Condensation; Smoke/Odor; Operational Conditions; Smelly Water - Kenmore Economizer 6 153.333832 Owner's Manual

Troubleshooting Guide (cont'd)
Start Up Conditions (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 are lower.
• 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.
Excessive condensation can cause pilot outage due to water run-
ning down the flue tube onto the main burner and putting out
the pilot.
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
disappear.
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
t e 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 orfour 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.
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 sized properly 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.
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 fiarther 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.
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.
Do not remove the anode leaving the tank unprotected. By
doing so, all warranty on the water heater tank is voided.
_,WARNING
HOTTER WATER CAN SCALD:Water heaters are intendedto
producehot water.Water heatedto a temperature whichwill
satisfy clotheswashin_dishwashing, and other sanitizing needs
canscaldand permanently injureyouuponcontact.Somepeo-
ple are more likelyto be permanentlyinjuredbyhot water than
others.Theseinclude theelderly, c hildren, t he infirm,or physical-
lylmentaily handicapped. If anyoneusing hotwater in your home
fitsintooneofthese groups or ifthere isa localcodeor statelaw
requiring a certaintemperaturewaterat the hot water ta_ then
mumusttake special p recautions. In addition to using the lowest
)ossible temperaturesettingthat satisfies y our hot water needs,
t meanssuch as a mixingvalve,should be usedat the hot water
tapsusedby thesepeopleor at the water heater.Mixingvalves
areavailable at plumbing supply or hardware store_Followman-
ufacturers instructionsfor installationof the valves. Before
changingthe factory setting on the thermostat, read the
'q'emperature Regulation" s ection in this manual.
"AIR" IN HOT WATER FAUCETS
AWARNING
HYDROGEN GAS: Hydrogen gascan be producedin a hot
water systemthat hasnot been usedfor a longperiod of time
(generallytwo weeks or more). Hydrogen gas is extremely
flammableand explosive. To prevent the possibility of injury
under these conditions, w e recommendthe hot water faucet
be ope. nod for severalminutesat the kitchensink before any
electricalappliances w hichare connected to the hot water sys-
tem are used (suchas a dishwasher or washingmachine).If
hydrogengas is present, there wdl probably be an unusual
soundsimilarto air escaping through the pipeasthe hot water
faucet is opened.There must be no smokingor open flame
nearthe faucetat the time it isopen.
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