1.5 year old house. No hot water. Getting error code....wtf

[03ozwhip]

Any plumbers here? I tried calling the "emergency" number on my list of who installed what and I didnt get an answer or any sort of response.

I've checked what the code means and it's a slew of different things it could be. Can anyone tell me where to start looking at fixing this? Or any idea on cost?

3 flashes, 3 second pause
"pressure switch or blower temperature switch not working-open position"
1. Vent blockage or improper vent configuration.
2. Pressure switch tubing kinked or blocked.
3. Faulty pressure switch.
4. Blower not spinning up to speed.
5. Blower temp or exhaust temp too high
6. Faulty blower temperature switch.

Fuck me.

[89coupe]

Make sure your exhaust vents are not frozen over. Go outside and take a look.

[03ozwhip]

They're clear and blowing.

[jeffh]

Sounds like a high efficient tank with sidewall venting. First thing to check is the vents terminations on the side of your home. Ensure they aren’t blocked with snow/ice. Could be jammed in there a bit, especially on the intake vent.Pressure switch basically ensures the venting is clear before combustion takes place. Tank is probably locked out at this point. So turn it off(unplug it) and plug er back in after a few moments.

[vtec]

By any chance you have a Bradford white defender?

Same problem happened to me today. I've checked the vents outside the house, some frost build up. Cleared off the mesh screens.

Pilot light is off and can't seem to get it to re-ignite, following the instructions.

Will call the plumber tomorrow.

[03ozwhip]

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Sounds like a high efficient tank with sidewall venting. First thing to check is the vents terminations on the side of your home. Ensure they aren’t blocked with snow/ice. Could be jammed in there a bit, especially on the intake vent.Pressure switch basically ensures the venting is clear before combustion takes place. Tank is probably locked out at this point. So turn it off(unplug it) and plug er back in after a few moments.

So if I feel air coming out of the vents outside, I can rule the blockage out? @jeffh

[jeffh]

How many pipes you got coming out? You should have 2 for your furnace(single furnace) and 2 for your tank(single tank). Unless you have a concentric setup(all in one vent). Ensure you are focused on the tank’s vents, should be the smaller diameter ones. Now one of the pipes should be shorter and closer to the house. This will be the intake. It should not be blowing air out, but sucking it in. Peak your eyes up into it and ensure it doesnt have blockages. If there are steel mesh pieces on any of the terminations(90deg elbows or Tee’s), remove them and set aside for the longterm.

[jeffh]

And i guess you could have a faulty pressure switch, as that is what the diagnostic code is dishing out. $80 part i assume. The pressure switch will be somewhere at the top of the tank attached to the vents by way of little hoses.

[03ozwhip]

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How many pipes you got coming out? You should have 2 for your furnace(single furnace) and 2 for your tank(single tank). Unless you have a concentric setup(all in one vent). Ensure you are focused on the tank’s vents, should be the smaller diameter ones. Now one of the pipes should be shorter and closer to the house. This will be the intake. It should not be blowing air out, but sucking it in. Peak your eyes up into it and ensure it doesnt have blockages. If there are steel mesh pieces on any of the terminations(90deg elbows or Tee’s), remove them and set aside for the longterm.

Ok I have 2 small ones from the furnace and 2 bigger ones from the tank. The 2 bigger ones have the mesh. They both seem to be blowing air...

[jeffh]

All i can say is ensure ALL of them are clear. Then reset your tank and watch it go through the sequences.

[03ozwhip]

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All i can say is ensure ALL of them are clear. Then reset your tank and watch it go through the sequences.

Ok just checked and you're right, one is sucking and one is blowing. I took the mesh out...I'll reset again and report back lol @jeffh

[89coupe]

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Ok I have 2 small ones from the furnace and 2 bigger ones from the tank. The 2 bigger ones have the mesh. They both seem to be blowing air...

Take a picture of your tank and the igniter system it uses.

You will have two pipes coming off your tank, one is an intake vent and one is a exhaust vent. If the intake vent is frozen over it will cut power. You need to clear that vent. Power everything off and then restart it.

[03ozwhip]

So I think taking that mesh out is what resolved my issue. Went out the first time and it was blocked. Cleared it, still not working. Check it again, blocked again. Went out the 3rd time, removed mesh, no error codes, hot water is working.

Thanks for your help guys. Saved me a headache for sure.

[cyra1ax]

Had this happen to me last night. Seems to only happen when it gets mighty cold outside too. Fixed it by removing the plastic grate on the intake and power cycling the hot water tank.

[jeffh]

Glad my advice worked out for you.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

This is really common with those high-efficiency tanks in our climate. They install the intake and exhaust in such a way that the intake sucks in a bit of the hot, moist exhaust and in cold snaps that ices the intake pipe a bit, and they are REALLY sensitive to any blockages. Another Beyonder had that issue last year and we ended up raising the tank exhaust by about two feet to get it away from the intake.

[03ozwhip]

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This is really common with those high-efficiency tanks in our climate. They install the intake and exhaust in such a way that the intake sucks in a bit of the hot, moist exhaust and in cold snaps that ices the intake pipe a bit, and they are REALLY sensitive to any blockages. Another Beyonder had that issue last year and we ended up raising the tank exhaust by about two feet to get it away from the intake.

I've heard this happen to a lot of people and his is the first time it's happened to me. Before I posted here I checked it and it seemed fine.

Anyways it was an easy fix, albeit stressful in this cold.

[NissanFanBoy]

Same problem, same solution in my house. But I noticed something odder this morning, I always have it go down to 18 overnight then back up to 22 by 5am... This morning I come down at 7am and the thermostat control in our living room is reading 20.5?! Wtf!... Does anyone know where the actual thermostat that reads the temp is actually put? The house doesn't feel any different than 22 so I suspect the reading is fucked up or the actual reader is something near a window?

Btw, first thing I did was go out and check the vents, no Frost and furnace is running normal with no flashes

My worst fear is that there something wrong that is making the furnace not blow as hot??

[macman64]

My builder didn't even install the mesh because they get too many calls about this problem. The mesh is beside the furnace, they gave me a warning that without you risk animals but is often easier than the annual lack of hot water.

[firebane]

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Same problem, same solution in my house. But I noticed something odder this morning, I always have it go down to 18 overnight then back up to 22 by 5am... This morning I come down at 7am and the thermostat control in our living room is reading 20.5?! Wtf!... Does anyone know where the actual thermostat that reads the temp is actually put? The house doesn't feel any different than 22 so I suspect the reading is fucked up or the actual reader is something near a window?

Btw, first thing I did was go out and check the vents, no Frost and furnace is running normal with no flashes

My worst fear is that there something wrong that is making the furnace not blow as hot??

The thermostat is where it takes the reading. Do you have multiple thermostats?