Richmond Tankless Water Heater Code 11

What you are going to explore: 

• What is Richmond Tankless Water Heater Code 11?
• 7 reasons that cause the unit to pop up the error code 11?
• How Do I Reset My Richmond Tankless Water Heater?

Table of Contents

• What Is Code 11 On A Richmond Tankless Water Heater?
• Richmond Tankless Water Heater Code 11 [7 Causes & Solutions]
  • 1. Gas Supply Issue 
  • 2. Improper Gas Pressure
  • 3. Gas Line, Meter, or Regulator Is Sized Improperly
  • 4. Dirty Igniter
  • 5. Defective Igniter Coil 
  • 6. Flame Rod Sensor Failure
  • 7. Venting Issues 
• How Do I Reset My Tankless Hot Water Heater Richmond?
• End-Note

What Is Code 11 On A Richmond Tankless Water Heater?

No ignition represents the error code 11 on a Richmond Tankless Water Heater. Your tankless water heater will throw the fault code 11 due to one of the following reasons:

• Gas supply issue
• Improper gas pressure
• The gas line, meter, or regulator is sized improperly
• Dirty igniter
• Defective igniter coil
• Flame rod sensor failure
• Venting issues
• Clogged burner
• Bad gas solenoid valves

The next chapter will walk you through every troubleshooting step to erase the error code from the controller display. 

Richmond Tankless Water Heater Code 11 [7 Causes & Solutions]

Without further ado, let’s dive into the troubleshooting steps straight. 

1. Gas Supply Issue

Your tankless water heater requires a continuous gas flow to the burner for proper ignition. If the gas flow gets interrupted, your water heater will fail to ignite. Closed gas valves or the gas service to your home is off is responsible for gas flow interruption. 

How to Fix: 

Check the gas valve and ensure you turn it to the On position. If not, rotate the gas valve counterclockwise to let the gas flow to the burner. 

Second, ensure the gas service to your home doesn’t get interrupted. Regarding this, call your local gas service company for further assistance. 

2. Improper Gas Pressure

Proper gas pressure on a tankless water heater is the criteria you must meet to ignite the unit like a charm. The correct inlet gas pressure range is 4.00″ w.c.- 10.5″ w.c if you power the heater with natural gas. 

On the other hand, if you fuel up your tankless water heater with LP gas, the inlet gas pressure should be 8.00″ w.c-13″ w.c. 

If the inlet gas pressure drops or exceeds, the water heater will cause operational issues. 

How To Fix: 

You must measure the gas pressure to determine whether it’s out of specification. 

To do this, get a digital manometer handy. Then, remove the front access panel by unscrewing the nuts. Afterward, locate the gas test port on the appliance. Next, set the manometer to 0 and attach the hose to the test port. 

If the result indicates the pressure is out of specification, you must adjust the inlet gas pressure. 

Check out the following tutorial to master on testing gas pressure on your water heater:

3. Gas Line, Meter, or Regulator Is Sized Improperly

To operate your tankless water heater flawlessly, you must use the correct size gas line and regulator. Otherwise, your water heater will go through ignition issues.

How To Fix: 

I highly recommend you call a certified plumber to see whether the gas line of the water heater is sized up properly. If not, size up the water heater gas pipes according to the manual or NFPA 54. 

4. Dirty Igniter

The igniter on a tankless water heater helps the ignition process. If this component gets dirty or covered with buildup, it will fail to contribute to igniting the water heater. 

How To Fix: 

Cleaning the igniter is a simple fix to this issue. Before cleaning this component, ensure you turn off the electric supply to the unit. 

Then, unscrew the front panel to access the igniter. You can find it on the burner. Disconnect the plug or wire connector from the igniter and unscrew the igniter. Then, pull it out gently and use a dollar bill to clean the igniter. 

Check out this tutorial to learn how to clean the igniter on a tankless water heater like Rheem or Richmond: 

5. Defective Igniter Coil

A defective igniter coil is also responsible for ignition failure. The ‘How To Fix’ section will help you replace this part by walking you through a step-by-step procedure. 

How To Fix: 

Ensure you turn off the electric supply to the water heater. Then, remove the front access panel by unscrewing the nuts. 

Next, locate the igniter coil on your water heater. It’s on the top right side of the burner. 

Once you find the igniter coil, remove the plastic insert and follow the plug to reach its ends. 

Then, use a screwdriver to remove the nut that holds the igniter coil in place. 

Install the new igniter coil and secure it with the nut. 

6. Flame Rod Sensor Failure

A flame rod sensor is a safety feature. If it fails to sense the flame, the water heater will go to the shut-off mode. The flame sensor won’t do its duty if it gets covered with buildup.

How To Fix: 

Cleaning the flame sensor rod will help you resolve the problem. Fortunately, I published an article on Rheem Tankless Water Heater Flame Rod Cleaning. 

The procedure mentioned in the article will also work for cleaning the flame sensor rod on the Richmond Tankless Water Heater. 

7. Venting Issues

Improper venting or blockage in the vent pipe could prevent the unit from igniting. 

How To Fix: 

Vent the water heater according to the manufacturer’s manual. Or, check the vent pipes for blockage and release it if needed. I highly suggest you call a verified plumber regarding this. 

How Do I Reset My Tankless Hot Water Heater Richmond?

Follow the 3 simple steps to reset your tankless water heater: 

• Unplug the power cord of your water heater from the electric outlet.
• Wait 30 seconds.
• Resupply the power to the unit by plugging the power cord back into the outlet. 

End-Note

Error code 11 means ignition failure. To resolve this issue, follow these troubleshooting steps below: 

• Ensure you have gas in the water heater and the gas valve is in the On position
• Check the gas pressure and ensure it’s within specification.
• Make sure you size up the gas line, meter, and regulator according to the manual or local codes.
• Examine the igniter and ensure it’s free from buildup. 
• Replace the igniter if needed.
• Clean or replace the flame sensor
• Vent the water heater properly

Similar Posts:

• Rheem Tankless Water Heater Code 11
• Rheem Tankless Water Heater Code 12
• Richmond Tankless Water Heater Troubleshooting

References: 

1. Tankless Water Heater Use & Care Manual: https://s3.amazonaws.com/WebPartners/ProductDocuments/CDD55996-F1EE-4689-AFCB-A5CCF02D49E8.pdf

2. Tankless Water Heater Error Codes: https://www.tanklessconcepts.com/uploads/5/8/1/9/5819471/error_codes-tankless_water_heaters.pdf
3. Getting an error code 11: https://www.justanswer.com/plumbing/g950l-getting-error-code-11-richmond-encore-years-old.html
4. NFPA 54: National Fuel Gas Code: https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=54