So I called Whirlpool’s toll-free number and the recording mentioned
www.flamelocksupport.com where you can request that they ship you the flame lock replacement kit (Whirlpool calls it a “Flame Lock Enhancement Kit“) for free.
That URL just goes to a go-daddy placeholder...
Anyway, I have a conflict of interest. I work at Low*s, and I have one of these wonderful water heaters that came with this house when I bought it 2 years ago. I haven't had any problems with it until a couple of days ago.
Not working anywhere near the plumbing section, I never knew of any issues with these things before mine went out. I didn't even know WP water heaters were exclusive to low*s. After asking around the plumbing dept, information starts to trickle down about the Kits, they have some in stock that they could give me, but not the one I need (the A kit). That is apparently their most common kit, and it goes fast once it comes in.
I ask why I can't just replace the thermocouple, and they start telling me about how it's reverse threaded, and they don't sell those anymore. I asked how we can sell the water heater, but not sell the part to fix it. I received a shrug.
So I call the WP help line during my lunch break, and I'm very quickly greeted by a nice fellow from India apparently named Stan. Stan begins to ramble his way through the "choose your own adventure" book known as their customer service script, and I start getting annoyed. After getting nowhere with this guy. It will take a week for the part. That's unacceptable to me. I make sure Stan is well aware of how unacceptable it is.
So I head back in to the store with a fresh idea on my mind. I'm looking at the immediate problem, I hate cold showers. To fix this problem, I need a reverse-thread thermocouple. The store (and everyone else) only sells right hand thread thermocouples. So I decide to just re-use the old left hand nut.
I buy a new TC for $7, go home and detach and remove my burner assembly. I take the old TC out of the assembly, and put the nut in my vise with a flat edge sticking up. I then put a wafer wheel in my drimmel and started cutting the nut in-line with one edge if the TC tube. then cut along the other edge. I then cut the tube and knocked it out with a small screwdriver. At this point, I had a slot that would almost slip the new TC through, I just had to clean it up a bit more with the drimmel. once I cleaned it up, I inspected the threads closely and hit them with a wire brush to take off any boogers. I replace the TC with the new one, making sure to pop it all the way into that hole so it's positioned right. then I just pull the new nut down out of the way (no need to cut it off) and put the newly-slotted old nut on the new TC... hand tight + 1/4 turn, and I'm done, and I've got hot water until the new kit arrives.
As far as low*s being at fault goes, I can't buy that because I work there and I really do think it's a great company to work for, and we typically go out of our way to help a customer. Now, the corporate side of things, that's another story. There's no doubt that low*s and whirlpool have some sort of deal going on, for low*s to stock them exclusively, and to not dump them after this whole fiasco, it has to involve some serious money. But it could also involve an investment or contract by low*s that they can't back out of.
That does put those store employees in an awkward situation, because they can't just tell a customer that the product is junk. Though one manager over in that area DID tell me that he had talked a few customers OUT of buying a WP water heater.
Long Story Short, Just don't buy your Water Heater from low*s until they get a new brand. It doesn't mean that everything from low*s is junk, it doesn't even mean that everything from WP is junk. Though it's difficult to convince someone who has already been deeply burned. I DO know from experience though that Low*s will go above and beyond to keep you as a customer. So go back to Low*s, stay calm, but don't be a pushover. And get your money back, or at least store credit. 99 times out of 100, they will take care of someone if their loyalty as a customer comes into question...