American ProLine Water heater Overview

Leaked at lower element. Rusted to point of not repairable. Now need to replace water heater at 5 year mark.

From day 1 we had problems. The local utility company installed it so you know that they were qualified. They had trouble with the flame. They were here for a very long time. Over the next few months the flame KEPT GOING OUT. They kept coming back. American said it was our fault. Everything from cat hair to it was too close to the bathroom and the best was our natural gas was bad. I read on the internet that my problem was everyone's problem. A legal class action suit was started. American had to give everyone who complained a new modified door assembly. The reviews that I read on this website are unlike the many other websites. ALL the others call American Water Heater / Whirlpool as well as other names that they go by pure crap. Water heaters should last more then 5 years. People who write reviews after owning a water heater can't give a review after only 6 months saying how great it is. Wait a few years and see what happens. Why did Lowes stop selling this crappy water heater? According to the many sales reps it was because the customers hated it and Lowes were getting a bad name for selling it.

The american water heater was installed in December 2017. It constantly broke down. When they installed it the pilot light they couldn't keep the flame on. They called American Water Heater and the service department told them what to do. It worked good until the day the flame went out. It was only a few weeks and they had to come back. Excuses like the dust was in the air, cat hair, air in the gas line, low gas pressure etc etc. All crap. The same problem over and over. Look at other review sites. 99% of the reviews say that this product is pure garbage. The American Water Heater was sold by Lowes and other stores. In 2016 an 2017 Lowes stopped selling them. Their customers were fed up. There would be shouting matches with the salesmen, customers were asking for replacements or their money back. American Water Heater is also sold as Whirlpool models as well as several other brands.

This 10-year-old water heater has a 12-year warranty. I'll give them credit for 10 years of hot water, but the tank just failed and water has leaked everywhere. While American Water heater says they will honor the warranty, they also say there are no replacements in stock and that it will take weeks to get one – plus they're nasty about it! Meanwhile, we need a replacement now! We can't go weeks without hot water. So forget about them honoring their warranty. We're going out and buying a whole new unit from another manufacturer. Buyer beware! These guys don't play nice.

Our local plumber installed an American Pro Line Water Heater in October 2010. It worked great until December 2013, when the pilot light stopped staying lit. The plumber who installed it came out 5 or 6 times, replaced the thermocouple, charged us a total of over $400, but then it finally started working. Hooray! And, then, in July, the problem started again. I called Pro Line support, was sent directions on what to do if it wouldn't stay lit, but the unit still wouldn't stay lit. The same plumber came back and was baffled. He said in his 40 years as a plumber, he has never had this much trouble with a water heater. He tightened up some parts, checked to make sure that everything else was working, relit it…and it worked for 3 days. Now we have to light it about twice a day manually. I called Pro Line, asked if we could get some help, and was told to call one of their certified repair people, a & E. I had tried that last week, but they couldn't come for 5 days and could give me no estimate of cost other than the $89 to show up, which would be applied to the cost of repairs. They couldn't give me an hourly rate or any estimate. I was talking to someone somewhere in the U.S., without the ability to talk to a local company or directly to the plumber, so I didn't use them. At the end of our conversation today, the Pro Line woman told me that she would call an hvac specialist, as she decided that it doesn't sound like a water heater problem. I asked her why the water heater would have worked for 3 years initially and then 6 months if it was a problem with venting or plumbing. She said that "other things" could happen, but couldn't explain what those were. After almost four years and $1400 into this water heater ($1000 for original installation and unit, $400 for repairs in December/January), we now have to buy a new water heater unless we want to lie down on the floor twice a day to light our pilot light, and never know each morning whether or not we'll have a hot shower. Never, ever buy an american pro line water heater!