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Consumer Complaint — Somewhere, CT

A $4,424 Water Heater Install That Has Failed Twice in Under 18 Months

A documented account of a sub-standard Lowe’s installation, two unit failures, and an unresolved warranty dispute with A.O. Smith.

$4,424 Total paid to Lowe’s
2x Unit failures in <18 months
6+ Unanswered calls to Lowe’s
$0 Resolution offered so far
Current status (as of April 15, 2026): The unit is not functioning. A.O. Smith says they will cover parts under warranty but not labor. Lowe’s Customer Solutions has not offered a meaningful resolution. A supervisor callback requested from A.O. Smith has not been received.
Full Timeline
January 2024

Initial Purchase & Installation

  • Quoted price: Approximately $3,600 for the A.O. Smith heat pump water heater and installation.
  • Final invoice: $4,424 — $800+ over the original estimate. No explanation provided for the increase.
  • Labor: Billed at approximately $1,800. Two plumbers on-site for roughly 2 hours = approximately $400/hour per plumber. Rate not disclosed upfront.
  • Condensate pump: Billed at approximately $400 markup over its $60 retail price. It was unboxed, set on the floor, and plugged into a standard outlet using an extension cord I provided. Never secured or hardwired. This is not a professional installation.
  • Leak detector not installed: The leak detector shutoff unit I purchased was not brought to the job. I had to make repeated calls to have a crew return and complete this.
  • Vendor chain: The install involved navigating: Lowe’s → Lowe’s Home Improvement → 1-800-Heaters → local plumber. I was forced to call every party in this chain. Accountability was non-existent.
November 2024 — First Failure

Unit Fails for the First Time

  • Unit begins showing signs of failure. No error codes displayed.
  • Hot water supply severely limited — unable to complete half a shower. Could not fill a bathtub for my daughter.
  • Symptoms persisted for 2–3 weeks before I contacted Lowe’s.
  • Unit was ultimately replaced. However, I was never told what failed, what caused it, or who bore the cost of the replacement. No root cause was ever communicated.
March 2026

Furnace Technician Discovers Installation Defects

  • Third-party finding: During a routine furnace service, the technician identified serious problems with the original water heater installation.
  • Condensate pipe error: The condensate pump was plumbed to drain into the A/C condensate line, which exits the home. In freezing temperatures (e.g., 10°F), this exterior line freezes — leaving the water with nowhere to go. This likely explains water pooling found on the floor near the unit in previous months.
  • Unsecured hose: The drain hose from the water heater into the condensate pump was simply placed into the pump opening — never fastened or secured.
  • Late March: The same symptoms as November 2024 begin reappearing. Hot water is again insufficient.
April 2026 — Second Failure & Escalation

Second Failure, Six Unanswered Calls, and a Questionable “Resolution”

  • Saturday, April 11: First contact with Lowe’s. Spent ~1 hour on the phone. Representative unable to locate my order. Told to call the “hot water heater department” on Sunday.
  • Sunday, April 12: Called hot water heater dept → redirected to Customer Solutions. Left a message. Called back 3 more times throughout the day. No response.
  • Tuesday, April 14 (evening) → Wednesday, April 15 (morning): Called 3 more times on Tuesday. Finally received a callback on April 15 from a representative named “Freddy.”
  • Freddy’s employer unknown: When asked directly who he works for, Freddy stated he “partners with Lowe’s” but could not or would not identify his company. This is unacceptable for a consumer dispute representative.
  • Wrong warranty date given: Freddy initially stated the warranty expired January 2025. Only after I corrected him — noting the replacement unit was installed in November 2024 — did he acknowledge the warranty ran through November 2025. His original date would have been used to deny my claim.
  • Offer made: Freddy offered approximately 5% of the purchase price (~$200 credit). Labor for a heat pump water heater diagnosis and repair typically costs $200–$500+. This offer does not even cover the service call.
  • A.O. Smith contacted: Confirmed warranty coverage for parts and tank only — not labor. Requested a supervisor callback. As of April 15, 2026, that callback has not been received.
Photo Documentation
Photo 1
Replace with your photo — e.g. condensate pump on floor with extension cord
Photo 2
Replace with your photo — e.g. unsecured hose connection
Photo 3
Replace with your photo — e.g. unit model/serial number or water damage on floor
Key Concerns
🔧

Substandard installation

Confirmed defects including improper condensate piping and unsecured connections, found 14 months after install by a third party.

🚫

No root cause provided

The November 2024 failure resulted in a replacement unit, but no explanation of the failure was ever provided to me.

📞

Unresponsive customer support

Six calls over two days before receiving any response. The rep who called back could not identify his employer.

💵

Inadequate resolution offered

A ~$200 credit on a $4,424 purchase that has failed twice is not a reasonable response to this situation.

What I Am Seeking

Reasonable resolution from Lowe’s