How To Prevent A Power Surge From Damaging An Indoor Tankless Water Heater?

To protect your indoor tankless water heater from freezing, install a direct vent exhaust and intake system. Consider having a battery backup for power outages in areas prone to power outages. Proper ventilation is essential to prevent back drafting. Two common ways to protect your home and appliances from power surges are installing a whole house surge protector and using power strips with surge protection features.

The HUGO Battery Backup System for Tankless Water Heaters is an effective solution for maintaining a consistent power supply to your tankless water heater. However, it may also cause ignition failure, cold water, overheated water, cold water sandwich, exhaust obstruction message, and mineral accumulation. To fix these common problems, leave the unit empty, turn off gas, cold water, and temperature controls, and disconnect the power source.

For major appliances and electronics, consider installing multi-layered surge protection. Type 1 whole house protection installed between street power lines should be sufficient, either hard wired or plugged into a receptacle outlet. A red button that may be slightly popped out can also serve as a breaker to protect the element in case of a surge.

To ensure comprehensive protection, consider installing surge protection devices that cover your entire house. A tankless water heater should not need a “reset” after a power outage unless it has had a failure or was improperly installed. A whole-house surge protector stops surges from entering the circuit at the main control panel and is effective at protecting the electronics.

In summary, installing a whole-house surge protector, unplugging big electronics during storms, and following these simple tips can help keep your home safe and your electronics running smoothly.


📹 How to protect your Rinnai tankless during power outage

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How do you insulate an indoor tankless water heater?

Insulation is essential for tankless water heaters and plumbing pipes, which are susceptible to freezing during cold temperatures. Fiberglass and heat tape are excellent options for winterizing, with various types and materials available. Applying heat tape on pipes connected to the water heater ensures water doesn’t freeze. However, heat tape only works when there’s power. Battery backup is crucial for maintaining a consistent power source, especially when homes or businesses lose power, as demonstrated in Texas. Both heat tape and battery backup are essential for protecting water pipes and preventing freezing.

Do tankless water heaters need to be covered?
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Do tankless water heaters need to be covered?

Tankless water heaters are known for their energy-saving capabilities, but their cover can further enhance their efficiency by acting as an insulator, reducing heat loss and preventing cold air from seeping in. This results in lower energy consumption and utility bills. Additionally, a well-designed cover can contribute to the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space, blending seamlessly with your home’s exterior. With various cover designs available, you can select one that complements your outdoor décor and enhances the curb appeal of your property.

To hide your water heater from view or blend in with its surroundings, consider using decorative materials like fireproof wood panels, metal sheets, vinyl siding, or stone veneer to create a custom cover.

How to fix a hot water heater after a power surge?

Power surges can shut down your heater, so turn off the tank and then re-on for 30 minutes. If hot water still doesn’t come, check the fuse or breaker. If you run out of hot water during a shower, it’s likely a problem with your hot water heater. While some fixes can be done by yourself, some require professional help. If you encounter this issue, try troubleshooting or contact C and K, who can quickly restore hot water to your Boone home. They can help turn a cold mess into a hot time.

Can you cover an indoor tankless water heater?
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Can you cover an indoor tankless water heater?

Protecting your outdoor tankless water heater is crucial for its longevity and optimal performance. A high-quality tankless water heater cover is essential to shield the unit from harsh weather conditions, preventing freezing and damage to plumbing pipes. Water Heaters Now offers durable and weather-resistant covers designed to fit various models and sizes of tankless water heaters.

Preventing water heater freeze is essential for the functionality and longevity of your unit. Freezing temperatures can pose a serious threat to the plumbing pipes that carry water to and from the unit, leading to loss of hot water and costly repairs or even the need for a full replacement. To prevent freeze damage, it is essential to take proactive measures such as applying insulation to the plumbing pipes and weatherizing the entire unit. This will ensure a steady flow of hot water and avoid the potential for frozen, burst pipes.

How do I protect my tankless water heater?

Insulate pipes and water heaters to prevent freezing, as they are not protected by the freeze prevention system in your heater. Use fiberglass, polyethylene, or heat tape to insulate pipes. Old man winter can be harsh on plumbing systems, especially in northern climates where temperatures often dip below freezing. Proper precautions are essential to prevent freezing and ensure your tankless water heater remains safe and functional.

Can a power surge damage a tankless water heater?

Power surges pose a significant threat to HVAC and plumbing systems, as they can degrade circuit boards, motors, and electronic controls, leading to premature failure or inefficient operation. In Oklahoma City, residents are at a higher risk due to the area’s high concentration of violent winds, lightning, and storms, which can disrupt power infrastructure. Therefore, comprehensive surge protection is crucial to safeguard home systems and prevent damage to these critical components.

What shouldn’t I plug into a power strip?

A power strip is a useful tool when you don’t have enough outlets to plug in everything you need, but it’s important to be cautious with what you plug into it. Microwaves, toasters, hair dryers, slow cookers, space heaters, and coffee makers are some of the items that shouldn’t be plugged into a power strip. A typical power strip can handle up to 1, 800W of power, so anything more than that can overload it, potentially overheating and creating a fire hazard.

Can you put a tankless water heater inside a house?
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Can you put a tankless water heater inside a house?

Tankless water heaters are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for homes, especially in bathrooms. They don’t need to keep the water warm after heating, resulting in less electricity usage. Tankless water heaters have a longer lifespan than traditional boiler-style models, sometimes up to twice that of a single model. They are smaller than traditional units, making installation more flexible. They also offer on-demand hot water, making them ideal for those who frequently run out of hot water.

Additionally, tankless systems are cost-effective, as they don’t need to heat a tank full of water while away or worry about water damage, which can be expensive to restore. This makes them a great choice for those who prefer a more efficient and cost-effective water heater.

Can I enclose my tankless water heater?

Outdoor water heater enclosures provide protection for tankless and tanked models, but installation is crucial. Ventilation is essential for the system to avoid overheating and breakdown. Vents at the top release heat and gases. Enclosures should have at least two feet between the heater and the enclosure edges, but some require more space. Insulation around water pipes is also necessary. To prevent bugs and pests from entering, wire mesh or screens can be installed to keep spiders away. Overall, outdoor water heater enclosures should be carefully considered for optimal performance.

Can I plug my water heater into a surge protector?

The water heater is of the gas-fired variety, which indicates that the surge strip is functioning as intended. It can be reasonably deduced that the breaker size for the water heater control is likely a 20A circuit, which would indicate the potential for issues with other outlets on the same circuit.

Is it safe to plug a heater into a surge protector?
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Is it safe to plug a heater into a surge protector?

It is inadvisable to connect a space heater to an extension cord or surge protector. Instead, it should be plugged directly into a wall outlet to ensure safety and optimal performance.


📹 Common Tankless Water Heater Problems & How to Fix Them

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How To Prevent A Power Surge From Damaging An Indoor Tankless Water Heater
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Rafaela Priori Gutler

Hi, I’m Rafaela Priori Gutler, a passionate interior designer and DIY enthusiast. I love transforming spaces into beautiful, functional havens through creative decor and practical advice. Whether it’s a small DIY project or a full home makeover, I’m here to share my tips, tricks, and inspiration to help you design the space of your dreams. Let’s make your home as unique as you are!

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11 comments

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  • Hey Mike, I really would like to thank you for your time involved with teaching myself and so many of us newbies regarding the Rinnai water heaters. I just finished my first install with nothing more than listening to your articles and instruction. Thank you very much. Good luck and God bless you and yours sir.

  • Haven’t purchased a Rennai yet (disclosure), but have experience with dealing with power loss . I plan to connect the Rennai to a UPS, as others have said, and plan to get a standby generator. The point is, even with a generator, it is best to have a UPS in place for anything electronic. It bridges the time until the generator kicks in, and it will smooth out/eliminate a bad wave (distortion/surge) that the generator may have on start up. If a generator isn’t possible, then the UPS still has great value. A generator without a UPS is not being fully protected.

  • Hello Mike, I hope you see this question. I am new to the Rannai water heater and have a question concerning the power. The heater makes noise under the floor of our master bedroom at night so I want to do what I can to alleviate this. I know I can buy the module to stop it but until I get one can I turn the main power breaker off at night and back on without damaging anything or having to reset anything. I would appreciate your input. Also, do I need to turn it off at the breaker when a storm is coming. If the power goes off coming to my house should I turn the breaker off until the power comes back on and then turn the breaker back on. Thanks man.

  • Experiencing a city wide water outage here in Austin TX with this polar vortex and I was advised to shut off the water heater and gas but have a plumber come out to turn it all back on. (Something about bleeding the air before use 🤷‍♀️). Do you have any pointers for this situation? We never lost power thankfully so no generator use or surges

  • Why does the valve shut off in a power outage and yet stay open when you energize it and then unplug it? It seems that unplugging it would have the same affect as a power outage. I thought perhaps it would be because the assumption is that no faucet was on when the power outage occurred, but we just moved into a house with a Rinnai and the power went off while I was showering and the water cut off so that blew my assumption theory.

  • Hey Mike, I have a Rinnai i120S boiler which I installed myself (x general contractor) that is 1 year old which has been working well until recently when there was a power outage. After the power came back on the boiler displays error code 371 (Indirect Tank Thermister ). From the manual’s code list, this looks line a faulty thermister. I am only using the boiler to heat the house using radiant heat panels and am not using it for DHW heating. I have not made any changes to the control panel’s DIP switches (all set to default OFF positions). The boiler is still heating the panels fine but the front display just keeps flashing the error code on and off in between it’s regular display. Could the power surge have damaged the thermister and is displaying the error code because of the damage, even though I do not have an indirect water tank connected? I need to test the condition of the thermister but I don’t know where it is located in the boiler. If it is damaged, I would need a part number and where to purchase the replacement. And finally as a note, I now have the boiler plugged into a new UPS which will hopefully give me enough time to run down to the basement and unplug the thing before the USP battery runs out and then the power is restored. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. I love your articles so much! Keep them coming!

  • Kitchen and bathroom sinks are fine for the most part. Shower is inconsistent. When water does reach close to set temp, the temp is not maintained and short-lived. Could it be that the capacity is not high enough for the shower fixture which is a rainfall with handheld and regular facet – only one outlet at once?

  • new home purchase first time dealing with tankless. I have a westing house tankless with p-920c i have really good water pressure but the system demands a lot of water to kick on the burner I have to run another faucet to get hot water iv already cleaned all filters and screens and every time its done running I get err 16 and 72 anything helps thanks

  • Hi! Need your expert advice. Whenever hot water in the shower is turned on, the water flow/pressure goes weak then strong, weak then strong… also the tankless water heater makes pounding noise on the hot water line and at the same time Do you know what is going on there and any advice on how I can fix it? TIA

  • Hi! Need your expert advice. Whenever hot water in the shower is turned on, the water flow/pressure goes weak then strong, weak then strong… also the tankless water heater makes pounding noise on the hot water line and at the same time the pressure swater flow goes on and off Do you know what is going on there and any advice on how I can fix it? TIA

  • I have a EZTR40 and was getting error 121. After quick call to Noritz had it up and running in 10 minutes! The rep told it was really error 12 where it would ignite and then shut off. He walked me thru cleaning the flame rod and ignition plug with a DOLLAR BILL, could of used a Scott pad but did not have dry and clean one. Don’t hesitate to call Noritz great customer service.

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