Richmond water heater - Not worth the money.

by Elizabeth
(Minatare, Ne, USA)

My landlord bought the Richmond water heater to replace the one in the house I rent in September 2011. He had it installed and right away I thought that something wasn't right...it popped and crackled when it was heating water, but thought that was because it was new. Was I wrong...in December...the 5th to be exact, it stopped heating water.

The landlord called customer service and they had him have the element replaced, then the thermostat. well, I still have no hot water...the 18th of January. He called customer service again and was told to get a digital tester to test the voltage. We already had an electrician check the water heater as well as the circuit breaker in the box and the elements as well as the thermostats...the person in customer service said he had to get the pricey tester and test it while on the line with them.

This we did today and was told that we would have to replace the thermostats AGAIN. The electrician we had in to check it said that the problem is in the water heater itself, but customer service seems to think that being without hot water with a family is just fine. Why can't they just replace the water heater? Do they think we're just crackpots? I am going to buy my own heater... Maybe then we can at least take a shower without going to the neighbor's house. By the way, the water heater that was replaced had been in the house since it was built in 1974!!!!!!!