10
TROUBLE SHOOTING
Introduction

The AquaStar 125 B “S” burners are activated by a water

flow valve. Numerous water related problems can cause

this water valve to malfunction such as: Insufficient water

flow volume to activate the burners at its minimum flow

requirement; Dirt in the water flow valve causing it to

malfunction; Sediment build-up in faucet aerators, or

shower heads; Uneven pressures between cold and hot.

(with single lever faucets) Plumbing cross overs. These

water flow related problems can cause the heater to deliver

less than its full output, or to fail to ignite or to shut down

completely.

Problems are stated in upper case, bold face. Most
common causes for the problems follow in order of
likelihood. The suggested solutions require that the cover
be taken off. To do this, remove incandescent particle tray
and unscrew the central screw located at the bottom of
the front cover. Pull main cover out toward you and lift up
and out.
PILOT LIGHT WILL NOT LIGHT
1. No gas to the AquaStar
A. Gas cock on gas line may not be open.
B. Gas valve button has not been pushed in on “PILOT”
position ( ).
C. Gas regulator may be shut or damaged.
2. In-line AquaStar gas regulator jammed (usually on
LP gas)
Replace or unjam the regulator. Note: The regulator
furnished with the heater is designed for low gas pressure.
Excessive pressure will lock it up (propane only). Jamming
usually happens if the gas pressure between the gas tank
(propane) and the water heater’s gas regulator has not
been reduced. See page 2 for recommended correct gas
pressure. To unjam a regulator, consult your gas supplier .
3. Pilot orifice clogged and/or air screen dirty, or pilot
gas filter is dirty.
Clogging of the pilot burner can be caused by dust and
any suspended matter contained in the ambient air.
Although the filters can lengthen the cleaning intervals,
they can never completely prevent such clogging. In
consequence the gas jet issuing from the pilot orifice is
reduced and or the air mixture is reduced. The pilot flame
is weak and thus can no longer heat the thermocouple
sufficiently. For cleaning purposes, the air filter screen is
dirty burners, or a blockage on the heat exchangers fins.
If some burners have yellow flames while others have good
flames, it is likely that dust, lint or spider webs have partially
clogged the burner venturis. Contact a gas service person
to clean the remove and clean the burners.
Mineral Scale Build-up: AquaStars, tend not to
accumulate mineral buildup. If however, the water has a
high mineral content, periodic descaling may be
necessary. The heating coils should be flushed with a
descaling solution. Consult your dealer or Controlled
Energy for instructions.
pulled off, washed and blown out. The pilot orifice has
likewise to be cleaned or exchanged. Consult a gas service
person to clean the pilot.
4. Air in the Gas Line
Note: Normally this is a problem only at the time of initial
installation, after the pipes have been worked on, or after
a propane tank has been allowed to empty, or after the
heater has been shut down for a long time.
Bleed all the air trapped in the gas line. Because of the
very small pilot orifice (especially on LP gas models),
bleeding out all the air could take several minutes. Depress
the pilot button ( ) and depress this button until all the air
has escaped, and the gas has arrived. During this process,
press repeatedely on the piezo ignition button until the pilot
flame has ignited.
PILOT LIGHTS BUT FLAME GOES OUT WHEN
BUTTON IS RELEASED
1. Pilot push button was not pushed in far enough or
was not held in long enough
Depress the pilot button. Hold it pushed in for at least 15
seconds to give time for the pilot flame to properly heat
the tip of the thermocouple.
2. Pilot flame improperly aimed or is too weak so it is
not properly heating the tip of the thermocouple.
The Pilot flame should be a sharp blue flame and aimed
at the tip of the thermocouple so that it envelops 10 mm
(3/8 “) of the thermocouple tip. Pilot flame has to be properly
aimed at the thermocouple. See Fig 8.
3. Poor thermocouple connection at the
electromagnet
Note: Electromagnet is part #8707201094 located on the
right side of the gas valve behind the piezo pushbutton
assembly. Check the tightness of the thermocouple
connection nut at the electromagnet: The Electro-magnet
connection is a large aluminum 17mm hex head nut. The
thermocouple end is a 5 mm brass nut which screws into
the 17 mm nut. Tighten the thermocouple nut snugly but
not too tight.
4. Poor circuit connections at the ECO. (Energy Cut-
Off overheat protection)
Oxidation or looseness of the ECO terminal connections
can result in millivolt current loss through the thermocouple
safety circuit. Clean terminals with very fine sand paper or
an eraser and reconnect ECO leads.
5. Faulty ECO (part #8707206017)
If cleaning the terminals attached to the ECO did not fix
the problem, connect a jumper wire between the two wires
and try to relight the pilot. If the pilot flame now remains
on, replace the ECO. If the flame still goes out when the
button is released, the ECO is not defective. Go to next
step.
6. Faulty thermocouple (part #8747202078) or
electromagnet) Unless these 2 parts are at least 8
to 10 years old, it is very unlikely that they are faulty.
Before testing, reconfirm that #2 is absolutely
correct, and that all connections are clean and tight.