Sears Extended Warranty not Honored: What Do I Do?!

719.99 is more than fair for a water heater.

Your restriction is the height of the vent.

You have many options.

The first would be to cut another hole in the chimney above the current vent opening if there is room and then you could use any size water heater. This is very easy and the old opening would be filled with mortar.

A second option would be to switch to a water heater that vents directly through the wall like most furnaces do. They are a little more expensive and need electric to it to run the fan.

A third option would be to switch to electric. This would be the least expensive up front but more expensive to run.

A fourth option would be to switch to a 30 gallon tank.

If you have found a suitable 40 gallon water heater, buy it and have a plumber install it and pay whatever difference.

Are you recommending that I remove part of the vent opening? These pipes are already rusty and old, but I will see what I can do about changing the configuration.

I have seen indirect water heaters, but they are not covered by the extended warranty. I will ask my parents and customer service if they will help us in reimbursing the funds for that.

Also a tankless electric water heater is a valid option.

My dad refuses to get a 30 gallon tank for this house. We would be worse off than our original condition. Downgrading the water heating supply to only offer hot water for 1-2 people? My parents refuse.

I have contacted a plumber and am inquiring whether they have the exact model I am looking for. He is asking for a $79 appointment fee and to take more measurements. If Sears will work with us on this option, I have hope and believe this may be the practical one.

Thank you for your advice.

There is plenty of room for a taller water heater. A plumber will be able to install a new one for around $800 or so and he will solve the height problem that you think you have.

They have used the old water heater for several years so they are getting a bargain for a new one. Sears is basically bankrupt so be thankful for anything you can get.

Cheers.

If the vent pipes are rusty and old, they need to be replaced anyway. Should cost under $40.

I am asking if there is room above the current vent opening to make another? That would solve your height problem and be very easy and cheap to do.

I just dealt with this issue at my mom's house. It is shameful that you let this problem go on for more than a day. Call a plumber you cheap b@$t@rd.

Flounder wrote:

I just dealt with this issue at my mom's house. It is shameful that you let this problem go on for more than a day. Call a plumber you cheap b@$t@rd.

They had paid for an extended warranty and had to give Sears a chance to replace. This is why warranties other than the standard are worth very little. Take that money and put it aside and when an appliance quits working, you can just pay and get it replaced immediately.

It wasn't that long ago you could buy a 40 gallon gas water heater for a couple hundred bucks. Then they decided, since too many idiots were putting all their flammable rags, gas cans and equipment right by the water heater and burning down their house, that all water heaters needed a Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant sealed plate on the front. That jacked up the cost a hundred bucks immediately and since they were rushed to market, some brands were very inferior and only lasted a short time. That was 15 years ago so the quality improved over time.

Three years ago the govt got involved again and mandated that water heaters be more efficient so they stuffed more insulation in them. Besides jacking up the price another 100 bucks, the fatter water heaters often don't fit in the space of the old one. You have to switch to a tall boy but then you have the problem of the vent opening not being high enough. Now the installation price doubles because of the extra work.

What used to cost about $350 for a new water heater to be installed now can easily cost over $1,000.

useless millenial wrote:

We asked if we could use the $719.99 to buy a tankless water heater, but Sears won't allow that.

Well that is totally wrong.

They definitely have to reimburse you and you're entitled to get a tankless model.

Would it be fair if we experienced a net loss or should we break even?

It seems that we will have to contact plumbers in the local area who have no affiliation with Sears. We will have to pay for the removal of our old water heater, plumber's appointment, pipe/venting work, and then installation which will probably add up to $1000+.

Even though the extended warranty covers for replacement parts and labor, my parents and I are getting the idea that Sears and their customer service will be of no help.

I just dealt a whole lot with SearsPartsDirect, their online sales site for appliances and parts. I bought parts to repair my old refrigerator and a couple of weeks later, a new refrigerator, and a couple of weeks after that, their haul-away service for my old fridge. The whole experience with only one or two exceptions was very frustrating and time consuming. I would only deal with them in the future as a last resort, and i would only do so with the expectation that i would waste a tremendous amount of time.

Go to Home Depot?

One other option is call your utility (electric company provider)

and explain you have elderly parents, on limited income and

the water heater is broke. They will install a new one (provided)

by them with a contracted installer. At least here in California.

Same with air conditioners, toilets, etc.

It'd be smart to have your water provider make sure your

meters are up to date, and install water inlet saving devices.

Good luck

useless millenial wrote:

More Legs Than Brains wrote:

There is nothing in your picture showing why a taller or wider water tank could not fit. Pay for a installer guy to come and do a proper water tank install so he can do a couple of soldering to adjust the piping. Seems like you are thinking of doing all this yourself and can't solder. You are dumb.

I think this will be the only option. I will consult a plumber and send them more pictures. Thank you.

Jayzuz, youre a helpless millennial idiot. Grab the money now. Sears is going bankrupt. You can fit any size water judging from that photo.

useless millenial wrote:

Would it be fair if we experienced a net loss or should we break even?

It seems that we will have to contact plumbers in the local area who have no affiliation with Sears. We will have to pay for the removal of our old water heater, plumber's appointment, pipe/venting work, and then installation which will probably add up to $1000+.

Even though the extended warranty covers for replacement parts and labor, my parents and I are getting the idea that Sears and their customer service will be of no help.

A small loss after 9 years is more than fair.

Also, where do you live? I would do it for you this weekend for $200.

You gotta be a teenage girl.

I am guessing this is a troll. If not then you are clueless to how things work. If you don't hurry up and take the money from Sears, you will get nothing as they are going belly up. Then what will you do? Crying doesn't solve problems in the real world.

I agree. Extended warranties are a waste of money. Like whole life policies. Pay day lenders for the middle class. Get what you can in this deal and get out.

useless millenial-- have you tried Ferguson plumbing? they have locations, installers, etc all over the US. I think if you took your $719 to them, you could be back to your normal hot showers in no time.

https://www.ferguson.com/