Consumer Reviews of American water heaters

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Date created: 2013-05-20 Name: R.G.
Location: Pearland, TX

Satisfaction Rating:

Review:
"Terrible Product, Ineffective Customer Support"
I am having my own American water heater nightmare right now. Long story short, both my awh water heaters (installed in parallel) went out last Friday. In both cases, the pilot would simply not stay lit. After calling customer service, they sent me the pilot/thermopile assemblies for both tanks. They arrived Monday. I installed one, tried it, and it didn't work. Exactly the same problem. I called again. The Rep indicates he will send the control box for the tank in which I replaced the pilot assembly, but he would not send it for the other tank until I replaced the pilot assembly. I argued with him to no avail. It is logical that if both went at the same time and replacing the pilot assembly in one wouldn't fix it, it wouldn't fix the other. His answer: "not necessarily". So, he preferred to continue wasting my time and an unnecessary replacement part that to help fixing the problem. Of course, I went ahead and replaced the pilot assembly in the second water heater. Guess what? It didn't work. So now I am trying to contact them again to get the box for the second heater. Oh! And of course, they send you the part, but either you have to install it or spend the money to have it installed by a technician. Let me understand that: their crappy product went out after only 18 months of use, and I have to pay to fix it. Conclusion: stay away from this shoddy brand!

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Date created: 2013-02-21 Name: Hurt Gutlei
Location: philadelphia PA

Satisfaction Rating:
Review:
"50 glns natural gas"
As a plumber contractor, I do not recommend anyone to buy or install these American water heaters. The water heater was installed about six months ago and it failed. So we called the customer support center and we did troubleshooting for two hours they finally decided to get the part from Lowes. Lowes had asked me to bring in the old part in exchange for the new part, the installation did not work. Called again, back to the home depot. Got the new part drained the water heater and installed the new part light it up the water heater exploded at the bottom. Called again they asked to do more trouble shooting I refused to light it up again after the explosion, customer said to make an appointment with the technician to look at the problem I had to pay them, I’m tired of trouble shooting, trips to lowest, phone calls, bullshit. I finally replaced the water heater for a Bradfor white water heater because I know that this is a good quality product. Not crap like American water heater.

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Date created: 2013-01-31 Name: Imjesayin
Location: Tustin, CA

Satisfaction Rating:
Review:
"AMH DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS"
I bought a home 2 years ago in 2011. The previous homeowner bought an American Water Heater in 2004 with a 12 year warranty. The warranty has a clause stating that the warranty only applies to the original purchaser. Now I had had several problems in the last year with keeping the pilot lit. I've had thermal couplers replaced (twice), and replaced a valve, and it is still routinely malfunctioning. I called up and (stupidly) told them I wasn't the original purchaser. They just told me to try a couple of things and nothing worked. They recommended a new gas valve. I said I want repair work done under warranty. They said, "Sorry, we won't honor the warranty because you weren't the original purchaser". I told them that this is just a greedy money-saving slimy business practice. Even if the homeowner sold the house a week after installing the water heater, they won't honor their warranty to the new purchaser. What purpose does it serve to conduct your business that way? It’s only purpose is to save money, and because they can do it. Their mindset is, "Well, the original purchaser isn't going to care about this and not buy the water heater, because it only screws over the next guy. It doesn't affect the person who bought it, so let's cut off the warranty on the product as quickly as possible." They think they can make some cost- cutting measure like this without consequences because they got nothing from me directly. But I bought this house and everything in it, and paid for it, including a water heater that came with a warranty. I spoke to 3 customer service people and a supervisor and the supervisor just says, "That’s what the warranty says." He even says he understands how I feel and it recently happened to him on something he bought! Yet he says they "Can’t" do anything. I said, no, you can, but you won’t. I told them that they are forgetting that when I have to buy a new water heater some day, it won't be from American Water Heater. They don't stand behind their products. They made their choice and that's the consequences. Don't buy American water heaters!

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Date created: 2010-09-25 Name: phil stacy
Location: jacksonville, fl 32217

Satisfaction Rating:
Review:
"old, inefficient"
Only 40 gallon capacity; takes a long time to heat water; not energy efficient. Good points; quiet.

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Date created: 2010-09-10 Name: phillip stacy

Satisfaction Rating:
Review:
"Mr phil stacy"
An old 40 gallon Premier Plus from American Water Heater is low on capacity and not energy efficient. It does not heat water fast enough so showers have to be brief. It has to be left off when not in use because it is not energy eficient.

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