They talked me into buying one for the house (Whirlpool) in June. Yesterday it started emitting an odor and the electronic control box got hot. I watched it closely for a while then noticed the light was out, heater dead.
Anyone know how they are with the warrantee on these things? I am tempted to just buy two of those standard thermostats (upper and lower) and wire those in. By the time they send me a new box (assuming I can talk them into it) our family will be pretty stinky, but I can get standard thermostats tomorrow.

Good question!!! Every so often Co. come up with the "latest and greatest"... I've been "out of the loop" for a few years, so I have no idea what the heck an electronic water heater is.. Whirlpool put out some good stuf, at least they did.. And I would assume a standard t-stat and element would match up...

Well I looked closer today.
I can't believe I bought the latest and greatest, man was I asleep that day.... I hate and distrust new stuff like the plague.

The 50 gal tank has two elements. They are near impossible to get to - deep in the small hole and packed with insulation.

On top of the tank is the control box, jampacked full of ICs, diodes, resistor, a small transformer, its a damned little ocmputer in, there - aint no fixin anything in there. I think the transformer is fried. The temp sensors are inaccessible.... a half dozen tiny wires going up from somewhere on the tank to the control box.
No way to pull and replace stuff.
No way to retrofit a standard thermostat.

Don't tell the hardcore electricians but I jury rigged it with hot leads to the elements long enough we could have a shower. It is disconnected now and I might just send it to the dump tomorrow (only 4 months old too).
Ah, maybe I'll call the 800 number on the tank and see how much abuse they give me.
What a POS

Follow up..
The guy on the 1800 line said he will send a new circuit board out today. Shipping my cost.

In reply to:

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I can't believe I bought the latest and greatest, man was I asleep that day.... I hate and distrust new stuff like the plague.

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Tried and tested : trailing edge
2nd last generation : Leading edge
Absolute newest : bleeding edge

Well I got the new circuit board and installed it, filled tank and I get a flashing warning (3 fast flashes) which the decoder says is a faulty sensor. Friday pm company closed so yesterday I called and they are shipping new sensors by Wednesday and they offered to authorize a 70$ plumber fee if I wasn't comfortable installing sensors. Pretty nice of them, good customer served - but still if I had Really Needed that water heater it would have sucked to wait for this long!