A.O. Smith Commercial Gas Tank Water Heaters BTX-100

CAUTION! Property Damage Hazard

Inspection and replacement of anode rod required.

Each water heater contains at least one anode rod, 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 water usage, hydronic heating devices, and water softening methods can increase the rate of anode rod depletion.

Once the anode rod is depleted, the tank will start to corrode, eventually developing a leak.

Certain water conditions will cause a reaction between the anode 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.

IMPORTANT: Do not remove this rod permanently as it will void any warranties.

WARNING! Breathing Hazard - Carbon Monoxide Gas

Flue gases may escape if vent pipe is not connected.

Be alert for obstructed, sooted or deteriorated vent system to avoid serious injury or death.

Do not store corrosive chemicals in vicinity of water heater.

Chemical corrosion of flue and vent system can cause serious injury or death.

Analyze the entire vent system to make sure that condensate will not become trapped in a section of vent pipe and therefore reduce the open cross sectional area of the vent.

Breathing carbon monoxide can cause brain damage or death. Always read and understand instruction manual.

Check for obstructions and/or deterioration of the intake air and/ or vent piping and the intake air and vent terminations. Replace immediately where needed.

The debris screens in the intake air and vent terminations should be cleaned of foreign material and soot.

DANGER! Burn hazard. Hot water discharge. Keep hands clear of drain valve discharge.

Turn off the electrical supply to the water heater.

Turn off the gas supply at the Main Gas Shutoff Valve if the water heater is going to be shut down for an extended period.

Ensure the cold water inlet valve is open.

Open a nearby hot water faucet and let the water run until the water is no longer hot.

Close the cold water inlet valve to the water heater.

Connect a hose to the water heater drain valve and terminate it to an adequate drain.

Open the water heater drain valve and allow all the water to drain from the storage tank.

Close the water heater drain valve when all water in the storage tank has drained.

DANGER! Burn hazard. Hot water discharge. Keep hands clear of drain valve discharge.

Turn off the electrical supply to the water heater.

Ensure the cold water inlet valve is open.

Open a nearby hot water faucet and let the water run until the water is no longer hot. Then close the hot water faucet.

Connect a hose to the drain valve and terminate it to an adequate drain.

Ensure the drain hose is secured before and during the entire flushing procedure. Flushing is performed with system water pressure applied to the water heater.

Open the water heater drain valve to flush the storage tank.

Flush the water heater storage tank to remove sediment and allow the water to flow until it runs clean.

Close the water heater drain valve when flushing is completed.

DANGER: Burn hazard. Hot water discharge. Keep clear of Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve discharge outlet.

It is recommended that the Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve should be checked to ensure that it is in operating condition every 6 months.

When checking the Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve operation, make sure that no one is in front of or around the outlet of the Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve discharge line, and that the water discharge will not cause any property damage, as water may be extremely hot.

Use care when operating valve as the valve may be hot.

To check the temperature-pressure relief valve, lift the lever at the end of the valve several times. The valve should seat properly and operate freely.

If after manually operating the valve, it fails to completely reset and continues to release water, immediately close the cold water inlet to the water heater and drain the water heater.

Replace the Temperature- Pressure Relief Valve with a properly rated/sized new one.

If the Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve on the water heater weeps or discharges periodically, this may be due to thermal expansion.

NOTE: Excessive water pressure is the most common cause of Temperature-Pressure Relief Valve leakage. Excessive water system pressure is most often caused by “thermal expansion” in a “closed system.”