This is the email I sent to GE:
"I have lost confidence in your product. I am now on my 3rd hot water heater and 5th Watt's relief valve.
The 1st tank leaked around the plastic at the base of hot water side. The 2nd leaked around both sides and out of one of the dimple holes around the relief valve. The 3rd is leaking around the plastic at the hot water side.
ALL of the tanks are leaking (slowly) from the relief valve.
I have an hour and a quarter trip each time I have to bring one back to Home Depot in Waterville Maine. I am now preparing to make my 4th trip, for a total of 5 hours of drive time!
Couple with the time spent draining the tank each time and lugging out of my basement and onto my truck and you will understand my frustration.
The manufacturing date on this tank is 10, which disproves this as being a leftover from a year ago.
It is late Sunday night and I am writing this after visiting my basement and finding yet another inferior product dripping onto my basement floor.
I am so frustrated that I am thinking of:
1. Writing to the BBB to complain about your inferior products.
2. Making a youtube video where I videotape the actual leaking and discouraging homeowners from your Smart Water brand.
3. Getting my money back from Home Depot and going to Lowe's to buy another brand.
4. Contacting Consumer Reports and urgin them to sample five of your Smart Water brand water heaters after I email them a copy of this ordeal.
5. Creating a website dedicated to helping others having the same issue to understand what a mistake it was to choose GE.
What would restore my confidence?
Answer: Having someone from GE drive a new water heater to my home and replacing my heater AND then watching for two hours for the leaks while I run the hot water in the shower and sinks.
With the 1st leaking hot water heater, I had a leaking relief valve and called customer service. It took one call for GE to send a relief valve, (which leaked) and a 2nd hour and fifteen minute call explaining that the water was coming from below the red plastic on the hot water side. Their suggestion, find a new plumber. I responded with the fact that the plumber plumbed my entire house including installing a new furnace and new baseboard heaters AND is more than capable of screwing in a pipe to the top of the water heater. AFTER three minutes on hold, the service rep, (I think his number is #289) said to bring the tank back to the store.
Summary:
1.6 hours drive time total
2.6 hours drain/install/fill time total
3. $265 for the tank
4.2 hours customer service phone time"
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