What does a water heater vapor sensor do?

What is a Flammable Vapor (FV) Sensor? FV Sensors are safety devices on select models of water heaters, which cause a soft lockout (a.k.a. the unit shuts down) when flammable vapors are detected near the unit, to prevent the possibility of their ignition.

Can you jump out a flammable vapor sensor?

Unfortunately, they tend to spontaneously fail and whether there is vapor or not, your water heater will not turn on. If you count the pulses of the LED, when troubleshooting, and look at the service plate, it will tell you if the detector has sensed flammable vapor (or died). You cannot easily bypass this sensor.

How do I know if my water heater is flammable vapor ignition resistant?

A sensor inside the water heater will detect if it has ignited a flammable vapor from outside of the water heater and shut off the flow of gas to the burner and pilot light. How can I tell if my water heater is FVIR? Each manufacturer will have its own particular label for indicating if the model is FVIR.

Where is the flammable vapor sensor located?

Open doors and windows for ventilation while flammable substances are in use. The FV sensor is located on front of many water heaters today. The sensor will trip if it senses gasoline vapors in the air.

When should you use the reset button on a hot water heater?

Your water heater reset button is a safety device that shuts off power to your water heater when the water temperature inside it exceeds 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Side note: the reset button is also sometimes referred to as the ECO (emergency cut off) switch or “high limit safety thermostat switch”.

Why does my hot water heater keep hitting the reset button?

This indicates that the thermostats are bad or going bad. The reset button usually trips for safety to prevent the tank from overheating and potentially becoming a bomb. If your heater is continuously tripping you should call a Orlando plumbing company to replace the thermostats.

What kind of water heater does A.O.Smith use?

A.O. Smith has developed 2 different gas solar water heater products for this. If the sun is not sufficient, the Premix gas burner (as in the condensing water heater) will assist to meet the need. These systems have been developed in such a way that the starting point is always maximum solar contribution, minimal after-firing.

How can I replace the vapor sensor in my hot water heater?

If you have access to a Radio Shack or electronics store, you can pick up a 15k-ohm resistor. Tie it into your hot water heater, and you will have bypassed the safety mechanism of your hot water heater. Replace the vapor sensor. If you have a bad sensor, the fix is easy—get a replacement and install it.

What does flammable vapor sensor in hot water tank mean?

My control unit produced a sequence of 7 flashes, which indicates that I have a faulty flammable vapor sensor (FVS). The FVS is a relatively newer’ish invention that consists of a silicone type sensor that detects flammable vapors outside of the hot water tank.

How many ohms are in a hot water sensor?

25VS. The little guy that stands between hot and cold showers. When the sensor detects a sensitive fume its resistance increases and closes the circuit. On average the working range of these resistors is somewhere between 9-45 kilo-ohms.