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Residen al Electronic Thermostat Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide • 23
Insuffi cient Hot Water
or Slow Hot Water
Recovery
WARNING! Because of the in-
creased risk from scalding, if you set
the water heater’s thermostat
higher than 120°F, Thermosta c Mixing
Valves at each point-of-use are
par cularly important (see page 4).
If the hot water is simply not warm
enough, there are several possible
causes:
• Faulty Thermosta c Mixing Valve in a
faucet or shower control (check other
faucets in the house for hot water)
• Temperature set too low
• Water heater’s capacity too small (or
usage too high)
• Reversed plumbing connec ons or
melted dip tube (usually found soon
a er new installa on)
• Plumbing leak
• Low supply voltage
• Lower Thermostat
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.
Thermostat set too low. If the water
temperature at several faucets is too
cool, adjust the thermostat(s) through
the control assembly according to the
instruc ons found on page 17 of the
Opera 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
page 15, step 11.
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 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 if necessary (see page
26).
Temperature Too High
If the water temperature is too hot:
• Install or adjust the Thermosta c Mix-
ing Valves for each point-of-use (see
manufacturer’s instruc ons), or
• Adjust the temperature se ng on the
control assembly.
A non func oning thermostat or a
shorted hea ng element can cause
extremely hot water. If the Temperature
and Pressure Relief Valve (T&P Valve)
releases large amounts of very hot wa-
ter, it is likely due to a shorted hea ng
element, or more rarely a non func on-
ing thermostat, or the thermostat does
not fi t snuggly against the tank. Very
high water temperatures can also cause
the Energy Cut Off (ECO) to trip (see
page 22). Turn power off un l this
problem is fi xed.
Low Water Pressure
Check both the cold and hot water at a
sink to determine if the lower pressure
is only on the hot water side. If both hot
and cold faucets have low pressure, call
your local water u lity. If the low pres-
sure is only on the hot water side, the
primary causes of this are:
• Melted heat traps or dip tube. Sol-
dering copper pipes while they are
connected to the water heater can
melt the heat traps inside the hot and
cold water connec ons or the dip tube
(cold water side). Melted heat traps or
a melted dip tube can restrict the fl ow
of hot water. If that’s the case, replace
the heat traps or dip tube.
• Par ally closed supply valve. Open the
water heater’s supply valve fully.
TROUBLESHOOTING
TROUBLESHOOTING
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