# Rheem Water Heater Tech Support



## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Got a call the other day. The guy wants me to get him a new heater under warranty. Of course. I explain that I need to go out there and assess it then get approval from the manufacturer. He tells me how tech support helped him troubleshoot his gas heater! The part evidently was not his issue.:thumbsup: The part was not going to be available for weeks.....huh? It is the flame vapor sensor that is the suspect part. I ask him how he knew. They told him how to bypass it.:furious: Funny thing is they didn't give him the authorization number to get the replacement heater under warranty. 

How do they make all of those heaters a day and not have one to send out? Why are they trying to troubleshoot with a HO on the phone and why would they show him how to bypass a safety?! I don't get it.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Sounds fishy to me.. 

They would never tell him how to bypass the sensor because that would make them liable for anything that would happen.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

And they wouldnt authorize a new heater if it was only a bad sensor. 

I think he's trying to pull a fast one to get a new heater.


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

Run, run away very fast


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Its Jnoshs, got a new job at tech support


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

Was he painting his floor! LOL. Had that once, customer got all upset when I told them it wasn't covered under warranty. Could still smell the fumes days later.

Your call sure sounds suspect. Have a hard time seeing a tech support actually telling a h/o how to bypass a safety. Any chance he figured it out on his own? 

Didn't think the FVS was bypassable...thought it had to see a certain level of resistance, too much it too little and it shut down.Maybe I'm thinking of something else...


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

I only know what he said on the phone.


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

Rheem will tell the homeowner how to do that. I was one of their service contractors and they will walk the homeowner through it and if its a repair they will send the part and walk them through the repair. Had a older lady call up and she was crying that they wouldnt send a plumber to do the repair. They wanted her to go by a volt meter and test the elements. This was the last straw with me and Rheem. I called them and let them know that one day they will regret doing that. Was told till we get sued we wont change anything..Needless to say i took care of the lady on me and told her not to worry about what Rheem says.


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

victoryplbaz said:


> Rheem will tell the homeowner how to do that. I was one of their service contractors and they will walk the homeowner through it and if its a repair they will send the part and walk them through the repair. Had a older lady call up and she was crying that they wouldnt send a plumber to do the repair. They wanted her to go by a volt meter and test the elements. This was the last straw with me and Rheem. I called them and let them know that one day they will regret doing that. Was told till we get sued we wont change anything..Needless to say i took care of the lady on me and told her not to worry about what Rheem says.


Wow. That is bad on so many levels. 

I'll bear that info in mind regarding Rheem tech support


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

rjbphd said:


> Its Jnoshs, got a new job at tech support



That horse has been beat to a grease mark on the floor. Time for some new material please. :yes:


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Indie said:


> That horse has been beat to a grease mark on the floor. Time for some new material please. :yes:


 Along with Tape or Ruler. :whistling2:


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

That sucks because I switch to Rheem from Bradford a few months ago. I like the tanks. But then who do you use AO Smith? State wouldn't help me once by passed me and talked with HO. I was livid.


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## Fast fry (May 19, 2012)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> Along with Tape or Ruler. :whistling2:


It's still good for us new cats in the zone! I still don t know who he is or what he has Done but talk about him to others:no:


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## bizzybeeplumbin (Jul 19, 2011)

guy is lying. There are 7 of the safety devices, each is a different color and break at different temps. Rheem tech support will never tell them how to bypass it, I tried awhile ago when I first saw the safety device. Furthermore they diagnose with you on the phone and you come up with why it broke, if it broke for a true combustion issue the heater is toast.

you know how a customer is lying? his lips are moving. and its getting worse!


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## love2surf927 (Dec 22, 2011)

Plumberman911 said:


> That sucks because I switch to Rheem from Bradford a few months ago. I like the tanks. But then who do you use AO Smith? State wouldn't help me once by passed me and talked with HO. I was livid.


What is different about the tanks?


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