Home Improvement → [Plumbing] Now I know where the name Rheem came from

Yesterday I walk into the utility room and the floor is wet, abnormal to say the least.

I traced the water to a 3 year old Rheem electric water heater, himm, top is dry but water is leaking out of the bottom, so I shut off the power and the water.

The only access I had was to remove the thermostat plates, bottom one damp, top one soaked, open water valve and a stream of water shoots across the room, looking carefully I notice it is leaking out of the edge of the upper heater at around five o'clock, don't see a reason why so I turn the water off again.

Well the unit is under warranty, or so I thought, I get put on hold and after awhile the rep comes back on and gives me a case number, advises I will need to drain and return the heater to HD for an exchange.

Here's the rub if HD doesn't have the same model in stock I am responsible for paying the difference of what I paid for the old unit versus the new unit.

Of course HD doesn't have the same forty gallon model in stock, all they stock now are 38 gallon units, so instead of a warranty exchange, I will get to buy a new unit at a discount.

Well I guess one could say, I am going to get Rheem'ed.

Maybe I'm misreading your comment. Do you feel "rheem'ed" because you have to pay the difference in price? Or are they crediting you less than the full amount you paid 3 years ago?

the unit has a six year replacement warranty, in my book, replacement equals, if the old one fails under warranty, they replace it with a new one for no charge.

This is no pro-rated warranty, it's a replacement warranty.

yet another reason NOT to buy from HD ..... if you'd bought from a plumbing suppler, they'd be able to get one in short order if they didn't have one in stock ....

You get what you paid for ..... and by-the-way .... HD's return policies are posted/available to ANYONE for review. If you disagree ..... don't buy there
.... but then again it's easier to Bitch after the fact .....

Maybe you ought to read HD's return policy before posting snarky comments, because no where in it is there a mention of having to pay a difference in price for items returned under warranty.

Use a reputable plumber. He'll take care of you.

There are no local plumbers around here, one either does the work themselves or has to hire someone out of Fort Myers which is 75 miles away.

And define reputable, how can that be determined before hiring someone out of another county?

Customer service has gone the way of the dodo. A vast majority of Americans buy on convenience and price with price being the majority pushing factor. A large amount of consumer goods that even 10 years ago were considered repairable are now considered disposable. A majority of hot water tanks are made by the same mfg and most have the same type of warranties. The falsehood is that a small mom pop will take care of you. NO mom and pop will give you a free hot water tank just because you bought from them, they have to make money too. So either you way overpaid and then yes they can absorb the cost or they are stuck in the same line hoping to get warranty reimbursement from the same company.

If you really feel cheated contact their customer service. Email the company. Keep on asking to be elevated to higher manager. If that doesn’t work call back. Most people won’t do that. Isn’t worth their time and / or isn’t worth the frustration. You may succeed.... you just have to be really persistent.

I am all for speaking by your wallet. I don’t buy from Amazon just because of that, but I would be a fool if I thought they would change their policies because of it.

Companies have changed. It isn’t customer first anymore.

Companies no longer sell to customers, they sell to consumers

This isn't warrantied by HD though, right? It sounds like this is Rheem's typical 1-yr part/labor, and 6-yr tank and parts warranty (which sucks for most people, as they still get to pay a plumber to replace it). I agree though, they should offer outright replace with a similar model. Although a credit is nice it you want to upgrade to a better model. How much of a difference in cost are we talking here? Are they prorating it for the 3 years?

Well Bonded seems perfectly capable of swapping out an electric HWH, and more likely to take his time and do it right versus a pro who just wants to get it done and go home. Although sparkies doing plumbing and vice-versa sometimes results in "creative" solutions.

Heck, I can (and have in the past) changed out an electric water heater. I even moved one from inside the house to outside (including the wiring). Now - gas is a different animal for me - I'd just as soon get the plumber in to do that.

As long as Home Depot is going to credit you the full amount you paid, I don't see an issue here. That is how it SHOULD work when they can't replace it with the same model. Do you really expect to receive a free upgrade just because the one you bought 3 years ago isn't in stock?

If they cannot do a like for like replacement that's not my problem, if all they have is an upgrade too bad, they can eat the cost and take it up with Rheem.

I bought a item in good faith, with a 6 year replacement warranty, it's up to HD and Rheem to honor that warranty, not I.

I think your expectations are quite unrealistic. A full refund or credit is the appropriate action here. And I think you'll find that to be the standard practice everywhere. In fact, a lot of them even prorate the credit/refund now, so it is only 100% for a very short time.

Totally false, we are talking about a durable appliance that is required to have in a home, not a TV or crap like that

A six year "REPLACEMENT" warranty is just that, the unit shall be replaced with a equal or better unit at the sellers expense.

If you wish to settle for less than that fine, but don't preach to me I need to.

You are exactly the type of customer that allows large companies like Rheem and HD to screw people over and that is very sad.

But then again what did P.T. Barnum state decades ago?

Amen and well said. I consider a tv a durable good and when my TCL 55” went out and the backlights are glued on and about nearly a PITA to replace that tells us it is just pitch and go. Appliance makers feel the same way now. My kenmore elite dual fuel stove the lower heater elements were sealed in. That was a designed $1800 throw away stove.

I wish you the best of luck getting Home Depot or Rheem (or any other company these days) to live up to your expectations.

At over double the price, he'd better. I hired a plumber to supply and install a hot water tank a few years ago. I don't know anything about gasfitting and I was in a hurry and didn't have time to learn. Based on the price of the tank, he made about $800 for under one hour's work. I got three bids and his was the cheapest.

Oh they will, or it will cost them much more not too.

I don't understand why HD is responsible for honoring the warranty. HD sold you the water heater but any warranty issues are between you and Rheem. If you purchased an extended warranty from HD when you purchased the unit then HD and their extended warranty company has responsibility.

Rheem's warranty states they will provide an equivalent replacement if the original model is not available so Rheem needs to do that. The warranty doesn't state your local retailer must provide whatever model they have in stock. Rheem needs to do what ever they need to do to get you an = replacement. They need to work it out with HD, another, store/supplier or ship you one.

said by Rheem warranty :

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If your water heater is “in-warranty”, contact the plumber, or mechanical contractor, that installed it for assistance with the warranty repairs, or replacement, required. You may also select a plumber, or mechanical contractor, from your local Yellow Pages to assist you. Rheem Water Heaters’ Technical Service personnel are available to assist you – by telephone (800) 432-8373 or via our website (www.rheem.com) - in obtaining “in-warranty” service or to answer your questions about the operation or repair of your water heater during normal business hours. Be prepared to provide the plumber, mechanical contractor, or Rheem Technical Service person you call with the complete model number, the complete serial number, and the date of original purchase of your water heater in addition to an explanation of your water heater problem.

If an exact replacement is not available, Rheem will provide you with the current model of your water heater, or component part(s), or a replacement unit with comparable operating features. If government regulations or industry certification or similar standards require the replacement water heater, or replacement component part(s), to have features not found in the defective water heater, or the defective component part(s), you will be charged for the difference in price represented by those required features. If you pay the price difference for those required features and/or to upgrade the size and/or other features available on a replacement new water heater, you will also receive a complete new Limited Warranty (with the full Applicable Warranty Period) for the replacement new water heater...

Rheem will pay the transportation costs for an “in-warranty” replacement water heater, or “inwarranty” replacement component part(s), to a convenient delivery point (selected by Rheem) near the place the original water heater, or original component part(s) is located: such as a local Rheem water heater distributor. You must pay any local freight charges, including the cost of returning the failed water heater, or defective component part(s), to a convenient shipping location (selected by Rheem): such as a local Rheem water heater distributor or Ruud water heater distributor.

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Seems to me that he's not following the Rheem warranty requirements. I don't see how his failure to follow instructions is Rheem's fault.

I am confused on how 1) It's HD fault 2) How Rheem owes you anything except to pay for replacement unit. The fact you're not able to get same size replacement unit is neither of HD/Rheem. fault. In all honesty you're barking at the wrong tree and will not get the results that you are seeking.

Rheem considers HD to be their local representative, Authorized Dealer this is no different than A.O Smith considering Ferguson to be their Authorized Dealer.

If you have a warranty problem with a Chevy are you supposed to take to Chevy's corporate offices or to an authorized Chevy dealer?

Same thing here.

I am following the instructions provided to me by Rheem.

Which by the way I got them to send to me in writing.

Do you have a problem with understanding a replacement warranty?Not at all, this dog doesn't bark, it bites and I will get my way, they can do it the easy way or they can do it the hard way, it all depends on how much money they are willing to lose, to maybe win.

As a consumer, I have the advantage, it will cost me a $175 to have Rheem corporate served with a notification of a civil suit, to be held locally here in Hendry County, forget a change of venue or pushing arbitration, just getting their legal department involved will cost them ten times more than that water heater is worth.

End result, new water heater delivered and I get a out of court settlement check.

Now that's the nuke option, tomorrow is a new day and since I replaced the leaking heater with a little 20 gallon unit I had in the shed, I am in no hurry to get a new one and will become a real PIA for Rheem and in turn HD this coming week.

I learned at AT&T, they as a huge corporation will do anything to avoid getting involved in anything legal, that a minor problem, they expect the local peons to prevent that from happening, at al costs.

Just the David and Goliath PR damage is more than they want to endure.

"Rheem Water Heaters' Technical Service personnel are available to assist you – by telephone (800) 432-8373 or via our website (www.rheem.com) - in obtaining 'in-warranty' service"

What did they say when you called them and said your water heater was broken?

...over a $500 water heater.

You remind me of my dad who did stuff like this.

It seems to me your dad was probably not the type willing to be screwed over and valued every dime he spent, to him, a deal was a deal, not a compromise to be renegotiated later. .