A.O. Smith suit settled.(Brief Article)

A federal judge has approved the settlement of a class-action suit claiming that A.O. Smith Corp. and five other manufacturers sold defective water heaters between 1993 and 1996.

Under the settlement, the manufacturers are obligated to reimburse the consumers for repairs on the water heaters, which contained defective "dip tubes." The plastic tubes, which channel cold water to the bottom of a heater to be heated, can break apart.

The settlement covers more than 14 million water heaters made by Milwaukee-based A.O. Smith; Rheem Manufacturing Co., New York City; Bradford White …