I purchased a Whirlpool water heater model #BFG1H4040T3NOV serial #0638120159 on October 17 for $716.67, installed at the Lowe's in Beavercreek OH. This was to replace a 3-year-old Whirlpool water heater that was in the house I had purchased a year before.in the first year that I was in the house, I replaced the thermocoupler 3 times. On the fourth time, I decided to buy a new water heater and purchased the above mentioned one.
I also went with the 9-year-warranty so that I would not have to do the repair work if it ever went out again. After the new water heater was in the house for about a year and a half, the thermocoupler went out and I called the Lowe's warranty 800 number. They told me that they did not have an authorized service technician in the area and the it could take 2 to 4 days until I got it fixed. Apparently, most plumbers refuse to work on Whirlpool water heaters, let alone install them. This happened 2 other times over the next year.
The last time (March 30), the technician had to replace the burner unit, gas control valve and thermocoupler. He basically rebuilt the entire thing. On July 27, the water heater went out again. I went into the Lowe's in Beavercreek and talked to a manager named Kelly about all the problems I have had with this water heater. She told me to call Whirlpool and get an RA number and they will refund my purchase price on the water heater. I called Whirlpool and talked to "Jimmy" in India and he told me that he could not give me an RA number and that I had to have my technician call.
I called my technician, of Glassbourn Plumbing and he came over, examined the water heater and the entire insides needed to be replaced again. He called Whirlpool and told them the water heater and new parts were defective and that the whole unit needed to be replaced and he asked for an RA number. Whirlpool customer support told him that all they would do would be to send a new gas control valve and that I could pay an extra $20 to have it overnighted. This was not acceptable to me and I told him so. I then called Lowe's in Beavercreek and talked to a manager named Brian. I told him the entire story and he said that he would try to call Whirlpool and get an RA number for me.
He called back a few minutes later and told me that they would not give him the number either. He also said that whoever he talked to told him that the notes in the computer on my case file said that the technician told them that "the gas control valve was bad". This is a total lie, that is not what Mr told them. I was standing right there when he called Whirlpool. Obviously, Whirlpool customer support is falsifying information and doing everything that they can to avoid satisfying their customers. I have since purchased a GE water heater from Home Depot. I also did some more research and discovered that on Consumer Affairs website there is 174 pages of complaints on Whirlpool water heaters with the exact same problem as mine.
Every single person has had the exact same result in getting their complaint resolved, they haven't! The complaints and problems date back to several years. Whirlpool was involved in a class action lawsuit in 2006 and were ordered to give all owners new gas control valves. The problem is that they continue to send out bad valves and use the same bad valves in their manufacturing process. They have not fixed the problem, and continue to rip off their customers. I personally can't see why Lowe's is still selling these water heaters when they know about this problem and continue to ignore it. I have been a Lowe's customer for many years but the response I have gotten from both Lowe's and Whirlpool on this matter has made me vow to never purchase another Whirlpool appliance again.
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