Rheem Drain Valve Settlement: Warranty Extension and Loss Reimbursement

Which products and owners are covered?

• The covered products are the listed AP and SP round poly drain-valve part numbers in the notice. They were manufactured and advertised between 2019 and 2023.
• You may be included if you owned one of those products, or if you owned a U.S. home or other structure where one was installed. The notice does not require that you still own the product or property.
• Defendants and their officers and directors, the assigned judges and their staff and families, and people who validly opt out are excluded.

What happens if I do nothing?

• You automatically receive a two-year extension of the current parts warranty for the covered drain valve. If that original parts warranty had already expired by the settlement’s Effective Date, the notice provides a new two-year parts-only warranty beginning on that date.
• This automatic coverage is only for the covered drain valve. It does not cover labor, or other water-heater parts, defects, removal, disposal, permits, repairs, or reinstallation.
• You do not receive a payment or any of the optional benefits unless you submit a claim. If you remain in the class, you also give up the released claims against the defendants if the settlement is approved and becomes final.

Can I receive more than one type of benefit?

• A documented-loss claim may be added to any warranty or replacement choice, if the claim is valid.
• For the non-money benefit, choose only one: keep the automatic two-year parts-only warranty; elect the one-year parts-and-labor warranty; or request a brass replacement drain valve.
• Electing the one-year warranty or replacement valve replaces the automatic two-year warranty. A reimbursement claim does not replace it.

How does documented-loss reimbursement work?

• You may seek reimbursement for losses connected to your use, installation, or ownership of a covered product.
• The most any class member can recover is $1,500. The total available for all documented-loss reimbursements is $500,000, so payments will be reduced proportionally if valid claims exceed that amount.
• For this reimbursement, provide records showing both what you paid and how the expense was connected to the covered product. Examples in the notice include dated receipts, invoices, and technician reports.

What are the limits on the one-year parts-and-labor warranty?

• The one-year option covers covered drain-valve parts and labor for replacement or repair, under the existing warranty terms. It does not apply to other water-heater issues or defects.
• Only the first 100,000 class members with valid claims electing this option may receive it. If that limit is reached, later claimants are eligible only for the automatic two-year parts-only warranty.
• The one-year period normally begins on the Effective Date. If an existing warranty still covers both parts and labor, it begins after that coverage expires, following the Effective Date.

What are the limits on the replacement brass drain valve?

• The brass-valve option provides one new replacement brass drain valve, even if you own or owned more than one covered product.
• Labor is not included.
• Only the first 20,000 class members with valid claims choosing this option may receive it. Later claimants are eligible only for the automatic two-year parts-only warranty.

What do I need to submit a claim?

• Submit a valid claim form by March 20, 2026. You may submit it online or mail it; mailed forms must be postmarked by that date.
• The form calls for your name, address, telephone number, email address, and the serial number of your Rheem water heater.
• The notice specifically requires supporting loss records for a documented-loss reimbursement claim. It does not state additional supporting-document requirements for the elective warranty or replacement-valve options.

How do I opt out, and what does that mean?

• To exclude yourself, meaning to leave the settlement, mail a signed written Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator. It must be postmarked by February 20, 2026.
• Include your name, mailing address, email, telephone number, water-heater serial number, and a clear statement that you want to be excluded.
• You cannot opt out by telephone or email. If you opt out, you receive no settlement benefits, but you retain the potential ability to bring your own lawsuit about the claims involved.

When are benefits expected, and do I need to attend the hearing?

• The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for May 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., by Zoom. The court may change the date or time.
• You do not have to attend. The court still must approve the settlement, and benefits for timely valid claims are provided only after approval and finality.
• If you wish to speak at the hearing, you must remain in the settlement and follow the objection procedures, including saying whether you or your lawyer will appear.