Kenmore Water Heater Troubleshooting

The Short Answer: Sears didn’t build Kenmore water heaters. Other manufacturers built them under the Kenmore name, so the gas valve, thermostats and elements are that manufacturer’s parts. Find the model and serial number on the rating plate, then troubleshoot it as a standard gas or electric tank: confirm the gas or power supply, check the pilot or status light, and find where any leak is coming from.

Find out what you have

The rating plate on the side of the tank lists the Kenmore model number, the fuel type, and usually the serial number and input rating. Kenmore model numbers start with a three-digit prefix followed by a period (for example, 153.xxxxxx). Sears used that prefix to identify the supplier. The plate, the warranty label or the name printed on the gas valve or thermostat often names the actual manufacturer.

Knowing the maker matters for two reasons:

• Status lights and codes on a gas valve follow the valve maker’s chart, not a general Kenmore chart. Read the label on the valve itself.
• Replacement parts are ordered by the part number printed on the component, or through the original manufacturer using the model and serial number.

Kenmore water heaters are older units now, often well past the typical life of a tank. Note the age as you troubleshoot. See how to find a water heater’s age.

Gas Kenmore: no hot water

What you can check:

1. Confirm the gas shutoff on the pipe to the heater is open (handle parallel to the pipe) and that other gas appliances work.
2. Look through the sight window, if there is one, to see whether the pilot is lit.
3. If the pilot is out, follow the lighting instructions on the label on the heater exactly, once. Do not keep trying if it won’t light or won’t stay lit.
4. If the control has a status light, count the flash pattern and match it to the label on the valve.

Do not open gas fittings, remove the burner access cover beyond what the lighting instructions require, or try to bypass a flammable-vapor sensor or thermocouple.

Electric Kenmore: no hot water

Electric Kenmore tanks are 240-volt units with two elements and two thermostats behind access panels. Totally cold water usually means no power, a tripped high-limit (ECO), or a failed upper element or thermostat. Hot water that runs out quickly usually means the lower element.

What you can check:

1. Find the double-pole breaker for the heater. If it’s tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off. The circuit or a component is faulty. See breaker tripped and won’t reset.
2. If the tank was recently drained, make sure it was completely full before power was turned on. Powering an empty tank burns out the elements. See heater turned on without water.

The high-limit reset button and the thermostats are behind the access panels, next to live 240-volt terminals. Testing them and the elements is technician work. A technician will check voltage at the heater, test each element and thermostat, and find why the high-limit tripped before resetting it. Electric element not working explains what they look for.

Leaks

Dry everything off, then find where water appears first: drain valve, relief valve or its discharge pipe, top pipe fittings, an element gasket on an electric unit, or the tank itself. Fitting, drain-valve and relief-valve leaks are repairable. Water coming from the tank shell or from under the jacket with all fittings dry means the tank has failed and the heater needs replacing. If water is reaching the burner area of a gas unit or the electrical compartment of an electric one, turn the heater off.

Repair or replace

On an older Kenmore, a single part such as a thermocouple, element, thermostat or drain valve is usually worth replacing. A gas valve or multiple parts may not be, depending on age. A leaking tank is always a replacement. If parts for the specific valve are hard to source, that can also tip the decision toward replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who made my Kenmore water heater? A: Several manufacturers built water heaters for Sears. Check the rating plate and warranty label for the manufacturer’s name, and look at the brand printed on the gas valve or thermostats. A technician or the parts supplier can also identify it from the model and serial number.

Q: Can I still get parts for a Kenmore water heater? A: Common parts usually can be found. Order them by the part number printed on the component or through the original manufacturer. Generic universal parts can work for some items, such as elements of the correct voltage and wattage, but gas valves and thermocouples should match the original.

Q: How do I reset a Kenmore water heater? A: For gas, follow the relighting instructions on the heater’s label once. For electric, reset the breaker once. The high-limit reset on an electric tank is behind the access panel next to live wiring and should be done by a technician after the cause is found.