When I bought my tank at Sears, it came with a 9 year warranty, which I thought, covered everything. After 1 year, the tank leaked. Not only was there no hot water in the dead of winter, but I woke up with a flooded basement! I made an appointment with Sears to have the tank repaired. After the repairman came, I was told that the tank couldn't be repaired but had to be replaced. There was an additional $200 charge because the warranty did not cover replacement! I was very disappointed. My disappointment was exasperated by the fact that they replaced my original tank with a smaller one! If I wanted the same size, I would have to pay more! Bottom line - read the warranty and any contracts. You may not be covered the way you thought.