Whirlpool Water Heater

[FordMan59]

Just a heads up for everyone. I purchased a Whirlpool water heater yesterday. I got it home with intentions of getting it installed today, but before installing it in the confined area I have, I pulled the plug out and removed the insulation where the anode rod is supposed to be and it was misaligned enough you can't get a socket on the anode to remove it. I called Whirlpool customer service this morning and they said it was only a cosmetic problem and wouldn't do anything about it. Later I talked to a supervisor and finally convinced them that their owners manual states to remove the rod after 6 months of use and inspect it, now they say I can re-package, load into my station wagon, drive about 75-80 miles round trip and get another water heater instead of them sending someone out to my house and them taking care of the problem under the conditions of the warranty. It specifically says on the appliance do not return to the store where purchased. Since then I've been reading some reviews online about their customer service and warranty issues and it sounds as if I'm not the only one who's had problems with Whirlpool. Don't do like I did, research before you buy.

[FordMan59]

I contacted the store I bought it from (Lowe's Home Improvement) about the above problem and spoke with a manager. He called Whirlpool and they also told him they wouldn't do anything other than a refund or exchange, he assured me that he would pass this along to his district purchasing department, hopefully Lowes will change suppliers. I found out from the manager that Whirlpool doesn't have a company service technician or contracted repair facility in this area to take care of warranty issues. I've pretty much decided I'll take the unit back to the store, get my money back, go to Home Depot and buy a Rheem.