Complaint Review: Rheem

I built a new home in 2003. The Plumber installed a Rheem/Rudd water Heater, it was defective after 2 days! He immediately got me a replacement from them. It has a 6 year warranty, and just let go. I immediately contacted Rheem, found a local Rheem dealer and called my Plumber.

This is what I was told from the Dealer, it would be $108 up front from me to cover the warranty claim ($35) and ($75) because Rheem had to change & update their heaters due to Federal regulations and this was the most comparable model to mine. I paid the $108, called my Plumber.

He explained that the code in our city, required that Carbon Monoxide detectors had to be hardwired in. I called an Electrician to hardwire a carbon monoxide detector in for a cost of $120. No hot water yet and I'm already out $200 +!!! My Plumber installs the water Heater and removes the old one, disposes it, pulls permits etc, final cost of $410.

Now this whole process of THEIR defective Water Heater letting go 2 years earlier than the 6 year warranty costs me a total of $638!! I call Rheem and they inform me in a "good will gesture" that they'll reimburse me $75 because they'll "eat" the difference between cost of my original water Heater and the new Federally mandated water heaters. I explained that it's not my fault their product has failed for the 2nd time in 4 years!!

They had originally told me that because of the $75 increase, they would start my warranty for 6 years again from the new install date, but if I want the $75, my warranty will expire in the the original term, which is 9/2009. Nice Guys!! Don't buy a Rheem Water Heater, because Rheem doesn't back their products in favor of the consumer and more importatntly because they s#%$!

Richard
lynn, Massachusetts
U.S.A.