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Troubleshooting
Guide (cont'd)
CONDENSATION
Whenever the water heater is filled with cold water, a certain
amount of condensation
will form while the burner is on. A
water heater may appear to be leakingwhen in fact the water is
condensation. This usually happens when:
• When a new water heater is filled with cold water for the
first time.
When gas burns and water vapor isproduced
in water
heaters, particularly high efficiency models where flue tem-
peratures arelower.
• When you use large amounts of hot water in a short time
and the refill water is very cold.
Moisture from the products of combustion condense on the
cooler tank surfaces and form drops of water which may fall
onto the burner or other hot surfaces to produce a "sizzling" or
"frying" noise.
Excessivecondensation can cause pilot outage due to water run-
ning down the flue tube onto the main burner and putting out
thepilot.
Because of the suddenness and amount of water, condensation
water may be diagnosed as a "tank leak". After the water in the
tank warms up (about 1-2 hours), the condition should disap-
pear.
Do not assume the water heater is leaking until there has been
enough time for the water in the tank to warm up.
An undersized
water heater will cause more condensation.
The
water heater must be sizedproperly
to meet the family's demands
for hot water
including
dishwashers,
washing
machines
and
shower heads.
Excessive condensation
may be noticed
during
the winter
and
early spring months
when
incoming
water temperatures
are at
their lowest.
Good venting
is essential
for a gas fired water heater to operate
properly
as well as to carry away products
of combustion
and
water vapor.
SMOKE/ODOR
It is not uncommon
to experience a small amount of smoke and
odor during the initial start-up. This is due to burning off of oil
from metal parts, and will disappear in a short while.
Operational
Conditions
SMELLY
WATER
In each glasslined water heater there is installed at least one
anode rod (see parts section) for corrosion protection of the
tank. Certain water conditions will cause a reaction between this
rod and the water. The most common complaint associated with
the anode rod is one of a rotten egg smell . This odor is derived
from hydrogen sulfide gas dissolved in the water. The smell is
the result of four factors which must all be present for the odor
to develop:
a.
a concentration
of sulfate in the supply water.
b. little or no dissolved oxygen in the water.
c.
a sulfate reducing
bacteria within
the water heater.
(This
harmless bacteria is non-toxic
to humans.)
d. an excess of active hydrogen
in the tank. This is caused by
the corrosion
protective action of the anode.
Smelly water may be eliminated
or reduced in some water heater
models by replacing the anode(s) with one of less active material,
and then chlorinating
the water heater
tank and all hot water
lines. Contact
Sears Service for further information
concerning
an Anode
Replacement
Kit #9001453
and this Chlorination
Treatment.
If the smelly water persists after the anode replacement
and chlo-
rination
treatment,
we can only suggest that continuous
chlori-
nation and filtering
conditioning
equipment
be considered
to
eliminate
the water problem.
Do not remove the anode leaving the tank unprotected. By
doing so, all warranty on the water heater tank is voided.
AWARNING
HOTTER WATER CAN SCALD:.Water heaters are intended to
produce hot water. Water heated to a temperature
which will
satisfyclothes washing, dishwashing,and other sanitizing needs
can scald and permanently injure you upon contact. Some peo-
ple are more likely to be permanently injured by hot water than
others. These include the elderly, children,the infirm, or physical-
ly/mentally handicapped.If anyone usinghot water in your home
fits into one of these groupsor if there is a localcede or state law
requiring a certain temperature water at the hot water tap, then
fou must take specialprecautions.In addition to usingthe lowest
_ossibletemperature setting that satisfies your hot water needs,
! means such as a mixing valve, shouldbe used at the hot water
taps used by these people or at the water heater. Mixing valves
are availableat plumbing supplyor hardware stores. Follow man-
ufacturers
instructions for installation of the valves. Before
changing the factory setting on the thermostat,
read the
"Temperature Regulation" section in this manual.
29
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