# Reliance 40 gal lowboy stats



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Went on a call yesterday luck warm water, new heater was installed not by us, got to the place and checked the stats, stats were set at 125, ok, i walk through the apt looking for single control valves, none, turned water off to heater and checked for possible cross connection of hot and cold mixing somewhere. Shutting supply off, shut the hot side down all together. all H & C separate handle, no mixing valves, so tested temp out a faucet 100 degrees, after I made sure no power was to the upper and lower elements, so pulled a water temp test at the water heater, temp at the heater was 103, tested to make sure the stats would turn the elements on via the dials on the stats, that works perfect, the only thing I could think of is the stats are not true to the setting shown on the dials.

Anyone come across stats that were that far off the setting showing on them? Were talking 20 degrees off.

Like I said new water heater, we never install reliance heaters, could it be the stats are defective new out of the box?


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Ron The Plumber said:


> Went on a call yesterday luck warm water, new heater was installed not by us, got to the place and checked the stats, stats were set at 125, ok, i walk through the apt looking for single control valves, none, turned water off to heater and checked for possible cross connection of hot and cold mixing somewhere. Shutting supply off, shut the hot side down all together. all H & C separate handle, no mixing valves, so tested temp out a faucet 100 degrees, after I made sure no power was to the upper and lower elements, so pulled a water temp test at the water heater, temp at the heater was 103, tested to make sure the stats would turn the elements on via the dials on the stats, that works perfect, the only thing I could think of is the stats are not true to the setting shown on the dials.
> 
> Anyone come across stats that were that far off the setting showing on them? Were talking 20 degrees off.
> 
> Like I said new water heater, we never install reliance heaters, could it be the stats are defective new out of the box?


 Are the stats tiight to the tank? Where did you draw the water from at the water heater that tested to 103 temp? If the temp was taken from the drain valve then thats the problem and the stats are fine.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> Are the stats tiight to the tank? Where did you draw the water from at the water heater that tested to 103 temp? If the temp was taken from the drain valve then thats the problem and the stats are fine.


Stats tight to the tank, took the draw from the T&P


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Ron The Plumber said:


> Stats tight to the tank, took the draw from the T&P


I suppose the only other thing it could be is a partially bad diptube and some cold is crossing at the top of the tank or you have out of spec thermos. I thought a few years ago they stopped putting the numbers on the thermostats????????? Now its some B.S like hot, hotter and hotest


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a faulty thermostat. Reliance is a re-branded State water heater. I change out a lot of thermostats in State water heaters. I think the manufacturer of those thermostat is Apcom. They don't seem to be made that well. The thermostats that Rheem uses are made by a different company, but I don't remember the brand name off the top of my head. I almost never have to change out those thermostats.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Nevada Plumber said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if it was a faulty thermostat. Reliance is a re-branded State water heater. I change out a lot of thermostats in State water heaters. I think the manufacturer of those thermostat is Apcom. They don't seem to be made that well. The thermostats that Rheem uses are made by a different company, but I don't remember the brand name off the top of my head. I almost never have to change out those thermostats.


 Maybe robertshaw in the rheems....I dont remember but they use to be robertshaw fo sho


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

These stats did show the temps on it, I was going to install new stats but we are not a warranty company, I did turn them up and ask the manager to test the temp at a faucet one hour from the time I left, no call from them, so, I'm thinking reliance is not using top rated stats and using what ever they have.


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

Yeah, it's RobertShaw. Couldn't think of the name, and didn't feel like walking outside to check.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Ron The Plumber said:


> These stats did show the temps on it, I was going to install new stats but we are not a warranty company, I did turn them up and ask the manager to test the temp at a faucet one hour from the time I left, no call from them, so, I'm thinking reliance is not using top rated stats and using what ever they have.


I know the manufacturers use to state that the numbers are a "guide" but 20 degrees is too far off.....If given the chance replace them and retest or check the diptube,replace the thermos. Any date on the heater? maybe the thermos are not factory?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Talked to the owner and he told me if after the managers ran the new test and it still was not good he was going to have it returned to the store it came from and have us install a BW, no call yet, but I did mention different stats, he was going to call the store and run the warranty on it, we are just waiting to see what happens.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

After hurricane katrina i installed 1500 w elements wired directly to a gen. to get hot water in my rheem. heating a 50 gal takes a while like that but had other stuff running like directv/tv and a small ac window unit so it was worth replacing the elements so I could do all at once. Once I saw that power was not coming back on soon I connected the gen. to the the main sub-panel and disconnected the incoming leads to the sub-panel so the power wouldn't possibly back feed through to the workers trying to restore the power lines. It was quite the experience!


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Dip tube???


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Not the dip tube, water temp was constant at the faucet no sudden changes or fluctuating temp when running.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Ron, did you check your elect. connections? I had this happen once and it was a loose wire nut connection and it wasn't getting full voltage.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Yes I checked the voltage, at the same time I was cycling the stats up and down on the scale to make sure they were turning on and off, full power was there, I think there just crappy stats.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> These stats did show the temps on it, I was going to install new stats but we are not a warranty company, I did turn them up and ask the manager to test the temp at a faucet one hour from the time I left, no call from them, so, I'm thinking reliance is not using top rated stats and using what ever they have.


I disagree with turning up a WH stat and leaving. Sounds like a good way to get my ass sued. I stay till she kicks off.


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## robthaplumber (Jan 27, 2010)

Did you check the ohms on the elements? I have installed new units with faulty elements


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

robthaplumber said:


> Did you check the ohms on the elements? I have installed new units with faulty elements


No I did not preform that test, so I have no idea how much resistance there was on them, next time on a problem of this sort, I'll add that to my list of checks.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

If you want to know if the water heaters kicken and you dont have a amp meter.....turn off everything in the house and turn off the w.h. breaker......as you watch the power meter,turn the breaker on. Notice an increase in the power consumption then its heating. Its called "The handyhack water heater test method".


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Ron The Plumber said:


> No I did not preform that test, so I have no idea how much resistance there was on them, next time on a problem of this sort, I'll add that to my list of checks.


 Ron you know thats not the problem because the thermostats cut off for you,that means the elements are doing what they are being asked to do. I bet you just have some bad thermos. Did they ever call back? Hopefully you get to go back.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Some time I'll shut the power off and see in the tank feels warm or hot or even cold at the bottom and top. I done this with power on but it can be risky.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Nope no word on what they found out.


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