They offer 30 day return on major appliances, they will give you your $$ back. Then off to HD and pick up a Rheem, though I'd be shy of hybrids if I had a cold basement if it were me. Total pita to uninstall, back up the stairs, into the truck to do it all over again but I can't imagine you living with this the next 15 years or however long it lasts, and bad taste in your mouth when you think about it or pay a high electricity bill from running both that and the tankless supplemental heater. Can Joey help or is off at college? Or are you even up to returning and reinstalling a new one? 30-Day Returns The following items are the exceptions for which the return/exchange window is of just 30-days. These items must be returned with the original receipt and with the original packaging. Major Appliances: Dishwashers, refrigerators, dryers, washers, ranges, hoods, some microwaves, etc. If they ask you why your returning it just tell them it doesn't make hot water like you said here, the clerk just needs to know which box to check while issuing your refund. The return reasons from across the nation go to corporate where they analyze the data to negotiate the next contract to carry AO Smith exclusively. Nothing to do with you personally. I just called Lowe's 800# and talked to Kierra, she said return it, no problem, they will give you your money back Jay, just bring the heater and receipt. my $0.02
I wish you could see the look in Cindy's eyes when I told her we are returning it!! Reluctantly she does agree(she would just live with it like it is !!), But even in electric mode set at 127ºF She has to use full hot on the faucet for her bath to be hot enough. I only had the old 2003 it replace set at 120 and she always need to add cold water to cool it down or use about 3/4 hot for the fill. She also can't fill the tub as full like she could with the other heater installed. She wouldn't tell me that until after I said we're returning it. She never complains!!
She isn't happy with it either. So, Its good for me as I won't get whack for wanting to change it. I won't get put in the dog house this time!!
We put one in last year. We also put on an addition at the same time, so I have no way to measure how much electricity we are saving, but it must be better than the 20 yr old basic, cheap unit we replaced
Their not when its working right...all water heaters come set to 120* now...you can raise it though...up to a max of 145* IIRC
I suspect there is something wrong with the unit. We have/had no problems getting sufficiently hot water from either our current unit which is from "State" or the unit we had in our old house which was a Stiebel-Eltron. HPWH do take much longer to recover from a large draw when in HP mode only. That was an issue for us in the old house when the kids were around, the Stiebel-Eltron had an 80G tank and we set the temp to 160 and put a mixing valve on the output to increase capacity. The current State unit is 40G set at 120 and it works fine for just the two of us. If Mrs DG does draw a full tub, it will be several hours before before we can get full temp water again...Dave doesn't take baths, only showers, I have no interest in sitting and stewing in my own juices.
We think you are right, I think it was a return that Lowe's just stuck back in stock. We had a bunch of rust come out of it when we removed it. I mean "way more" rust and sludge inside of it than a 1 week install. I thought the rusty water was from our well/plumbing. I installed the new Rheem Hybrid last night and I didn't get rusty water after system charging/filling like I did with the one we replaced. And its working!! Within 70 minutes in hybrid we had 127ºF hot water from the same location. Its a bit noisy-er than the A.O. Smith hybrid, But not crazy! Finished the install at around 7pm and wifey had her hot bath by 9pm. Happy wife, Happy me!! Pleased so far and setting up the schedule was easy so we can save even more jingle. I can have it run for the most part of the day at 118ºF and then have it heat up to 127ºF about an hour before the wifey's bath time. Really no need to have it set that hot the rest of the day.
I'm glad you shared this, As the local lowe's manager gave us a big hassle. He wouldn't take it back(because it wasn't in the box) and we didn't have an RMA. So I went home, called CS and without any hassle at all they issues an RMA. Second trip they tried to balk it again, Asked to speak with the manager again and he tried to balk. Had the return rules printed, highlighted and told him to call CS. 10 minutes later 3 young workers pulled the returned heater out of the back of our truck and we have a credit heading to our Lowes card!! The new heater made the required hot bath temp in heat pump mode. Then heat pump raised the temp from 118ºF to 127ºF in less than 2 hours. Much much better performance and were happy with this purchase! Whew!!
So glad you now have a function heater but yikes on the store giving you a hassle, I'm so sorry! I've not experienced that out here for more than a decade (or more) and it's too bad they still do that out there. What did the manager have in mind, put it back on the shelf again to sell the same item again that seems might be previously sold/returned item a third time? I'm sorry you had to make 2 trips and were hassled but glad you have a good one now Jay And your Bride gets full baths at the temp she prefers
