Powerflex water heaters, kind not given
1 report to CPSC, the latest made Jan 12, 2016. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 1report to CPSC
- Jan 12, 2016the latest report was made
- Jan 12, 2016the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Powerflex
- Maker
- A. O. Smith Water Products CompanyMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Water heaters, kind not givenCPSC’s product type: Water Heaters, Not Specified (code 134), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Plumbing & Bath
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| January 2016 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Jan 12, 2016, sent to the company Feb 24, 2016, published by CPSC Mar 9, 2016
The product, in the report: Water Heater, 40 gallon
The unit was installed by a licensed plumber.
The consumer stated that there is a safety issue with his water heater. The water that comes out of the top of the heater to the faucet is extremely hot even at the lowest water temperature setting.
The consumer stated he has the water heater set to the lowest temperature (115-120F). Initially when he purchased the unit, the water would come out at roughly 160F. Now, the water that comes out of the faucet is at about 182F. After purchasing this unit, the water at the faucet was never 120F even when set to the lowest temperature setting.
The consumer stated that highest setting the water heater can be set to is about 155F.
The consumer contacted the company multiple times over the past few years at 1-800-999-9515 in regards to the issue. In the past, the consumer was informed that the issue was with the controller. The consumer was sent the controller by the company covered under warranty. The consumer has replaced the controller about 4-5 times in the past 2-3 years.
The consumer had a plumber come out for an inspection in Dec 2015 from [REDACTED]. The plumber informed the consumer that he has seen a lot of problems with these water heaters. The plumber said that the issue is with the controller.
The consumer spoke to [REDACTED] at the company. She informed the consumer that he would have to have one of their plumbers come out for an inspection. The consumer would have to pay for the cost for an inspection. The consumer was informed that there is “heat stacking” issue with his unit. The consumer was informed, that this kind of thing can happen when the water heater is not used a lot. The consumer stated that the water temperature being measured at the bottom of the heater is what the controller is expecting to see and what the water heater is set to. However, the water temperature at the top of the heater is a lot hotter than what the temperature is set to. The consumer conducted his own tests to determine that information.
The consumer stated that the controller is a resistance dependent device that measures the resistance of the thermister. The controller would turn on and off depending on what resistance it sees. The consumer took one of the older controllers and measured the resistance it was seeing from a 120F water in a bottle. The consumer received a number in ohms (about 1000 ohms). The consumer received the same resistance number at the controller that is installed in the unit. The consumer then checked the water temperature at the top of the heater and it came out to 180F. The consumer finally drained the heater and checked the temperature at the drain well and the water temperature was about 120F.
The consumer noticed an issue with this heater from the time he purchased it. However, the issue has gotten much worse over the past 2-3 years.
The unit is still under parts warranty.
- Model
- PVG6240T42NV
- Serial number
- 1121T470297
- Bought from
- Lowe’s, New York
- Bought
- Dec 1, 2010, about then
- Where
- Clifton Park, New York: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Powerflex, made or sold by A. O. Smith Water Products Company
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.