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TROUBLESHOOTING
Check/Reset Energy Cut Off
5
(ECO) Button.
Figure 23 -
Energy Cut Off (ECO) button
The Energy Cut Off (ECO) shuts off
power to the water heater's elements
if the temperature of the water in
the tank gets too hot. If the ECO has
tripped, you'll have no hot water.
A tripped ECO can usually be reset,
but you should have a qualified
person investigate the cause of the
overheating and repair the problem.
Do not turn the power back on until
the cause of the overheating has been
identified and repaired.
To check the Energy Cut Off (ECO)
• Turn off the power to the water
heater.
WARNING! Working near an
energized circuit can result in severe
injury or death from electrical shock.
Check power wires in the electrical
junction box with a non-contact circuit
tester to make sure power is off.
• Press the red ECO reset button (see
photo above).
• The ECO was tripped if you hear
a click when it is reset. In most
cases, a tripped ECO indicates
that the tank overheated due to a
problem with one of the elements
or thermostats—have a qualified
person check the upper and lower
elements and thermostats and
22 • Commercial Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide
replace if necessary.
• The ECO was not tripped if you didn't
hear a click. In that case, the upper
thermostat should be checked by a
qualified person.
• Replace the insulation and close the
electrical junction box.
WARNING! Be sure all covers are
secured to reduce the risk of fire and
electric shock.
Insufficient Hot Water
or Slow Hot Water
Recovery
WARNING! Because of the
increased risk from scalding, if you set
the water heater's thermostat(s)
higher than 120°F (49°C), Thermostatic
Mixing Valves are particularly
important (see page 4).
If the hot water is simply not warm
enough, there are several possible
causes:
• Faulty Thermostatic Mixing Valve in
a faucet or shower control (check
other faucets for hot water)
• One (or both) of the thermostats set
too low
• Water heater's capacity too small (or
usage too high)
• Reversed plumbing connections or
melted dip tube (usually found soon
after new installation)
• Plumbing leak
• Bad lower heating element (or lower
thermostat)
• Low supply voltage
Thermostatic Mixing Valves. If the
hot water is simply not warm enough,
make sure the faucet you are checking
doesn't have a defective Thermostatic
Mixing Valve. Many shower controls
now have built-in mixing valves. If
these devices fail, they can reduce the
amount of hot water the shower or
faucet delivers even though there is
plenty of hot water in the tank. Always
check the water temperature at several
faucets to make sure the problem is
not in a faucet or shower control.
Thermostats set too low. If the water
temperature at several faucets is
too cool, adjust the thermostat(s)
according to the instructions in Step
10 of the Installation section of this
manual.
Undersized water heater. If your
water heater runs out of hot water
too quickly, it may be too small for
your needs. If the water heater is old,
consider replacing it with a larger
model. If the water heater is in good
condition, you may be able to meet
the plumbing system's hot water needs
with the existing water heater by
installing Thermostatic Mixing Valves
and then turning the thermostat(s) to a
higher setting. See page 19, step 10.
Reversed connections or melted
dip tube. Check the hot and cold
connections and make sure the hot
water pipe is connected to the hot
water outlet on the water heater.
Usually, reversed connections are
found soon after the installation of
a new unit. If copper pipes were
soldered while they were attached to
the water heater, the dip tube may
have melted. The dip tube is a long
plastic tube inside the tank attached
to the cold water inlet. If the dip
tube has melted, it can be replaced
by removing the cold water inlet
connection, removing the old dip tube
and installing a new one.
Plumbing leak. Even a small leak in the
hot water side of the plumbing system
can make it appear that the water
heater is producing little to no hot
water. Locate and repair the leak.
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