A.O. Smith Signature 500 75-Gallon Tall 6-year Warranty 76000-BTU Power Direct Vent Natural Gas Water Heater

Water Heater Failure Issue

This purchase was is a warranty replacement for the first exact same water heater I bought from Lowes in 2020. The first water heater began to leak in early 2026 (just short of 6 years in use). Although the new unit was covered by the warranty, the installment cost to me was about $1000.00 which negated the value of getting the replacement. 6 years of life of the heater is a little ridiculous.

Poorly packaged and abused.

Took forever (45ish minutes) for the store employees to find the water heater and bring it to the front of the store. When they finally got it to the front, I was shocked to find the condition of the box. It was ripped open completely down one side and pretty smashed up. There was nothing protecting the water heater in the box - it was seriously loose in the box, just sitting there. The associate asked if I would accept it - like I had a choice, I'd already waited weeks for this one. I took...

like trouble code detector

After installation noticed the bottom of tank cover had a big dent in it. Installer assured me dent would not affect operation or longevity of unit.

Obnoxiously Loud Exhaust And Vibration

When this is running you can hear it no matter where you are in the house, it’s super loud, waiting for neighbors to complain, and there is a vibration that can be felt unless I press on the back of the motor assembly. We had the same type before, power direct vent, they used the same ductwork, but this one is substantially louder. The old one you could only hear running from the kitchen or basement, this one you can’t escape the noise and vibration.

Works

Works good only issue was it came dented on the bottom and, since needed hot water, had to install it as is. The temperature does not seem to adjust down, it's always very hot.

Defective directly out of the box

I purchased this unit from the local Lowes store, and had a professional plumber do the install. The control valve was defective on install, The unit would never shut off, it ran continuously – risking the blowout of the safety valve. Therefore, I Had to wait five days while a new control valve was obtained. This Fiasco cost me an extra $200 in labor. One other thing to note, this is the residential version, the plumber told me the commercial version that he can purchase is different – the ...

Works great so far

Due to our basement location we need a power direct vent style water heater. Upgraded from a 50 gallon to 75 gallon because we were running out of hot water. This new unit has been able to keep up with a family of five. Very happy with the unit.