A.O. Smith 197835-001 Water Heater User Manual


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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
START UP CONDITIONS
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.
THERMAL EXPANSION
Watersupplysystemsmay,becauseofsucheventsashigh
linepressure,frequent cut-offs,theeffectsofwaterhammer
amongothers,haveinstalleddevicessuchaspressure
reducingvalves,checkvalves,backflowpreventers,etc.
tocontrolthesetypesofproblems.Whenthesedevices
arenotequippedwithaninternalbypass,andnoother
measuresaretaken,thedevicescausethewatersystem
tobeclosed.Aswaterisheated,itexpands(thermalexpansion)
andclosedsystemsdonotallowfortheexpansionof
heated water.
Thewaterwithinthewatertankexpandsasitisheated
andincreasesthepressureofthewatersystem.Ifthe
relievingpointofthewaterheater’stemperature-pressure
reliefvalveisreached,thevalvewillreleaseexcesspressure.The
temperature-pressurereliefvalveisnotintendedfortheconstant
reliefofthermalexpansion.Thisisanunacceptableconditionand
mustbecorrected.Itisrecommendedthatanydevices
installed which could create a closed system have a
by-pass and/or the system have an expansion tank
or device to relieve the pressure built by thermal
expansion in the water system. Expansion tanks are
available for ordering through a local plumbing
contractor. Contact the local water heater supplier
orqualifiedserviceagencyforassistanceincontrollingthese
situations.
STRANGE SOUNDS
Possiblenoisesduetoexpansionandcontractionofsomemetal
partsduringperiodsofheat-upandcool-downdonotnecessarily
representharmfulordangerousconditions.
Condensationcausessizzlingandpoppingwithintheburnerarea
duringheatingandcoolingperiodsandshouldbeconsidered
normal.See“Condensate”inthissection.
OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS
SMELLY WATER
Ineach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isone
ofa“rotteneggsmell”inthehotwater.Thesmellisa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whichhasaccumulatedwithinthe
waterheater(thisharmlessbacteriaisnontoxic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waterlines.Contact
thelocalwaterheatersupplieroraqualiedserviceagencyfor
furtherinformationconcerninganAnodeReplacementKitandthis
chlorinationtreatment.
Ifthesmellywaterpersistsaftertheanodereplacementandchlorination
treatment,wecanonlysuggestthatchlorinationoraerationofthe
watersupply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.
“AIR” IN HOT WATER FAUCETS
HYDROGENGAS:Hydrogengascanbeproducedinahotwater
systemthathasnotbeenusedforalongperiodoftime(generally
twoweeksormore).Hydrogengasisextremelyammableand
explosive.Topreventthepossibilityofinjuryundertheseconditions,
werecommendthehotwaterfaucet,locatedfarthestaway,be
openedforseveralminutes beforeanyelectrical appliances
whichareconnectedtothehotwatersystemareused(suchasa
dishwasherorwashingmachine).Ifhydrogengasispresent,there
willprobablybeanunusualsoundsimilartoairescapingthroughthe
pipeasthehotwaterfaucetisopened.Theremustbenosmoking
oropenamenearthefaucetatthetimeitisopen.
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