V) OPERATION
Burner Flames
Inspect the burner flames through the viewport and com-
pare them to the drawings in Figure 20. A properly operat-
ing burner should produce a soft blue flame. Blue tips with
yellow inner cones are satisfactory. The tips of the flame
may have a slight yellow tint. The flame should not be all
yellow or have a sharp blue-orange color. Contaminated air
may cause an orange colored flame. Contact a qualified
service technician if the flame is not satisfactory.
For models with a 24 Volt control and flue damper, the rec-
ommended spark gap between the igniter sensor and
grounding strap is 3.2mm (.125 in.). The pilot flame should
envelop 9.5 to 12.7mm (.375 to .5 in.) of the tip of the insu-
lated rod or the igniter.
Emergency Shut Down
Important:
Should overheating occur or the gas supply fail
to shut off, turn off the water heater’s manual gas shut-off
valve and call a qualified service technician (see Figure 4).
Checking the Draft
After successfully lighting the water heater, allow the unit to
operate for 15 minutes and check the drafthood relief open-
ing for proper draft. Pass a match flame around the relief
opening of the drafthood as shown in Figure 22 & 23. A
steady 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 oper-
ate the water heater until proper adjustments or repairs are
made to the vent pipe system.
Operating Conditions
Condensation
Moisture from the products of combustion condenses on the
tank surface and forms drops of water which may fall onto
the burner or other hot surfaces. This will produce a “siz-
zling” or “frying” noise. This condensation is normal and
should not be confused with a leaking tank. Condensation
may increase or decrease at different times of the year.
Highly efficient energy saver water heaters will produce
larger amounts of condensation on initial start up or when a
large amount of hot water is being used. Once the water
reaches a temperature of 49°C (120°F) and the tank warms
up (usually about 1 hour), the condensation will stop.
Note:
At initial start-up, in certain extremely cold conditions
and if the water heater is not allowed enough time to reach
the room temperature, the pilot burner might be extin-
guished in the first 20 minutes from start-up due to heavy
condensation. In this situation if the unit is relit, it will follow
its normal heating cycle without further incidents. After
installation always allow the water heater to reach the room
temperature before the initial start-up is initiated. Supervise
the flame inside the water heater at least 20 minutes at ini-
tial start-up to ensure that heavy condensation is not turning
off the water heater.
CORRECT FLAME
SOFT BLUE
INCORRECT
FLAME LAZY
YELLOW
Figure 20
Flame Characteristics
TIPS MAY HAVE
A YELLOW TINT
YELLOW INNER
CONES ARE
SATISFACTORY
Figure 22
Checking The Draft
MATCH
R E L I E F
OPENING
– 19 –
INSULATED
ELECTRODE
PILOT FLAME COVERS
TIP OF ELECTRODE
AS SHOWN
Figure 21
Flame Characteristics
9.5 to 12.7mm
(.375 to .5 in.)
PILOT FLAME
Figure 23
Checking The Draft
MATCH
R E L I E F
OPENING
