Well....I bought and installed a new top-o-the-line Whirlpool water heater about 5 years ago. I've been repairing said water heater every single year due to a thermocouple problem. It all came to a "head" this week. I decided to call a Pro Plumber to come out and "fix" it. He drove up, saw what water heater it is and said:
I can't fix this water heater. It's had a bad design flaw since it was put on the market 5 years ago. American Standard was in a hurry to get this new design on the market and shipped them out knowing about the design flaw for the thermocouple. The only way to get this done right is to replace the water heater.
I said:
OK....so what's this going to cost?
Plumber:
$700
I say ok....and send them on their way.
I call Whirlpool and talk with them about it. Yes'sir.....it's a known problem. We can't replace the water heater as it is a servicable unit. Just have it repaired every 3 months as it goes out, send us the bill and we'll reimburse you the cost of the parts and labor. I say: But this is a design flaw and can't you just authorize me to get a new one? They say: No'sir....just get it repaired as often as necessary and send us the receipts for reimbursement.
So now, it's going to be a total of FOUR DAYS without hot water in the house of 6 people. I'm just a "tad" upset.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!