a Whirlpool Flamelock water heater. The thermocouple has gone bad twice. I've had to call a service technician, call a half dozen places for a replacement, and will now have to contract with another plumber to fix the often reported problem for a heater that is still under warranty.
In addition to the inconvenience of cold showers, it has cost me $68 for the service call (which did not fix the problem) and $10 to order a new thermocouple.
Kim of Piqua OH (11/25/08)
I bought a Whirlpool water heater 5 years ago. The thermal coupler was replaced 3 times and was sent a new cover. Guess what it is now December 2008 and it went out again. What am I supposed to do. Single, struggling with bills and getting ready to be laid off and now I have not hot water. This is ridiculous. What am I supposed to do. I need help!!
Emily of San Dimas CA (11/24/08)
On 11-17-07 we purchased a 50 gal, 9 year warranty, Whirlpool Ultra Low Nox Gas Water Heater from Lowes. Just one year later the Control Value goes out (11-22-07)!! We returned to Lowes and where we were told they could do absolutely nothing for us that we needed to contact Whirlpool and be without hot water for who knows how long in the process. We purchased another water heater (Whirlpool, the only brand water heater Lowes has).
This morning I contacted Whirlpool and after being placed on hold for nearly 15 minutes they hung up on me. I then decided to take a look at Lowes' website and saw that it was riddled with comments from unhappy customers who purchased these hot water heaters. It is obvious to me that Lowes knows that these products are defective yet they continue to sell them to unsuspecting customers such as myself. Now, we are out $1,000 for two water heaters and from what we have read, we can expect the water heater we just purchased to also fail.
We are a working family who can ill efford to shell out this kind of money continously. Lowes needs to stand behind the products they sell. This product needs to be pulled from the shelves of Lowes but instead that is the only water heater Lowes offers in their store! My husband and I feel completely ripped off by both Lowes and Whirlpool.
Aimee of Citrus Heights CA (11/24/08)
We purchased a defective whirlpool water heater. After 3 phone calls to Whirlpool customer service in India advising us to perform a variety of diagnostic tests that did nothing to fix our problem. We went through 2 kits, the first of which caused a dangerous gas leak and the other which did not solve the problem. None of the replacement kits worked for anyone else either. After dealing with this issue for over a year and after yet another cold shower yesterday, my husband went to Lowe's and they told him to contact Whirlpool and get an RA#. With the RA# we will bring the water heater in tonight and they will give us a replacement water heater.
We called India this morning and got the run around again but I had my husband ask for a Manager. The Manager went through the motions again suggesting this and that kit, this and that test. We were persistent and demanded an RA# which the Manager did not give but he did escalate our complaint to Level 2 which then got us to a man named Bruce in the States. Bruce tried the same runaround telling us our water heater was not the model with problems and that we could pay shipping for yet another kit. We were not taking no for an answer and I informed Bruce that not only would we be contacting our attorney to sue for a new water heater but also pain and emotional suffering as I have arthritis in my back and cold showers are very painful. I also let Bruce know that I would be inviting all the people I could find on this site an many other sites to join me and my attorney in filing a class action suit.
After several minutes on hold, Bruce got back on the phone and quite begrudgingly gave us an RA#. Bruce said our new water heater would have only a 1 year warranty and it would not include labor, will see about that down the road but tonight, I am pleased and relieved to say we are getting our new replacement water heater free of charge.
Painful cold showers, stress and frustration in dealing with Whirlpool customer service. Dangerous Gas leak from faulty replacement kit. Multiple trips and wasted gas to area Lowe's stores (not all Lowes have the kit) to find and get kits that did not work.
Bart of Bryan TX (11/24/08)
As ussual the whirlpool water heater stopped working. I went online and ordered the part but when I tryed to remove the I found that the nut was stripped. and now I cant get the nut off so I can finish the repair. Cheap product with cheap parts whirl pool will never get my business again.
No hot water for over a week and its going to cost me thwe price of a plumber to get it fixed.
Lionel of Wheelersburg OH (11/23/08)
On 11-21-08 the Whirlpool water heater I purchased in February 08 went out, we were having some high winds so I thought the pilot had probably blown out.
It lit and stayed on so I thought it was ok, then later that evening it went out again and would relight but wouldn't stay lit.
Went to Lowes this morning,bought a thermocouple and put it in but it still wouldn't stay lit.
That's when my wife googled Whirlpool water heater complaints and found this site, that's when I started calling.
On the first call I got a not very nice lady in it India, that's just a guess, then I talked to a lady in Tennessee, I don't think she wanted to be working on Saturday, she said most everything was closed on Saturday and there was nothing she could do for me.
Then I got another unhappy lady that said she would ship me a valve body and that it might be here next Tuesday she also gave me a number, I asked if I could come to her place and shower over the weekend but she said she had done all she could for me.
Then I got a very nice lady in Texas who gave me an appointment to have my water heater fixed on December second only eleven days away but she was very nice. She said I could come to her place to shower. Don't think I will too far to drive.
After reading some more of the comments on this site I went to my local hardware store bought a new tank and installed it.
I've always found good service and friendly people at Lowes and I don't understand why they continue to handle this inferior product.
I'm out $375.00 plus the labor to install the new tank.
Ken of Henderson NV (11/22/08)
Yea, we are not alone. We have been fighting with our Whirlpool Waterheater Model FG...for over a month. Same issue: pilot light doesn't stay lit. We have tried all the troubleshooting tips. So every morning at 5:00 am, I set about on the mission of lighting the pilot light so that we can shower before work and school. I gave up on holding the Red reset button down for 10-15 minutes and jiggling the Gas Control button until the pilot light stayed lit.
HERE IS THE TRICK THAT WORKS: (1)HOLD 'RED' RESET BUTTON DOWN FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE. (2)WITH A HAMMER (THE BIGGER THE BETTER) TAP THE UPPER-LEFT CORNER OF THE METAL GAS VALVE BOX, JUST BELOW THE 'RED' RESET BUTTON. (3)TWO OR THREE GOOD HARD HITS WILL CAUSE THE PILOT LIGHT TO STAY LIT.
(4)Turn the Gas Control knob to ON and reset the Temperate control dial.
The WH unit works great from that point on, but we have to perform the ritual at least daily (and so far the house hasn't blown up;+)
We have owned this unit for about one year and would have expected better performance/customer service. The inconvenience, time wasted and inability to find a resolution is the biggest issue. Lowes doesn't have the replacement gas valve/thermostat kit or parts.
Ken of Rio Rancho NM (11/22/08)
My Whirlpool water heater is fixed!! This site has 500+ complaints describing very bad experiences with Whirlpool & problems with their water heaters. I had a good experience and feel it should be shared with all. My problem turned out to be with the gas regular in my home and not a problem with the heater. The symptoms were the same as many described so this information may help some solve their problem.
My water heater is model BFG1H5040T3NOV purchased as Lowes in May, 2008. I installed it and it worked well until I started using the furnace in late October. At that time, the pilot light would go out almost every time the furnace came on. I called Whirlpool's help line and got a live American within seconds. After I described the problem, she said it was the main control and one was overnight shipped to me at no charge (part or shipping). A service tech arrived the next day and installed it at no charge. That did not correct the problem and futher investigation found that the gas pressure to the heater dropped too low when the furnace turned on. The water heater requires a gas supply pressure of 6 inches of water column (6 WC) for proper operation. My supply had 8 WC until the furance came on when it dropped to 3 WC for about 10 seconds. The regulator between the gas meter and all the gas appliances in my house was defective. I had to call a heating & air conditioning repair service to repair the regular but that solved the problem. My problem cost Whirlpool the price of a control, overnight shipping of the control and a service call when it wasn't their fault.
It cost me $100 to repair the gas regular. It cost Whirlpool much more and they were not at fault.
Roy of Flushing OH (11/21/08)
the wife just got off the phone with whirlpool. we changed the thermal coupler three times this month. they said they would send the whole repair kit out, but we had to pay postage. the wife told the rep no way on the postage, that it was whirlpools problem, and she wasnt paying anything. the rep say's no problem then, they will ship it for free. the only problem is 3 to 5 days.
the thermal couplers from lowes have a one year warranty, so im going to take them back and get three more and change them daily til the new parts come in. it is a shame that lowes is still handeling whirlpool products, with all the complaints about this product. i was going to print the complaints out and take it to my local lowes, until i saw it is over 100 pages of complaints.
Jenna of Noblesville IN (11/21/08)
jerked around by whirlpool with the 40 gallon hot water heater thermocouple disaster they pass off as a hot water heater
after being kicked around awhile, both in India and the U.S., while I had a plumber on the property, trying to get some resolution with the issue, I told whirlpool I was going to have the plumber remove their product, and install a new NON whirlpool hot water heater, even though the thing technically was still under warranty, and the woman on the other end of the phone said whatever, all right in a dismissive tone. So, that's exactly what I did. Hung up the phone, told the plumber to get to work. Whirlpool is gone from my home, and never again will I have their products in my house.
Rosemary of Camp Hill PA (11/21/08)
In Nov '07, because my water heater broke, I purchased a Whirlpool gas water heater from Lowe's in Mechanicsburg, PA. Lowe's installed the appliance. On 16 Nov 08, I discovered I didn't have hot water. I called UGI who told me the pilot had gone out and informed me, the Whirlpool models have had problems in the past. I was hopeful that since I had just purchased mine a year ago, my model was defect free. On the morning of 17 Nov, I did some research on the web and discovered the 123 pages of complaints against Whirlpool concerning the water heaters. I became very discouraged.
The evening of 17 Nov, I discovered, once again, that I had no hot water. I called Lowe's on 18 Nov and was told I had to contact Whirlpool. I spoke w/ someone at Whirlpool who told me the problem was either the thermostat or the thermal control. She said she could ship the replacement parts to arrive the next day. I had to pay shipping. The parts arrived on 19 Nov and UGI came to install the thermal control on 20 Nov. On the morning of 21 Nov, I had no hot water again. I went to Lowe's and, once again, they told me I had to contact Whirlpool to get an authorization for return.
This time I spoke w/ someone, who I think was called Jack but since I could barely understand the individual, I could be wrong. I explained the situation to him and requested I be given an authorization for return. He told me I had to call a technician, whose number he was going to give me, to come fix the heat. When I asked why I wasn't given the number the first time, he said I probably said I was going to call a repair service myself. I asked Jack if my heater would be repaired today and he said yes, call the number. I called the phone number and I received an answering machine.
This was 11:00 AM Friday, 21 Nov. It is now almost 1:00 and I haven't heard anything. After the first the time pilot went out, I looked on the web and found 123 pages of complaints against Whirlpool concerning the water heater dating back to 2004. Why are they allowed to continue to sell the defective products? Secondly, I don't see why I have to continue to suffer - Whirlpool should have immediately refunded my money. I am very unhappy.
I do not have hot water to shower or wash dishes. The product is only 1 year old and I paid $309 for the product and $275 to have it installed. I cannot afford another hot water heater and should not be required to buy another one in such a short period of time
Terence of Pittsburgh PA (11/21/08)
Purchased the water heater in Oct. 2007. The pilot light would not stay on we had a plumber in to fix the problem. Cost $150. The repairs did not solve the problem had to purchase a new water heater. Would like to know whom to call to get some kind of compensation.
Plumber cost $150 New Rudd Water Heater $416
Jarrett of Saint Louis MO (11/20/08)
Flamelock Water Heater Not Working. I give up, spending 500.00 to replace it today. Received replacement parts, changed thermocouple twice, still not working. Will never buy whirlpool anything again.
Patsy of Decaturville, TN (11/20/08)
I would like to add to the complaints toward Lowes and their Whirlpool hot water heaters. Ours was purchased in 2003 and we have had a couple of problems with it over the years, but now it has completely quit. The pilot light will not stay lit at all. I called the 877 and waited several minutes for a foreign lady to come on to help me. She said that a kit could be sent out the next day ($15.00 charge ) and that it had a manual for easy installation.So I said send it, since it is never fun to be without hot water.In the meantime I got on the computer and was dumbfounded to see the enormity of complaints about Lowes and Whirlpool. That store needs to be boycotted for selling their junk product.I immediately called the store we bought from in Jackson, TN and asked him just how many complaints have they gotten about Whirlpool hot water heaters. Seems as though they have gotten several. He told me if the kit that we receive doesn't work, then they will make sure we get a new hot water heater.....ummmm,we'll see.And the story may continue...
In this day and time of economic woes, this faulty Whirlpool hot water heater is just one more disappointment. It will hit us hard if we have to buy another hot water heater. My husband lost his job of 26 yrs to a company that only worries about their own economic growth...we are just the little man.Like so many others our money is tight and hard to come by.
Tanya of Rochester IN (11/20/08)
Husband and I replaced our water heater 2 years ago with a Whirlpool gas Model number starting in FG purchased at Lowes. 7 days ago the pilot light went off. when we tried to restart it it wouldnt stay lit. Looked online to see what could be the problem and we find out there is a big problem with these water heaters. we called Whirlpool to get the thermocoupler replaced. they said they would send us one for free we just had to pay shipping. we paid 15.00 for rush shipment becuase we can not go without hot water ( we have 3 young kids). we get it 2 days later. We get the part put in and guess what? It still wouldn't work.
My husband calls Lowes and talked to a gentleman there and he said to call Whirlpool and give them hell. so my husband calls Whirlpool and after 5 times of getting a recording that said all reps are busy and the computer hanging up on him. the 6th time he got an actual person. the man at whirlpool said well the thermostats are going bad on them also we will send you one for free. you just have to pay shipping. so we paid out another 15.00. it is suppose to be here today.
they sold us [water heater] that I keep having to get parts for and still not working and then to top it off they are nmaking us pay for shipment. We will get the thermostat installed I hope it works. I hope a lawyer sees this and picks up a civil suit cause I will be jumping on the bandwagon. Whirlpool is a big joke who just ripped off thousands of people
Deborah of Derwood MD (11/19/08)
First, I agree with ALL the posts. Sedond, I think Lowes should be reprimanded legally for selling this product. They are and have been aware that the Whirlpool Hot Water Heaters they are selling are junk. Third, Whirlpool's website (in gray lettering) indicates that American Water Heater is the manufacturer for the HW Heaters - and if they sell them under their brandname they should be legally responsible for fixing (material and labor) these units without having to go to a third party. AND it should be for free if it's under the warranty.
Lastly, I called American Hot Water Heater direct and spoke to their warranty department. The young lady was very nice - told me there is a design flaw and all they can do right now is send out replacement parts --- the same parts that keep going bad. They have not figured out how to fix the thermocouple reset switch (the two wires - one black and one white) from crapping out...which in turn ruins the thermostat / gas valve which has to be replaced. We are lucky - we at least got a year out of the unit....so my lesson is learned. $800 later -. I think Whirlpool, Lowes and American Water Heater should all split the costs - and give us back ALL our money for these units.
Frank of Lasalle ON (11/19/08)
I have a three year old Kitchen Aid gas stove. About 1.5 years ago I used the self clean feature of the stove. Ten minutes into the cycle a circuit blew, the oven door locked and we were not able to use the stove again. I had to bring in a sevice guy (who I paid) who had to order a part from Whirlpool. He had to come back, install it and then charge me for the part and labour. Whirlpool said stuff it when I asked to be compensated. Fast forward 1 year later. I try to clean the oven again with the self clean feature. This is just the second time as I have been afraid to engage this feature due to my first experience. Nevertheless I throw caution to the wind and guess what 15 minutes into the self clean the same circuit blows, the stove locks and can't use the stove. I call the repair man. He opens the stove, takes out the dead part and writes to Whirpool to tell them that we have a product defect. Whirlpool says: so what. The stove is out of warranty. I have now had to pay for the repair guy to come back to instal a defective part for the second time. I can't use this feature as it doesn't work and costs me money every time I touch the button. The oven will now become a grease pit because Whirlpool won't do the right thing, admit there is a defect and give me a part that works or a new stove.
economic damage @ $250.00 (parts and labour) - time wasted waiting for a repirman: priceless.
Kaviraj of Scottdale GA (11/19/08)
These bums run a fly-by-night operation called Whirlpool with their water heaters and the class-action suit paid me $30 and the continuing aggravation of never having hot water. They will never replace the heater adn they never anwser the phones in the USA. I will NEVER buy Whirlpool again and Lowes is never going to be my source of hardware till I die. I swear on my mother.
My grandchild contracted pneumonia and now she has brain damage because she was without hot water for 15 days. We tried to get our neighbors to help but it became an escalating problem with the hot water. We curse the Whirlpool company to go belly up. We will never buy another Whirlpool product ever.No attorneys please, we have one for a President and he cannot do anything for slum-folks in Chicago.
Mia of Seven Fields PA (11/19/08)
First, I will say that I am no longer a customer of Lowe's and Whirlpool. My story is the same as everyone else's. We purchased a new water heater over Thanksgiving weekend 2007. It is a Whirlpool Flamelock 50g BFG . . .The pilot light went out on Nov 15, 2008 and we have had nothing but trouble since. We are going on 4 days of little to no hot water. Initially we were able to get our pilot to stay on for brief periods, just long enough to get warm water.
Had the same issue as everyone else. Called in our local plumber who tried two separate thermocouples and could not get pilot light to work. Cost us $118 with no resolution. Said it was a defective gas valve. Called Whirlpool and got someone with an Indian accent who first offered to ship the valve but we would have had to wait three more days. We told him we did not want to wait. He then suggested we go to Lowe's, buy the part, and submit for reimbursement. As my husband was driving to Lowe's, I decided to look up this problem and found this site. I immediately called him to tell him not to bother. I did not want to go through what everyone else has on this site. I tried calling the Lowe's store manager this evening who stated there was nothing he could do. I politely told him that I thought it was terrible that Lowe's has been knowlingly selling these defective products. He told me to see if I could get a full return from Whirlpool. I told him I never want another Whirlpool product in my house.
We have chosen (very reluctantly) to go through our trusted plumber for a new water heater at our own expense based on the problems others have continued to have despite ongoing repairs. Hope others can learn from our mistake.
It is disgusting to me that we support these companies and they are fleecing us at the register.
Karen of Philadelphia PA (11/18/08)
Friday 11/14/08 I had no hot water. Called Whirlpool customer service to report, had me on hold for 15 minutes, told me that they did not have me under warranty - bought the heater 2/29/2008. Need to wait for part until Tuesday, 11/18/08 before service can come out to my home to repair the heater.
I have had to drive to my daughters to bathe everynight for work the next day, constantly boiling hot water on stove to wash dishes, brush teeth, etc.
Richard of Roodhouse IL (11/18/08)
Bought a new Whirlpool 40 Gallon Water Heater 6 months ago from Lowes in Sprinfield Illinois. Pilot light would not stay lit. Contacted Whirpool regarding this. Tried to talk with a customer service represenative of Whirlpool but was having a rough time understanding what the lady (not american) was trying to tell me. After several I,m sorry but I can't inderstand you I finally got use to the accent and made the system check with her on the phone. She told me that the Gas control valve was bad and neede replaced. They issued me an authoriztion number and a phone number (1-800)for me to call when the part arrived at my house. I told the lady that I can not go another day without hot water. I then asked her what if I went to Lowes and purchased the part and had it installed? She hesitated and then informed me that they would pay for that part and up to $85 for a sericeman to install it. I then saide to her why wouldn't you tell me this from the start? It appears to be very obvious that this water heater is experiencing several issues with the gas valve and thermocouple. I am going to contact Lowes and see if they can offer me a replacement water heater.
Two days without hot water and a 100 mile round trip to the nearest Lowes to purcahse the replacement gas control valve. You have to drain the entire water heater before you and replace this part.
Douglas of Anchorage AK (11/18/08)
My hot water heater was purchased in May, 2008. and quit working last Saturday. I called and they said thewy would ship me a part. I got tired of waiting, since its difficult to live in Anchorage Alaska with no hot water. I went to Lowes and got a kit. The thermocoulpe adapter does not thread into my gas control valve. I tried several kits and none worked. I threaded the thermocouople directly in and it seemed to work fine, that was last night. This morning I'm back to square 1 the pilot will not stay lit, no hot water again today. I want a new hot water heater and I think this productt is a lemon
T.spas of Toronto, OT (11/18/08)
We have bought a refrigerator at Appliance Canada (serial # SM1653429, Model KSRA25ILSS Kitchen Aid Superba) manufactured by Whirlpool Canada LP on June 12, 2002.
During the time of the exploitation (during warranty period) of the refrigerator, we have noticed gradual changes of the surface of the inner plastic paneling / inner lining of the refrigerator and freezer (irregularities transforming into cracks /cavities).
Even dough The company is unable to rectify the problem and refuses to replace the fridge.
I have been waiting for this issue to be resolved since January, 2007.
Roberto of El Paso TX (11/18/08)
I bought a whirlpool water heater about 3 years ago and since then Ive been experiencing problems with it. Ive been calling customer support at 1 877 817 6750 but their only response I have gotten is that the company will send me parts for which i have to pay for and install myself. Even after doing so the problem persists. Neither Lowes nor Whirlpool want to take responsibility for the defective product they are selling. I would like to get some advise in order to solve this problem once and for all.
Roberto of El Paso TX (11/18/08)
I bought a whirlpool water heater about 3 years ago and since then Ive been experiencing problems with it. Ive been calling customer support at 1 877 817 6750 but their only response I have gotten is that the company will send me parts for which i have to pay for and install myself. Even after doing so the problem persists. Neither Lowes nor Whirlpool want to take responsibility for the defective product they are selling. I would like to get some advise in order to solve this problem once and for all.
Vijay of South Ssn Francisco CA (11/18/08)
I had purches the Whirlpool water in 2006 from lowes san Bruno. now it would not light up.I called whirlpool. Only they can do provied parts. Repair will cost $350.00 Which is more than Cost of water heater.
Bruce of N Tonawanda NY (11/17/08)
We just discovered that we too have missed the lcass action lawsuit for these defective hot water heaters. We bought 2...at Lowes for use in a seasonal home. Our thermocouple has just died and its only been in sporadic use for maybe 8 mos. Like weekends only......8 mos of the year. We need this class action suit reopened.
I have physical disabilities that make it difficult to rip out parts and replace them,,,,I ve ripped the thermocoupkle out twice so far and still no hot water.
Pissed of Norcross GA (11/17/08)
Think a better question to ask is, what has not happened. Bottom line is this, I am preparing to file a huge lawsuit against Whirlpool. Have been without hot water for near 2 weeks, over five plumbers, over 1500 spent to be back at square one, without hot water.
Terri of White Oak TX (11/16/08)
We bought a whirlpool water heater, model BFG1F4040S3NOV on September 18, 2008 from Lowe's. This Saturday November 15, 2008 the pilot light went out and we can not get it lite again. I called the number on the heater but they were closed at the time I called and are closed today, November 16th. I decided to call Lowe's and after talking to the manager of the store, Mark Keeler and then Drew Ann (they were nice but i guess until i talk to Whirlpool are unwilling to do anything). I was told the thermal coupling is not in stock and to call the 877 number in the morning, which of course I will. Drew Ann told me if I do not get results with Whirlpool to call the store back and they will do what ever is necessary to get this fixed. Tomorrow is another day so I will see who is willing to help.
no damage. Don't know about the financial end of it yet.
Eric of Sedgwick KS (11/16/08)
We bought a whirlpool hotwater heater from lowes april 26 this year, today is nov 16 and we are replaceing the thermo coupler given to us free by lowes. I am worried this will not solve the problem due to numerous complaints that it is only a temp fix. Somebody please tell me what else whirlpool is doing to fix this problem for a permanent solution,
Glyn of Abilene TX (11/16/08)
We bought a Whirlpool hot water heater at Lowe's in 2004. In a couple of years the thermcoupler went out and we had to get a new one. Four more years down the line another one went out. When we waited 2 days for the part to get here and paid 30.00 for the overnight delivery, that was the pits. Then that was not even the part we needed and nobody in town had either of the parts. So i called Whirlpool and they were so uncaring that we had been out of hot water already for 4 days and they wanted us to wait another 3 for them to ship us the other part. I fussed so much that they finally waived the 30.oo shipping fee. Then I got on the internet and found zillions of people who were just as or more ticked off than I was at Lowe's and Whirlpool. So, we decided to go to Lowe's and see if they would at least make us a deal on another hot water heater and they were just as unconcerned as Whirlpool. They only had the whirlpool hot water heaters and a couple of bosch. So, we left there and went to Sears where the man told us he had even heard on cnn that there was a recall on Whirlpool hot water heaters. We mentioned this to Lowe's and to Whirlpool and they acted like we were crazy. Some kind of consequence needs to happen to these two companies for carrying out such a scam and that's what it is a scam!!!!!!!!!
We've been without hot water for 5 days and we are going to financially be out because our hot water heater was guaranteed for at least 2 more years. This has happened to us twice. I have now learned to go straight to the internet and see what i can find out before taking the work of the company. We could have just went and bought another hot water heater on Tuesday and not been without water all this time, this is Sunday and the part is supposed to be here on Tuesday.
Carrie of Youngstown OH (11/16/08)
whirlpool hot water tank that i purchased in 06 has been a prob. since its been installed...pilot lite goes out cos the thermocuplor loosens....
total out-of-pocket has been 215.00....sent parts free but i had to pay for express shipping 15.00 and 2x plumbing visits so far
Mary of Kansas City MO (11/15/08)
Water Heater purchased in Lowes store in March of 2008 has faulty gas valve. Customer Service reported replacement part would be shipped overnight and arrive on Saturday-when in fact scheduled to arrive on Monday. Ups tracking information not given until after the fact. Service was sheduled for Saturday and had to be cancelled. Customer Service phone rep clearly not in the united states. Very Very poor.
I the consumer now will be without hot water for one week due to this poor product with poor service. Upon research I see there was a class action suit already settled regarding some water heaters--but what about faulty parts found after the claim deadline date.
Susie of Arvada CO (11/15/08)
We purchased a 40 gallon Whirlpool water heater at Lowe's in March 2008. On Nov. 14, 2008, the pilot light went out and will not reset. I've tried numerous times to reach Whirlpool but have been unable to reach anyone. Someone at Lowe's gave me the names of certified technicians to service the heater, but when I called every one of them said they did not service water heaters at all. Further research showed that other Whirlpool customers have experienced this problem and have had problems having Whirlpool deal with it.
Chris of Springfield MA (11/15/08)
OK I am experiencing the same pilot not staying lit problem like most of you that have a Whirlpool Hot Water heater from Lowes. I would really like to initiate a class action lawsuit against Whirlpool.
Robin of La Porte TX (11/14/08)
We are among the unhappy Whirlpool hot water heaters. We can not keep the pilot lit. We are due for a cold front and with a baby, cannot be without hot water. We are having to replace ours-AGAIN. Until a licensed plumber told us last night, we were unaware of the law suits. We are out of the class action unfortunately unless they open it back up.
We are now out another $675 to replace and have another brand installed by a licensed plumber.
Frank of Peculiar MO (11/14/08)
I called the Whirlpool parts line and after waiting for about 20 minutes, finally got a female who spoke broken english. When I told her the model number and part I needed, she rudely responded, I need serial number. When I gave it to her she said she needs 10 digit number and call back when you get it. I explained that the nu | 
