Whirlpool Flame Lock water heaters, reviews, troubleshooting, repair and support.

[Redwood]

I think they can ship it to you for free and for overnight.

No, they charge extra for expedited shipping...

Somehow I find it odd that their good will for the customer expects that someone would wait without hot water in the home, for free shipping via bicycle courier across the country....

Just one more good reason to tear it out and return it to Lowes...
By the end of the day you could have a Bradford White installed in it's place and never have to wonder if the water heater is going to work or, not...

[dougmiceli]

I love the pedal the part on a bicycle across the country. Funny. After replacing everything but the tank I pulled it out and it's sitting on my porch. I bought a rheem and even when you first open it you notice the quality difference. The vents are on the side of the tank. All the way around the tank I might add also very large! So from the brass drain valve to the piezo starter quality the Rheem is a beauty. I didn't buy the whirlpool because of price originally I bought it out of ignorance. Guilty...My tenant is so happy she invited me to shower with her. Maybe that's why they call it a Rheem..Hmm

[kingsotall]

My tenant is so happy she invited me to shower with her. Maybe that's why they call it a Rheem..Hmm

That's one satisfied customer.

[brianko]

FWIW, those with the FG water heaters can simply walk into any Lowe's with model number in hand and ask for the "FlameGuard conversion kit." It's the complete manifold assembly (minus the orifice and burner, which you can move from the old manifold assembly), and also includes an adapter that changes the left-hand thread to a right-hand thread to accommodate a universal thermocouple. There's no cost to the consumer. Whirlpool no longer stocks the left-hand threaded thermocouple, so don't even bother trying to contact them to purchase one.

Anyone with reasonable mechanical skills can handle installation of the new manifold.

I apologize if this has been posted earlier; I simply didn't feel like reading through 20 pages of forum posts. This forum post saved me quite a bit of time and research after my third (or fourth, perhaps?) thermocouple failed.

[kingsotall]

All lowes has to do now is hand out free gas controls then all's well.

[dougmiceli]

replaced both those items and it still didn't work. I gave up after two weeks without water.

[Cass]

Did you shop vac out the air intake located under the heater...were you carefull to be sure the end of the wand was up against the screen...then vac it out from the inside of the burner area...

[master plumber mark]

I brass drain valve to the piezo starter quality the Rheem is a beauty. I didn't buy the whirlpool because of price originally I bought it out of ignorance. Guilty...My tenant is so happy she invited me to shower with her. Maybe that's why they call it a Rheem..Hmm

Whatever she looks like,
that only spells trouble in my mind.....

[dougmiceli]

Yes she is good looking. Try going two weeks with intermittent hot water. You'll be the happiest person around when you get it back.I did everything and installed everything properly and then I gave up. Vacumed it from the inside while I had the burner out. Also used a brush to scrub the screen.I was truly looking for solution not for a reason to go spend money on a new water heater. Besides it's ridiculous. I know most of you are plumbers here my experience was the Navy as a H/T and of course 40 years of life. So maybe you guys do cobble together water heaters BUT I DOUBT IT. Mostly you replace them because the tank is shot. Just a guess. My point being is you put a water heater in it last 10 12 or 20 years like my old one and then you replace it. No one I know piece meals the water heater along to keep it working after three years. Its just unheard of and stupid. And yes I agree sending parts out to be installed by unqualified people is so ridiculous and scary it negates all the benefits that this new style flamelock W/H is supposed to provide. Mainly to keep people from blowing themselves up. The units and there parts are junk. The design is poor at best. They contunue to sell them that's what I don't get. When I talked to my friend and picked up my rheem replacement. He told me rheem does all their engineering testing and so on in house. He also told me they hold 95% of all the patents related to water heaters. Interesting. The girl is really pretty actually but I can't go there it opens a whole new can of worms.

[dougmiceli]

I'm not sold on tankless. Consumer reports isn't either. Unless you have elephants to wash why bother. Look it up. Although I think they have been using them overseas for years with some success. I'm not a plumber and there are plenty of pro's on here that have seen it all and done it all over the course of years. I defer to them. My Rheem tank heater lasted twenty years. Yes 1988 died last year. RIP.

[dougmiceli]

redwood to funny! Yes grasping for straws or trying to deflect the truth that American water heaters are the biggesr fraud ever thrust on the plumbing world since PVC pipe for sanitary water lines. To funny! You always tell it like it is! Hey maybe he needs the paycheck from AWH. First of all apples to oranges second of all print these out and put them end to end maybe they would run the length of my basement then print out the AWH complaints and we could make paper dolls from here to the space station and back....and back again. Nice try idiot there still junk fact not my opinion...Read what the pro's on here say...a resounding F-.

[mjbrunsm]

i just had to replace my water heater last night. like so many others before me, i didn't research the brand before purchasing, for the same reason as many - i needed hot water. i purchased a 50 gal. nat. gas whirlpool model# BFG1J5040T3N - closest store and running out of time to get one on easter sunday . I've just now read about the numerous problems with the whirlpool flame lock water heaters not getting enough air. if i routinely monitor and clean the filter, should that keep me out of trouble with repairs to this unit? my water heater is located in my basement and i would hate to have to remove it and get a different one. though this seems like the right thing to do...

[Redwood]

i just had to replace my water heater last night. like so many others before me, i didn't research the brand before purchasing, for the same reason as many - i needed hot water. i purchased a 50 gal. nat. gas whirlpool model# BFG1J5040T3N - closest store and running out of time to get one on easter sunday . I've just now read about the numerous problems with the whirlpool flame lock water heaters not getting enough air. if i routinely monitor and clean the filter, should that keep me out of trouble with repairs to this unit? my water heater is located in my basement and i would hate to have to remove it and get a different one. though this seems like the right thing to do...

I'm sorry to hear that you got duped into buying this product.
Evenings and holidays I'm afraid make up the bulk of sales for this product.
Sometimes it is better to wait and go without rather than immediately fixing a problem. This is definitely one of them!

The best advice I can give is keep the basement clean and do your best to prevent dust and dryer lint from reaching the water heater. When it fails, note I didn't say if... Don't mess around trying to get it to work, as you won't, replace it wih a Bradford-White immediately. When you rip it out bring it right down to Lowes wheel it in on their cart without any intention of bringing it out of the store again, and be the customer from hell at the returns desk untill they refund your money. Don't let them hide behind the don't return it sticker on the water heater. They are selling junk product to their customers and they know it!

II kinda like the thought of this style of returning it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QjTIm-vSKg

They have known the product is junk for years and while you are at the returns desk ranting and raving about them selling junk rest assured that one of their associates is in the back of the store smiling at a customer telling them that the Whirlpool water heater is the best thing since sliced bread. They even trie selling other makes of water heaters from American Water Heaters like US Craftmaster to diguise the fact that they are the same...

They are intentionally selling defective product and have been doing so for years.
Be mad!
You are entitled to that feeling!
Let them know how mad you are, they rightfully deserve it!
Whether or not a water heater will be providing hot water in the morning is not something you should have to do on a daily basis.
Maybe after a good long service life of 10 or 12 years would be more like it.

[Plumber Jim]

also be sure to install the long black lint screen. If you keep the area clean you should be ok. tons of people have these working without trouble. The lint and dust will get you on these heaters though.

[colleenm248]

My water heater started giving me problems last week. The model # starts with BFG, it's a 30 gallon short tank.
I was told I needed a new thermostat. My question is this - has anyone experienced continued problems after replacing the thermostat.
Thanks for your help.