WARNING!!!! AO Smith water heater

[princessmom29]

DO NOT buy AO Smith hot water heaters. They do not stand behind their product. I have a defective model in my home, along with a dozen neighbors in my development and they refuse to do anything. The air exchange on this model is only 1"x10" and there is no other means to get air to the unit. It was the first enclosed pilot unit they made and it is a poor design. The shutoff sensors keep burning out. Which means the pilot light continually goes out. We have personally been through 3 in 2 years since the unit was installed. The plumber that built the houses has been wonderful to us and our neighbors in installing the parts for free, but AO Smith is now refusing to do anything more about it. They know they have a problem, but refuse to do anything to make it right. They are very nasty with everone who calls and went so far as to tell me toady "We are not going to do anything for you". Just a warning, DO NOT buy from them.

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

We have had the same problem. Our pilot went out 22 times over a four day period around Thanksgiving this year. Make sure you are using a vaccuum with attachments and cleaning it out really good periodically. This time it took two really good cleanings before it would stay lit. If you do a search on google, you will find tons of reports of people with the same problem. Trust me, I know how you feel....

 

[princessmom29]

We do that once a month, and it helps temporarily, but eventually the part goes out again. It is just not getting enough air. The heater companay has been trying to make the argument that it is improper care so we have been hyper vigilant about it since the last part went in. It has only been 6 months.

 

[a1tinkfans]

OP:
Don't take this lying down. Seriously, NOISE makes companies change or improve. BY the way, I pay for ALL my "work" now on a credit card....THEY do the fighting FOR you and they handle the aggravation
Call your BBB and File a complaint and tell the same things to your neighbors. You may finds that some legal action (like a class action suit) is pending...just a thought
Sorry you are dealing with this! What aggravation!!!!
Good Luck!!!

 

[princessmom29]

OP:
Don't take this lying down. Seriously, NOISE makes companies change or improve. BY the way, I pay for ALL my "work" now on a credit card....THEY do the fighting FOR you and they handle the aggravation
Call your BBB and File a complaint and tell the same things to your neighbors. You may finds that some legal action (like a class action suit) is pending...just a thought
Sorry you are dealing with this! What aggravation!!!!
Good Luck!!!

thanks for the info and support!!! I am not out any actual money on this yet as the plunber has been getting the part for free and has graciously done the labor pro bono, but if I will definitely use a CC to pay. I made a lot of noise toady, and plan to keep doing so until this is fixed. I hadn't thought about the BBB, I will call them tomorrow. At this point all I really want is a new hot water heater that works properly. I feel like after this many repairs they should be willing to replace and obviously defective product.

 

[squirrlygirl]

how is it ruining parts? we had this problem, too, and the servicer said to use a swiffer duster instead of a vacuum, and that was that. nothing ruined.

 

[princessmom29]

how is it ruining parts? we had this problem, too, and the servicer said to use a swiffer duster instead of a vacuum, and that was that. nothing ruined.

the sensor keeps going out because it is getting over heated. There is not enough air exchange even when the vents are perfectly clean so heat builds up and over time and causes the emergancy shutoff sensor to burn out. Once that happens we can light the heater and heat a tank of water, but when the heating cycle is over the emergency shutoff automatically triggers b/c it thinks the unit is overheated, even when it is not, and the pilot goes out. We keep the vents clean, but it keeps happening over and over, even with clean vents. It is not a cleaning issue, but the fact that the vent they installed is to small for the unit and cannot exchange enough air. Just to give you a perspective it is literally the width of a piece of notebook paper and an inch tall. It is the entire source of combustion air and cooling for the entire unit.

 

[TWyn]

the sensor keeps going out because it is getting over heated. There is not enough air exchange even when the vents are perfectly clean so heat builds up and over time and causes the emergancy shutoff sensor to burn out. Once that happens we can light the heater and heat a tank of water, but when the heating cycle is over the emergency shutoff automatically triggers b/c it thinks the unit is overheated, even when it is not, and the pilot goes out. We keep the vents clean, but it keeps happening over and over, even with clean vents. It is not a cleaning issue, but the fact that the vent they installed is to small for the unit and cannot exchange enough air. Just to give you a perspective it is literally the width of a piece of notebook paper and an inch tall. It is the entire source of combustion air and cooling for the entire unit.

We are having the exact same issue with ours. In fact, we just had to have the company who installed it come out today and replace the part for the third time in three years. I'm at my wit's end, and don't know what else to do. We don't have to pay for the part, but we do have to pay the labor. We've paid over half of what a new hot water heater would cost in labor fixing this lemon. I guess it won't do me much good to contact AO Smith. Maybe I'll just call the BBB and see if they've had any other complaints.

 

[Leajess99]

Since it overheating would be dangerous have you considered contacting CPSC and reporting the problem with them?? I would contact them and have everyone you know having problems contact them as well. Maybe then they can get recalled.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I seem to recall that a few years ago there was a big problem with that companies water heaters.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml92/92016.html

 

[princessmom29]

Since it overheating would be dangerous have you considered contacting CPSC and reporting the problem with them?? I would contact them and have everyone you know having problems contact them as well. Maybe then they can get recalled.

The contractor that installed the units actually sent all the documentation he had when the company stopped providing free replacment parts to him. He hasn't heard anything as yet.


Today the water heater seems to be choosing to function properly, but it is just a matter of time until the sensor burns out. Once it starts tripping it usually takes a couple of weeks to go completely. It will work for a day or two and then trip 4 or 5 times, be fine again for a while and eventually quit alltogether.