Operation; Care And Cleaning; Draining The Water Heater; Routine Preventative Maintenance - Rheem AP16697 Use & Care Manual

Care and cleaning of the water heater.
DANGER: Before
manually operating the
relief valve, make certain
no one will be exposed to
the danger of coming in
contact with the hot water
released by the valve. The
water may be hot enough to
create a scald hazard. The
water should be released
into a suitable drain to
prevent injury or property
damage.
NOTICE: If the
temperature and pressure
relief valve on the hot
water heater discharges
periodically, this may be due
to thermal expansion in a
closed water system.
Contact the water
supplier or your plumbing
contractor on how to
correct this. Do not plug
the relief valve outlet.
20

Draining the Water Heater

CAUTION: Shut off power to the
water heater before draining water.
DANGER: Before manually
operating the relief valve, make certain
no one will be exposed to the hot water
released by the valve. The water drained
from the tank may be hot enough to
present a scald hazard and should be
directed to a suitable drain to prevent
injury or damage.

Routine Preventative Maintenance

Properly maintained, your water heater
will provide years of dependable trouble-
free service.
It is suggested that a routine preventive
maintenance program be established and
followed by the user.
It is further recommended that a periodic
inspection of the operating controls,
heating element and wiring should be
made by service personnel qualified in
electric appliance repair.
Most electrical appliances, even when
new, make some sound when in operation.
If the hissing or singing sound level
increases excessively, the electric heating
element may require cleaning. Contact a
qualified installer or plumbing contract to
inspect.
At least once a year, lift and release the
lever handle on the temperature pressure
relief valve, located near the top of the
water heater, to make certain the valve
operates freely. Allow several gallons to
flush through the discharge line to an open
drain.
In order to drain the water heater, turn off
the cold water supply. Open a hot water
faucet or lift the handle on the relief valve
to admit air to the tank.
Attach a garden hose to the drain valve on
the water heater and direct the stream of
water to a drain. Open the valve.
A water heater's tank can act as a setting
basin for solids suspended in the water.It
is therefore not uncommon for hard water
deposits to accumulate in the bottom of the
tank. It is suggested that a few quarts of
water be drained from the water heater's
tank every month to clean the tank of these
deposits.
Rapid closing of faucets or solenoid
valves in automatic water using appliances
can cause a banging noise heard in a
water pipe. Strategically located risers in
the water pipe system or water hammer
arresting devices can be used to minimize
the problem.
The anode rod should be removed from the
water heater's tank annually for inspection
and replaced when more than 6" of core
wire is exposed at either end of the rod.
Make sure the cold water supply is turned
off before removing anode rod.