If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
This flush demonstration is different for specific models. I have an RU-130iN, and nowhere in the instructions manual does it say to pull the power cord out of the wall for 20 seconds and plug it in again for 20 seconds. The instruction also doesn't say to yank the power cord from the wall. It says to "turn off power at the controller" (the on/off button), then disconnect electric power to the heater. It also doesn't mention anything about turning off the gas valve at the unit. I recommend everyone follow their manual instruction according to their model type because if anything goes wrong, Rinnai will say you didn't follow the manufacturer's instructions. The cost and installation of these heaters cost a lot of money, and you don't want to void your warranty by doing something not specific to your heater model. If you're still unsure, call Rinnai for a recommendation for a contractor to flush your heater. If anything goes wrong, you're covered.
This video doesn't mention burping/flushing out the pressure relief valve after completing the flush. The pressure relief valve is a low point in the system and can hold vinegar, thus slowly corroding the valve. I found out the hard way and had to bring a plumber out to fix it. They said to follow this video's procedures fully and then open the pressure relief valve for a few seconds to make sure there is no solution sitting in the valve. It's disappointing that this isn't included in the video. It could have saved me some time and heartache.
Most important comment is the tip to hit the “power” button before you unplug. The video missed it and that was my issue. Prior no water through hot water line. This fixed that
My BiL(suffering from MS and has lots of nerve damage) felt my water wasn't getting hot enough during a holiday visit and raised the temp from 125 to 140 thinking he was doing me a favor. Nope, it cost me $500 to get the heating element replaced 6 months later. Luckily, the warranty covered that part, but the plumber is where I got hammered; $150 just to take a look and the rest t9 complete the job. I won't let anyone touch it as 125 is plenty hot. If I was still cloth diapering then yes 140 would be great with a softener system in place. Now for the past 3 years, I have mine flushed by a local company. The water here is extremely hard, so I see it as a necessity. If I DIY it then I get to save $175 a year.
Is there a range for the flow rate? I cannot seem to find a submersible pump that goes as low as 4 gpm. What’s the highest gpm that is allowed to do the job ?
I have a Rinnai M/N REU-N3237FF that was installed in Feb 2020. I followed the instructions in Sep 2022 and flushed my system accordingly. Today is Oct 2023 and currently doing another flush, this time around noticed corrosion around a pipe the connects hot water and possibly cold cold water. My water looks crystal clear after running the system for an hour. Wish I could include a picture but I don’t have the option. Any suggestions?
I use citric acid. Works very well and is food grade. In fact I use it for all food related elements as well such as espresso machine baby bottle warmer and dryers and of course the washer machine. Every household should keep stock.
@rinnaivideos - I have the model RUR199iN version. It is about 2 years old. Lately we are seeing an issue where after starting recirculation, water goes cold after 10-15 minutes of shower use. Again restarting recirculation doesn’t help either. Do you think flushing the rinnai heater would potentially solve this issue?
It may not be easy to see in the video, but the condensation lines are drained through a neutralizer BEFORE it enters the copper shown in the video. The pH of the drainage should be ok.
@JoseRamirez-lw8bt 0 seconds ago i have a Rannai water heater RE140E no recirculation pipe I know i need a recirculation pump and a crossover valve would you please recommend a pump and where should i install it
Plus, if you do turn the Gas Off. If the unit doesn’t restart. Make sure you purge the Gas line. I didn’t know that. After a few minutes. It finally dawned on me that’s why it wasn’t firing up again. Cheers
If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
when I went to flush the unit Im not getting any water coming through the hot side at all. I have a fully submerable pump that I just bought so it can;t be the pump. What do I need to do to get the water to flow ?
If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
Try priming the pump by lifting it up and down while it is submerged in your solution,. I often have the issue with my pump being on but not pumping at first. It may just be air in the pump at first.
I followed the instructions in this video to flush my Rinnai tankless water heater after getting the code “LC” Initially when the pump started, the solution in the bucket turned chalky colored. After letting it flush for an hour, I went to turn everything off and the solution was clear! What happened there? I am also now unable to turn the cold water valve back on- it was moving fine when I shut it off, but now it won’t open again. Please help!
I've had a Rinnai for over 10 years, it operates flawlessly. The manual states that no periodic maintenance is required, and if a flush is necessary, the unit will say so via the control panel. What happened to that? Sounds like the tech has gone backwards. Mine has never asked for a flush.
Most units can go a decade without a flush and still function fine, especially if your water isn’t partially hard. However, flushing periodically just helps prevent hard scale formation on the heat exchanger, which can very slowly reduce flow (I.e., efficiency) over time. This is just a maintenance task that can help squeeze an extra few years out of a unit, and ensure your utility bill isn’t any higher than it needs to be. It’s more of a prophylactic/empiric practice than anything; since it only costs a few dollars and less than an afternoon of work, it’s seen as something that can’t hurt to do, and may save you something long term
He didn’t say you needed NSF approved white vinegar. His suggestion to find NSF approval was if you were using a chemical flushing agent besides vinegar. All regular household white vinegar is approved for human consumption.
If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
This flush demonstration is different for specific models. I have an RU-130iN, and nowhere in the instructions manual does it say to pull the power cord out of the wall for 20 seconds and plug it in again for 20 seconds. The instruction also doesn't say to yank the power cord from the wall. It says to "turn off power at the controller" (the on/off button), then disconnect electric power to the heater. It also doesn't mention anything about turning off the gas valve at the unit. I recommend everyone follow their manual instruction according to their model type because if anything goes wrong, Rinnai will say you didn't follow the manufacturer's instructions. The cost and installation of these heaters cost a lot of money, and you don't want to void your warranty by doing something not specific to your heater model. If you're still unsure, call Rinnai for a recommendation for a contractor to flush your heater. If anything goes wrong, you're covered.
This video doesn't mention burping/flushing out the pressure relief valve after completing the flush. The pressure relief valve is a low point in the system and can hold vinegar, thus slowly corroding the valve. I found out the hard way and had to bring a plumber out to fix it. They said to follow this video's procedures fully and then open the pressure relief valve for a few seconds to make sure there is no solution sitting in the valve. It's disappointing that this isn't included in the video. It could have saved me some time and heartache.
Just bought and installed one. Very nice product and installation instructions. Thanks
Most important comment is the tip to hit the “power” button before you unplug. The video missed it and that was my issue. Prior no water through hot water line. This fixed that
My BiL(suffering from MS and has lots of nerve damage) felt my water wasn't getting hot enough during a holiday visit and raised the temp from 125 to 140 thinking he was doing me a favor. Nope, it cost me $500 to get the heating element replaced 6 months later. Luckily, the warranty covered that part, but the plumber is where I got hammered; $150 just to take a look and the rest t9 complete the job. I won't let anyone touch it as 125 is plenty hot. If I was still cloth diapering then yes 140 would be great with a softener system in place. Now for the past 3 years, I have mine flushed by a local company. The water here is extremely hard, so I see it as a necessity. If I DIY it then I get to save $175 a year.
😀What acidity level of distilled white vinegar should we use for better flush?
What about turning off the gas? There's no mention of that. So do we press power off on unit, then unplug?
Is there a range for the flow rate? I cannot seem to find a submersible pump that goes as low as 4 gpm. What’s the highest gpm that is allowed to do the job ?
No turning off the gas?
I have a Rinnai M/N REU-N3237FF that was installed in Feb 2020. I followed the instructions in Sep 2022 and flushed my system accordingly. Today is Oct 2023 and currently doing another flush, this time around noticed corrosion around a pipe the connects hot water and possibly cold cold water. My water looks crystal clear after running the system for an hour. Wish I could include a picture but I don’t have the option. Any suggestions?
I use citric acid. Works very well and is food grade. In fact I use it for all food related elements as well such as espresso machine baby bottle warmer and dryers and of course the washer machine. Every household should keep stock.
The fact that reading the Manuel didn’t answer my question and I had to use a TH-cam video is really annoying
.
Agreed. Came there to say the same thing. I had Hulk Rage today when the unit wouldn’t flush water.
@@keith6033 Nothing gets past you!
The fact that the builder didn’t leave the Manuel is also annoying
@@ctofan I’ll be sure to let my passed father know!
@rinnaivideos - I have the model RUR199iN version. It is about 2 years old. Lately we are seeing an issue where after starting recirculation, water goes cold after 10-15 minutes of shower use. Again restarting recirculation doesn’t help either. Do you think flushing the rinnai heater would potentially solve this issue?
Hey Tim will the condensate not eventually eat up that copper p-trap?
It may not be easy to see in the video, but the condensation lines are drained through a neutralizer BEFORE it enters the copper shown in the video. The pH of the drainage should be ok.
@JoseRamirez-lw8bt
0 seconds ago
i have a Rannai water heater RE140E no recirculation pipe
I know i need a recirculation pump and a crossover valve would you please recommend a pump and where should i install it
What yellow pump did you use in your video?
Do you turn the gas off or leave it on for the flush? The video doesn't mention anything about turning it off, so does it matter?
No it doesnt matter its unplugged anyway theres no gas flowing
Plus, if you do turn the Gas Off. If the unit doesn’t restart. Make sure you purge the Gas line. I didn’t know that. After a few minutes. It finally dawned on me that’s why it wasn’t firing up again. Cheers
If you have a water softener, how does this effect your tankless water heater?
Water softeners will prevent scale build up and you most probably will not need to flush your water heater.
When I cleaned, water was flowing from my pump through the cold water line but no water was coming out the hot water line. What could cause this?
If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
Turn the water heater back on or the valve won't open
At 3:11 you’re filling the bucket with VINEGAR, but at 4:30 you say WATER…what is in the bucket, vinegar or water?
Very well done explainer video. Great job! Very helpful
Hello Rinnai, I am getting warning code 55... What to do please...
Press on off button 5 times
when I went to flush the unit Im not getting any water coming through the hot side at all. I have a fully submerable pump that I just bought so it can;t be the pump. What do I need to do to get the water to flow ?
The water isn't passing through the Hot Side...
If you are trying to flush your water heater and there is no solution going through the pump press the power button on the unit and wait for the unit to power down. After doing so unplug the unit and follow the instructions. The unit in the video was already powered off before he unplugged the one being serviced so it was not mentioned that this is an important step.
I tried to plug, power down the unit and then unplug and it still does not work
Try priming the pump by lifting it up and down while it is submerged in your solution,. I often have the issue with my pump being on but not pumping at first. It may just be air in the pump at first.
I followed the instructions in this video to flush my Rinnai tankless water heater after getting the code “LC”
Initially when the pump started, the solution in the bucket turned chalky colored. After letting it flush for an hour, I went to turn everything off and the solution was clear! What happened there?
I am also now unable to turn the cold water valve back on- it was moving fine when I shut it off, but now it won’t open again. Please help!
I've had a Rinnai for over 10 years, it operates flawlessly. The manual states that no periodic maintenance is required, and if a flush is necessary, the unit will say so via the control panel. What happened to that? Sounds like the tech has gone backwards. Mine has never asked for a flush.
Most units can go a decade without a flush and still function fine, especially if your water isn’t partially hard. However, flushing periodically just helps prevent hard scale formation on the heat exchanger, which can very slowly reduce flow (I.e., efficiency) over time. This is just a maintenance task that can help squeeze an extra few years out of a unit, and ensure your utility bill isn’t any higher than it needs to be. It’s more of a prophylactic/empiric practice than anything; since it only costs a few dollars and less than an afternoon of work, it’s seen as something that can’t hurt to do, and may save you something long term
Has anyone found NSF approved Vinegar? Even googling doesn’t yield any results
He didn’t say you needed NSF approved white vinegar. His suggestion to find NSF approval was if you were using a chemical flushing agent besides vinegar. All regular household white vinegar is approved for human consumption.
Turn it back on or it won't flush
Huge KEY step missed
@@AttackLineConsultingLLC so
so you turn it off, unplug, plug it back in, wait for 20 seconds, then turn it back on, start pump? this isn't a step in the video.
again: trun power off, unplug unit, plug unit back in, wait 20 seconds, unplug unit, turn poser back on, start pump?
@@gregmorg Did that work? So many of these comments contradict each other on series of steps.