Polaris Water Heater Tank issues

[silverrat]

Hi guys, I'm having an issue with this gas water heater tank I have in the place I'm renting. The tank is a rental and the service provider hasn't been much help and my landlord isn't helping either.

The water heater keeps cycling like this constantly. It's does it all hours of the day and night. Sometimes 10 times in the span of an hour. This doesn't seems normal to me. The issue is that the CLICK is extremely loud and disturbing. The service technician said last month that this is operating normally. I think it has gotten worse.

Here is a video. I sent this to my landlord and asked that he request another service call. Any ideas?

 

[AandPDan]

It should only come on if the water temperature drops. Are you using any hot water? Is there a leak?

 

[CDX825]

Is it making hot water? I have never seen a water heater like this before. Kinda seems like its trying to run but tripping on safety. Could be a dirty flame rod. The igniter light was on then the burner light came on for awhile but the igniter light stayed on. Seems like it was trying to fire and either it didn't fire up or it did and the flame wasn't proven.

 

[silverrat]

It should only come on if the water temperature drops. Are you using any hot water? Is there a leak?

No leaks. And I heard it doing this this morning even at 4am when I woke up, no water was being used as that time.

 

[silverrat]

Is it making hot water? I have never seen a water heater like this before. Kinda seems like its trying to run but tripping on safety. Could be a dirty flame rod. The igniter light was on then the burner light came on for awhile but the igniter light stayed on. Seems like it was trying to fire and either it didn't fire up or it did and the flame wasn't proven.

Still have hot water. It's an old model I think installed in 2013 when the house was built.

 

[silverrat]

Pictures of the unit.

 

[mk378]

Is this behavior new?

It's a tank type heater not on-demand, so it needs to fire periodically to keep the water in the tank hot. If you turn the temperature knob up, it should fire for a longer time until the new temperature is reached.

You could pull the plug or turn off the breaker to shut the unit down at night. This of course will also save gas. Turn off the electricity, don't close the gas valve. If you only shut off the gas it will make a lot of noise and eventually stop with an error.

 

[silverrat]

Is this behavior new?

It's a tank type heater not on-demand, so it is going to fire periodically to keep the water in the tank hot. If you turn the temperature knob up, it should fire for a longer time until the new temperature is reached.

You could pull the plug or turn off the breaker to shut the unit down at night. This of course will also save gas.

I've been here since Sep 2022. It was not like this until around two months ago.

The knob has kind of a stop that doesn't let me go beyond this point. Currently have it resting at the stop at 54.5.

It may have cycled like this before but never this loud to be noticed.

 

[mk378]

I suggested turning it up temporarily only as a test to see if it does stay lit for a longer time when it needs to.

 

[silverrat]

I suggested turning it up temporarily only as a test to see if it does stay lit for a longer time when it needs to.

Ok will try that. Thank you.

 

[Thermo1223]

Could be a wonky thermostat causing it short cycle.

 

[PandaBear]

Do you pay for water? If this is due to a leak it could mean somewhere else along the hot water consumption path has a leak, enough to cause it to work harder so it goes on and off all night. If you want to check for real shut the hot water inlet off at night and see if it goes on and off like that.

It could also mean the water heater is now working a lot harder than before, for many reasons, and therefore clicking on and off all the time. Just why is it would be the question (heater element problem, thermostat problem, tripping some emergency protection, etc).

 

[SHOZ]

Those are relays clicking closed and open. Way short of cycle though. What temp is the water? Insulating the tank would help a lot too with that reflective bubble wrap.

 

[Rand]

shut off water to make sure you dont have leak. turn up tank to see if it runs longer.

is it a power vent style?
guessing its tripping some kind of safety thinking its not lighting or something like that.

 

[oldcodger]

You show a picture for fault codes. Have you checked seen any codes?

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Sounds like a draft inducer motor is switching off, does it have good airflow?

The burner comes on so the igniter is functioning. Make sure there's no obstructions if that is a draft inducer or power ventilator. Sometimes animals get caught in them etc

 

[nate379]

The water heater is rented?

 

[chemman]

I would contact the manufacturer and send them your video and ask for their opinion.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Looking for water issues. Check all your faucets when you turn on just the cold water.

My parents had issues with the mixing valve on their shower (the one knob version) and kitchen faucet (1 lever). O-rings went and even when "off" the hot was mixing with cold causing an issue like that. They would also get "warm" water from bathroom faucet when only the cold handle was turned on.

 

[mk378]

The pipes in and out of the water heater should be cold when you're not using hot water. If the outlet pipe is always hot there's an unintended flow of hot water somewhere.