If you have a Whirlpool Flame Lock Water heater (like model FG1F4040S3NOV I own) you are no doubt aware of the class action suit (Bowen, et al v. Whirlpool Corp., et al) whose deadline just passed. If you went to www.waterheatersettlement.com, downloaded, printed, filled out and mailed in the claim from – I think there’s a better way!
My thermocouple (the part that needed repeated replacement and probably the reason for the lawsuit) just burned out recently and its about the 6th time. But this time when I went out to buy a new one guess what? They don’t sell them any more! So I called Whirlpool’s toll-free number and the recording mentioned www.flamelocksupport.com where you can request that they ship you the flame lock replacement kit (Whirlpool calls it a “Flame Lock Enhancement Kit“) for free. Yes, I said FREE! If you don’t need it right away UPS Ground is even FREE! Those of you that want it shipped faster they offer UPS 2nd Day and UPS Next Day shipping, and you only pay for the shipping.
Regardless of how you get your free “Flame Lock Enhancement Kit” shipped to you from Whirlpool you will doubtless need to pay a professional to install it (like I did). It cost meabout $100, but I knew it worked right when the installation was done and I no longer worry about having to take cold showers any more.
Visit www.flamelocksupport.com to get your free “Flame Lock Enhancement Kit” – no more thermocouples! The new kit has DOES NOT HAVE a reset button!
Tags: FG1F4040S3NOV, flame lock, flame lock enhancement kit, flame lock replacement kit, thermocouple, water heater, water heater settlement, whirlpool
July 27th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Thank you so much for posting this information!! We have been without hot water for over a week and could not locate a thermocouple anywhere. We were just about to go out and purchase a new water heater from Lowes when I decided to google the model number of our water heater and your site came up. I ordered my flamelock kit and only spent $18 in shipping. You just saved us hundreds of dollars!! Much appreciated!
July 29th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I’m glad to hear this post was helpful! We spent a lot of time and money on this Water Heater since we bought it and I was rather upset to find out they no longer sold the thermocouple any more. We got the Flame Lock Enhancement Kit and now ours is fixed, though we had to pay about $90 to have it installed.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I too have had nothing but trouble with this water heater. In 4 years I have replaced the T/C 5 times. I ordered the (KIT) only to install it and it will not stay lit after it heats a tank of water. This water heater has a 9 year warranty……….but for what????? They (Whirlpool) wants you to continue to try to fix their junk yourself. I bought this product because of the Whirlpool name and POSITIVE experience I have had in the past with their products. I will NEVER purchase another Whirlpool product again.
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Thanks for the info. I’m going to give the kit a shot, what have I got to lose but $11 for 2nd day shipping and couple more days of cold showers.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Kevin,
You may have to have a professional install the kit – I paid someone to install mine and its working good ever since.
I bought mine because of price and (like you) I trusted the purchase because of the name. I’ve learned when I buy low price (like I did with my Walmart ILO model IWT3206 32 inch SDTV also in this blog) that you need to trust the name, and I thought it was a darned shame that Whirlpool evidently had to be sued into taking action.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Mike,
Good luck! I know what you mean about cold showers, I went about 5 days altogether with cold showers before my kit was delivewred, professionally installed/fixed this last time. Unfortunately it wasn’t covered by ServiceCare so I paid about $100 for it – but its worth it to know I don’t have to worry about “popping” thermocouples.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
A new thermocouple shipped from Whirlpool cost me $15 doillars for next day. I don’t know yet how much the install will cost. They recommended SEARS for the install. Hopefully will be under $100. The last time I had to have it replaced it cost me $120. Waterworks in Columbus Ohio replaced it I had to pay trip charge ($25)and hourly rate ($95)=$120.
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Like everyone else I would like to say “THANK YOU!” for posting. We seem to be the lucky ones as our water heater only went out twice and my husband can replace the parts himself. But I don’t know that I will ever buy Whirlpool again. Not a very happy camper with cold showers and heating water to do dishes.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Generally speaking, Whirlpool makes good products in my experience – I still own a 20+ year old Whirlpool refrigerator. They may have made a bad product here (or a part of it) they supported it well once I contacted them directly. Actually, I regret ever trying the class action suit.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hope you have better luck than we did. The replacement they sent us for just shipping costs won’t stay lit either. We have to keep resetting the reset button every time the burner goes out and the pilot light won’t stay lit either.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I too send my thanks as I discovered, once again, no hot water this morning. Three thermocouplers later, three trips by local gas company who kindly always tried to start the beast for me (I had some success using a ceiling fan cleaner, long-handled cloth thingy, to “clean the filter” underneath a few times) and after paying for two installations, the third was free as I used the same company and I think they felt sorry for me or appreciated the repeat business, I was going to just go buy another unit from a different company.
However, one rotten review after another, be it Sears’ Kenmores or HomeDepot’s horrible installation services and still not remotely impressed with Lowes’ “huh, sorry, we just sell them, we don’t warranty them” attitude I tried surfing once again…and tada, I’ve paid the $15 for overnight shipping even though I suspect they won’t ship for a Saturday delivery so I’m looking at Monday…and 4 more days of icy cold water…but, $120 or so is a far better chance to me for my 4 year old water heater than the $700+ or so I’m expecting to fork out otherwise.
As for Whirlpool being historically a good company…well, history doesn’t make up for 3+ years of headaches and expenses all the while Whirlpool basically made no attempt to help…the part was routinely backordered and when the class action lawsuit arrived at my door, I found I was to “enjoy” yet another thermocoupler or the $15 equivalent etc, which I’ve yet to receive…no mention of compensation for the $ I’ve paid for the 2 full repairs nor the angst I endured for the 19 days without hot water (soon to climb to 24 days it seems)…nope, had they followed what Saturn did year ago and admitted the problem and recalled the entire mess and started over, they would still have me as a loyal customer. Instead…when this water heater croaks again, and I’ve become cynical enough to fully expect it to croak without notice, it will be replaced with a Bradford White, period.
Regardless, many thanks for taking the time to post this lifesaver, albeit it temporary, quite appreciated just the same!
September 17th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
My water heater made it to 4 yrs, then quit on me. My biggest mistake was calling someone to service it, rather than contact whirlpool, DON’T DO IT. Because the “Repairman” that came to my house took 5 minutes to look at it and said “Oh you have one of those, the thermocouple is bad and we can’t fix it, contact Whirlpool.” Then I was billed for a “service call charge” and a “diagnostic charge” for a total of $170.00. Obviously, some businesses are really profiting from this, since a simple inquiry by them regarding the make and model of your water heater could save them the trip. Regardless, I reached Whirlpool online and ordered my free kit + $15.00 overnight shipping; depending on which night they decide to ship it to you, it took 3days. If your handy with tools, it should only take 20-30 minutes of your time. If your not, call around, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $100.00 to install this. Whirlpool could have done better and included a repair voucher!! Thankfully, it fired up on the first try, I hope this turns out to be a good fix.
I don’t suggest trying to fit the outside cover back on, the new reset button is in the way, aside from possibly shorting it.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Wow! Sorry to hear you guys had it so bad! I got really lucky – we use ServiceCare so it only cost us a small fee to find out that the repair man could not fix it, and the repair when we called them back to install the new part was reasonable (about $100) and billed to us later.
September 20th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I wrote to thank you for the flamelocksupport.com site on September 11th….thought I’d give you an update
I ordered on a Thursday evening….paid the expedited overnight delivery of $15, got the part (DHL) on Monday afternoon. Then…the fun started…the plumbing company who did the original install (via Lowes) and after I gave the clerk all the information came back with “oh, we don’t service your area anymore”…they are about 5 miles from my home. Translation “we want NOTHING to do with that water heater”. I called Lowes to get another dose of “we don’t care, but if you want to BUY and new water heater….” just to humble myself I guess.
I called three other plumbers, two said they wouldn’t touch a Whirlpool period, one could “try to make it sometime this week”. I continued to call plumbers….7 plumbers later I finally called back to Lowes and pretended I was going to buy a new water heater, but before I made my decision I wanted to know which companies they had doing the installation…I got a bit of hesitation from the clerk until I said “because, well, I’ve had some bad experiences with installations and would like to make sure the company is a member of the BBB and/or there aren’t major issues with them”. Lowes finally rattled off the names of the two companies, neither of whom I had already called.
I called the first company and I was thrilled to find the clerk knew exactly what I needed to the point of “have you already received the conversion kit?” and gave me a quote of $168 (which is a bit high, but by now I’m hating boiling water for a sponge bath) and the plumber could be here that afternoon between 2-4!
Plumber arrived at 3:30 and as I started to hand him the box of parts he came back with “whoa…let me look at the heater before we get started”. Okay…so we go view the beast and I get a mini lecture about needing to keep the area clean and free from dust. Unless a water heater is in a pristine inside closet, “free from dust” is a joke. My water heater is located in the garage, but in a closet that is accessible from outside the garage….how one is to keep the closet clean is beyond me as this is a 48 year old home and the “closet” isn’t sheetrocked/painted, tiled and so on. HOWEVER, from the start I have used a ceiling fan cleaner (long armed nonparticle bumpy cloth) to reach under the beast (barely enough clearance for my hand/arm) to “dust” the filter, but really only when the beast would die – about every 6 months.
Then plumber tells me he’s never seen this part before, doesn’t know why “they” sent him to do the repair, but he’s “take a stab at it”….then it’s now $228 to START and could go higher. By now I could feel my bottom lip start to quiver and at the same time I could feel my blood begin to boil…I wasn’t sure if I was going to go all girl on him and burst into tears or go mental on him and throttle him….instead I barked back with “it’s $168 max, that’s what I was told, that’s what I’ll pay”. Before I could continue barking he zipped out to the van to “call his boss”.
“Boss” apparently had to walk him through the entire process of the repair for about 15 minutes….plumber returned to the heater without talking to me (I was inside trying to calm down) and started hammering on the beast. I assumed that “boss” told him it was $168 and that’s why he didn’t come talk to me.
Well, three minutes into the hammering and there he was at the door with “you’ve got bigger problems”….bigger problems turned out to be a completely rusted through burner. By now plumber was overly nice and almost apologetic….he told me to order the part (along with how he hates Whirlpool and would never own one himself) and he would WAIVE the normal $75 service fee and I should call when the part comes in and they would come back out to do the repair – for $168 max.
Onto the computer to buy the part…but wait, Whirlpool doesn’t sell it, American doesn’t sell it…no one sells it (it doesn’t help that there is NO part number on any of the documentation, not even on the American Web site). I finally found Sears stocks it (with a disclaimer that this particular part is no longer available, instead it is an original part from the company…hmmm, another problem part?). The burner is a whopping $5.69, but if I wanted it before October 3rd (mind you, it’s day 9 without hot water, September 19th), I would have to pay for expedited shipping….$16.97…but that means I won’t get it until “about Tuesday, the 23rd”.
Fine…I paid three times the cost of the part in shipping, licked my wounds, had a pity party and then….figured I’d sent flamelocksupport.com my “comments” that they “welcome”.
Oh…I sent my comments…I basically said I couldn’t believe a company could just ignore the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of complaints that resulted in a class action lawsuit, for the same problem, year after year. I couldn’t believe we were all supposed to be satisfied by a $15 per thermocoupler refund etc….I wasn’t horribly rude, but I was cranky. I also said I would never, ever, ever buy from Whirlpool nor anything made my American and it’s no wonder we Americans don’t embrace “made in the U.S.A.” more often and, um, I even included a rather petty comment along the lines of “Whirlpool – productivity with a heart” should really read “Whirlpool, productivity with a heart and quality assurance”, but a girl can dream I guess
Well, shock time…at 8:55 a.m. this morning (the 20th) I got a phone call from Chris at American…in response to my email. I missed the call, but returned the call about noon. First I reached a woman who was beyond nice and helpful and patient…but she wanted to “register” my “issue”….which I thought was odd, but no matter. Ten minutes later, lots of information and so on and I asked again why Chris had called (in my apparently now deluded mind I was thinking…could it be that they are actually going to recall this beast…someone is going to take control and stop this? Oh, my mind raced with anticipation)…she kept repeating, “let me ask you…”. Finally, she apologized again and said she’d like to have me speak with a senior technician. Okay…now I’m growing giddy with anticipation.
About 3 or 4 minutes on hold and I get Ruby. Ruby wants the serial number (not the case number the first woman said she’d want)…I give it to her and hear her typing in the computer….long pause, I assume she’s reading the missive I emailed last night and the myriad of information I’ve given the first woman. Then…she asks “okay, now, what are you calling for?” Giddy anticipation turned to brewing crankiness. I politely explained I was returning a call from Chris. She stopped me with “well, why didn’t you order the part from us?” I explained the manual says Whirlpool, my paperwork says Lowes and I only recently even learned it was an American water heater as I’ve purchased the thermocouplers from Lowes and I went to the American Web site and the part wasn’t online. She kind of scolded me for buying from Sears.com and when I told her, again, that I had been to the American site and there was no part there she told me “well, you should have called the number on the side of the heater”…huh? I’ve called before and got the parts department is open 8-5 etc….and why am I calling a third vendor anyway. She said the part could have been ordered from American because Sears isn’t going to ship until Monday and before I could dare to ask “oh, and American ships the same day for a Saturday delivery???…she said “let’s back up, just how often are you cleaning out the filter on the bottom?” I was shocked…now she was scolding me. She went on to say that the only reason the thermocouplers burn out in the first place is because the consumer doesn’t take the time to clean the filter on a regular basis every three months because that’s the real problem…and just how often are you cleaning it? I fibbed…said I was cleaning it everything three of four months..actually, I clean it each time the pilot light goes out…that’s about every six months and I couldn’t flip to the page in the manual that says clean it one a year fast enough to throw this diddy back at her….I was waiting for her to ask me how often I drain the beast. She repeated again that the only problem with the thermocoupler is the CONSUMER isn’t cleaning the filter.
By now….Ruby is not my friend. She then turned to “well, gee, I sure hope you ordered the right part”. I was now growing livid. I barked “well, since there is NO PART NUMBER listed on the documentation, I had to go by what I found online at sears.com. She gave me the grandma “tsk tsk tsk…yeah, well, here’s hoping”. Seriously.
By now I’m defending my honor….she’s turned the tables….no….not going to happen. She then said “well, what else can I do for you?” I was stunned. What else? You’ve done nothing in the first place…course, I didn’t say that..yet. So, I repeated I was returning a call from Chris…thought perhaps Chris was calling to tell me the entire thing had been recalled, that someone was bringing a new water heater etc….I heard her sigh heavily…and audible sigh. She said “well, gee, Chris is on the other line right now……..he’s the guy that answers our emails….” So…I can talk to the “guy that answers emails” after talking to the first clerk, then the “senior technician”?….hmmmm. I asked if Chris was going to offer me anything more than she had to which she replied “no, he’s just the guy that reads our emails”.
I went on to tell her I understood the warranty only covers parts and labor for the first year….and before I could continue with “and parts thereafter” she had now become rude and interrupted me with “now, wait a minute, you’re wrong there, parts are covered for the entire warranty!” I couldn’t stand it anymore…I said “if you had let me finish I would have continued to say the same, but I also would have added that the warranty covers parts that are at a maximum $15 each or so…it doesn’t cover the expedited postage nor the average $200 per repair, now does it?” Silence. “So…what else can we do for you?” I replied “apparently nothing since all you’ve done is “log my issue”, right? She agreed! Then as she tried to tell me thank you for calling and have a good day I couldn’t help but bark back “well, you’re not welcome that I called for no reason and no, I won’t have a good day as it will be my 31st day without hot water over the last 4 years…” bark bark bark.
And so….the part will be here sometime on Tuesday which means I’ll hopefully have the plumber make the repair on Wednesday. Yeah…5 more days without hot water…I’m not a pioneer, I don’t like boiling a pot of hot water to wash my hair and take a sponge bath. I don’t like boiling water to wash dishes and so on…bottom line, NEVER EVER EVER EVER will I buy anything from Whirlpool, Lowes (they never once helped or even offered advice) or American….my two cents, always look for the true manufacturer….every name brand has a parent company….you buy a Kenmore from Sears that is really a Whirlpool that is really made by American or another company.
And so….do I cut my losses now and buy a new water heater and start over? $168 is a far cry from the $600 or so for a new water heater and installation…and I’m really not that stinky, yet
September 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Wow, Jacquelyn, I’m sorry you are going through so much with this water heater. I count myself very lucky that I had mine taken care of and its working fine. I don’t know who I’d turn to if I decided not to buy Whirlpool any more.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:07 am
thanks for your blogs. I am facing the same problem of no hot water. Having teenager girls showers are very important in my house. I ordered the part and now am playing the waiting game. Wish me luck, hopefully I won’t be writing a nightmare blog about this. I spoke to the ruby lady also and agree that she is not the most helpful person on earth. I am a very clean person, but nobody told me to clean under my hot water heater before. Get real whirlpool, you are not supose to stick cloth near a pilot flame.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
What a joke, yes, received my ‘fix’ kits for my 2 waterheaters, installed them with another bill of $166.59, that was in March 2008.
Now it October 2008 and yes, they went out already. What fix? Just another screw job from an American Corporation (yeah, BUY AMERICA) and their comrads at Lowes who don’t give a #(*^ about us.
Of course the Attorneys got their millions for handling this complains, would have probably cost less to just replace the units with something that will continue to work instead of showering and getting the cold shower during the time you are washing your hair or something.
Never will I buy from Lowes or Whirlpool or the companies that make these units for them. Spent the last hour and a half only to find there is no solution that benefits us, the consumers who continually get the shaft.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Yes, it’s me again, author of the long-winded water heater tales…just an update….the “right part” arrived from Sears (Ruby did have me doubting I got the right part, sheesh) on Tuesday….but by then, the first appointment available from the original plumber was Thursday morning. Okay, fine. I opened the part to make sure there was something in the box and was surprised to find a rather hefty chunk of a part (the burner), rather impressive for $5.69, but I guess the extra $17 to ship it helped defray the original cost
So…I waited for the plumber on Thursday morning…by now, even I have to admit I’m feeling and looking rather “ripe” on day 14 of sponge baths.
To my surprise the plumber arrived at 8:05 a.m. Instead of the rather cranky plumber who didn’t seem to know what the conversion kit was and who chided me for not keeping the area pristine, out stepped “the boss” of said plumber…mind you, “the boss” looked like he just finished a photo shoot for “Hunky Plumbers of 2008″ calendar….maybe I was just tired
Hunky Plumber was probably all of 35 years of age…couldn’t have been more patient as I recounted my tale – as we headed to the backyard to a access the beast I found my elderly neighbor had left the water on in my backyard, thereby basically flooding much of the walkway and specifically, the area in front of the beast’s access. No matter, Hunky Plumber just slogged through it, kneeling in wet grass, never once complaining. He went on to open up the parts, saw the conversion kit, said it was his 67th installation of this kit in the last 3 months and every single installation had been problem free thus far. He went on to tell the tale of how “the government” had mandated the flame lock system on all water heaters several years ago and although most companies did a good job with this adaptation/requirement, American/Whirlpool did not. He noted of all the flame lock issue repairs his company has handled, without exception they have all been for the dreaded Whirlpool we all have…as I groaned and tried to stay up wind of him to ensure he didn’t keel over from the “ripeness” I was sure I was emitting, he went on to tell me that keeping the area pristine was just a canned line that plumbers use – sure, one should keep loose papers and obvious flammable items away from anything that uses gas or electricity, common sense, but to drain the beast, tilt it backwards and clean it every three months, well, he said that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard…then asked me if I had talked with RUBY
Indeed…seems he’s had many a conversation with her as well – she’s no “expert technician”, she is reading from a script and apparently hasn’t even repaired one of these beastly water heaters.
And so….Hunky Plumber hammered away, noting a bit of concern that the burner plate/pan had completely rotted through, but noting it was an easy repair and that he would NOT be charging extra for the additional repair and so on.
Hunky Plumber went on to apologize for cranky employee plumber who didn’t know how to install the conversion kit….he did note that plumbers are plumbers…they don’t normally deal with physical parts such as burner plates or conversion kits, usually those things are best handled by licensed handymen/women….meaning, a plumber is not required to make this repair, just a good repairperson. Best of all, he showed me precisely how the entire thing just slides out after rooming a few screws/brackets….save for the burner which had a few more connections to yank apart. In a nutshell, yes, I could have made the repair myself…but I didn’t want to even try
After about about 20 minutes of repair (probably could have had it done in ten without the detailed instructions for me) Hunky Plumber made drum roll sounds (yeah, he was in rare form I guess) and said something like “ladies and, well, lady, listen to this music to your ears” and the beast fired up without priming the stupid thing..without hitting that dreadful red button a zillion times all the while hoping it will fire up, nope, one push of the button and that thing fired right up.
Hunky Plumber was quite please with himself….probably relieved I didn’t lose it, um, well, again…..he kind of let me know his cranky employee shared some of the details of my previous melt down
When I said I think I may have called the other plumber an *ss, he said “no, you called him a pig” to which he chortled and said he’d have probably called him something worse in my shoes. Oh…the humanity.
As he left, Hunky Plumber said he felt confident the conversion kit would do the trick, but that if I had any problems whatsoever, I was to call back and they would wave the fee to come speak with the beast. Now…that’s service in my book. As Hunky Plumber departed I thought it a bit comical to see him stop, roll down the truck window, poke his head out and say “oh, and…give it 20 minutes and you’ll have enough warm water to take a good long shower…give it 30 minutes and you can drain the entire 40 gallons for your warm shower”. Guess my “ripeness” runneth over
I’ve not looked at the beast again….I haven’t check on it to make sure it’s clean…I haven’t checked it to make sure there isn’t something burning or dripping….I don’t want to look at it again..if it fails again, it’s going to the dump where it belongs.
A word to the wise, for parts other than the conversion kit, just order from sears.com….they have all of the “right parts” contrary to Ruby’s lamenting concerns. Oh yes, when I called American to find out if I did have the “right part” I was told they had that part in stock, for $38 plus $16.90 shipping….hmmmm, a $5.69 part from Sears that they get from American….or I can order directly from American for 6 times the cost…such antics.
Again, my since thanks for the original poster of the conversion kit information…..I’ve yet to receive anything from the class action lawsuit, other than the confirmation they received my packet (that I paid to have the US Post Office verify). Five weeks with hot water now….let’s hope for another 10 years or so!
Whirlpool….American….Ruby = WAR………it all makes sense now
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
THANKS FOR THE INFO I ORDERED MINE TODAY AND A TECH WILL INSTALL IT WED FOR US THANKS FOR SAVING ME HUNDREDS
November 14th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Anyone still around this site? I’m in the same boat. Our Whirlpool water heater lasted 8.5 months and now I can’t get the pilot light to stay lit. Does Lowe’s carry this part??
Many thanks to the original poster. I’ve been running around in circles for two days, trying to figure out what to do.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Our big Thanks to George for the information on getting this part.
We have had cold water for two days now. This will be our third time.
We will not buy another Whirlpool product. Hopefully this will fix it.
Just ordered it 15 minutes ago. Thanks again.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I’m glad this post was of help to others. I know I was **very angry** when I went shopping for a new thermocouple one day only to find that they were no longer stocked AND that the part that the Class Action suit was to send to me was no where in sight. To this day I have not seen a check for $30 to reimburse me for my purchases either (I bought about 4 of them).
November 24th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
If you go to Lowes (take your model # and serial # they will give you a free replacement kit and you do not have to pay shipping.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
POSTED FOR MARK: THIS WOULD NOT POST FOR SOME REASON:
OK, everyone has their own horror story to tell about their efforts to “buy American” and discovering what an American warranty and service guarantee really mean these days. I confess that I got lucky. The new hot water heater was purchased from Lowe’s and lasted about six months. I did the same research as everyone else and got the same help from someone for whom English was a second language (or third or maybe fourth – probably Indian, Pakistani, etc). I called Lowe’s and first got the “We don’t service water heaters” line. Fine. Hung up called about an hour later and asked for the “appliance installation desk”. I reached a wonderful woman who was as sick of handling Whirpool hot water heater problems as everyone else. She gave me the name of the crew that had originally installed my hot water heater even though she was not supposed to disclose this. I called the guy, told him I had ordered the part from American, paid the next day shipping (miracle of miracles it actually showed up the next day) and would he come take a look at it. Without boring you with all the details, he installed the part but had to make a total of three service calls. He only billed me for the first one. I felt really bad when I had to call him again since he had been trying so hard to get this thing to work. That same day he and his sons (it’s a mom and pop business) showed up at my house well after business hours with, here’s another miracle, a brand new water heater (granted it was another Whirpool but one can only expect so many miracles). They had it installed and running within an hour. They never made it exactly clear where the new heater had come from, but it was brand new, straight out of the box. I suspect that the service woman at Lowe’s had something to do with it but didn’t press them too hard – just thanked them profusely. After 11 days without hot water, we were finally able to take long showers and wash clothes. Last comment – that little mom and pop plumbing shop? They were the classic example of what American service used to mean. Whirpool and a company with the gall to call itself “American” just don’t and apparently never will get it. Thanks for letting me rant. Mark
December 5th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Does anyone know what the “enhancement kit” contains? My plumber told me to make sure I receive the burner assembly AND a gas valve. Is the new thermocouple right-threaded? I am hesitant to order this contraption, as the manager at Lowe’s has promised me that he will reimburse me in full for a new water heater as long as I return the old one to them. The only catch is, I need $416.87 out-of-pocket to buy the new one and I don’t have it. If I can get by with the kit I want to do so at least until after the holidays.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Whirlpool Flame Lock Water Heater Model FG1F4040S3NOV
Looking at your comments and reading the manual I wonder if your plumber is addressing more than just a bad thermocouple? I’m not an expert OR a plumber, but unless someone broke your burner assembly and gas valve I see no reason why it would be needed just because your thermocouple blew out and you need to get your water heater running again.
Looking at the conversion kit manual and answering our questions:
1. My plumber told me to make sure I receive the burner assembly…
The burner assembly is not contained in the kit. Actually the instructions call for the removal of the burner in order to install the conversion kit.
2. a gas valve…
There is no gas valve included in the conversion kit, but the thermocouple “wire”, manifold tube, pilot tube and igniter wire that come with the conversion kit plug right into your existing Gas Control Valve/Thermostat assembly.
3. Is the new thermocouple right-threaded?
No, the figures indicate is it Left-Hand threaded.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Thank You ALL for posting your comments here. I took your advise and went to Lowe’s and asked for the Retro Kit for the thermocouple. They were out of the kit I needed (Kit A). So I took the next step — I contacted http://www.flamelocksupport.com . I filled out the application information, along with my contact number. 30 minutes later I received a phone call from Chris (support). He verified my model number and Serial Number, then shipped the kit to me. I used regular ground shipping but received it 2 days later.
The kit consists of a complete lower assembly; gas line, pilot line, thermocouple. I unscrewed the burner off of the old unit and put it on the new unit. I had problems installing the adaptor made for the new thermocouple. The threads are fine. They are hard to start – left hand thread. I could not get the thing to seat properly. The Main Thermostat box threads were too thin to grip the new adapter.
I visited http://www.flamelocksupport.com and Chris called me back again; very prompt. He then – over nighted a new Main Thermostat Box. I received it in less than 24 hours, installed it, but again, I could not get the pilot light to stay lit.
I visited flamelocksupport.com and told them the only thing left to do was replace the water heater. Chris sent me an email with an Authorization Number, and instructions to take it to a dealer and exchange the water heater – at no cost (labor not included).
Well, being skeptical, I went to Lowe’s and verified they would do the exchange first. They were terrific. I came home; drained the water heater, disconnected it; and had a friend (with a truck) come pick me up. We took the heater to Lowe’s, they processed the paper work – at the Return/Customer Service Desk. I walked out with a new water heater, and, a new 6 year Warranty.
I have to tell you, I had Excellent Customer Service from both companies. Chris, you saved a customer. You were courteous, prompt, and very customer focused.
One thing you should know. The new Thermocouples have a Right Hand thread. A Universal Thermocouple will work now. Lowe’s has them in stock.
Write down your Model Number and the Serial Number.
Take the information to a Whirlpool Flame Lock dealer and ask for the Thermocouple Retro Kit. If they do not have it, contact flamelocksupport.com and apply for the Kit.
If you have a handyman, get him to do the installation; if not, get a heating and airconditioning company to do it for you.
I hope this information helps you find a solution.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Well, wish me luck! I ordered the “enhancement kit” and intend on installing it myself! I’m somewhat good with tools and mechanisms. I had my water heater installed back in June of 2005 and never encountered a problem until now (3 and a half years later). And WOW! How aggravating!!! (click…..click…..click…..click) OK! It’s not going to light! I NEED A SHOWER!!!
Anyway, I do hope this kit does include installation instructions? I do feel confident installing it myself, but instructions would make the job much easier!
Well, just wanted to add my two cents to this blog.
Any tips of advise would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
January 9th, 2009 at 10:59 am
P.S. : Before knowing if I will have installed this kit successfully, I would like to say that buying American is first priority to me! There are not many American made products left out there. Quality has always been the American way (as oppossed to Mexico and China made products!) Yes, they are cheaper, but you get what you pay for! Now, Whirlpool has indeed made a mistake in this particular product. But, it seems to me that they are doing everything they can to support their mistake. This ordeal will not turn me away from Whirlpool products as I do believe they produce a good product. I am extremely conscientious of the “American made” items which I make and sell, ( http://www.walltowallwoods.com )they are far better than what you will find at any ____Mart! I will always buy American when I can! Our country needs the support! There are many disgruntled consumers out there and I try not to be one of them. I’ve seen some of them rant and rave right out in public and say to myself: “Geeeeeshhh, what a jerk!”. I never want to put on a display like that! I will post another response later about my experience installing this “T/C Kit”. Here’s hoping all goes well!!! And thank you George for posting this blog, Some of the comments were interesting. Jacquelyn really seemed to enjoy it! ( LOL! ) That is all I have for now. God Bless All !!!
January 11th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Here is a good blog site to visit for a few tips: ( http://www.terrylove.com/forum.....amp;page=2 ). I installed the “T/C Enhancement Kit” myself and all went well. I also had great service with all whom I spoke with on the phone. However, I did make the mistake of ordering the kit “Next Day” for $20 at ( http://www.flamelocksupport.com/kits.aspx ) on Thursday evening expecting to receive it Friday. Wrong! I would not get it until Monday as they placed the shipment order on Friday. ( order before 3:00 pm ). The lady I spoke with said that I could place an additional order “Saturday Delivery” for $30 as long as I did it by 3:00pm (it is now Friday morning). I then called other Lowe’s stores near my location and found the kit I needed (Type A). They said they would put my name on it and leave it at the service desk. It was a 40 mile one hour drive (very bad weather) but the kit was FREE! Great, now I don’t have to spend another $30 and can get started on it today!
I started on it Saturday morning and encountered only one problem. This kit is fairly easy to install as long as you follow the instructions provided. However, the one problem I ran into was installing the 1/4 inch pilot tube and compression fitting into the valve. The fitting did not hold the line in! Oh S**T!!! This fitting is a one time shot as you will not find it in any hardware store! Here is a very helpful tip: When installing this fitting, the instructions tell you to: (1)screw the fitting into the valve finger tight only at first(this is correct) (2)push the 1/4 inch pilot line up into the fitting all the way until it comes to a dead stop(wrong)…this is actually correct but, when you tighten the fitting while holding the line in, you should back the line away from the dead stop no more than 1/16 of an inch. This allows the line some space to move forward a little when you tighten the fitting. (I believe that when I held the line to a dead stop and tightened the fitting, the line had no space to move as the fitting clamped onto the line. Therefore, when drawing the fitting up tight, the line broke free from the fitting as it had no space to move once clamped into the fitting. I hope you understand what I,m talking about(I tried to explain this the best I could!)…..I did get lucky and managed to find a way to reuse the fitting which failed. Wheeewwwww!!! It is now Sunday morning at this time and I have hot water!!! Oh…..and I still have the other kit still on the way Monday morning also! I would be glad to help anyone with any questions concerning this particular model( fg1f4040s3nov )! ( guitarzan_brad@yahoo.com )……………
I tried to post some pics, but this blog will not allow it I guess?
January 11th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Here are some pictures for you all. I tried to post these pics earlier, but this blog will not allow it I guess? Sooooo…you can still view them. Just copy and paste the part between the quotation marks(”") into your address bar and click “Go”……….if the http:// does not show up in front, you may have to add it.
1st pic…….
Gas valve with everything removed
2nd pic……….
empty Combustion Chamber
3rd pic……….
Burner assembly
January 12th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Installed water heater 2003
Replaced thermocouple 2007
Thermocouple just went bad again
Went to Lowes and couldn’t find part so I bought a universal TC
That did not fit (obviously)
Found this website and ordered the part from Whirlpool; $20 shipping
Then I noticed the post that said you could go to Lowes and get it free
So I went to Lowes and found the right kit (KIT A)
I had to go to 3 different Lowes
I installed the kit which was not hard to do. If you have replaced a thermocouple you can install this kit
Make sure the thermocouple on the kit is positioned correctly (fully seated)
Mine was not and I could not keep the pilot light lit so I had to pull the whole thing apart again and properly adjust the TC
Once I properly adjusted the TC and put the thing back together it worked.
Hot showers tonight!
Hopefully this solves the problem- I will return if it fails.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Well Well Well, After running around to Lowes and all the big box stores for this I went next door and showered and came home to do some hard looking. I just did What Drew did and ordered the $20 unit as I WENT TO LOWES and they of course are no better than Radio Shack and said Uh Whirpool all TC’s are the same…. HA
I will check all Lowes tomorrow. I feel real fortunate as this part has been in use since July of 2004 and it went out for the first time yesterday. I wrote it off as old and almost out of warranty.. So I have no issues with 20 bucks for the replacement and if you want installation and removal instructions email me and I will get them to you. A cresent wrench or open ends and a wrench to shut off the gas is all you need a 30 minute job at best… I’ll drop back by to let you know what Lowes says..
January 14th, 2009 at 12:18 am
The blog will allow images, but you have to know the HTML. As with all posts they will be approved before posting, and if someone from the site you grab pix from complains I’ll remove them without question to respect ownership/copyright.
Try <img src=”PASTE URL HERE” width=”200″>
Here are the pics Brad was trying to display:
1st pic: Gas valve with everything removed……….
2nd pic: empty Combustion Chamber……….
3rd pic: Burner assembly……….
January 14th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Well, I just called Lowes and you need your Model/Serial number and They have plenty of kits in stock so I will have a shower this evening.. and the $20 I ordered last night….. Hmmm I think it is going on a shelf in the garage… Somehow I don’t trust this fix.. Just call me a pessimist
January 16th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
There is no charge at Lowes!
If you need it right away aviod the wait through Whirlpool.
Go to Lowes…
I did an store locator on the Lowes website, called ahead and all you need is your Model/Serial number.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:10 am
By the way, The outer door/cover will not fit back on the heater after you install the replacement kit.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I went through this problem with two seperate Whirlpool Water Heaters at different properties that I own. The first one I replaced was about 4 months ago and it just quit yesterday. The Flame Lock Enhanced kit only lasted 4 months. My Water Heater is still under warranty. Should I complain and demand they replace the whole unit? Or am I wasting my breath. I’d hate to have to hire a plumber again to replace the Flame Lock. which may only last another 4 months.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 am
Bruce, if you bought a Whirlpool Water Heater Model FG1F4040S3NOV just 4 months ago I would complain bitterly that someone sold you a defective product because the law suit against Whirlpool settlement was approved on October 11, 2007; and the claim form deadline to get your money (which didn’t cover all I spent) was June 28, 2008.
I believe by November or December of 2007 anyone in the industry, anyone selling water heaters should have known it was a defective product and it shouldn’t have been sold. However, if it was sold with the flame lock enhancement kit already installed, I don’t think it should be breaking down. The whole idea of the kit is that if the water heater shuts off, you just follow directions to restart it including making sure the area is clean and unobstructed, no purchase required.
If you don’t have Whirlpool FG1F4040S3NOV, I don’t know what to say – a flame lock enhancement kit should “guarantee” if the water heater shuts down that you can restart it, again if the area is clean and unobstructed.
January 25th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I wish I would have found this site before purchasing the water heater. I just replaced the heater 2/10/2008 and have had nothing but problems with this product. I just ordered the enhancement kit and now I have to wait till I have the money for the plumber. Gee when it rains it pours. Why do companies sell products knowing they are defective?? Thanks so much for this website.Can I recoup my money for the plumber??
January 29th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I, too, purchased a Whirlpool Flame Locked Water Heater at Lowes in Jan. of 2004. In Nov. 2006, the thermocoupler died and it costed me $142.00 for the repair, although the WH had a 12-Yr. warranty which, of course, only covered the parts. The same problem happened again 2 days ago – the pilot could not be lit. We called the Gas Company in to check and the technician told us there was a recall for the Whirlpool WH and that’s when we found all the painful stories/complaints of other consumers.
We called American Water Heater and was directed to the center in INDIA – the first guy we spoke with even denied there was a recall and after arguing with him for sometime, he only agreed to ship us the “enhancement conversion kit” via UPS Ground for free; the second lady was better and told us we could go to Lowes to pick up the conversion kit for free if we are not willing to pay for overnight shipping.
We then called Lowes and was told the program for giving the conversion kit to consumers seemed to have been cancelled, or has been over. When we told him we were told by the manufacturer of the WH to approach Lowes for the conversion kit, we were transferred to a “manager” who told us the conversion kit was out of stock and directed us to call another Lowes who also told us they are out of the conversion kits because they are very “POPULAR”!
We had no choice but to call America Water Heater again and, this time, we got to their center in Tennessee! The Customer Service Rep., Stara, has been very helpful and promised to overnight a conversion kit to us at no charge, since we contacted Lowes who are out of stock.
We are getting the conversion kit today and wish us luck that the conversion kit will help to take care of the issue! We had never come across any other WH that breaks down repeatedly in a short while for the same reason!
If we would have known there were complaints on the Whirlpool Water Heaters as early as 2003, we would have never considered purchasing this brand! We relied on the reputation of Whirlpool which apparently is not the same as we had believed! If the WH goes bad again, we probably should consider looking for a new one in another brand than going through the pain again!
I agree with George that is someone has just purchased a Whirlpool WH recently and experienced the same problem, they really should complain bitterly to Whirlpool as they should have had the problem taken care of by now, particularly as there was a class law-suit in California last year.
Another issue is, although we registered our WH with Whirlpool when we bought it, we were never informed of the class law-suit and only heard about it from the Gas Co. technician who came out to help 2 days ago! Of course, even if we would have heard about it, it is not doing us any good as the so-called compensations are no good to us, since we would have to take care of shipping and the installation if we are not replacing the conversion kit ourselves – it is no difference to the so-called warranty repair.
Our Whirlpool refrigerator is starting to have water leakage problem which, again, we had never experienced with other brand of fridge. I can only say Whirlpool is not the Whirlpool we knew before and we cannot trust this name anymore!
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:10 pm
This is the second time I have had to replace the flamelock support kit. I though this would have solve the problem of the hot water heater going out. I went online to goin the class action; guest what, the time had expired to do so. Everytime I call the repairman to fix the problem, thats $80.00. I can’t efford to shell out $400.00 for a hot water heater right now, so all I can do is have it repaired again, again and again. matter of fact; the hot water heater is getting a new flamelock kit installed as I type this email. All I can do is wait until the Lord bless me with a new one.
B. Scarbrough
Whirlpool please help
February 5th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Beverly,
Good luck with your new flame lock enhancement kit – after I had mine installed months and months ago I’ve not had one single problem! We couldn’t afford a new water heater either!
I’m sure the Lord will take care of you.
- George
George’s Wonder Blog
February 26th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
If you have a problem with this water heater call 1.877.817.6750, ask for Adam.
March 29th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Wish me luck! I am so glad I found this site. I will go to the website…or Lowe’s…tonight.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Got my kit today. I feel like we are all victims of some horrible disease, who have found each other! Without the internet, we would be so alone in our misery. Wish me luck and hot water!
April 12th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I purchased my flamelock water heater about 4 years ago (12 yr warrantee). Last year the thermocouple went out with the same saga as all the stories above. I finally located and installed an upgrade kit 65 miles away and installed it myself. I only wasted gas and a day of work. Now one year later, the thermocouple is dead again – I think. Is it possible there is a shutoff switch that protects the thermocoupel? I thought that was what the new kit was all about. If so, how do I reactivate the thermocouple?
May 7th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I went to the website you guys are talking about but I can’t figure out how to order the kit! Can someone tell me what to do or click on once I get to the website??
Thanks!!
June 6th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
no luck at all with site http://www.flamelocksupport.com – it goes to a go daddy.com domain name site– no enhancment kit anywhere to be found!!! whats the deal???!!!!!
June 6th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Lowe’s in waco does not have it and not sure when more will come in for part number 6910811 conversion kit B!!! Ice cold showers till they get em I guess! No help- no warranty – no install help– looks like everyone who bought these whirlpool water heaters will take the Bath!!!
June 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
As Tom Moon suggested earlier you might want to call Whirlpool directly at 1-877-817-6750. It appears that they have taken the flamelocksupport.com website down, though a quick WHOIS search indicates the website is owned by American Water Heater Company, Johnson City, Tennessee 37601.
Updated post at http://www.divergentstudio.com.....ov-update/
December 14th, 2009 at 12:54 am
haven’t any of you heard of the lemon law? after 3 repairs for the same problem the company must replace the unit for free.at least that is the law here in Ohio. i have not researched if they have to reimburse the purchase price or not but i am having the same problem as all of you out there.had a new unit installed and still have to relight several times per year. i am at my last straw. i will be demanding a refund or a new electric water heater since it is obvious there gas units are defective. i believe the class action suit should be revisited because the company has not fixed the problem. all these units should be taken off the market and redesigned before some one is seriously injured from trying to fix them their self.