April 19, 2023

Water heater error codes

Error Code

Sometimes your water heater tells you exactly what's wrong—as long as you can crack the code. Below are common error code tables for the most popular brands, along with an explanation of what the code means, possible repair parts you might need and DIY advice. Visit Sears PartsDirect’s repair help section for more DIY advice for water heaters, major appliances, lawn and garden equipment, garage door openers, vacuum cleaners and more. To find the owner’s manual or a complete list of replacement parts for your water softener, search for your model number.

Water Heater

Most common symptoms to help you fix your water heaters

Choose a symptom to see related water heater repairs.

Main causes: thermostats need adjustment, water heater capacity too low, bad heating element, thermostat failure, excess…

Main causes: loose water pipe fittings, leaky drain valve, bad temperature-pressure relief valve, leaky heating element,…

Main causes: water supply needs chlorine treatment, anode rod too reactive…

Main causes: lack of power, no gas supply, thermostat limit switch tripped, bad element, bad thermostat, gas valve failu…

Main causes: broken heating element, thermostat failure, excessive tank sediment, tank size too small, burner valve asse…

Main causes: thermostat temperature set too high, thermostats need adjustment, faulty thermostat, shorted heating elemen…

Main causes: faulty pressure relief valve, water is overheating…

Repair guides for electric water heaters

How to replace a water heater element

How to replace a water heater element

If your water heater runs out of hot water quickly and one of the two heating elements has failed, replace the element f…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less
How to replace an electric water heater thermostat

How to replace an electric water heater thermostat

If the water temperature fluctuates or you don't get enough hot water, follow these instructions to replace your water h…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less
How to replace a water heater temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve

How to replace a water heater temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve

Replace a broken temperature/pressure (T&P) relief valve on an electric water heater using these instructions.…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less

Effective articles & videos to help repair your water heaters

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your water heater.

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Learn some of the most common symbols found in a wiring diagram and what they mean.…

Using a wiring schematic to trace a current video

Using a wiring schematic to trace a current video

Find out what’s wrong with your appliance by following a circuit.…

Easy DIY water heater repairs

Easy DIY water heater repairs

Read about some water heater repairs that you can easily do yourself.…