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Water Heater Operation
WARNING
Keep the area around the heater clear and
unobstructed.
Stacking
Stacking occurs when a series of short draws of hot water
( 3 US 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. A
tempering device is recommended in the hot water supply
line to reduce the risk of scald injury.
Water Heater Sounds
During the normal operation of the water heater, sounds or
noises may be heard. These noises are common and may
result from the following:
1. Normal expansion and contraction of metal parts during
periods of heat-up and cool-down.
2. Condensation causes sizzling and popping within the
burner area and should be considered normal.
3. Sediment buildup in the tank bottom will create varying
amounts of noise and may cause premature tank failure.
Drain and flush the tank as directed under "Draining And
Flushing".
Smoke/ Odor
The water heater may give off a small amount of smoke
and odor during the initial start-up of the unit. This is due to
the burning off of oil from metal parts of a new unit and will
disappear after a few minutes of operation.
Anode Rod/Water Odor
Each water heater contains at least one anode rod, which
will slowly deplete while protecting the glass-lined tank from
corrosion and prolonging the life of the water heater. Once
the anode is depleted, the tank will start to corrode, eventually
developing a leak. Certain water conditions will cause a
reaction between this rod and the water. The most common
complaint associated with the anode rod is a “rotten egg
smell” produced from the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas
dissolved in the water. Do not remove this rod permanently as
it will void any warranties, stated or implied. A special anode
can be ordered if water odor or discoloration occurs. This
rod may reduce, if not eliminate, water odor problems. The
water supply system may require special filtration equipment
from water conditioning company to successfully eliminate all
water odor problems. Artificially softened water is exceedingly
corrosive because the process substitutes sodium ions for
magnesium and calcium ions. The use of a water softener
may decrease the life of the water heater tank. The anode rod
should be inspected every year. If the rod is more than 50%
depleted, the anode rod should be replaced.
V)
MAINTENANCE
Do not attempt to repair your water heater. Call a qualified
Oil-Burner Technician for service. Turn “OFF” the electric
power whenever the water supply is shut off. Before calling
for service, check that:
1. The heater is properly filled.
2. The electrical supply has not been interrupted.
Professional Maintenance
Except for external appearance and area tidiness, the
following steps should be performed only by a qualified Oil-
Burner Technician.
1. Lift out the flue baffle to clean the flue. (On rear and
combination flue heaters, the top cover, insulation and
flue top cover must be removed.)
2. Insert a flue brush down the flue passage way(s) to
remove soot and dirt. Soot or carbon that falls into the
combustion chamber will burn up within a very short time.
3. In normal use, there should be no large accumulation of
soot in the combustion chamber. If there is, remove the
burner and carefully brush or vacuum the combustion
chamber.
Note:
The combustion chamber is not a replaceable
component.
Have your oil filter cleaned or replaced by a qualified
technician at an interval recommended by your oil supplier.
Flue Pipes
Once a year, inspect the flue pipe leading from the heater to
the chimney. If corrosion is evident, or discoloration at the
joints can be seen, replace the flue pipes. This should be
done by a qualified Oil-Burner Technician. Flue pipes must be
replaced by the same size flue pipe as the flue collar (breech
connection) at the heater.
