Warranty 101 | Manufacturers' Water Heater Warranty Basics
Erin Trybulec • April 22, 2021
Last Updated: June 14, 2023
***DISCLAIMER: PLEASE REFER TO YOUR MANUFACTURER’S INSTALLATION MANUAL FOR INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC MODEL. IF YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO SERVICE YOUR OWN HEATER, PLEASE DO SO WITH CAUTION. THIS ARTICLE IS MEANT TO PROVIDE AN INFORMATIVE + EDUCATIONAL SUMMARY AND DOES NOT SUPERSEDE OFFICIAL ONSITE DIAGNOSIS/REPAIRS OR INFORMATION FROM YOUR UNIT'S MANUFACTURER.***
What is a water heater warranty?
Let's get straight to the point by defining a warranty (we know you know what "warranty" means, but we will contextualize it for water heaters, too): a usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts (Merriam-Webster).
In Context | A water heater warranty is the manufacturer's commitment to you (the homeowner/end user) upon purchase: if there is a manufacturing defect with the unit or a faulty part, they will cover at least some of the costs associated with repair.
We'll get into the details in a moment.
- If your water heater currently has Labor Warranty coverage, you also have Parts + Tank coverage, but having Parts + Tank coverage doesn't mean you have Labor Warranty coverage
- Check out our photo slider to see some real-life examples of warranty details
Levels of Warranty Coverage for Tank Type Water Heaters
Let's consider the different levels of water heater repair or replacement:
- Labor: The time it takes a repair technician to diagnose your unit's issue and to repair it or to remove the faulty water heater and install a new one
- Standard Manufacturer's Labor Warranty: One year from the date of manufacture
- Some Manufacturers + stores offer an Extended Labor Warranty, meaning that your unit might automatically be covered for 2 or 3 years, or you may be able to pay an additional fee to extend the labor warranty
- Parts: The water heater parts warranty covers the cost of replacement parts, which may be sent by the water heater manufacturer or provided/purchased by the repair company
- Standard Manufacturer's Parts Warranty: Anywhere from 3-12 years
- Tank: The tank warranty covers the quality of the water heater itself, in the event that a new unit leaks at a seam or has another irreparable issue
- Standard Manufacturer's Tank Warranty: Anywhere from 3-12 years
- The Parts + Tank Warranty is often referred to as the limited warranty and it's the one that is most often emphasized in product descriptions and when water heater warranty benefits are described by stores
Levels of Warranty Coverage for Tankless Water Heaters
Much like the above schema of labor warranty coverage vs. parts and tank warranty coverage, tankless units' warranties follow a similar pattern:
- Labor | Time on site to diagnose + repair or replace unit
- Typically covered for 1 year from date of manufacture; Rinnai, however, offers 5 years of limited labor coverage if you register your new unit within 90 days of purchase
- Parts | Replacement parts
- Typically covered for 3 years or 5 years from date of manufacture
- Heat Exchanger | This part of the unit is responsible for transferring the heat to the water
- Tankless warranties often cover the heat exchanger in place of the tank warranty offered for traditional water heaters, as it is the most important part of the unit
- Typically covered for 3, 5, 8, or 15 years from date of manufacture, pending the type of installation and use of tankless unit
- Heat Exchanger claims often require proof of preventative maintenance
Common Water Heater Warranty Misconceptions
(Actual myths we hear from our customers)
Contracted Service Provider (CSP) = Manufacturer:
FALSE
- One of the most common misconceptions about water heater warranty repair that Contracted Service Providers or CSPs are the Manufacturers. A CSP is an outside company whose technicians have been trained by the manufacturer and perform warranty repair or warranty replacement.
- Each manufacturer maintains their own rules + regulations for their CSPs for safety and mechanical purposes.
- Your CSP did not manufacture your water heater and is not shipping you your replacement part(s). The CSP may have replacement parts for your unit (like our technicians in most cases) or they may order them directly from the manufacturer.
My unit is under warranty, so I don't have to pay:
SOMETIMES FALSE
- Your unit might be under warranty, but as we show above, it depends on the type of warranty coverage your unit has and the cause of the issue
- Type of Water Heater Warranty Coverage: If your unit's 1 to 2 year labor warranty has expired and you only have Parts + Tank Coverage left, you will be responsible for the cost of the labor. This is typically true for water heaters that are 2 or more years old.
- Although your unit may still be covered under warranty, if there is a non-warranty issue [check out our next graphic for more details], the manufacturer will NOT cover the cost of labor, parts, or the tank because it is not a direct issue with their product's quality
My unit's under warranty, I don't need an authorization:
FALSE
- While attempting to book service, many of our clients tell us their unit is covered under warranty, which prompts us to ask for a warranty authorization number. A warranty authorization number is a number generated by the manufacturer when they looked up your water heater's serial number in their system; the warranty authorization number ensures that ALL warranty service (labor), parts, or water heater tank replacement
- This is to ensure that their are no safety issues with their product and to create a system of checks and balances between the manufacturers, CSPs, and end users
- The manufacturer will need your Model + Serial Number to verify your warranty
- Authorization Numbers will be supplied by the manufacturer and your CSP will use it to communicate with the manufacturer and to get paid for the warranty services provided
My CSP can see ALL my warranty details, including the activation and expiration dates:
FALSE
- Since your CSP (water heater warranty service provider) is not the manufacturer, they can't see all of your warranty details, especially if you have an extended warranty
- Extended Warranties are typically sold by stores or plumbing suppliers, not the actual water heater manufacturer. As a result, these warranties must be verified through vendor from whom it was purchased
- Your CSP should, however be able to see the expiration of your Parts + Tank warranty and be able to "guestimate" the standard labor coverage based on your serial number/date of manufacture
My water heater was installed less than 1 year ago but it is 2+ years old. My warranty coverage is voided:
FALSE
- In some instances, a unit may technically be 1+ years old at the time of the customer's purchase because it was not sold immediately following manufacture
- The unit may have been sitting in a warehouse or store for over a year before it was sold
- In these cases, the manufacturers tend to honor the warranty if the end users can provide a proof of purchase that verifies that the unit was sold much later than when it was manufactured; the best form of proof for the manufacturers is a receipt of purchase and/or installation (especially if the serial number is listed on the receipt)
Manufacturer's Warranty Verification Resources
Need a Warranty Service Provider?
U.S. Water Heating Solutions is currently an authorized warranty service provider for the following manufacturers:
Water Heater Warranty FAQs
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