20 Most Recent Rinnai EnergySaver 556 Air Conditioner Questions & Answers

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Rinnai Recalls Wall Furnaces Due to Carbon Monoxide Hazard
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see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by saltcedar (My Page) on Thu, Feb 21, 08 at 19:28 NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2008
Release #08-199
Firm's Recall Hotline: (866) 746 8344
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Rinnai Recalls Wall Furnaces Due to Carbon Monoxide Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Direct-Vent Wall Furnaces, Models RHFE 431 and RHFE 556
Units: About 52,000
Manufacturer: Rinnai America Corp., of Peachtree City, Ga.
Hazard: A gasket in the unit can fail, posing a risk of poisonous carbon
monoxide gas leaking into the home.
Incidents/Injuries: Rinnai has received 11 reports of carbon monoxide
leaking from the furnace. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recall involves Rinnai EnergySaver Direct-Vent Wall
Furnaces, Models RHFE 431 and RHFE 556. They are either natural gas or
LP gas (propane) fueled. The following model numbers are included in the
recall:
Model RHFE-431: FAIII-N, FAIII-P, WTA-N, WTA-P, WTA-72B-N, WTA-76B-N

Model RHFE-556: FAIII-N, FAIII-P, WTA-N, WTA-P
The model number is printed on the top of the rating plate located on
the right side of the unit. The recall includes only those units
manufactured from February 2000 through December 2007. The manufacturing
date code is the first four digits of the serial number, written as YY
MM, and is located at the bottom of the rating plate.
Sold through: Wholesale distributors nationwide to contractors and
dealers from February 2000 through December 2007 for between $1,600 and
$1,900.
Manufactured in: Japan
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the furnace immediately and contact
the firm to arrange for the installation of a free repair kit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Rinnai toll-free
at (866) 746-8344 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at
www.wallfurnacerecall.com
To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08199.html
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting
the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more
than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents
cost the nation more than $800 billion annually. The CPSC is committed
to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire,
electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure
the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools,
cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly
to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with
consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's
hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or
visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email
subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web
site at www.cpsc.gov.

Hi cobbsski, If my description of what your heater is doing please read through to the end. The heater is turned on and a room temperature is selected. You can hear the noise of a small fan start, which shortly after the heater starts. After a short period of time the heater stops and the red led begins to flash and shuts itself down. This type of heater has a balanced flue, which means it draws air in one pipe and exhausts it out another. Have the balanced flue checked for blockages, the problem will most likely be in the flue pipe which draws the outside cool air into the heater and not the flue pipe which blows out the hot air. it may be full of cob webs or something else which restricts the air flow to the heater. A service person can perform a quick test to prove the above theory. At the rear of the heater there are two pipes, one is an insulated metal pipe and the other is plastic pipe. Disconnect the plastic pipe from the flue box and restart the heater. If the heater runs normally this will confirm that there is a blockage.

Hi jmsocr2315, If my description of what your heater is doing please read through to the end. The heater is turned on and a room temperature is selected. You can hear the noise of a small fan start, which shortly after the heater starts. After a short period of time the heater stops and the red led begins to flash and shuts itself down. This type of heater has a balanced flue, which means it draws air in one pipe and exhausts it out another. Have the balanced flue checked for blockages, the problem will most likely be in the flue pipe which draws the outside cool air into the heater and not the flue pipe which blows out the hot air. it may be full of cob webs or something else which restricts the air flow to the heater. A service person can perform a quick test to prove the above theory. At the rear of the heater there are two pipes, one is an insulated metal pipe and the other is plastic pipe. Disconnect the plastic pipe from the flue box and restart the heater. If the heater runs normally this will confirm that there is a blockage.

see if owners manual has instructions for filter reset may have to hold down function keys reset power ..maybe

Sounds like a relay or sequencer is stuck closed.

I know that this is an old post but i had this same problem and i cant find a single answer to this problem anywhere on the net. Rinnai couldnt even give me an answer (let alone even call me back)

Well I figured it out. If you go onto Rinnai's website, you can download the manual, which has the codes and what they mean. Code 12 means Flame Failure. Still this didnt tell me enough. After taking the thing completely apart twice i finally figured out that the heater itself was perfectly fine.

The gas line was the problem. My gas line has a check valve on it right next to the heater. The check valve was not letting a consistent flow of gas to the heater because the heater was drawing too much gas at times, causing the check valve to start to close because it thought there was a leak (so to speak).

All i did was turn the gas valve behind the heater so that it was closed more (not letting as much gas flow through) so that it wouldnt trip the check valve. the heater now works fine and keeps a consistent temperature with no problems.

Unfortunately, the installation of one of these units is not quite as simple as 1, 2, 3.

So, I am providing a couple links on the installation process. You can download and print each one.

The first is the Flue Installation Guide.
http://www.rinnai.com.au/images/stories/operating_instructions/Heating/Energysaver/CI_ES_Flue_Inst_Manual.pdf

The second is the Operation Guide, which also deals with proper installation.
http://www.rinnai.com.au/images/stories/operating_instructions/Heating/Energysaver/CI_ES_Flue_Inst_Manual.pdf

The third is the exploded parts view & parts diagram, Which you may need in the future.
http://www.rinnai.com.au/images/stories/operating_instructions/Heating/Energysaver/CI_ES_Flue_Inst_Manual.pdf

I hope all of this information will help you properly install the unit.

Remove the right side trim panel closest to the wall. Look near the bottom of the heater for a small black rubber bulb held on the heater with a black plastic tab. Hold the bulb with the heater running in your hand. The unit should shut off. If it continues to run, replace it, it is called a Thermistor. If it stops heating, check to make sure ther is no cold draft hitting the Thermistor fooling the heater to stay on. If you open up the front pannel, you will see that there is extra wire to be able to relocate the Thermistor where it may not be effected by drafts.

one gallon of gas equates to 92,000 Btu's. You heater on high burns at 22,000 Btu's. Because it modulates between 9,000 and 22,000 it's tough to come up with an exact, however I would guess an average of 4.5 to 6 hours per gallon.

This is from condensation formed by the combustion. Typically the manufacturer call for the pipe to be pitched UP to the wall outlet. This is to allow the condensation to run back to the furnace/boiler and be drained out instead of running outsidde and freezing. Check it with a level or for imprpoer hanging of pipe that may form a BELLY.

Yes this is OK. The green light is showing you that you have power. When the light goes red it means that the burner is alight.
Cheers

Link to the manual attached

http://www.rinnai.com.au/images/stories/operating_instructions/Heating/Energysaver/556&431FTR.pdf