Installation Guide

Residen al Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide • 25
• Faulty Thermosta c Mixing Valve in a
faucet or shower control (check other
faucets in the house for hot water)
• Temperature set too low at ESM
• 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
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) accord-
ing to the instruc ons in Step 11 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
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
28).
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
ESM.
A nonfunc 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 nonfunc 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 24). 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.
Drips from T&P Relief
Valve Discharge Pipe
A small amount of water dripping from
the Temperature and Pressure (T&P)
Relief Valve usually means the home’s
water pressure is too high or you need
a properly sized and pressurized Ther-
mal Expansion Tank. Refer to Step 1 in
the Installa on sec on of this manual
for more informa on. A large amount
of hot water coming from the T&P
TROUBLESHOOTING