American Manufacturers Who Won't Stand Behind Their Products

[blind bat]

In October our circa 1994 H.B. Smith boiler started leaking from a crack in the from one of the cast plates. The boiler supposedly had a 20 year prorated warranty. I called up the manufacturer to find out what it would take to issue a warranty claim and if it would be worth the money to repair the boiler versus a replacement. I was told that since I was told that the warranty wasn't transferable and since I wasn't the original home owner (they used a public records lookup) when the boiler was installed they wouldn't honor the warranty.

Okay, the $5,500 we spent on a replacement hurt we put in a quieter, higher efficiency unit and there is a $500 Energy Star rebate right now.

Fast forward to the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm out in the garage loading ammo and my wife stickers her head in to say there was water on the floor of the utility room. I check it out and the water heater is leaking. Water is coming up from the base of the tank and dripping out the plastic around the aquastat. The hot water passive hot water tank is made by Vaughn and was installed about a year before we moved into the house between 2003 to 2004. The date code on the tank says 03/2003. I called them up Vaughn and they gave me the same story (and tax record lookup) as Smith!!! WTF! A new water tank with install is going to cost $1200-$2000 installed. The thing is less than 10 years old. How hard is it to make a freaking tank that doesn't leak? I can see a boiler failing since there is significant pressure, and expansion but the hot water heater is just a tank with a coil heated by the boiler. I lived in old houses in Boston that still had their original, one pipe, steam heating systems.

Urgh... Why would anyone bother buying "quality Made in America" products when the quality isn't any better than the Chinese? At least I know if I buy cheap piece of garbage from a sweat shop overseas I'm not going to bother trying to get it warrantied. It either of these companies had even offered a token of a warranty, like giving me a 10% discount on the price of a new tank I would have been happy. As it sands now, I wouldn't purchase another product from Vaughn or H.B. Smith.

Thank goodness for companies like Dillon, Hornady, and Springfield. It's sad that it takes companies with no integrity to make one realize what great customer service really is.

P.S. I just remembered our 7 year old Kenmore/Frigidaire clothes washer that suffered from a broken piece of cast aluminum known as the "spider assembly" that supports the stainless steel drum. The "spider assembly" isn't available without buying the entire stainless drum for $200+. It's probably a $20 part. The part itself was under warranty but Sears wouldn't cover it unless their tech did the install which would be at least a few hours labor. And a chunk of broken spider destroyed the water pump so the entire unit went to the big landfill in the sky.

Thanks for the rant. I feel better now.

[Chills1994]

If I was you, I would send Smith and Vaughn an email with links to this thread.

[Flexmoney]

If I was you, I would send Smith and Vaughn an email with links to this thread.

Please don't do that. We don't want Brian's Forum being used as a soapbox.

- Admin.

[JohnGaultsGun]

I am not sure if this is a state thing but water heaters have changed ... A LOT ... at least in California. 8 years ago it cost less than $400 to replace a WH which included installation and removal (I saved my invoice). Now it's between $1000 to $2400 (which were my quotes earlier this year). So, I called 2 plumber wholesale supply shops and the cheapest same brand replacement with same capacity and insulation was $500 (no installation). Every plumber and supply guy I asked said the same story: state and federal laws have changed the way WH are made to be more eco friendly (higher cost) and lower quality.

In other words, they just dont make them like they used to.

:(

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I hate this also and I do the installs. You try to choose the best for the customer you can only to have them fail. I just replaced 700# of boiler a few weeks ago that I originally installed in 1998. One of the major manufacturers. It leaked.

As an aside, vaughn had a lot of trouble with leakers. If you have not done the replacement, send me a PM for a better unit

[Flexmoney]

RGS,

Your info would make great thread on its own if you were willing to share.