Technical Issues and Most Frequent Q & A

Q. What is the breaker and wire size?

A. During installation, remember that you must have the appropriate wire size and breaker for the American Heat model being installed. Most of the time, the wire size and breaker of your old water heater will be too small or thin and you will need to change it. Another important issue is breaker size. You absolutely have to use a double or two pole circuit breaker that is appropriate for the Titan is being installed. One of the most frequently asked question: Is a 30/30 breaker the same as a 60 amp breaker? The answer is NO, a 30/30 or two pole 30 amp breaker is still only 30 amps. You will need a 60/60 or two pole 60 amp breaker.

Q. I just finished installing my heater but only the stand-by light comes on. . .what is wrong?

A. Another common installation error is installing the water line reversed or simply hooking up your supply or cold water line to the outlet or hot water side of the heater. Restated: The supply line from your cold water supply is not connected to the incoming inlet but coming in on the outlet which is the hot or left side of the American Heat tankless. That guarantees failure of the Titan. One sign that you may have inadvertently installed the water lines backward is that when the American Heat tankless is powered up for the very first time, you get a stand-by light glowing. When you turn a hot water valve on, then the red lights indicating activation fail to come on and you get no hot water. In many cases your original tank may have been installed improperly, but still worked with a reverse plumbing hook-up. The Titan, however, will refuse to operate under the same circumstance. Here are way to check if the unit is installed backwards:

• Close your water heater shut off valve. This is not the main for the home. This is the valve that is located near the inlet of the water heater. By Code, all water heaters, including the tankless must be installed with a shut off valve.

• Open a hot water tap in the house and leave it open to insure that all the pressure is removed from the line. If you open the hot water tap and water continues to come out of it even with the shut off valve to the water heater closed then there is a cold water line mixed in with the hot water line. You should contact your plumber.

• Once step one and two are completed then go to the tankless unit and loosen the inlet fitting with that shut-off valve still closed. If the water line is not inverted then there should be no pressure (because you opened and left open a hot water tap to remove all the pressure in the line). If there is water coming out of the fitting when you loosen it, then the water is coming into the water heater from the wrong side.

• ***Very important: When doing this test remember to loosen the fitting only ONE or two turns at the very most. If the line is inverted you will have water coming out with full pressure. You might even want to have a bucket handy. . .just in case.

Q. When I open my hot water tap, I hear a click.

A. When operating your American Heat tankless, you might hear a small click when the unit activates. This is normal. What you are hearing is the flow sensor activating. Some people have indicated that they heard a clicking sound from the unit when the toilet is flushed or when the cold water is turned on and off repeatedly and rapidly. This is due to a pressure problem in the lines. This is a pressure problem that a plumber can resolve.

Q. My lights flicker in my home when the American Heat tankless comes on.

A. If you have your new American Heat tankless installed and your lights flicker when the unit is activated or turned on then you need to have your installer check a few things.

• Is the panel out of balance...This happens when you install the unit's circuit breaker too low in the electrical panel. High amperage circuit breakers are always located at the top of the panel.

• Flickering can happen if you failed to upgrade your electric line. You MUST use the appropriate wire thickness or gauge for safe operation of the American Heat tankless.

• Check your electric panel for overloading problems.

• Get professional help to get any of these problems resolved.

Q. Another very common question: I see a three cables on the American Heat tankless pigtail. . .Is one a neutral?

A. No, the American Heat tankless units are all 220 volts.  The black and blue will be the two hot wires for the American Heat tankless unit. The copper wire will be connected to a ground.  Do not allow your installer to open the American Heat cabinet. This issue is addressed in flyer with description and pictures to an alternative in wiring without opening the American Heat cabinet.  These notes come from American Heat and is packed with your heater.

Q. My Stand-by light is very dim (or off) and goes out when I turn on the hot water.

A. This happens often on the first installation of a new American Heat. If you electrically activate your American Heat tankless BEFORE you run water through the unit, then it might cause the unit to shut down through a built in internal circuit breaker. E-mail technical support here at American Heat Direct. Step by step instructions to remedy this problem are supplied with each American Heat tankless purchased through American Heat Direct.

Q. My American Heat tankless has worked fine and all of a sudden the red lights will not work,

    but the stand-by is lit.

A. Call American Heat 1-888-818-4328

Q. My shower is hot but my bathtub is only warm or cool. What is wrong my tankless?

A. Nothing. This is a common complaint. Tankless water heaters, including your American Heat tankless, work on a temperature rise scale. This means that the faster the water flow goes through the heater, the less time the water has to get hot. With bathtubs we normally suggest reducing the flow rate to fill a tub. This will allow the water to travel through the tankless heater a little slower and pickup more heat by doing so. The tub might take a few extra minutes to fill but the water will be hotter. If you have to slow the flow of water through the shower, then use a water restricting device or lower gallon per minute shower head. Most shower heads range from 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute. Try using a 1.5 gpm shower head for hotter water.  This is especially helpful in northern areas of the country. Experiment a little to become a good tankless hot water user. An American Heat tankless and its other tankless cousins are used differently than an old tank heater. The rewards of learning and using tankless systems are great though. You will save significantly on your energy bills and you will have an endless supply of hot water.  Note that in some climates and people using a larger flow rate, then more than one tankless may be needed.  Or, use a larger AHS model.  Call us at 877-229-1191 for assistance in sizing the unit.