Latest reviews about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

BCarter1 says "Extremely dissatisfied customer- buyer beware!!" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

BCarter1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:19:57 GMT

I don't normally write negative reviews, but this situation definitely warrants one. Bottom line: So far, $899 has bought us a 6 day wait to obtain a defective product that has failed twice in 4 days, countless hours on the phone with extremely unhelpful Sears customer "service", and no prospect of reliable hot water in the foreseeable future. Buyer beware!

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tonyj1 says "Kenmore 50 Gal.Tall Natural Gas Hot Water Heater(33205)" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

tonyj1 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:18:59 GMT

It does a great job heating the water up fast,the power vent is quieter then my old one was, it was easy to put in and it was at a good price.Thank You Sears

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Tbg37 says "Had it 6 months, already broken " about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

Tbg37 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:17:34 GMT

just quit on us Thursday. Called for service, they came out two days later. He can't figure out what is wrong. Says they don't carry replacement parts, so he ordered them. Says they will be here in a day or two, another day or two for a service tech to get out here to work on it. Of course he has no idea that the replacement parts will fix the problem, he's just guessing. Can't say I'm real thrilled with the product or the service.

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frotek says "Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Hot Water Heater (33205)" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

frotek — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:00:17 GMT

Easy control panel to adjust the water temperature.

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JustinHotWater says "This product should be more clearly labled as a "Power vent."" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

JustinHotWater — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:02:28 GMT

This is a good price for a 50 gallon power vented water heater, but unless you knew what one looked like, or knew the exact model number you wouldn't know this is a power vented water heater.
Note to Sears. Add "Power Vent" to this product discription.

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fattah says "the best in the market , powerful , money well spent " about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

fattah — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:01:09 GMT

i was searching for a water heater for almost 2 weeks and this one was the winner , water gets high fast even when its -5F outside , no need to wait if someone took a shower , two showers can work at the same time , and im talking in mid-January 2011 , you have to use half cold half hot and the thermostat is set on the recommended level , best value for a good price , comparing the same product at A. O. Smith for 1500 plus shipping , money well spent . very recommended...

searayguy93 says "Amazing water heater." about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

searayguy93 — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 22:54:54 GMT

I just bought this model this after noon got it home about 1 pm and had it installed by 4, its replacing a 30 year old A.O Smith. I was amazed by how fast it heated up 50 gal of water in about an hour, my old heater took forever to just do 30, and this is not loud at all just about the same if not better then my furnace. I am extremely happy with my choice and would def recomend this to any one else. I did also buy the 5 year warranty just because of all the electronics on it. Oh yea an it was over 60% off cause some one ordered it and didnt want it, To good of a deal to pass up.

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Larskie says "Be Prepared to Pay!" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

Larskie — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:54:14 GMT

I strongly recommend the service plan if you make the mistake of buying this model. My unit is less than 4 years old and it's needed the gas valve AND ignitor replaced at a cost of $600! I'd avoid buying this unit. It is a money pit!

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bigchad says "kenmore 40 gal natural gas power vent water heater" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

bigchad — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:53:12 GMT

top of the line water heater with quick recovery. installed by a semi- pro and is not loud if it is in your basement. this is a must buy if you need a hot water tank.

C L mount morris ny

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dhebda says "Not too loud" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

dhebda — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:09:04 GMT

I was concerned about the noise after reading the reviews - one said loud, one said not. I figured if it was terrible, I could get creative. Fortunately I'm happy with the volume. It's no louder than my furnace blower motor right next to it, and I can't hear it unless I'm in the basement.

I might suggest mounting the exhaust pipe by plastic hangers rather than rigidly to the joists to prevent the sound from transmitting into the structure. Mine is also installed underneath a tiled floor which has to help.

One thing to note - if you ever want to remove the annode rod, you're out of luck. The blower motor would have to be removed first. But I've never seen the need to do so.

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smtom says "So far, so good ~ Keeping fingers crossed" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

smtom — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:53:39 GMT

Professionally installed 3/10/10. Did EXTENSIVE research on this and other Kenmore water heaters prior to purchase. Replaced a 14 year old 'traditional' WH with constant pilot light that vented to the chimney.

Took note of all issues listed here (and elsewhere) that were encountered by others, hoped for the best. This one is made by AO Smith, a good thing.

Upon install, unit would not stay lit - thought my worst fears were recognized...Fortunately, I purchased the mac-daddy service plan.

Technician came out same day I called, ran tests - determined venting pipe (PVC) was encountering too much resistance due to length of PVC and/or elbows in exhaust PVC. Solution? Shortened PVC to eliminate length/quantity of elbows, has worked like a champ ever since. Will update later if status/satisfaction changes.

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BrianInPA says "Buy it!" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

BrianInPA — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:34:47 GMT

This was a replacement for a 9 year old Bradford White water heater. I first called a plumbing house but in the end the Sears reputation and the fact that they are right around the corner anytime I need them won the day. I paid abut $1200 installed which includes a 5 year comprehensive warranty. I think the tank has a 6 year warranty. There is one complaint posted here that the blower is so loud that it can be heard throughout the house. Not our house. This blower is quieter than what we had for close to 10 years. I can't vouch for its longevity yet as it was put into service just this morning. I am not worried.

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Calinmichigan says "LOUD!!" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:00:05 GMT

Unit was professionally installed and heats well. There is a very lioud noise that comes from the power vent blower. It can be heard all through the house (even from the basement to the second floor). I am not real happy right now as the unit is only about three weeks old. If Sears takes care of the problem I will update my review....

Tana says "Leaks after 3 years" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:45:05 GMT

I purchased and installed this water heater 3 years ago and it just started to LEAK. My last water heater lasted 15 years. This is a major disappointment and will look for an alternative water heater other than Kenmore....

ACers says "Defective gas valve from factory" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:45:03 GMT

I purchased this top-of-the line water heater from my local Sears store on July 21, 2008 and spent 8 hours installing it. When I finished it would not start. I called Sears' warranty service and they sent out a repairman. The repairman said the gas valve was defective and wouldn't let the burner start and that this was a flaw from the manufacturer he was regularly seeing. He also told me that a replacement for the defective valve has been on backorder from the OEM for some time. He was surprised that Sears was still selling a unit which is known for defects. As a result I do not know when I will have hot water in my home. The Sears customer service clerk I called after learning this told me to just bring the heater back to the store for a replacement or a refund!!! How about covering the cost of my truck rental and the help I hired to get this into my home? BUYER BEWARE - buying this defective unit may result in not only wasting the cost of installation, but giving you a major delay in......

BmoNhotwater says "one of the best gas water heaters" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:20 GMT

Was the best I could find. Don't really have a lot to add to the review. Only thing I was disappointed with is that for this money it should come with more insulation and the power vent is not made to have the intake run outside (so you have the warm air in your home being fed to the fire then dumped outside). Considering this is the 'supper efficient' model. I put it in a the house we just built so I can't comment on $$ savings....

Nonplumber says "Great unit!" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:45:20 GMT

I replaced an 11 year old Ruud Power Vent with this unit. 5 hours start to finish ( my first WH) including removing the old one. The install kit from Sears had everything except the venting material (3 in PVC). After one extra trip to hardware store as I reconstructed the vent line, we were in business. Instructions were great and start up went smoothly. It is working like a champ....

JayY says "Top Notch Water Heater" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:30:04 GMT

I installed this unit on my own, and it was relatively easy to accomplish, the instructions covered all aspects quite well, and I'm very pleased with the unit. The electronics on the unit make it easy to operate and the unit has electric ignition of the gas burner so this increases the savings over my last unit which had a pilot. The efficiency of the unit seems really high to me, and the unit does not run at night at all and the water stays hot. I'm looking forward to lower gas bills. Excellent value....

Tim19701 says "BIG MONEY SAVER" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:45:04 GMT

I installed this unit in 2 nights after work. I had 50 gal. electric water heater which was 7 years old. I found in very easy to install and would say it requires a moderate skill level. I ran gas line, PVC vent, Water, and converted 220 electric line to 110 to supply the electric needed. We have a family of 5, 4 of which are adults, My electric bill DROPPED $300.00 in the first month!...

Stark says "Great efficiency" about Kenmore 50 gal. Tall Natural Gas Water Heater (33205)

sears-feed — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 23:31:24 GMT

The electric cord can be plugged into a programmable timer outlet which allows the water heater to turn off as many hours as you wish. I keep mine on for 8 hours per day and betwween a gas dryer and this water heater I use only 0.8 Therms per day on average for a family of two. If I do need hot water it is still available for 4 or 5 hours after it shuts off because I put an insulated blanket on the sides. And if that is not good enough I just unplug the timer and it turns on giving me what I need....