The gas valve (or temperature valve) on a water heater is a component which controls the amount of gas that flows into the water heater itself, thereby controlling the amount of heat emitted and the resulting temperature of the water. While water heaters themselves are manufactured by several companies, many of these water heaters are equipped with or compatible with Honeywell-branded gas valves.

Several customers report that their water heaters equipped with Honeywell valves and temperature control units are signaling an error with the gas valve and/or emitting a natural gas odor, indicating a potential gas leak somewhere in the unit. Customers suspect that the issue stems from the chips inside the gas valve, which overheats and causes the valve to malfunction. 

In addition, customers report their Honeywell thermostat valves failing and physically breaking, leading to their water heaters ceasing to function altogether in breach of the implied warranty of merchantability.

Honeywell’s terms of sale do not include any mandatory binding arbitration provisions or class action waivers.

Plumbing supply company Watts Regulator Co. settled two similar class action lawsuits in 2021 for $14 million alleging that they sold defective water heaters that caused substantial damage to plaintiffs’ homes.