Did you know your fuel powered water heater has a safety switch that cuts out when it is exposed to certain levels of flammable vapours? That means chemicals, paint, ammonia from kitty litter, or other flammable scents have been exposed to your water heater. For safety reasons, your water heater will shut down. Once the vapours have dissipated, it will reset. However, everytime the sensor trips and resets, it is not being reset to zero. This means that it will take lower levels of exposure to flammable vapours for the water heater to kick out and eventually it won’t be able to reset.
How can you prevent tripping the flammable vapour sensor?
– Don’t keep chemicals in the same room as your water heater
– Ensure your mechanical room (or where you keep your water heater) has proper ventilation
– If painting near your water heater, turn off your water heater and air out the room before turning it back on
– Don’t keep your cat’s litter box near the water heater
How do you reset your flammable vapour sensor after it has tripped?
– Check your owners manual for manufacturer specific instructions on how to reset it
– If possible, turn off and unplug your water heater, then disconnect your vapour sensor. Place the vapour sensor in a well ventilated area and leave it for 90 minutes to 4 hours (vent out the water heater area while doing this). Reconnect that sensor and turn you water heater back on.
– Relocate any sources of flammable vapours from near the water heater
– If your water heater doesn’t reset, contact a service provider to replace the part
Being with out hot water is a pain, so follow the above steps to decrease the likelihood of being stuck with cold showers.