Rheem EcoSense Water Heater

Rheem EcoSense Water Heater

This post documents an ongoing claim and reflects my personal experience as of the dates listed below.

Background

When I moved into my home, I installed a Rheem EcoSense hybrid water heater. It performed extremely well for my household, and we typically ran it in heat-pump mode, which proved efficient and cost-effective.

That changed when the unit began beeping loudly and displayed an error code (A004), indicating a fault that required service. Believing the water heater was covered under my Select Home Warranty policy, I submitted a claim through their website on August 22, 2025.

Timeline of My Claim

08/22/2025 @ 08:53 – Submitted a water heater claim through the Select Home Warranty website.
08/23/2025 @ 07:00 – Received automated message: “Just checking in to let you know we are still working on dispatching your claim and should have a Technician lined up shortly…”
08/23/2025 @ 08:48 – Received another automated message: “We do apologize for this delay as our dispatch department is still working on your claim…”
08/26/2025 @ 12:32 – Called Customer Service. I was told I was pre-approved for $100 and that they would continue attempting to locate a technician.
08/26/2025 @ 12:49 – Received an automated message indicating they were still working on the claim.
08/26/2025 @ 12:53 – Received automated message: “We are in the process of finding a local technician to come to your home to diagnose your Water Heater…”
08/27/2025 @ 09:05 – Received another automated message apologizing for the delay.
09/01/2025 @ 10:27 – Called Customer Service again. I was advised that a technician still had not been assigned and was asked to locate a local technician myself to diagnose the issue.
09/02/2025 – At Select Home Warranty’s request, I contacted a local licensed technician, who evaluated the unit and provided a diagnosis, which I shared as part of my ongoing claim communications.

Technician Diagnosis

The technician diagnosed the issue and recommended a specific repair. However, the cost of the recommended repair exceeded the amount Select Home Warranty was willing to authorize.

Based on that assessment, Select Home Warranty determined that the water heater was not worth repairing under the terms of my coverage and instead offered a cash-out option of $200 toward replacement if I chose to proceed on my own.

Replacement Decision

The current comparable replacement model for my Rheem EcoSense water heater was listed at $1,869.00 at Home Depot. I worked to reduce that cost as much as possible. Through a store promotion, I received $700 off, and a Home Depot employee applied an additional $100 discount, bringing my final purchase price to $1,069.00 (before installation).

While the $200 offered by Select Home Warranty was better than nothing, it covered only a small portion of the actual replacement cost. Even after securing significant discounts, the out-of-pocket expense was still more than five times the amount Select Home Warranty offered.

Reimbursement Status

I submitted the receipt for the new water heater to Select Home Warranty, understanding that reimbursement is capped based on policy limits and valuation methods. I’m aware that there is limited flexibility in how these situations are handled, and that the process is governed by the terms of the agreement.

My Takeaway

From my perspective, this experience highlighted a gap between the real-world cost of replacing a modern, energy-efficient appliance and the valuation used by the warranty provider. While Select Home Warranty did provide a payout consistent with their determination, it fell far short of the replacement value, even after I made every effort to reduce the final cost.