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Whirlpool Water Heater Terrible Support and Customer Service
Energy Smart Water Heater
CINCINNATI, OHIO -- As a plumber, I have purchased and installed several of the Whirlpool Energy Smart Water Heaters. I can tell you for certain that I have purchase my last one! After having a Whirpool Energy Smart water heater installed for two weeks, one of my customer's electric bill went from $65 to $183. I went back to the house expecting to find a bad element. The element checked out. The water heater was also drawing the proper amount of current. I called customer service and they walked me through everything that I had already checked again. They assured me then that the problem was not the water heater. Wanting to make absolutely sure and having background in electric work, I stuck around to figure out exactly what the problem was. After awhile, we could hear the water heater clicking off and on every minute or so.
I called Whirlpool back to inform them that apparently the electronic "Energy Smart" control box was bad (funny they didn't have me check that to begin with, as I later found that they have had other problems with the electronics). They acknowledged from what I told them that the control box was bad. I asked who in the greater Cincinnati area would stock one and was told "no one, it will have to be shipped from the factory". Being a holiday weekend I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked, "You mean that I have to leave my customer without hot water for three days?" She (Michelle, a customer service SUPERVISOR) rudely repeated what she said without even the slightest sign of sympathy for the elderly couple who would be without hot water for three days. When I asked what the procedure was to make a formal complaint about this was, she snapped back, "Have the homeowner call me" and abruptly hung up the phone! Is that anyway to treat someone who has purchases approximately 25 of your water heaters per year?
I had to go buy another complete water heater just to get the part until the new one arrived. I have just submitted a claim to get paid the $80 that Whirpool pays for their service work (no wonder no one is willing to do it). Considering the way they do business, I will be amazed if I ever get paid. Lowes is just as much to blame, I mean what would it take for at least one store in the greater Cinci area (or every major city) to stock a full selection of parts for such an important appliance as a water heater THAT THEY SELL.
Another example of the absence of customer service in the plight of huge corporations to get a few cents richer. I would not buy another Whirlpool appliance if they were half the price of any other brand!! That is the honest truth!
I called Whirlpool back to inform them that apparently the electronic "Energy Smart" control box was bad (funny they didn't have me check that to begin with, as I later found that they have had other problems with the electronics). They acknowledged from what I told them that the control box was bad. I asked who in the greater Cincinnati area would stock one and was told "no one, it will have to be shipped from the factory". Being a holiday weekend I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked, "You mean that I have to leave my customer without hot water for three days?" She (Michelle, a customer service SUPERVISOR) rudely repeated what she said without even the slightest sign of sympathy for the elderly couple who would be without hot water for three days. When I asked what the procedure was to make a formal complaint about this was, she snapped back, "Have the homeowner call me" and abruptly hung up the phone! Is that anyway to treat someone who has purchases approximately 25 of your water heaters per year?
I had to go buy another complete water heater just to get the part until the new one arrived. I have just submitted a claim to get paid the $80 that Whirpool pays for their service work (no wonder no one is willing to do it). Considering the way they do business, I will be amazed if I ever get paid. Lowes is just as much to blame, I mean what would it take for at least one store in the greater Cinci area (or every major city) to stock a full selection of parts for such an important appliance as a water heater THAT THEY SELL.
Another example of the absence of customer service in the plight of huge corporations to get a few cents richer. I would not buy another Whirlpool appliance if they were half the price of any other brand!! That is the honest truth!
Comments:
Posted by superbowl on 2008-01-10:
Great post and info Plumberman. We seldom get first hand info like this around here it seems the person that bought the water heater has to post the complaint. I have a Whirlpool Water Heater that had a thermocoupler recall problem. Bought it at Lowes, they were of zero help, had to call ten different numbers to get the problem fixed. (VH)
Posted by Robf on 2008-01-11:
I probably don't understand.
Why would you have had to leave the customer without hot water for three days? If the energy saver control unit was bad and turning on and off (using a greater amount of electricity) but still supplying hot water, it doesn't make sense that they should be without hot water for three days (a higher electric bill, yes). Turn the controller off and replace it when a new box comes in. I don't see the need to turn off the entire hot water heater.
Why would you have had to leave the customer without hot water for three days? If the energy saver control unit was bad and turning on and off (using a greater amount of electricity) but still supplying hot water, it doesn't make sense that they should be without hot water for three days (a higher electric bill, yes). Turn the controller off and replace it when a new box comes in. I don't see the need to turn off the entire hot water heater.
Posted by Principissa on 2008-01-11:
We have a lot of whirlpool appliances in the new house. Now I understand why the water heater is not whirlpool. I will certainly steer clear of them when it's time to by a new one!
Posted by smartin on 2008-01-29:
I read plumberman's review of the Whirlpool Energy Smart water heater. Though I have never purchased an Energy Smart water heater I have purchased many high effiency water heaters (.93 energy factor or higher) and have attempted to make my own version of an Energy Smart water heater by purchasing a 240 Volt 24 hour analogue timer with three separate settings to control my heater according to our family's specific needs. I work for an electric utility and have been an Energy Specialist for 20 plus years. I have found this to be a very good reliable way to reduce hotwater standby heating losses. I also would add that in addition to the timer I recommend to purchase as high an energy factor water heater as possible, and if the tank is not insulated on the bottom to include a 2 inch extruded polystyrene pad and appropriately sized drain pan for the tank to sit in when doing the instalation. That being said, I now have a family of two and find that setting my morning setting for 1.5 hours (5-6:30), an afternoon setting of .5 hours (12-12:30) and an evening setting of one hour 4:30-5:30) has been working quite well. That gives me a total of 3 hours of water heating, that is all, prior to doing this I ran a logger on my not so efficient tank and found that it was running an average of 8 hours a day. At 5 hours a day savings and a 3.5 kW heating element that amounts to 525 kWh a month. Depending on your power rates that timer could pay for itself in the first month.
For those occasions when we have extra usage like company there is a bypass on the timer that allows the unit to run normally till it hits the next setting.
Plummerman might consider this alternative next time instead of trusting high tech to do the job.
Oh, by the way, This timmer is now going on its second water heater and still going strong.
For those occasions when we have extra usage like company there is a bypass on the timer that allows the unit to run normally till it hits the next setting.
Plummerman might consider this alternative next time instead of trusting high tech to do the job.
Oh, by the way, This timmer is now going on its second water heater and still going strong.
Posted by mrbob on 2008-02-02:
I have to say that I am also having poor reliability problems with my 1 year old energy smart water heater and the customer service sucks. Basically we are not getting hot water past two showers (household of three). The sensor unit was flashing 4 times which the manual states is an upper element failure so i called customer service number listed in the manual and it just rang forever no pick up no message. Then I called a completely separate whirlpool service number from a different appliance, they picked up immediately and and a pleasant lady told me she didnt handled water heaters but would try to help - she eventually asked me to hold and transfered me to the right department. A very non perky, non interested person answered the phone, half listened to my issue and stated he would send out a new sensor - i paused him and asked didn't 4 flashes indicate an element problem? He fairly rudely asked if i got hot water and i responded "some" and then repeated his previous statement about sending out a new sensor.
The new sensor is now carefully installed and originally the sensor stayed green but it now flashes three times and we still do not have hot water past a few showers.
The new sensor is now carefully installed and originally the sensor stayed green but it now flashes three times and we still do not have hot water past a few showers.
Posted by Chief6A on 2008-03-13:
Yeah I seem to be having the same problem with mine I bought it at Lowes and Installed it and Now for the last 3 months or so Perodically it is just shuting off, but its not kicking the breaker in the fusebox?? I reset the water heater and it goes through the functions and then like 20 mins later just losses power. IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM I WOULD APPRECIATE IT! Never Again Will I Buy A WhrilPool Product because I called there so called coustmer service and they were a joke they couldnt help me one bit and i dont know what to do next!. Paemt203994@yahoo.com
Posted by JAbraham on 2008-05-20:
If you've been messed over by a corporation, how do you get its attention? By taking legal action! Such as small claims court!
Posted by Melina41 on 2008-08-25:
When my usual plumber couldn't fix my Flame Guard water heater (the plastic drain cock was cross-threaded so he was afraid he'd flood the place if he attempted to drain it) I called Whirlpool to recommend a plumber. The only Whirlpool-recommended person who would pick up the phone wanted $175 just to walk in the door. My usual plumber (licensed and insured) charges $40 minimum. I have a feeling no plumber wants to represent Whirlpool in any fashion, and I don't blame them.
Posted by HandyDan on 2011-01-25:
I purchased a home in 2006 that had a 1 year old Whirlpool Energy Star 50 gal waterheater in it. Since that time the electronic control board has gone bad 2 times. At over $80 for the part alone, I am wishing the previous owner had installed a different unit.
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