Reliance Water Heater Reset Button

This is a complete guide on Reliance Water Heater Reset Button where I will break down: 

• The location of the reset button on Reliance Water Heater
• How to reset your Reliance Water Heater?
• What causes the reset button to trip on the Hot Water Heater? 

So, let’s dive in. 

Table of Contents

• Reliance Water Heater Reset Button: Where Is It Located?
• How To Reset Reliance Water Heater? 
  • Reset The Reliance Electric Water Heater: 
  • Reset The Reliance Gas Water Heater: 
• What Causes The Hot Water Heater Reset Button To Trip?
  • Overheating or Burn-Out Heating Element  
  • Defective Thermostat
• FAQs
• End-Note

Reliance Water Heater Reset Button: Where Is It Located?

Only the Reliance Electric (Tanked) Water Heater like Reliance 501 Electric Water Heater has a reset button. And you can find the reset button on the upper thermostat. In simple words, you should unscrew the upper access panel and fold away the insulation to get the reset button. 

However, other types of water heaters like gas water (both tanked and tankless) and electric tankless units don’t have the reset button. Though these units have no reset buttons, you can still reset the button.  

In the next chapter, I will show how to reset the Reliance Water Heater.

How To Reset Reliance Water Heater?

This chapter will disclose the step-by-step procedure to reset the Reliance Water Heater, no matter if the unit is tanked or tankless or electric or gas. 

Reset The Reliance Electric Water Heater:

Reliance Electric Water Heater (tanked) has a reset button. It means you can easily reset the unit by pressing the reset button. Here’s the step-by-step guide to reset the electric water heater: 

• Unscrew the upper access panel by using a Phillips head screwdriver. 
• Remove the insulation to expose the round reset button on the upper electronic thermostat. 
• Press the reset button. You can hear a click while pressing the reset button, which indicates you reset the unit.
• Replace the insulation back into its place and secure the access panel with the nut.
• Now, turn on the unit and you can see the unit is reset. 

Reset The Reliance Gas Water Heater:

Reliance Gas Water Heater has no reset button. But the gas unit comes with a gas control valve, which you can reset. And this will reset any flashing code to solve a specific issue.  

Below, I will take you through the steps to reset the gas control valve of your Reliance Gas Water Heater. 

Note: This method is perfect for the unit that comes with a Honeywell Gas Control Valve. 

• Unplug the unit (gas control valve) and leave it for a minute. 
• After a minute, plug the power cord into the electric outlet. Ensure you turn the control valve on. 
• Set the temperature knob to the lowest setting. Then, turn the knob from the lowest setting to the highest setting. Repeat this for seven times within 30 seconds. 
• Now, the status light on the valve should stop flashing repeatedly, which indicates you reset the gas control valve successfully. 
• Finally, set the temperature knob to your desired temperature setting and the burner will come on. 

What Causes The Hot Water Heater Reset Button To Trip?

Several causes are to blame if the hot water heater keeps tripping the reset button. For example, overheating or shorted heating elements and faulty thermostat cause the reset button to trip. 

These reasons are responsible for the most electric water heaters to trip the reset button. In short, the culprits behind a tripped reset button can be applied to any electric (tanked) water heater like Reliance, Rheem, or AO Smith. 

Overheating or Burn-Out Heating Element

Every electric water heater has a safety button called ECO (energy cut-off) or reset button. If the temperature of the water in the tank gets too hot, this button will cut off electric supply to the heating elements. 

In short, the reset button or ECO gets tripped if the water temperature goes above the safety level. And a shorted or burn-out heating element is the main culprit behind the overheating issue. 

How To Fix: 

As the shorted or burn-out heating element is the main culprit behind a tripped reset button, check the heating element electrically first. To check the heating element, follow the steps I mentioned below:

To begin with, turn off the electric supply to the unit at the circuit breaker. 

In addition, unscrew the upper access panel and fold away the insulation to access the thermostat and the heating element. 

Then, take a non-contact circuit tester and check the top two screws of the upper thermostat to ensure the power is off. 

Next, detach the two power wires from the heating element. 

Now, use your multimeter to check the resistance by placing the probes between the two screw terminals on the heating element. The resistance range of a functioning or good heating will be between 5 and 25 Ohms.

If the resistance goes out of the range, understand the heating element is at fault. In this case, you should replace the heating element. The following tutorial will helpful in this regard: 

Defective Thermostat

A non-functioning thermostat can also cause the water heater reset button to trip. If the temperature and pressure relief valve releases a large amount of hot water, I bet the thermostat is the culprit. 

How To Fix: 

Replacing the thermostat will be a simple fix to this issue. Fortunately, I wrote a guide on AO Smith Water Heater Reset Button where I discussed how to replace the thermostat. Though the brand is different, the procedure I showed can also be applied to your Reliance Water Heater. 

FAQs

How long do you hold the reset button on a water heater?

You don’t need to hold the reset button for a long time to reset the button. Just press the button and it will reset the unit. 

Do water heaters have a reset button?

Yes, water heaters have a reset button if the unit is operated by electricity. The gas operated unit or tankless unit doesn’t come with a reset button. 

What does a water heater reset button look like?

The reset button on a water heater is round and the color of the button will be red or black. 

How do I know if my water heater reset?

If you hear a click after pressing the reset button, understand you reset the water heater successfully. Turns out, the flashing or any error code will disappear once you reset the water heater. 

End-Note

Sometimes, simply pressing the reset button will solve the problem of your water heater. Fortunately, it’s simple to reset a water heater. Just locate the reset button on your Reliance Water Heater and press the button. It will reset the unit. That’s it!

Read Also:

• Reliance Water Heater 606 Troubleshooting
• Reliance 606 Water Heater Pilot Won’t Stay Lit