Ruud Water Heater Troubleshooting

Founded by a Norwegian mechanical engineer called Edwin Ruud, Ruud has since grown into one of the largest manufacturers of quality heating, cooling and water heating products for residential and light commercial use in North America. The company’s products are made to meet and exceed industry standards for quality and reliability. Then again, this doesn’t always mean their products won’t run into some minor trouble.

In fact, it’s possible for even the products of the highest caliber to meet some issues during its lifetime. And this article will focus on some of the issues you might meet with a Ruud water heater and provide solutions on how to fix it.

Problem: Condensation

This usually happens when a new water heater is filled for the first time. It’s quite normal for this to happen and the condensation disappears when the tank warms up. But if condensation is still present, try to check the piping and fittings for possible leaks.

Another reason condensation happens is that moisture from the products of combustion condense on the tank surface. Again, this is normal and it will disappear. But if you notice excessive condensation, ask a technician for assistance as it might lead to pilot burner outage.

One of the other reasons for condensation is an undersized water heater. To avoid this problem, make sure you use a water heater with a size that matches your needs.

Problem: Yellow Flame Or Soot

This might be caused by a restricted flue or combustion air inlet opening. Try to remove the obstruction and see if that clears up the problem.

Not having enough combustion or ventilation air supplied to the water heater location can be a cause for this happening too. Make sure your water heater is getting enough.

But if you notice scale on top of the burner, call a qualified service technician immediately so they can remove the scale.

Problem: Pilot Burner Not Lighting

The orifice of the pilot burner may be clogged or the burner tube may be pinched. So try to clean it to see if it solves the issue. If not, you might have to replace the pilot burner and if so, call a qualified service technician to do it.

Problem: Rumbling Noise

This happens when there is scale and sediment in the tank. Try cleaning out the tank and see if that remedies the issue.

Problem: Relief Valve Makes Popping Noise Or Draining

This is caused by the buildup of pressure due to thermal expansion to a closed system. Since this is not an acceptable condition and must be corrected immediately, contact the water supplier or plumbing contractor so they can correct this issue.

Problem: Water is Too Hot

The simplest reason for this is that the gas control is set too high. Try to see the water temperature settings if that is the case.

Another reason might be that the gas control is defective. If so, get in touch with a qualified service technician to have the gas control replaced.

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