Care And Cleaning; Draining; Maintenance - Rheem Residential 40 Gallon 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 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.
!
DANGER: Hotter water
increases the potential for
Hot Water Scalds.
DANGER: Failure to
perform the recommended
Routine Preventative
Maintenance can harm the
proper operation of this
water heater, which can cause
carbon monoxide dangers,
excessive hot water
temperatures and other
potentially hazardous
conditions.
DANGER: Combustible
!
materials, such as clothing,
cleaning materials, or
flammable liquids, etc., must
not be placed against or next
to the water heater.
22
Draining the Water Heater
!
CAUTION: Shut off gas to the water
gas control
heater at the (thermostat) gas
cock or manual shut-off valve before
draining water.
!
DANGER: Before manually operating the
temperature and pressure 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 recommended that a periodic
inspection of the gas control (thermostat),
burner, relief valve, internal flue-way and
venting system should be made by service
personnel qualified in gas appliance repair.
It is suggested that a routine preventative
maintenance program be established and
followed by the user.
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.
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.
A water heater's tank can act as a settling
basin for solids suspended in the water.
It is therefore not uncommon for hard
water deposits to accumulate in the bottom
of the tank. If allowed to accumulate,
these solids can cover the gas control
Housekeeping
Vacuum around the base of the water
heater for dust, dirt and lint on a regular
basis. Visually inspect pilot burner and
relight if necessary.
To ensure sufficient ventilation and
combustion air supply, proper clearances
must be maintained.
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.
(thermostat) sensors, causing the sensors to
operate erratically. Because accumulated
solids can prevent the gas control
(thermostat) sensors from accurately
reading the water temperature, the water
at the fixture can be hotter than the gas
control (thermostat) dial setting. It is
suggested that a few quarts (litres) 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 inspected and
replaced when more than 6" (15.2 cm) of
core wire is exposed at either end of the
rod.
Make sure the cold water supply is turned
off before replacing the anode rod.
When installed in a closet, DO NOT block
or obstruct any of the combustion air inlet
openings located around the perimeter of
the water heater. A minimum of 1" (2.5 cm)
is required between these combustion air
inlet openings and any obstruction.