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Troubleshooting Guide (cont'd)
Start Up Conditions (cont'd)
CONDENSATION
SMOKE/ODOR
Whenever the water heater is filled with cold water, a certain
amount of condensation will form while the burner is on. A
water heater may appear to be 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 is produced 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 o1/ 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 on_ 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 sizedproperly 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.
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 is 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.
"AIR" IN HOT WATER FAUCETS
AWARNING
HOTTER WATER CAN SCALD: Water heaters are intended to
produce hot water. Water heated to a temperature which will
satisfy clothes washing,dish washing,and other sanitizingneeds
can scald and permanently injure you upon contact. Some pen-
pie are more likely to be permanently injured by hot water than
others. These includethe elderly,children,the infirm, or physical-
ly/mentany handicapped. If anyone usinghot water in your home
fitsinto one of these groupsor if there isa local codeor state law
requiring a certain temperature water at the hot water tap, then
you must take specialprecautions.In addition to usingthe lowest
possibletemperature setting that satisfies your hot water needs,
a means suchas a mixing valve,should be used at the hot water
taps used by these people or at the water heater. Mixing valves
are availableat plumbing supplyor hardware stores.Follow man-
ufacturers instructions for installation of the valves. Before
changing the factory setting on the thermostat, read the
'q'emperature Regulation" sectionin this manual.
AWARNING
HYDROGEN GAS: Hydrogen gas can be produced in a hot
water system that hasnot been used for a long poriod of time
(generally two weeks or more). Hydrogen gas is extremely
flammable and explosive. To prevent the possibility of injury
under these conditions, we recommend the hot water faucet
be opened for several minutes at the kitchen sink before any
electrical appliances which are connected to the hot water sys-
tem are used (such as a dishwasher or washing machine). If
hydrogen gas is present, there will probably be an unusual
soundsimilar to air escapingthrough the pipe as the hot water
faucet is opened. There must be no smoking or open flame
near the faucet at the time it isopen.
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