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Troubleshooting
Guide (cont'd)
CONDENSATION
Whenever
the water heater
is filled with cold water, a certain
amount
of condensation
will fornt while the burner
is on. A
water heater may appear to he 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 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 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.
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's
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.
_,WARNING
HOTTER WATER CAN SCALD:Water heatersareintendedto
iroduce hot water. Water heatedto a temperature whichwill
satisfy clotheswashing, d ishwashing, a nd other sanitizing needs
can scald and permanentlyinjureyou uponcontact.Some peo-
pleare more likelyto be permanently injuredbyhot water than
other*-Theseinclude theelderly, c hildren, t he infirm,or physical-
lyy/mentally handicapped. If anyoneusing hot waterin your home
fitsintoone ofthesegroups or if there isa localcodeor statelaw
requiring a certaintemperaturewater at the hotwater tap,then
mu musttake special precautions. In addition to using the lowest
_ossible temperaturesettingthat satisfies your hot water needs,
a meanssuchasa mixingvalve,should be usedat the hot water
tapsusedby thesepeopleor at the water heater.Mixingvalves
are availableat plumbing supply or hardware stores.Follow man-
ufacturers instructionsfor installation of the valves.Before
changingthe factory setting on the thermostat, read the
'q'emporature Regulation" s ection in this manual.
29
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