10/3/2015

GSWFrequentlyAskedQuestions

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FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS

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REBATEINFORMATION

FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS
WHATISENERGYSTAR?
HOWTOREADGSWSERIALNUMBERS
CHOOSINGTHERIGHTWATERHEATER
GASVS.ELECTRIC

DISCLAIMER:
Servicingrequirestradeknowledgeintheareasofplumbing,electricity,venting,airsupplyand
gassupply.Ifyoulacktheseskillsorhavedifficultyunderstandingtheseinstructions,youshould
notproceed.Enlistthehelpofaqualifiedservicetechnician.Examplesofqualifiedservice
techniciansincludethosetrainedintheplumbingandheatingindustry,localgasutilitypersonnel
oranauthorizedserviceperson.
ELECTRICWATERHEATERS
1.WhattypeofelementdoIrequireformywaterheater?
2.Whatisthedifferencebetweenelectricelements?
3.Whataretheeffectsof"scale"or"lime"formationonelectricelements?
4.Whatiselementdensity?
5.HowdoIinstallanelement?
6.Whatisthesequenceofoperationforadualelementelectricwaterheater?
7.HowcanIadjustthetemperatureonmyelectricwaterheater?
8.Whycan'tIseemtogetenoughhotwaterfrommyelectricwaterheater?
9.Whatarethestepstotroubleshootmyelectricwaterheater?
GASFIREDWATERHEATERS
10.WhyamIintermittentlyorunexpectedlyrunningoutofhotwater?
11.Whyismygaswaterheatercondensating?
12.ShouldIuseawaterheaterinsulationblanket?
13.Ihavemorethanonewaterheater.Whatisthebestwaytopipethem?
WATERCONDITIONS
14.Whatdoesitmeanifmywaterisrusty?
15.Whatdoesitmeanifmywatersmellsbad?
16.Whatdoesitmeanifmywaterlooks"milky"or"cloudy"?
17.Whyismynewwaterheatermakingnoisessuchas"crackling","gurgling"or"popping"?
18.Whydoesmyhotwaterappearrusty/brown/black/yellowincolour?
19.Whatisthermalexpansion?
20.Ishavingawatersoftenerharmfultomywaterheater?
MAINTENANCE
21.HowdoIcompletecathodicprotectionandinspectionforanoderods?
22.HowdoIcompleteachlorinationprocedure?
23.WhatshouldtheperiodicmaintenancebeformyFVIRwaterheater?
24.HowoftenshouldIdrainandflushmywaterheater?Whatarethesteps?
GENERALINFORMATION
25.Ifoundapuddleofwateraroundmywaterheater.Whathappened?
26.WhydoIhearthepipesbang,thumporvibratewhenIturnoffthewateratmysinkfaucet
orwhenIrunmydishwasher/washingmachine?
27.Whataretemperatureandpressurereliefvalves?
28.Whatareheattrapfittings?
29.Howarewaterheatersmade?(video)
30.HowdoIinstalladrainvalve?
31.Whatisthecorrectinstallationmanualformywaterheater?
32.HowdoIdeterminethepropersizedwaterheaterformyapplication?
33.Whatistheageofmywaterheater?
34.HowdoIregistermywaterheater?
35.IhavebeenonvacationandnowIhaveairinmyhotwaterlines.Why?
36.Whyaretheredand/orblueplasticnipplecoversmeltedonmyAtmosphericventedwaterheater?
1.WhattypeofelementdoIrequireformywaterheater?

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Answer:
Theelementinyourwaterheatercouldbeoneoffourtypesstrapon,plugin,bolton(square
flange)andscrewin(seenextquestionfordetails).Thewaterheaterelementshouldbevisually
inspectedtoensureyouarepurchasingthecorrectelement.
Backtotop
2.Whatisthedifferencebetweenelectricelements?
Answer:
Therearefourtypesofheatingelementsusedinwaterheaters.Thetypesare:strapon,
plugin,bolton(squareflange),andscrewin.
Thestraponelementsareheatingbandsthatwraparoundthewaterheater.Theseelements
havebeenreplacedbymoreefficientimmersiontypeelementsandhavenotbeenusedinthe
manufacturingofresidentialwaterheaterssincethe1970'sandtheelementsarenolonger
beingproduced.
Thepluginelementsareimmersiontypeelementsandhavearoundflangethatisheldinplace
byasteelplatethatboltsontothewaterheater.Asmallrubbergasket(usuallyorangeincolor)
isusedtosealtheconnectionbetweentheelementandtankopening.Theseelementshavenot
beenusedinmanufacturingofwaterheaterssincethemid1980'showeveralimitedselection
ofpluginelementsareavailableforreplacementparts.
Thebolton(squareflange)elementsareimmersiontypeelementsandhavethicksteelflange
thatboltstothewaterheater.Athickblackrubbergasketandaflatgasketareusedtosealthe
connectionbetweentheelementandthetankopening.Theboltonelementisstillusedonsome
modelsofwaterheatersandarewidelyavailable.
Thescrewinelementsareimmersiontypeelementsandhaveahexheadflange(11/2").The
elementscrewsintothewaterheaterplumberstapeorpipedopeshouldbeappliedtothe
elementthreadsandhasathingasketthatisusedtosealtheconnectionbetweentheelement
andthetankopening.
Backtotop
3.Whataretheeffectsof"scale"or"lime"formationonelectricelements?
Answer:
Allwatersuppliescontainvaryingquantitiesofimpurities.Calciumandlimestonearethemost
prominent,butasthewatertablesareloweredtheproblemismostfrequentlyreferredtoas
"limescale".Whenwaterisheated,theseminerals"fallout"ofthewaterandaredepositedon
theinteriorsurfacesofthetankas"scale".Theformationofscaleincreaseswiththetemperature
ofthestoredwater.Scaleformsonallsurfacesincludingtheelementitself.Thescalebuildsup
aninsulatinglayerwhichimpedestheefficienttransferofheatwhichmayallowtheelementto
glowredhotinspecificlocalitiesalongitssurface.
Whenthisoccurs,thescalethathasbuiltupontheelementsurfacewillflakeoffandwhenthe
watercomesbackincontactwiththehotelementsurface,thewaterwillflashintosteam.This
alternateheatingandcoolingoftheelementshortensitslifespan.Thisprocessalsocreatesa
layerofdebrisatthebottomofthetankwhichcanbuildtoconsiderabledepths,eventothepoint
wherethelowerelementiscovered,effectingtheproperoperationofthetank.Theuseofalow
densityelementwhereahighmineralcontentinthewatersupplyispresent,willslowthebuild
upofmineralsinthetankandextendthelifeoftheelement.
Backtotop
4.Whatiselementdensity?
Answer:
Elementdensityistheratiobetweenthewattageofanelementandthesurfaceareaofthat
element.Theelementdensityisusually40D,80D,120Dor160Dandthisnumberreflectsthe
wattagepersquareinch.Forexample:anelementthatis3,000wattsandhasadensityof80D
wouldhaveasurfaceareaof38squareinches(3000W/80D).Thelowerthedensity,thelarger
theelementandthelowertheoperatingtemperatureoftheelement.Thelowertheoperating
temperatureoftheelement(persq.in.),thelongerthelifeoftheelement.
Backtotop
5.HowdoIinstallanelement?
Answer:
IMPORTANT:
Toavoidriskofelectricshock,makesurethepoweristurned"off"andremainsoffuntilallrepairs
havebeencompleted.
WARNING:
Awaterheateriscapableofproducinghotwateratatemperaturesufficientenoughtocause
scaldinginjury.Takeproperprecautionswhendrainingawaterheatertopreventscaldinginjury.
Readallinstructionscarefullybeforerepairingawaterheater.
1. Turn"OFF"watersupplyandpowersupply.

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2. Draintanktoalevelbelowtheelementopening.
3. Removeoutercasingservicedoorandfoldbackinsulation.
4. Disconnectwiresfromelementandremoveelementbolts.
5. Removeelementandoldgasketfromthetank.
6. Cleantankflangesurfacesofanydirtordebris.
7. Insertnewgasket,elementandthermostatbracket.
8. Forsquareflange(4bolt):
Tightenelementboltsdiagonallyalittleatatime.Donotovertightenordamage
willoccur.
Insertthermostatbehindtheelementbracket.Makesurethermostatistightagainst
tank.Ifnecessary,bendtheclipstoprovidemoretension.Insertthermostatbehind
theelementbracket.Makesurethermostatistightagainsttank.Ifnecessary,bend
theclipstoprovidemoretension.
9. Filltankcompletelywithwater.Openahotwaterfaucettolettheaccumulatedairescape.
10. Reconnectthewirestotheelementterminals.Consultthewiringdiagramforproper
connections.
11. Checkforleaks.Repairifnecessary.
12. Replaceinsulationoverthermostatandelement.Replaceservicedoor.
13. Turnonpowersupply.
AllinstructionsarealsolocatedoneachpackagecontainingyournewGSWreplacementpart.
Backtotop
6.Whatisthesequenceofoperationforadualelementelectricwaterheater?
Answer:
Thebasicoperationofatwothermostatsystem(upperandlower)onanelectricwaterheaterof
240voltsupplyisasfollows:
Onlyoneelementwillcomeonatanyonetime.Thisisknownasaflip/flopsystem.Ona240volt
waterheater,therewillalwaysbe120voltstobothelements.Thethermostatwilldirectthe
secondlegofthe120voltstotheelementtocompletethe240voltsrequiredtoenergizethe
element.
Initialstartup:
Whenthetankisfullofcoldwater,theupperthermostatwilltakepriorityandheatupthetop
portionofthewatertothesettingofthethermostat.Oncethattemperaturehasbeenreached,
thethermostatwillthenflippowerdowntothelowerthermostat.Thelowerthermostatswitch
willcloseandheatupthebottomportionofthetankuntilthewaterisheatedtothesettingofthat
thermostat.Atthispointthetankwillbefullofhotwater.

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NormalOperation:
Whenhotwaterisbeingused,coldwaterentersthebottomoftheheater(eitherthroughthe
bottominletnippleorthediptube),thebottomthermostatclosesandtheelementwillbeginto
heatthecoldwater.Whenasignificantamountofhotwaterhasbeenused,theupperthermostat
willtakepriorityandheatupthetopportionoftheheater.Onceheated,itwillflip/switchpower
downtothelowerthermostatandheatthelowerportion.
HighLimitControl:
Allelectricwaterheatersaresuppliedwithahighlimitcontrolswitch.Thisswitchisasafety
devicedesignedtoshuttheunitoffifitoverheatsandthewaterreachesanunsafetemperature.
Powertothethermostatsandelementsiscompletelycutoffwhenittrips.Thehighlimitcontrol
canberesetbyfirmlypushingontheredbuttonabovetheupperthermostat.Anaudibleclickcan
beheardwhenitresets.Ifthehighlimitcontroltripsfrequentlyitisanindicationofadditional
problems.Contactaqualifiedtechnicianforservice.
Backtotop
7.HowcanIadjustthetemperatureonmyelectricwaterheater?
Answer:

Thewaterheatertemperatureisshippedwithboththermostatsfactorypresetat120Funless
specifieddifferentlybyfederalorprovincialregulations.
Thewaterheaterisequippedwithanadjustablethermostattocontrolwatertemperature.Hot
waterattemperaturesdesiredforautomaticdishwasherandlaundryusecancausescalds
resultinginseriouspersonalinjuryand/ordeath.Thetemperatureatwhichinjurycanoccur
varieswiththepersonsageandtimeofexposure.Theslowerresponsetimeofdisabledpersons
increasesthehazardstothem.Neverallowsmallchildrentouseahotwatertap,ortodrawtheir
ownbathwater.Neverleaveachildordisabledpersonunattendedinabathtuborshower.

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Thefollowingshowstheapproximatetimetoburnrelationshipfornormaladultskin.
150FApprox.1.5seconds
140FLessthan5seconds
130FApprox.30seconds
125FApprox.2minutes
120FMorethan5minutes
Thethermostatsonyourwaterheaterhavealinearrelationshipbetweendegreesofangular
rotationandthecorrespondingchangeintemperature.Thus,rotatingthetemperatureadjustment
indicator30angulardegreeswillresultina10Fchangeinthewatertemperature.
Followthesestepswhenadjustingthetemperature:
1. TURNOFFTHEELECTRICALSUPPLY.Donotattempttoadjustthermostat(s)withthe
powerturnedon.
2. Removethethermostataccesspanelsandfoamcoversfromthethermostats.Donot
removetheplasticpersonalprotectorscoveringthethermostats.
3. Usingaflattipscrewdriver,rotatetheadjustingknobtothedesiredtemperaturesetting.
4. Replacethefoamcoversandaccesspanels,andturnontheheater'selectricalsupply.
Backtotop
8.WhycantIgetenoughhotwaterfrommyelectricwaterheater?
Answer:
Complaintsarebecomingmorefrequentinthewaterheaterindustryconcerningthelackofhot
wateravailablefromawaterheater.Thisincreasewastriggeredwhenchangesrequiredbyour
regulatoryagencieswereimplemented.Forexample,heatersarenowfactorypresetatalower
temperatureandinlettubeshavebeenshortened.Whilelowertemperaturessettingsreducesthe
burnrateandshorterdiptubesguardagainststacking,bothaffecttheamountofhotwatera
waterheatercansupply.Thefollowingtestwillhelpdetermineifawaterheaterissupplyingthe
intendedamountofhotwaterandwillhelppinpointanyproblemsthatexist.Checkthefollowing:
Youmayneedanelectriciantochecktoseeifyouhavetherequiredvoltageatyourwaterheater
fortheelementstoheatproperly.
Checktoensureyoudonothaveanyleakinghotwatertaps.Aslightdripovertime,inasense
bleedsofhotwateroffthetopofthewaterheaterandwilllowerthetemperatureofyourwater.
Isthewatertoyourtub/showercomethroughasinglehandlefaucet?Sometimesthevalveseals
insidecanswellandreducetheamountofwatercomingout.Checkthiswithanotherdouble
handledfaucet,andseeifthetemperatureisthesameorhigher.(useathermometerwhen
checkingtemperatures)
Doyouleaveyourwaterlinesontoyourlaundrywashingmachine?Sometimesyoucangeta
backfeedthroughthemachine(evenifitisturnedoff).Tryturningboththehotandcoldvalves
offtoyourwashingmachineandtestagain.
Doyouhavehardwaterinyourarea?Limeandsedimentcancollectontheelementsand
reducetheheattransfertothewater.Generally,thishappenswitholderwaterheaters.
Trythistest:
Pleasereadallthestepsofthetestpriortobeginning.Ifyoufeeluncomfortable
performinganyofthesesteps,contactaservicepersontoconductthistestforyou.
1.Atthefaucetnearesttothewaterheater,time(inseconds)howlongittakestofilla1gallon
bucket(flowrate).
Gallonperminute(gpm)=60seconds/secondstofilla1gallonbucketIfthebucketfillsin:
10sec=6gpm
12sec=5gpm
15sec=4gpm
20sec=3gpm
24sec=2.5gpm
2.Turnbothupperandlowerthermostatdialsonthewaterheaterto130F.
3.Runabout15gallonsofhotwaterfromthenearestfaucet.Shutwateroff.
4.Thewaterheatershouldcompleteheating15gallonsinapproximately45minutes.
5.Atanearbyfaucetusingacandythermometer,measurethehotwatertemperature.
6.Thetemperatureshouldfallbetween120Fto140F.Ifthetemperaturewasnotwithin
range,checkthethermostats.
7.Continuerunningthehotwateruntil60%ofthetankcapacityisdepleted:
CAPACITYDEPLETE:
30gallons18gallons
40gallons24gallons
50gallons30gallons
66gallons39gallons
80gallons48gallons
120gallons72gallons
8.Atthesamefaucetusingacandythermometer,measurethewatertemperature.
9.Thetemperatureshouldbeabout30Fbelowthetemperatureinstep6.Ifmorethan30F
waslost,checkthelowerelementforcontinuityandthediptube.
10.Inspectand/orReplaceaDiptube.Ifyouareexperiencingsituationswhererunningoutof
hotwaterunexpectedlyyoumayneedtoreplaceyourdiptube.
THEDIPTUBEISCONNECTEDTOTHECOLDWATERINLETOFYOURWATERHEATER.
1.Turnoffthepowerifelectric.Ifgas,unplugandturnofftheincominggassupplytothe
waterheater.

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2.Turnoffthecoldinletwatersupplytotheheater.
3.Openahotwaterfaucetlocatednearby.Leaveitopen.(Turnoffwatersupplytohouseif
singlehandlefaucetscouldbeopenedduringthisprocedure.)
4.Openthedrainanddrainoffapproximately5gallonsofwaterfromtheheater.
5.Disconnectthecoldwatersupplylinefromyourwaterheater.
6.Putathicklayerofragsaroundthethreadsofthecoldwaterinletnippletoavoiddamaging
thethreadswhenyouunscrewthenipple.
7.Usingaplumber'swrench(Pipewrench),unscrewthecoldwaterinletnipplediptube
combination.(Ahelpermayberequiredtosteadytheheater.)
8.Inspectfordamage,suchasasplit,crackorfracturereplacethediptubeifnecessary.If
diptubeiscompletelymissing,checkthehotwateroutlettoeliminatethepossibilityofmix
upatinstallation.
9.Wrapthreadsofthenewdiptubewith"WhiteTeflonTape"oruse"TeflonPipeDope".And
installthe(new)diptubeintotankandtighten.
10.Reconnectthecoldwatersupplylinetotheheater.
11.Turnwatersupplybackonandensurethetankiscompletelyfilledwithwater.Opena
faucettoreleaseairfromtheplumbingsystem.
12.Ifelectricturnthepowerbackonorifgas,turnonthegassupplytotheunitandfollow
thelightinginstructionsonthesideofthewaterheater.
Backtotop
9.Whatarethestepstotroubleshootmyelectricwaterheater?
Answer:

1.TurnthepowertothewaterheaterOFFatthemainelectricalpanel.
2.Removethetwoaccesspanelsfromthefrontofthewaterheater.
3.TurnthepowertothewaterheaterbackON.(Youwillbetestingalivecircuit,CAUTION)
4.WithaMultimeter,turnthesettingtoACvoltage,240vorhigher.
5.Testbetween#1&#3ofthehighlimit,youshouldhaveareadingof240v(ifreadingis"0"
problemiswiththeelectricalpanel"CallanElectrician").
6.Testbetween#2&#4ofthehighlimit,youshouldhaveareadingof240v,Ifreadingis"0"try
pushingtheredresetbuttononthehilimityoushouldnowhave240v(ifnot,change
thermostat/limit)
7.Iftheupperportionofthewaterheateriscold,(TestifT&Pvalveiscold)youshouldhave240v
between#2oftheupperthermostatand#4ofthehilimit.
8.Consideringalltestsbetween5&7aregoodyoushouldhave240vacrossthetwoscrews"A"
&"B"oftheupperelementwhentankiscold.
9.Ifthetankishot,testthepoweracross#3oftheupperthermostatand#4ofthehilimityou
shouldhave240v(Ifnot,changethethermostat).Upperportionoftheheatershouldbehot.The
lowerportionofthetankisthepartofthetankthatgetsthemostworkthiselementwillbethe
firstelementtocomeonwhenthereisademandforhotwater.
Youwillalwayshave240vbetween#1and#4onthehilimit.
240vbetweenscrews"A"and"B"ontheupperelementwhenthetankisCOLD.
240vbetweenscrews"C"and"D"onthelowerelementwhentheupperportionofthetank
isHOT.
WhenthetankisSATISFIEDyouwillhave240vbetweenscrew#3oftheupperthermostat
and#4ofthehilimitbutnotpoweracrosstheelements.

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Withashortdrawofhotwaterthelowerthermostatwillcloseandsendthepowertothe
oppositesideoftheelementtoheatup.
IFALLVOLTAGESTESTSOK,turnoffthepowertothewaterheateratthemainelectrical
panel,removewirefromonesideofeachelement,settheMultimeterto"Ohms"andtest
theohmsreadingoftheelements.
1200w@120v=12.0ohms
1500w@120v=9.6ohms
1500w@240v=38.4ohms
3000w@240v=19.2ohms
3800w@240v=15.2ohms
4500w@240v=12.8ohms
5500w@240v=10.5ohms
Ifthe"ohms"readingistoolowortoohighchangetheelement.
Backtotop
10.WhyamIintermittentlyorunexpectedlyrunningoutofhotwater?
Answer:
Checkthefollowing:
Doesthetemperatureofthewatermatchthedialsettingofyourthermostat?IfYes,checkto
ensureyoudonothaveanyleakinghotwatertaps.Aslightdripovertime,inasensebleedsof
hotwateroffthetopofthewaterheaterandwilllowerthetemperatureofyourwater.
Isthewatertoyourtub/showercomethroughasinglehandlefaucet?Sometimesthevalveseals
insidecanswellandreducetheamountofwatercomingout.Checkthiswithanotherdouble
handledfaucet,andseeifthetemperatureisthesameorhigher.(useathermometerwhen
checkingtemperatures)
Doyouleaveyourwaterlinesontoyourlaundrywashingmachine?Sometimesyoucangetaback
feedthroughthemachine(evenifitisoff).Tryturningboththehotandcoldvalvesofftoyour
washingmachineandtestagain.
Doyouhavehardwaterinyourarea?Limeandsedimentcancollectatthebottomoftheheater
andreducetheheattransfertothewatersincetheheathastoheatthesedimentbeforeitheats
thewater.Flushingwaterthroughthedrainvalve,willgiveyouanindicationofhowmuch
sedimentisintheheater.Becautious,thewatermaybeVERYHOT,andrunthewateruntilitruns
clear.Ifsedimentgetsintheseatofthevalve,thewatermaynotturnoffcompletelyanddriponce
youaredone.
Trythistest:
Pleasereadallthestepsofthetestpriortobeginning.Ifyoufeeluncomfortable
performinganyofthesesteps,contactaservicepersontoconductthistestforyou.
1.Atthefaucetnearesttothewaterheater,time(inseconds)howlongittakestofilla1gallon
bucket(flowrate).
Gallonperminute(gpm)=60seconds/secondstofilla1gallonbucketIfthebucketfillsin:
10sec=6gpm
12sec=5gpm
15sec=4gpm
20sec=3gpm
24sec=2.5gpm
2.Turnbothupperandlowerthermostatdialsonthewaterheaterto130F.
3.Runabout15gallonsofhotwaterfromthenearestfaucet.Shutwateroff.
4.Thewaterheatershouldcompleteheating15gallonsinapproximately45minutes.
5.Atanearbyfaucetusingacandythermometer,measurethehotwatertemperature.
6.Thetemperatureshouldfallbetween120Fto140F.Ifthetemperaturewasnotwithin
range,checkthethermostats.
7.Continuerunningthehotwateruntil60%ofthetankcapacityisdepleted:
CAPACITYDEPLETE:
30gallons18gallons
40gallons24gallons
50gallons30gallons
66gallons39gallons
80gallons48gallons
120gallons72gallons
8.Atthesamefaucetusingacandythermometer,measurethewatertemperature.
9.Thetemperatureshouldbeabout30Fbelowthetemperatureinstep6.Ifmorethan30F
waslost,checkthelowerelementforcontinuityandthediptube.
10.Inspectand/orReplaceaDiptube.Ifyouareexperiencingsituationswhererunningoutof
hotwaterunexpectedlyyoumayneedtoreplaceyourdiptube.
THEDIPTUBEISCONNECTEDTOTHECOLDWATERINLETOFYOURWATERHEATER.
1.Turnoffthepowerifelectric.Ifgas,unplugandturnofftheincominggassupplytothe
waterheater.
2.Turnoffthecoldinletwatersupplytotheheater.
3.Openahotwaterfaucetlocatednearby.Leaveitopen.(Turnoffwatersupplytohouseif
singlehandlefaucetscouldbeopenedduringthisprocedure.)
4.Openthedrainanddrainoffapproximately5gallonsofwaterfromtheheater.
5.Disconnectthecoldwatersupplylinefromyourwaterheater.
6.Putathicklayerofragsaroundthethreadsofthecoldwaterinletnippletoavoiddamaging
thethreadswhenyouunscrewthenipple.
7.Usingaplumber'swrench(Pipewrench),unscrewthecoldwaterinletnipplediptube

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combination.(Ahelpermayberequiredtosteadytheheater.)
8.Inspectfordamage,suchasasplit,crackorfracturereplacethediptubeifnecessary.If
diptubeiscompletelymissing,checkthehotwateroutlettoeliminatethepossibilityofmix
upatinstallation.
9.Wrapthreadsofthenewdiptubewith"WhiteTeflonTape"oruse"TeflonPipeDope".And
installthe(new)diptubeintotankandtighten.
10.Reconnectthecoldwatersupplylinetotheheater.
11.Turnwatersupplybackonandensurethetankiscompletelyfilledwithwater.Opena
faucettoreleaseairfromtheplumbingsystem.
12.Ifelectricturnthepowerbackonorifgas,turnonthegassupplytotheunitandfollow
thelightinginstructionsonthesideofthewaterheater.
Backtotop
11.Whyismygaswaterheatercondensating?
Answer:
Condensateistheresultofairbornewatervaporbeingchilledbelowthedewpoint.Thedewpoint
isthetemperatureatwhichwatervaporturnsintoliquid.Lowincomingwatertemperaturescool
thepipingandtheheattransfersurfacesofthewaterheater.Whenthemainburnercomeson,the
hotfluegasesturnintocondensateuponcontactwiththesesurfaces.Thetypicalhomewater
heaterwillproduceaboutonehalfgallonofwatervaporduringeveryhourofoperation.
Condensateisoftenmistakenforleaking.
Newerheaterswillcondensatemorethanolderheatersbecausemodernwaterheatersaremuch
moreefficientthantheirpredecessors.Thenewerheatersutilizeasmuchoftheenergyoutofthe
mainburnerflameaspossible.Thislowersthefluegasandtankstoragetemperatureandcloser
tothedewpointtemperature.
Todistinguishbetweenacondensatingwaterheaterandaleakingwaterheater:
1.Wipeupanywaterundertheheater.
2.Turntheknobonthethermostattothepilotposition.
3.Wait8hours,checkforwateraccumulationundertheheater.
4.Condensationshouldstopwhentheentiretankofwaterisheatedaboveapproximately
115degrees
Ifnowaterisfoundundertheheater,thewaterheaterwascondensating.
Ifwaterisfoundundertheheater,checkfurtherforaloosefitting.Ifallfittingsaretightand
thetankisleaking,replacethewaterheater.Leakingheaterscannotbe"repaired".
Backtotop
12.ShouldIuseawaterheaterinsulationblanket?
Answer:
Insulationblanketsavailabletothegeneralpublicforexternaluseongaswaterheatersarenot
necessarywithGSW/JohnWoodproducts.Thepurposeofaninsulationblanketistoreducethe
standbyheatlossencounteredwithstoragetankheaters.YourGSW/JohnWoodwaterheater
meetsorexceedstheNationalApplianceEnergyConservationActstandardswithrespectto
insulationandstandbylossrequirements,makinganinsulationblanketunnecessary.Pleasenote
thatthefollowingchangehasbeenincorporatedsincethetimethatyourinstructionmanualwas
printed.Contrarytothewarrantyexclusionlistedonthebackoftheinstructionmanualthatcame
withyourwaterheater,theuseofaninsulationblanketwillnotvoidyourwarranty.
WARNING!Ifyouchoosetoapplyaninsulationblankettoyourwaterheater,youshouldfollowthe
instructions(seeyourwaterheater'sinstructionmanualforidentificationofcomponentsmentioned
below).Failuretofollowtheseinstructionscanrestricttheairflowrequiredforpropercombustion,
resultinginfire,asphyxiation,seriouspersonalinjuryordeath.
1.Donotapplyinsulationtothetopofthewaterheater,asthiswillinterferewithsafeoperationof
thedrafthood.
2.Donotcovertheouterdoor,thermostatortemperature&pressurereliefvalve.
3.Donotallowinsulationtocomewithin2"ofthefloortopreventblockageofcombustionairflow
totheburner.
4.Donotcovertheinstructionmanual.Keepitonthesideofthewaterheaterornearbyfor
futurereference.
5.DoobtainnewwarningandinstructionlabelsfromGSWWaterHeatingforplacementonthe
blanketdirectlyovertheexistinglabels.
6.Doinspecttheinsulationblanketfrequentlytomakecertainitdoesnotsag,therebyobstructing
combustionairflow.
Backtotop
13.Ihavemorethanonewaterheateristhereabetterwaytopipethem?
Answer:
Pipinginseriescancausethefirstheatertofailsoonerthanthesecond.Thereasonthishappensis
youareusingthefullcapacityofthefirstheaterandonlyuponanincreaseddemand,isthesecond
heatercycledon.Thiscausesthefirstheatertobeusedmorethanthesecond,andusedtoits
fullestcapacity.Thiscancausethefirstheatertocondensateandcorrode.
Thebetterchoiceistopipeinparallel.Pipinginparallelallowsyoutousebothheatersequally.It
allowsthesystemtoactasoneheaterratherthanindependent.Bydrawinghotwateroutofboth
heatersequally,youareabletoequalizethelifeofyourheaters.

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Backtotop
14.Whatdoesitmeanifmywaterisrusty?
Answer:

Thisproblemwillrarelyoccurasaresultofawaterheaterorstoragetank.Rustycolouredwateris
causedbythewatercomingincontactwithbaremetal.Inorderforthistohappen,aliningfailure
wouldhavetobesosignificantthatitwouldallowthewatertocomeincontactwithenoughbare
metaltodiscolourthecontentsofevenasmalltank.Fortunately,withtoday'shighquality
glasslinedtanks,thisisaveryrareoccurrence.Instead,thecommoncauseofrustycolouredwater
isabacteria(Crenothrix,LeptothfixandGailionella)thatreducestheironfoundinwater.This
bacteriaisfoundinsoil,waterwells,watertreatmentplantsandwaterdistributionpipingsystems
wheresolubleironexceeds0.2ppm.Thebacteriafeedsoffthissolubleironandifnottreatedand
allowedtoflourish,willresultinstainedlaundry,tablewearandplumbingfixtures.Ifthisbacteria
existsinyourheaterortank,youmayrequirenewanoderod(s),astheywillfailprematurelyin
theseconditions.
Solution:
Chlorinateyourwaterheaterorhotwaterstoragetank.Achlorinefeedermaybetheonly
permanentsolutiontoironorsulfurbacteriainfestation.
Backtotop
15.Whatdoesitmeanifmywatersmellsbad?
Answer:
Themostcommoncauseofsmellywaterisabacteriathatisalreadypresentinwater,butgrows
rapidlywhenkeptinawarmwaterenvironmentsuchaswaterheatersorhotwaterstoragetanks.
Thisbacteria(calledDivibrioSulfuricans)reducessulfatesthatarealsocontainedinthewatertoa
pointwheretheyareconvertedintosulfides.Sulfides,whenmixedwithhydrogenproducean
unpleasantrotteneggodorcalledHYDROGENSULFIDEGAS.
Contributingfactorstothisodourarehighconcentrationsofsulfates(thesefeedthebacteria),active
hydrogenandwaterwithlittleornooxygen.Hydrogenalthoughissometimesalreadypresentinthe
water,isincreasedbytheanoderod(s)foundinyourwaterheater.Permanentlyremovingthe
anoderod(s)isnotasuggestedremedyasthiswillvoidyourtankwarranty.Examplesofwhenyou
youmightfindwaterlowonoxygenwouldbewaterheatingsystemsservedbywellwatersuchas
vacationorweekendcottages,oranywaterheaterwithlongstandbyperiodsaswellasmunicipal
watersystemswithlargereservesandlowflowconditions.Solution:Chlorinateyourwaterheater
orhotwaterstoragetank.Achlorinefeedermaybetheonlypermanentsolutiontoironorsulfur
bacteriainfestation.Changeanoderodfrommagnesiumtoaluminum.
Backtotop
16.Whatdoesitmeanifmywaterlooks"milky"or"cloudy"?
Answer:
Whenwaterisdrawnfromthehottap,itappearstobemilky.Afterallowingthewatertostandfor
severalminutes,thewaterwillclear.
Gasessuchasoxygen,chlorine,carbondioxide,hydrogensulfide,andothersaresolubleinwater.
Asthepressureincreases,theamountofgasthatwatercanholdinasolutiondecreases."Milky"
watercausedbydissolvedgassescanbemuchreducedwithaeratedfaucets.However,sometimes
milkywatercannotbecuredentirely.
Backtotop
17.Whyismynewwaterheatermakingnoisessuchas"crackling","gurgling"or"popping"?
Answer:
InafewisolatedpartsofCanadaandtheUnitedStateswherethewatersupplyhasarelativelyhigh
pH(8+),waterconditionswillreactwiththealuminumanodetoformexcessiveamountsofaluminum
hydroxideontheanoderodandinthebottomofthetank.Aluminumhydroxidelookslikejellybeads
oragreen,blueorgraygellikesubstanceintheheaterdrainoratfaucetaerators.
Thisproblemcanbesolvedbyfollowingthesesteps:
Iftankisnewwithnolimebuildupofanydegree:

1. Turnofftheheater.
2. Removetheanode.
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3. Flushthetankthoroughlywithwater.
4. Replacethealuminumanode(identifiablebysmoothsurfaceonplug)withmagnesiumanode
(identifiablebyweldbeadonplug).
Ifthetankisnewwithlimebuilduptoanydegree:
1. Turnofftheheater.
2. Draintheheater.
3. Removetheanode.
4. AddUNLIMEtothetank.
2040gallonmodels(use3gallonsofUNLIME)
4165gallonmodels(use5gallonsofUNLIME)
66100gallonmodels(use7gallonsofUNLIME)
(Onelectricmodels,becertainthelowerelementisimmersedinsolution.)

5. HeattheUNLIMEtoatemperaturebetween140Fto160F.
GASHeatfor7to10minutes.
ELECTRICPoweroffandremovetheyellowwirefromterminal2ontheupperthermostat.
Movetheredwirefromterminal4oftheupperthermostattoterminal2oftheupper
thermostat.Thisallowsoperationofthelowerelementonly.Restorepowertotheheater.Be
certainthatonlythelowerelementisoperating.Heatfor7to10minutes.
6. Shutoffthewaterheater.
7. AllowtheheatedUNLIMEtostandforupto12minutes.
8. Drainandflushthetank.Caution:UNLIMEwillstillbehot.
9. Replacetheoriginalaluminumanodewithamagnesiumanode.
10. Fillthesystemwithwater.
11. Onelectricmodels,returnthewiringtoitsoriginalconfiguration.
12. TurnheaterfuelON.
Backtotop
18.Whydoesmyhotwaterappearrusty/brown/black/yellow?
Answer:
Complaintsofdiscoloredwaterarecommonlyblamedonwaterheatersandstoragetanks,butin
fact,itisarareoccurrencefortodayshighqualityglasslinedtankstohavealiningfailuresignificant
enoughtoallowwatertocontactenoughbaremetaltodiscolorthecontentsofevenasmalltank.
Themostcommoncauseofrustywaterisanontoxicironreducingbacteria,scientificallytermed
Crenothrix,Leptothrix,andGallionella.Ironbacteriaiscommonlyfoundinsoil,waterwells,water
treatmentplantsandwaterdistributionpipingsystemswheresolubleironexceeds0.2ppm,higher
levelsmakeconditionsevenmorefavorable.Solubleironinthewaterprovidesfoodforthebacteria.
Rustydiscoloredwateristheendresultofthebacteriafeedingprocess.Waterheatersandstorage
tanksusuallyrequirenewanoderodsaspresenceofironbacteriacontributestoprematureanode
failure.

Therequirementsforthebacteriatothriveare:
Elevatedlevelsofironandmanganeseinthewater
Waterwithlittleornodissolvedoxygen
Temperaturesbelow138degreesF
Itemsthatcanincreasethepotentialforthisbacteriaare:
Watersofteners
Wellwater
Longperiodsofnowatermovement
Thesimplesttreatmentavailableisshockchlorinationofthesystem.Thisisasurfacetreatment,
andoftenrequiresrepeatedtrialsinheavilyinfectedsystems.Thechlorinationofasystemrequires
thatyoufolloweachstepexplicitlytoavoidanuntreatedportionofthepipingsystemfrom
reinfectinganotherpart.
Sincerustywateriscausedbyabacteriapresenceandisnotcausedbythewaterheater,any
treatmentwouldnotbeconsideredwarrantyrelated.
Backtotop
19.Whatisthermalexpansion?
Answer:
Whenwaterisheateditexpands.Forexample,thevolumeofwaterina50USgallonhotwater
heaterwillincreasebyalmostonegallonwhenheatedfrom40F(4.4C)to140F(60C).Heating
waterresultsinadecreaseindensityandtherebyanincreaseinvolume(seebelow).Sincewater
isnotcompressible,theextravolumeproducedbyexpansionmustgosomewhere.

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Residentialplumbingsystemswithpressurereducingvalves,backflowpreventersorotheroneway
valvescreateclosedsystemsthatdonotallowthewatertoflowbackintothemunicipalwatersupply.
Therefore,systempressureincreases.
Thermalexpansionofwater,combinedwiththeincomingwaterpressure,inaclosedplumbing
systemmaycauseunusuallyhighpressureandpressuresurgesinthesystem.Excessivelyhighwater
pressurecanresultinthechronicorcontinuousdrippingofatemperatureandpressure(T&P)relief
valve,drippingfaucetsandleakingtoilettankballcockfillvalves.
Excesswaterpressurecanalsocausedamagetotheinnertankofthewaterheatersuchasdistortion
oftheflueandwaterconnections.Acollapsedfluecanleadtotheproductsofcombustionspillinginto
livingspacescreatinganextremelydangeroussituation.Damagedwaterconnectionsmayleakanda
distortedinnertankmayruptureandcauseflooding(seebelow).
Thermalexpansioncanbemanagedbyinstallingeitherathermalexpansiontankorawaterrelief
valvewithasettingthatislowerthanthewaterheaterTemperature&Pressure(T&P)reliefvalve*
setting.Anexpansiontankallowstheincreaseinwatervolumetoenterthetankuntilthesystemis
openedorthewatercoolsdownwhereasareliefvalveallowsthewatertoexitthesystemintoa
suitabledrainordischargelocation.
Note:*Atemperatureandpressurereliefvalveisnotconsideredathermalexpansiondevice.Itis
notdesignedtoremediatethermalexpansion.(Seetheanswertoquestion27Temperature&
PressureReliefValves).
Backtotop
20.Ishavingawatersoftenerharmfultomywaterheater?
Answer:
Theuseofwatersoftenersinhardwaterareasandevenmoderatelysoftwaterareasisbecominga
commonoccurrence.Thispracticehasapotentiallydetrimentaleffectontheperformanceofthe
anodeinthewaterheaterwhichcancauseareductioninthelifeofthewaterheater.
Softenedwatercanaffecttheperformanceofyourwaterheaterasfollows:
Thesodiumfromthewatersoftenerreducesthehardnessofthewater,butitdoesnotreducethe
conductivityofthewater.Excessiveconductivityinthewaterwillaccelerateanoderod
decompositionresultinginmorerapidanodeconsumption.
Iftheresinbedofthesoftenerisnotproperlyrinsedafterregeneratingtheresin,residualsaltwill
getintotheheater.Thiswillincreasetheconductivityofthewaterandresultinmorerapidanode
consumption.
Watersoftenersaccelerateanodeconsumptionbecausetheyeliminatetheformationofscaleinthe
waterheatertank.Lightscaleformationinawaterheaterisdesirablesinceitformsabarrierfilm
ontheexposedsteelsurfacesinthetank,suchaspipeconnectionsandweldareas.Corrosioncell
testsattheCorporateTechnologyCenterhaveshownsteelcorrosionratedropof33%withthe
formationofathin(<1/16)filmofscaleafteronlythreeweeksinmoderateconductivitywater(17
grainshardness).Byallowingathinlayerofscaletoformonthetank,thesteelwouldbeprotected,
therefore,increasingthelifeoftheanode.
Backtotop
21.HowdoIcompletecathodicprotectionandinspectionforanoderods?
Answer:
Glasslinedwaterheatersaresuppliedwithsacrificialmagnesiumanoderodsthatprotecttheinterior
ofthetankthroughcathodicaction.Astherodworks,itslowlydissolvesovertimeandmustbe
replacedwhenitistotallyconsumed.Thenatureofthewaterbeingheatedeffectsthelengthoftime
ananoderodwilllast.Waterconditioning,suchasoversoftening,canacceleratetherateatwhich
theanoderodisconsumed.Toprolongthelifeofawaterheater,itisrecommendedthattheanode
rodbeinspectedeveryyearandreplacedwhendepleted.Whennew,theanoderodisapproximately
3/4"indiameter.Itshouldbereplacedonceitis3/8"orwhenanyofthemildsteelinnercoreis
exposed.
ANODERODINSPECTIONINSTRUCTIONS:
1. Locatetheanoderodontopofthewaterheater.Itisaccessiblethroughtheholeclosesttothe
centerofthetank.Therewillbeinsulationcoveringitandtheremaybeaplasticcapoverthe
accesshole.Theanoderodhasa11/16thinchhexhead.
2. Turnoffthepowerifelectric.Ifgas,turnvalvefromontopilotonthewaterheater.
3. Turnoffthecold/inletwatersupplytotheheater.
4. Drainoffapproximately5gallonsofwaterfromtheunit.
5. Usinga11/16thsocketwrench,removetheanoderod.(Itcouldbewelltightenedfromthe
factory.)
6. Inspectanoderodforconsistentpitting.Ifpittingisconsistentandthickerthan3/8in
diameter,reinstallrod.Ifrodislessthan3/8indiameter,orbareinnercoreisexposed,other
thanateachend,replaceanoderod.Anoderodsareavailableatmosthardware/plumbing

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stores.Theycanbecuttosizewithahacksaw.GSWusesinchNPTthreads.
7. Wrapthreadsoftheanodewithplumberstapeorusepipedopeapprovedforusewithpotable
water,andinstallthe(new)anodeintotankandtighten.
8. IMPORTANT:Turnwatersupplybackonandensurethetankiscompletelyfilledupwithwater
byopeningallthehotwaterfaucetsinthehousetoreleasetheairinplumbingsystem.Allow
thewatertorunforthreeminutesbeforeclosingthefaucets.
9. Turnthepowerbackon,orturnthedialonthegasvalvefrompilotbacktoondepending
uponyourunit.
Ifyoudonotfullyunderstandtheaboveinstructionsorarenotcomfortableservicingyourwaterheater,
contactaqualifiedservicetechnicianorGSWTechnicalServicesat1888GSWTECH(18884798324).
Backtotop
22.HowdoIcompleteachlorinationprocedure?
Answer:
1. Turnofftheelectricalswitchorshutoffmaingassupply.
2. Closethecoldwaterinletvalvetotheheater.
3. Openahotwaterfaucetwithinthesystemtorelievetankpressure.
4. Drain25gallonsofwatertoallowtheadditionofbleachtothetank.Useahoseconnectedto
thedrainvalveifanopendrainisnotadjacenttotheheater.CAUTION:WatermaybeHOT.
5. Removeanoderodordisconnectthehotwateroutletpipefromtheheater.
6. Usingafunnelintheanoderodorhotwateropening,addonegallonofhouseholdchlorine
bleach(e.g.Clorox,Javex)forevery25gallonsoftankcapacity.Repipetheheater.
7. Reinstallanoderod(s)afterinspectingandreplacingasneeded
8. Openthecoldwaterinletvalveattheheaterandfillthetankwithwater.Thendrawthewater
toeveryhotwaterfixture,untilthesmellofchlorineisdetected.Operatedishandclothes
washersuntilanoticeableamountofthechlorineisdetectedaswell.Allhotwaterlinesmust
receivetreatment.
9. Closeinletvalve.
10. Leavethebleachmixtureinthesystemforaminimumoftwohours.
11. Aftertwohours,drainthebleachmixturefromthetankthroughtheheaterdrainvalve.
*TIP:Reservethebleachwaterforyourlaundryandsavewater!
12. Closetheheaterdrainvalve.Opencoldwaterinletvalveandcompletelyfillthetankwithfresh
water.Toensurethatthewaterheaterisfullofwaterandthatalltheairhasbeenpurged
fromthesystem,runallthehotwaterfaucetsinthehousecontinuouslyforthree(3)minutes.
Ifyoucanstillsmellchlorineatthefaucetsrunthemuntilthereisnolongeranyodour.
Donotsupplypowertothiswaterheateruntilyouhaveverifiedthattheunitis
completelyfilledwithwater.
13. Checkforwaterleaksatallfittingsusedrepairasnecessary.
14. Turnonthemanualelectricalswitchorgasvalvefromstep1above.
Ensuretankisfullofwatertopreventdryfiring.
15. Checkfornormalwaterheateroperation.
Backtotop
23.WhatshouldtheperiodicmaintenancebeformyFVIRwaterheater?
Answer:
PeriodicCleaningoftheWraparoundFilterisRequired
1. Ifinspectionofthefiltershowsabuildupofdirtordebrisonthefilter,itshouldbecleaned.
2. Thefiltercanbevacuumedtoremovethebuildup.
3. Avisualinspectionoftheflamearresterisalsorecommended.Refertotheparagraphbelow
describingthecleaningoftheflamearrester.
Note:Visuallyinspecttheflamearresterbyplacingamirrorunderneaththewaterheater.Aflashlight
canbeusedtoilluminatetheslotsintheflamearresterifnecessary.Routinecleaningoftheflame
arresterisrecommendedifinspectionshowsaccumulationofdebrisontheflamearrester.Refertothe
paragraphbelowdescribingthecleaningoftheflamearrester.
Periodicallyavisualinspectionshould
bemadeoftheventingandairsupplysystem,pipingsystems,mainburner,pilotburnerandflame
arrester.
Checkthewaterheaterforthefollowing:
Obstructions,damageordeteriorationintheventingsystem.Makesuretheventilationand
combustionairsuppliesarenotobstructed.
Buildupofsootandcarbononthemainburnerandpilotburner.Checkforasoftblueflame.
Leakingordamagedwaterandgaspiping.
Presenceofflammableorcorrosivematerialsintheinstallationarea.
Presenceofcombustiblematerialsnearthewaterheater.
Presenceofdebrisontheoutsideoftheflamearrester.Seenotebelow.
Important:Verifyproperoperationafterservicingthiswaterheater.Ifyouareunsureofthis
inspectionprocedureortheproperoperationofthewaterheateranditsspecialsafetyfeatures,enlist
theservicesofaqualifiedservicetechnician.
ExternalCleaningoftheFlamearrester
Important:Itis
recommendedthattheflamearresterbevisuallyinspectedperiodicallyforaccumulationofdust,lint
andotherdebris,especiallyiftheheaterisinstalledinareashavingahighdustand/orlintcontent.
AnysuchaccumulationshouldbeCLEANEDasfollows:

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1. Useavacuumcleanertoremoveallloosedebrisintheflamearrester.
2. Ifnecessary,asoftbristlebrushcanbeusedtodislodgeanyremainingdebris.
3. Repeatstep1asnecessarytocompletion.

Backtotop
24.HowoftenshouldIdrainandflushmywaterheater?Whatarethesteps?
Answer:
Itisrecommendedthatthetankbedrainedandflushedevery6monthstoremovesedimentwhich
maybuildupduringoperation.Thewaterheatershouldbedrainedifbeingshutdownforextended
periodsoftime.

WARNING:Awaterheateriscapableofproducinghotwateratatemperaturesufficientenoughto
causescaldinginjury.Takeproperprecautionswhendrainingawaterheatertopreventscaldinginjury.

GASFIREDWATERHEATER:
Todrainthetank,performthefollowingsteps:
1. Turnoffthegastothewaterheaterwiththemanualgasshutoffvalve.
2. Closethecoldwaterinletvalve.
3. Openanearbyhotwaterfaucet.
4. Connectahosetothedrainvalveandterminateittoanadequatedrain.
Note:Thedrainhoseshouldberatedforatleast94C(200F).Ifthedrainhosedoesnot
havethisrating,openthecoldwaterinletvalveandnearbyhotfaucetuntilthewaterisno
longerhot.Openthewaterheaterdrainvalveandallowallthewatertodrainfromthetank.
Flushthetankwithwaterasneededtoremovesediment.
5. Closethedrainvalve,refillthetank,andrestarttheheaterasdirectedunderOperating
Instructions.Ifthewaterheaterisgoingtobeshutdownforanextendedperiod,thedrain
valveshouldbeleftopen.
Important:Condensationmayoccurwhenrefillingtankandshouldnotbeconfusedwithatankleak.
ELECTRICWATERHEATER:
NOTE:Makesurepoweristurnedoffinthecaseofelectricheaters.Electricelementswillburnoutif
theyareoperatedina"dry"tank.
1. Turnoffwatersupply.
2. Iffloordrainisnotnearwaterheater,connectagardenhosetodrainvalveanddirecttofloor
drain.
3. Tospeedtheflowofwater,openahotwatertaptoletairintotankatasinglehandledfaucet
nearby.
4. Allowwatertorun,untilwaterisclearandnodiscolourationinwater.
5. Turndrainvalveoffoncewaterisclear.
6. Turnwatersupplybackon.Filltankwithwater.
7. Makesuretankiscompletelyfilledwithwater.Turnnearbyfaucetoff.
8. Checkforleaks.
9. Restorepower.
Backtotop
25.Ifoundapuddleofwateraroundmywaterheater.Whathappened?
Answer:
Wateraccumulatingonthefloororinthedrainpanisgenerallycausedbyoneofthefollowing
conditions:

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Condensation
Drainvalveleaking
Temperatureandpressurereliefvalveleaking
Leakfrompipingonandneartheinletandoutlet
Leakatgasvalvethreadedconnection(gasmodelsonly)
Leakfromgasketsforelectricelements(electricmodelsonly)
Leakinheatertank
Hereshowanyoftheabovecanbesolved:
CONDENSATIONCondensationshouldonlybenoticeable
afteralongdrawofhotwater.Oncethetemperatureofthetankisabove110 F,condensation
shouldstop.
DRAINVALVELEAKINGChecktoseeiftheheaterdrainvalveisclosedtightly.Ifthe
leakagecannotbestoppedbythehandwheel,replacethedrainvalve.
TEMPERATURE&PRESSURE
RELIEFVALVELEAKINGIftheleakageisfromtemperatureandpressurereliefvalveoritsdischarge
pipe,itmayrepresentreliefvalveactivation.Thereliefvalverelieveswaterslowlywhenactuatingon
pressure.Aclosedsystemcancausepressuretoincreaseinthesystem.Thisconditioniscalled
thermalexpansion.Theincomingwaterpressureshouldalsobecheckedandcomparedwiththe
valvesrating.Ifthesupplywaterpressureishigherthanthevalvesrating,apressurereducingvalve
willbeneeded.
LEAKFROMPIPINGONANDNEARTHEINLETANDOUTLETInwarmorhumid
locations,condensationcanaccumulateandrundownfluetubes,coldwatersupplypipe,andheater
connections.Checkconnectionsandfittingforpossibleleaks.
LEAKATGASVALVETHREADED
CONNECTION(GASMODELSONLY)Removevalveandreapplypipejointcompound.
LEAKFROM
GASKETSFORELECTRICELEMENTS(ELECTRICMODELSONLY)Thesegasketscanbereplaced.The
elementthreadsmayneedtoberesealed.

Backtotop
26.WhydoIhearthepipesbang,thumporvibratewhenIturnoffthewateratmy
sinkfaucetorwhenIrunmydishwasher/washingmachine?
Answer:
Thisisreferredtoaswaterhammer.Waterhammeroccursinapipingsystemwhenwaterflowing
throughapipelineisstoppedabruptly.Whenwaterhammeroccurs,ahighintensitypressurewave
travelsbackthroughthepipingsystemuntilitreachesapointofsomerelief.Theshockwavewillthen
surgebackandforthbetweenthepointofreliefandthepointofstoppageuntilthedestructiveenergy
isdissipatedinthepipingsystem.Theviolentactionaccountsforbanging,thumping,and/or
intensevibrationinthepipeline.Althoughnoiseisgenerallyassociatedwiththeoccurrenceofwater
hammer,itcanoccurwithoutaudiblesoundornoise.Quickclosurealwayscausessomedegreeof
shockwithorwithoutnoise.Thecommoncauseofwaterhammerissingleleverfaucets
(sinks/lavatories)orautomaticsolenoidvalves(dishwashers,washingmachines,etc.).Thespeedof
thevalveclosuretimeisdirectlyrelatedtotheintensityofthesurgepressure.
Waterhammercan
effecttheperformanceofyourwaterheaterinseveralways,suchascausingan:
ExpandedTankShellThiscanbedemonstratedbymeasuringthecircumferenceatvarious
locationsalongtheshell.Pressuresinexcessofthemaximumdesignworkingpressurecan
causepermanentdeformationoftheshell.
CollapsedFlueTubeThiswillchokeofftheabilitytoventtheproductsofcombustioncausing
theflameand/orcombustiontospilloutfromthecombustionchamber.Oftenthiswilloccur
wherethinningofthefluetubewallshasoccurredduetocontaminationofthecombustionair
orbecauseofexcessivecondensation.
InvertedorDeformedTankHeadsOftenthisaccompaniescollapsedflues,butoneorboth
headscanbedeformed.
Theonlyeffectivemeansofcontrolistoinstallwaterhammerarrestors.Thesedeviceshave
diaphragmswhichseparateanairchamberfromthewaterinthepipingsystem.Astheshockwave
reachesthisdevice,theairchamberabsorbstheshock.Arrestorsshouldbelocatedascloseas
possibletothesourceoftheshockwave.

Backtotop
27.Whataretemperatureandpressurereliefvalves?
Answer:
AllstoragetypewaterheatersmustbeequippedwithaproperlyfunctioningTemperatureand
Pressure(T&P)reliefvalve.Thesevalvesmustbecertifiedasmeetingtherequirementsofthe
StandardforReliefValvesforHotWaterSupplySystems,ANSIZ21.22/CSA4.4.
TheT&Preliefvalveisasafetydevicethatservestwofunctions:
1. Itisdesignedtoopenandrelievewatershouldthepressureinthewaterheaterexceedthe
ratedworkingpressureoftheunit,150psi(1034kPa).Itwillalsoopenintheeventthatthe
temperatureinthetankexceeds210F(99C).
2. IftheT&Pvalveopensduetoexcesspressure,therewillbeeitherdrippingorasmall

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continuousflowofwaterthatrelievesthepressure.If,ontheotherhand,itopensduetoa
hightemperaturecondition,thevalvewillopencompletelyandallowthewholetanktoempty
untilcoolwaterresetsthethermalprobeontheT&P.Bothexcessivepressureandhigh
temperaturesinwaterheatersareextremelyhazardous.
Undernormalwaterheateroperatingconditions,theT&Pvalveshouldnotopen.T&Pvalvedischarge
indicatesanabnormalconditioninthesystemthevalveisperformingitsdesignatedfunction.The
causeoftheabnormalconditionmustbeinvestigatedandremedied.
Elevatedwaterpressurecanbecausedbythermalexpansion*and/orhighincomingwaterpressure.
Theseconditionscanbemanagedbyinstallingathermalexpansiontankand/orapressurereducing
valveinthesystem.
Highwatertemperaturecanberemediedbyreplacingthethermostat,aquastatorcombinationgas
controlaquastatdependentonthemodel.
Inaddition,theT&Pvalvemaydischargebecausecalcium(lime)orsedimenthasaccumulatedinthe
valvepreventingitfromseatingproperly.Inthiscase,theT&Pvalvemustbereplaced.
TheT&PvalvepressuresettingandC.S.A.rating(seefigurebelow)mustnotbegreaterthanthe
workingpressureofthewaterheaterandmustbehigherthaninputofthewaterheaterrespectively.

ManuallyoperatetheTemperatureandPressureReliefValveatleastonceayeartomakesureitis
workingproperly.Topreventwaterdamage,thevalvemustbeproperlyconnectedtoadischargeline
thatterminatesatanadequatedrain.Whilestandingclearoftheoutlet(dischargedwatermaybehot),
slowlyliftandreleasethetestleverhandle(seefigurebelow)ontheT&Pvalvetoallowthevalveto
operatefreelyandreturntoitsclosedposition.Ifthevalvefailstocompletelyresetandcontinuesto
releasewater,immediatelyturnthefuelandthecoldwatersupplyoff.Callaqualifiedservicetechnician.

Note:Atemperatureandpressurereliefvalveisnotconsideredathermalexpansiondevice.Itisnot
designedtoremediatethermalexpansion.
Backtotop
28.Whatareheattrapfittings?
Answer:
Aspartoftheredesignofourwaterheaterstomeetthe2004NaturalResourcesCanadaenergy
efficiencystandard,GSWhasaddedheattrapstothecoldwaterinletandthehotwateroutleton
mostofourproducts.Thesethermoplasticdevicesaredesignedtoreducestandbyheatlossfrom
waterheaters.GSWheattrapshaveatadpoledesign.
Thetadpoleinthecoldwaterinletheattrap(blue)islighterthanwater.Ascoldwaterisdrawninto
thetank,itispusheddown,itthenfloatsuptoreseatwhenwaterflowstops.Itisfurnishedasadip
tubeassembly.
Aheavierthanwatertadpoleintheheattrapforthehotwateroutlet(pink)ispushedupwhenhot
waterisdrawnfromthetank,andthensinkstoreseatintheabsenceofwaterflow.
Eachheattrapfittingfeaturessafetyreliefportstopreventaccidentalclosureofthewaterway.In
addition,theseplasticlinedgalvanizedsteelnipplescreateadielectricwaterwaythatprevents
galvanicactionbetweendissimilarmetals.
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29.Howarewaterheatersmade?
Answer:
CLICKHEREtoseethestepbystepprocessofawaterheaterbeingmade.
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GSWFrequentlyAskedQuestions
30.HowdoIinstalladrainvalve?
Answer:
IMPORTANT:
Toavoidriskofelectricshock,makesurethepoweristurned"off"andremainsoffuntilallrepairs
havebeencompleted.
WARNING:
Awaterheateriscapableofproducinghotwateratatemperaturesufficientenoughtocausescalding
injury.Takeproperprecautionswhendrainingawaterheatertopreventscaldinginjury.Readall
instructionscarefullybeforerepairingawaterheater.
Note:
Theinstallationofadrainvalvegenerallyrequiresthedrainingofthetank.Makesurepoweristurned
offinthecaseofelectricheaters,orthegascontrolisturnedto"PILOT"inthecaseofgasheaters.
Electricelementswillburnoutiftheyareoperatedina"dry"tank,anddamagewilloccurifthegas
burnercomesonwithagasheaterwhichisnotfilledwithwater.
1. Turn"off"watersupplyandpowersupply.
2. Draintank.Tospeedtheflowofwater,openahotwatertaptoletairintotank.
3. Removeexistingvalve.
4. Cleanthetankthreadsofanydirtorforeignmatterthatmightaffecttheproperthreadsealing
ofthenewvalve.
5. Installnewdrainvalveusingahighqualitythreadsealant(eitherplumberstapeorapproved
pipedope).
6. Filltankwithwaterandcheckforleaks.Makesuretankiscompletelyfilledwithwater.
7. Restorepower.
AllinstructionsarealsolocatedoneachpackagecontainingyournewGSWreplacementpart.
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31.Whatisthecorrectinstallationmanualformywaterheater?
Answer:
Todeterminetheappropriateinstallationmanual,pleaserefertoyourspecificwaterheaterbyselecting
browseproductsorcontactourcustomerservicerepresentatives.
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32.HowdoIdeterminethepropersizedwaterheaterformyapplication?
Answer:
Waterheaterscanoftenfailprematurelyduetoimpropersizing.Thestoragecapacitiesaswellasthe
recoveryratearebothimportantfactorswhensizingawaterheatingsystem.Impropersizingcanalso
leadtocomplaintsofnotenoughhotwater.Itisimportanttoconsidernotonlythevolumeofwater
required,butthetemperaturethatisrequired.Whenalargevolumeofwaterisneededwithinasmall
amountoftime,thiswaterisgenerallysuppliedfromstorage.Thisvolumeisreferredtoasthedump
load.Whenchoosingtheappropriatestoragetanksize,theactualandusablestoragewillneedtobe
addressed.Ifwaterisrequiredatacertaingallonperminuterate,thiswaterwillgenerallybe
suppliedbytherecoveryofheater.Keepinmindthatanydumploadsalsoneedtobeincludedinthis
recovery.
Somesignsofanundersizedwaterheaterare:
Heavycondensation
Rustchipsontheburnersandfluetubes
Notenoughhotwater
Prematuretankfailure(s)
Whenawaterheaterisproperlysized,somecondensationwilloccur.However,excessive
condensationisnotnormalandwillcorrodetheheater.Thefluetubes,baffles,andburnersare
susceptibletohydrocarbonsincondensateandcarbonicacid.Continualexposurewillweakentheflue
tubes.Condensationcanalsospoilcombustionandproduceacarbonmonoxidehazard,withattendant
riskofseriouspersonalinjuryordeath.
Forassistanceinproperlysizingawaterheater,consultwith
yourlocalJohnWood/GSWdistributororcontactGSWWaterHeatingat18884799283.

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33.Whatistheageofmywaterheater?
Answer:
CLICKHEREforadescriptionoftheserialnumberstodeterminetheageofyourwaterheater.
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34.HowdoIregistermywaterheater?
Answer:

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GSWFrequentlyAskedQuestions
GSWWaterHeatingdoesnotregistertankwarranties.Wedoencouragehomeownerstokeepthe
invoiceorsalesreceiptofthepurchaseandinstallationinasafeplace.Eachwaterheaterhasaserial
numberwhichiskeptinadatabank.WhencallingGSWWaterHeatingtoinquireaboutyourwater
heater,youwillbeaskedtoprovidetheserialnumberthatisfoundonthewaterheater.
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35.IhavebeenonvacationandnowIhaveairinmyhotwaterlines.Why?
Answer:
CAUTION:Hydrogengascanbeproducedinahotwatersystemservedbythisstoragetankthathas
notbeenusedforalongperiodoftime(generallytwo(2)weeksormore).Hydrogengasisextremely
flammableandcanignitewhenexposedtoasparkorflame.Toreducetheriskofinjuryunderthese
conditions,itisrecommendedthatthehotwaterfaucetbeopenedforseveralminutesatthekitchen
sinkbeforeusinganyelectricalapplianceconnectedtothehotwatersystem.Usecautioninopening
faucets.Ifhydrogenispresent,therewillprobablybeanunusualsoundsuchasairescapingthrough
thepipeasthewaterbeginstoflow.Thereshouldbenosmokingoropenflamenearthefaucetatthe
timeitisopen.
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36.Whyaretheredand/orblueplasticnipplecoversmeltedonmyAtmosphericvented
waterheater?
Answer:
CLICKHEREformoreinformation.
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