A.O. Smith GPHE 50 Series Instruction Manual Download Page 11

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in an alcove or closet, the entire floor must be covered by the panel. 

Failure to heed this warning may result in a fire hazard.

Minimum  clearances  between  water  heater  and  combustible 

construction are 0 inch at the sides and rear, 5.5” (14.0 cm) from the 

front and 12” (30.5 cm) from  top. (Standard clearance.) If clearances 

stated on the heater differ from standard clearances, install water 

heater according to clearances stated on the heater.

Adequate clearance 24” (61.0 cm) for servicing this appliance should 

be considered before installation, such as changing the anodes, etc.

A minimum clearance of 5.5” (14.0 cm) must be allowed for access 

to replaceable parts such as thermostats, drain valve, relief valve 

and condensate drain.
When installing the heater, consideration must be given to proper 

location. Location selected should be as close to the wall as practicable 

and as centralized with the water piping system as possible.

FIGURE 4.

A gas water heater cannot operate properly without the correct amount 

of air for combustion. Do not install in a confined area such as a closet, 

unless you provide air as shown in the “Locating The New Water 

Heater” section. Never obstruct the flow of ventilation air. If you have 

any doubts or questions at all, call your gas supplier.  Failure to provide 

the proper amount of combustion air can result in a fire or explosion 

and cause death, serious bodily injury, or property damage.

fIGure 5.

If  this  water  heater  will  be  used  in  beauty  shops,  barber  shops, 

cleaning establishments, or self-service laundries with dry cleaning 

equipment, it is imperative that the water heater or water heaters 

be installed so that combustion and ventilation air be taken from 

outside these areas.  

Propellants  of  aerosol  sprays  and  volatile  compounds,  (cleaners, 

chlorine based chemicals, refrigerants, etc.) in addition to being highly 

flammable in many cases, will also react to form corrosive hydrochloric 

acid when exposed to the combustion products of the water heater.  

The results can be hazardous, and also cause product failure.

InsulatIon BlanKets

Insulation blankets are available to the general public for external 

use on gas water heaters but are not necessary with these products. 

The purpose of an insulation blanket is to reduce standby heat loss 

encountered with storage tank heaters. Your water heater meets or 

exceeds the Energy Policy Act standards with respect to insulation and 

standby loss requirements, making an insulation blanket unnecessary.
Should you choose to apply an insulation blanket to this heater, you 

should  follow  these  instructions  (For  identification  of  components 

mentioned below, see Figure 1). Failure to follow these instructions can 

restrict the air flow required for proper combustion, potentially resulting 

in fire, asphyxiation, serious personal injury or death.

  Do not apply insulation to the top of the water heater, as this will  

interfere with safe operation of the blower assembly.

  Do not cover the outer door, thermostat or temperature & pressure  

relief valve.

  Do not

 allow insulation to come within 2” (5.1 cm) of the floor to 

 

prevent blockage of combustion air flow to the burner.

  Do not cover the instruction manual.  Keep it on the side of the  

water heater or nearby for future reference.

  Do obtain new warning and instruction labels from the manufacturer  

for placement on the blanket directly over the existing labels.

  Do  inspect  the  insulation  blanket  frequently  to  make  certain  it  

does not sag, thereby obstructing combustion air flow.

aIr requIreMents

For safe operation an adequate supply of fresh uncontaminated 

air for combustion and ventilation must be provided.
An insufficient supply of air can cause recirculation of combustion 

products resulting in contamination that may be hazardous to life. 

Summary of Contents for GPHE 50 Series

Page 1: ...DEALER FROM WHOM THE WATER HEATER WAS PURCHASED IF YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL PLEASE WRITE TO THE COMPANY LISTED ON THE RATING PLATE ON THE WATER HEATER RESIDENTIAL GAS WATER HEATERS For Your Safety AN ODO...

Page 2: ...alert symbol indicates a potentially hazardous situation which if not avoided could result in property damage WARNING CAUTION CAUTION DANGER All safety messages will generally tell you about the type...

Page 3: ...3 GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION...

Page 4: ...4 GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION at least 18 45 7cm above the floor This will reduce but not eliminate the risk...

Page 5: ...tion Association 1 Batterymarch Park Quincy MA 02269 3 The water heater when installed must be grounded in accordance with the local codes or in the absence of local codes the National Electrical Code...

Page 6: ...feet above grade directly in line with the exhaust vent terminal for the horizontally vented gas fueled heating appliance or equipment The sign shall read in print size no less than one half 1 2 inch...

Page 7: ...ting 4 Places Shown DD Plastic Top EE On Off Switch FF Exhaust Tee GG Elbow GET TO KNOW YOUR WATER HEATER GAS MODELS A Vent Pipe B Anode C Hot Water Outlet D Outlet 120 VAC F Gas Supply G Main Manual...

Page 8: ...8 TYPICAL INSTALLATION CONDENSATE HOSE AND DRAIN PAN FIGURE 1A...

Page 9: ...time to burn relationship for normal adult skin If anyone using hot water provided by the water heater being installed fits into one of these groups or if there is a local code or state law requiring...

Page 10: ...talled Water heaters are sometimes installed in locations where leakage may result in property damage even with the use of a drain pan piped to a drain However unanticipated damage can be reduced or p...

Page 11: ...rine based chemicals refrigerants etc in addition to being highly flammable in many cases will also react to form corrosive hydrochloric acid when exposed to the combustion products of the water heate...

Page 12: ...size of openings providing fresh air into confined spaces EXHAUST FANS Where exhaust fans are installed additional air should be provided to replace the exhausted air When an exhaust fan is installed...

Page 13: ...a reference for the openings that provide fresh air into confined spaces only Do not refer to these illustrations for the purpose of vent installation See Installation of Vent System on pages 18 27 fo...

Page 14: ...e requirements or such conditions as high line pressure among others have installed devices such as pressure reducing valves check valves and back flow preventers Devices such as these cause the water...

Page 15: ...n 6 Spread the slit open and slip the insulation over the cold water inlet pipe Apply gentle pressure along the length of the insulation to ensure that it is fully seated around the pipe Also ensure t...

Page 16: ...xcessive temperatures and pressures in the storage tank The T P valve is not intended for the constant relief of thermal expansion Aproperly sized thermal expansion tank must be installed on all close...

Page 17: ...losing its individual manual Shuttoff valve during any pressure testing of the gas supply piping system at test pressures equal to or less than 1 2 pound per square inch 3 5 kPa Connecting gas piping...

Page 18: ...PVC parts should be assembled with ASTM D 2564 grade cement Assemble Vent Pipe Assemblies 1 2 and 3 See Figure 1 prior to cementing The preferred orientation of Vent Pipe Assembly 1 Condensate U Assem...

Page 19: ...L Clearance above paved sidewalk or paved driveway located on public property 7 feet 2 13 m F Clearance to outside corner 2 feet 60 cm M Clearance under veranda porch deck or balcony 12 inches 30 cm G...

Page 20: ...r signs of sagging or other stresses in joints as a result of misalignment of any components in system If any of these conditions are found they must be corrected in accordance with venting instructio...

Page 21: ...tubing is still attached from the air pressure switch to the port on the blower housing Make sure the plastic tubing is not folded anywhere between the pressure switch and the blower housing 6 Make su...

Page 22: ...ine This will allow the vent to easily slide through the opening The resulting gap will be covered up by the Vent Terminal cover plate Repeat this step on inside wall if necessary SEQUENCE OF INSTALLA...

Page 23: ...ighest anticipated snow level install a snorkel as shown in bottom portion of Figure 20 NOTE With the installation of a snorkel it is necessary to use two 90 elbows that shall be considered along with...

Page 24: ...cement not included with kit and glue the two inch PVC pipe coming from the blower into the VAA 3 Perform the same sequence on the PVC pipe coming from the exhaust side vent terminal side of the VAA 4...

Page 25: ...and the vent pipe system Air leaks will allow flue gas by products to disseminate into the room creating an unsafe environment and could cause illness asphyxiation and or even death FIGURE 24 Typical...

Page 26: ...above PRIMER It is recommended that Tetrahydrofuran THF be used to prepare the surfaces of pipe and fittings for solvent welding Do not use water rags gasoline or any other substitutes for cleaning PV...

Page 27: ...make a second mark as the primer and cement will most likely destroy your first one Apply primer to the surface of the pipe and fitting socket with a natural bristle brush This process softens and pr...

Page 28: ...28...

Page 29: ...located in an area where the general public does not have access If a suitable area is not available a cover should be installed over the thermostat to prevent tampering Thewatertemperaturesettingwasf...

Page 30: ...riod 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 located farthes...

Page 31: ...od which will slowly deplete due to electrolysis prolonging the life of the water heater by protecting the glass lined tank from corrosion Adverse water quality hotter water temperatures high hot wate...

Page 32: ...essure Relief Valve must be installed in opening provided Can result in overheating and excessive tank pressure Can cause serious injury or death DRAINING AND FLUSHING It is recommended that the water...

Page 33: ...ose connections or the relief valve DO NOT replace the water heater until a full inspection of all possible water sources is made and necessary corrective steps taken Leakage from other appliances wat...

Page 34: ...heet 34 Wire Screen 3 35 Wire Screen 4 36 Wall Plate 4 37 Flexible Tubing REPAIR PARTS LIST Nowthatyouhavepurchasedthiswaterheater shouldaneedeverexistfor repairpartsorservice simplycontactthecompanyi...

Page 35: ...3 Ensure maximum number of elbows or maximum equivalent feet of vent or intake air pipe has not been exceeded per the installation instructions in the manual that came with the water heater 4 Ensure...

Page 36: ...alve s immersion probe is either open or shorted 1 Turn the power off for 10 20 seconds then on again to clear these error codes 2 Replace the gas control valve thermostat if the error code persists 1...

Page 37: ...37 These guidelines should be utilized by a qualified service agent TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDELINES TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDELINES...

Page 38: ...38 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDELINES NOTES...

Page 39: ...of it in a modified form or any attempt to repair tank leaks or parts will void this warranty servIce and laBor responsIBIlItY UNDER THIS LIMITED WARRANTY THE WARRANTOR WILL PROVIDE ONLY A REPLACEMEN...

Page 40: ...40 Copyright 2010 A O Smith Corporation All rights reserved 500 Tennessee Waltz Parkway Ashland City TN 37015 Technical Support 800 527 1953 Parts 800 433 2545 Fax 800 644 9306 www hotwater com...

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