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| Whirlpool Warranty | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 12:50 pm |
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1st Post |
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Realmacaw Member
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Seven years ago I purchased a Whirlpool natural gas heated water heater from Lowes with a 12 year warranty. I have a water softener. I didn't give the water heater any maintenance other than draining it a few times (no sediment came out). After 6 years rusty water started coming out. By the 7th year it got really bad. I recently took off the aluminum hex anode. The anode was completely gone. After I took off the cold water line I used a flashlight to look inside. The anode was broken off inside, a couple feet long in a V shape. I called the warranty phone number. It sounded like I was speaking to a guy in India. When I told him the situation he said it can't be fixed. I assumed Whirlpool would pro-rate the warranty, like companies do with tires, and it would still cost a lot to buy a new one. I was suprised when he told me I could have a new water heater for FREE. I had to take it back to Lowes and give them a number. They gave me a new Whirlpool water heater with a 12 year warranty for free. I think they gave me the most expensive model in the store. The water heater seemed no better or worse than any other water heater. But the warranty is GREAT. If I had bought one with a 6 year warranty I would be out of luck. But by buying one with a longer warranty I got 2 water heaters for the price of one. I don't like the aluminum anode. It would be best to remove it and replace it with a magnesium anode. After reading the information on this web site I now realize my water softener ate the anode. I plan to buy and install an electric anode.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 05:37 pm |
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2nd Post |
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elenano GCF-GL 
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I think that's a good idea, but you should hang onto the factory anode too, for a couple of reasons. Occasionally water heaters break under warranty because they're defective. If that happens, you'll want to put the factory anode back in it before you make the warranty claim. You'd want to transfer the electric one to the new heater, and if you give back the bad one without an anode in it, they'd void the warranty right there. Randy Schuyler
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| Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 09:36 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Realmacaw Member
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Thanks for the good advice. However, Whirlpool doesn't seem to inspect their returned water heaters. When I called the warranty number I think I was talking to a guy in India. I explained that a lot of rust was coming out of the water heater, that I removed the hex anode and saw that most of the anode was broken off down inside the water heater. He gave me a return authorization number. He told me to take the water heater back to Lowes where I had purchased it and give them that number. I took the water heater back without the anode, just a hole in the top. They did not ask any questions. The reason why is Lowes gets a credit for a new one so they are not out anything. My guess is Lowes throws them away. I doubt Lowes ships them back to the company since it wouldn't be worth the shipping for the manufacturer to inspect it. I was highly surprised by this. It is a GREAT warranty. Most warranties are not worth the paper they are written on. I've had a few other things replaced within 90 days, even 6 months. But beyond that you are usually out of luck. This water heater was 7 years old. Yet they gave me a brand new replacement for free. And I expect I still have 5 years left on the warranty. I am supposed to call the company back (in India) and give them the model and serial number from the new unit.
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