American Water Heater 318935-003 Checking the Draft, Burner Flames, Water Temperature Stacking

Checking the Draft

WARNING

Burn Hazard

Do not touch vent.

Doing so can result in burns.

After successfully lighting the water heater, allow the unit to operate for 15 minutes and check the drafthood relief opening for proper draft. Make sure all other appliances in the area are operating and all doors are closed when

performing the draft
test. Pass a match	Figure 17	Drafthood
flame around the
relief opening of the			Relief
drafthood. A steady	Match		Opening
flame drawn into the
opening indicates
proper draft. If
the flame flutters
or is blown out,
combustion products
are escaping from

the relief opening. If this occurs, do not operate the water heater until proper adjustments or repairs are made to the vent pipe system and/or air supply requirements.

Burner Flames

Inspect the burner flames through the viewport. Flames should be very small with a blue haze and small amounts of yellow or orange at the edges. After several minutes of operation, the burner screen may glow red. If large flames are observed at any time, shut-off unit and call a qualified person.

Figure 18

Flame Characteristics

Correct flame

soft blue

Water Temperature Stacking

Stacking occurs when a series of short draws of hot water (3 gallons or less) are taken from the water heater tank. This causes increased cycling of the burner and can result in increased water temperatures at the hot water outlet.

This water heater’s temperature control has been designed to accurately regulate the water temperature. However, under certain operating conditions, the water temperature may temporarily exceed the dial setting. Consequently, in addition to setting the temperature no higher than 120°F, we recommend the installation of a mixing valve or an anti-scald device in the hot water supply line or at the point of use to further reduce the risk of scald injury. These devices can be obtained from a plumbing service agency or your retail supplier.

Emergency Shut Down

IMPORTANT: Should overheating occur or the gas supply fails to shut off, turn off the water heater’s manual gas control valve and call a qualified person.

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