I would be super happy to have a water heater that shut itself down before it got worn out and leaked water all over my floor. A reset utility that kept it running for a few weeks more till I arranged for service or replacement would be even better. And sure, I am against paternalism and unprotected water heaters / inkjets should be available for those either knowledgeable or stupid enough to want them. But a default consumer product should shut down before it's at risk of doing something horrible, like spilling inks that are designed to be permanent over an expensive carpet.