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Residen al Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide • 19
5 Check/Reset Energy Cut Off
(ECO) Bu on.
Figure 23 - Energy Cut Off (ECO) button
The Energy Cut Off (ECO) shuts off pow-
er 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 qualifi ed person inves gate the
cause of the overhea ng and repair the
problem. Do not turn the power back
on un l the cause of the overhea ng
has been iden fi ed and repaired.
To check the Energy Cut Off (ECO)
• Turn off the power to the water heater.
WARNING! Working near an ener-
gized circuit can result in severe injury
or death from electrical shock. Check
power wires in the electrical junc on
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 ther-
mostats—have a qualified person
check the upper and lower elements
and thermostats and replace if nec-
essary.
• 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 the
upper access panel.
• Turn off the power to the water
heater.
WARNING! Be sure all covers are
secured to reduce the risk of fi re and
electric shock.
Insuffi cient 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, Thermosta c Mixing Valves
at each point-of-use are par cularly
important (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 in the house 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
Thermosta c Mixing Valves. If the
hot water is simply not warm enough,
make sure the faucet you are checking
doesn’t have a defec ve Thermosta c
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) accord-
ing to the instruc ons in Step 10 of the
Installa on sec on of this manual.
Undersized water heater. If your water
heater runs out of hot water too quick-
ly, it may be too small for your needs. If
the water heater is old, consider replac-
ing it with a larger model. If the water
heater is in good condi on, you may
be able to meet your family’s hot water
needs with the exis ng water heater by
installing Thermosta c Mixing Valves at
each point-of-use and then turning the
thermostat(s) to a higher se ng. See
“Step 10” on page 15.
You can also reduce your home’s hot
water needs by washing clothes in cold
water, installing fl ow restrictors on
shower heads, repairing leaky faucets,
and taking other conserva on steps.
Reversed connec ons or melted dip
tube. Check the hot and cold connec-
ons and make sure your home’s hot
water pipe is connected to the hot wa-
ter outlet on the water heater. Usually,
reversed connec ons are found soon
a er the installa on of a new unit. If
copper pipes were soldered while they
were a ached to the water heater, the
dip tube may have melted. The dip tube
is a long plas c tube inside the tank
a ached to the cold water inlet. If the
dip tube has melted, it can be replaced
by removing the cold water inlet con-
nec on, removing the old dip tube and
installing a new one.
Plumbing leak. Even a small leak in the
hot water side of the home’s plumbing
system can make it appear that the wa-
ter heater is producing li le to no hot
water. Locate and repair the leak.
Lower hea
ng element not working.
If the lower hea ng element (or, more
rarely, the lower thermostat) is not
working, you will have some hot water
but not as much as before. Because the
lower element does most of the work,
the lower element usually wears out
before the upper element. Replace the
lower element and/or thermostat if
necessary (see page 22).
TROUBLESHOOTING
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