Reliance 6-06: No Heat, Light, or a Leak
The Short Answer: A Reliance 6-06 is a 6-year AO Smith / State builder tank, gas or electric, not a mystery brand. Cold electric is breaker, ECO, or a 4500 W element. Cold gas is the status LED, FVIR, or a dead spark. Water on the floor is a drain, T&P, nipple, or a dead shell. Split fuel, then test that path. Ignition-only: won’t light. Wet pan: Reliance leaking.
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Search Intent & The Real Problem
The rating plate says 6-40-6xxx or 6-50-6xxx — people search “606.” Home Depot and Lowe’s sold these for years. Same guts as State / American / Craftmaster: plastic drain, dual 4500 W elements or a millivolt/electronic gas valve, FVIR screen on gas. Forums will sell you a company history. You need a flash count, an ohm reading, or a dry part.
What other guides get wrong
They treat “606” as a 6-gallon point-of-use cube. Most 6-06 searches are 40- and 50-gallon 6-year tanks. They paste a Rheem 5-flash chart onto a Reliance gas LED. They condemn the tank because the plastic drain weeps.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Step 1: Read the plate — fuel, gallons, and the actual complaint
| What you have | Path |
|---|---|
| Electric, totally cold | Breaker, ECO, upper element |
| Electric, short hot then cold | Lower element / lower thermostat |
| Gas, will not light | Cock, LED, spark, FVIR |
| Gas, lights then dies | Thermopile / pilot / lockout |
| Pan wet, jacket dry | Drain, T&P, nipple, element gasket |
| Jacket wet, rust at the seam | Tank — replacement |
- What to look for: Rating plate (E electric, G or natural/LP gas). Photo of the gas-valve sticker or the thermostat door. That sticker wins.
- Required tools: Flashlight, phone camera.
Step 2: Electric 6-06 — breaker, fill, ohms
- What to look for: Double-pole 30 A off or half-tripped. Tank full before any reset — dry-fire after a drain is this failure. Upper ECO once after the tank is full and cool. Wires lifted, power verified dead: a healthy 4500 W / 240 V element reads ~12–13 Ω (~18.8 A). Infinite = open. Screw-to-tank continuity = grounded.
- Required tools: Meter, breaker locked. No meter = hire it.
Brown thermostat plastic is burn-up. A breaker that will not reset is a short. Do not hold it on.
Step 3: Gas 6-06 — status light, not a match ritual
Typical Honeywell-family sticker (confirm yours):
| LED | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Short flash ~every 4 seconds | Idle |
| Heartbeat | Calling for heat — no fault |
| 1 flash, pause | Low flame — still trying |
| 4 flashes | ECO / high-limit lockout |
| 6-1 flashes | Failed trial for ignition |
| 7+ flashes | Flammable vapor / FVIR |
- What to look for: Appliance cock open, other gas loads lighting. One lighting cycle per the jacket. Lint in the FVIR arrestor. Do not jumper the vapor sensor — chamber sensor.
- Required tools: Eyes. Manometer is licensed: NG ~3.5–7 in. w.c. / LP ~10–11 in. w.c. — confirm the rating plate.
No flame at all is won’t light. Do not purge fittings.
Step 4: Leak — paper-towel the source
- What to look for: Bead on the plastic drain = valve, not tank. T&P pipe wet = pressure or temperature — gauge the house (static over 80 psi) and the expansion tank. Typical T&P 150 psi / 210°F. Element gasket wet, jacket dry = gasket. Foam wet with rust at the base = dead tank. Same map as bottom leak.
- Required tools: Paper towel, flashlight. Hose-bib gauge if the T&P is the wet pipe.
Do not epoxy the shell.
Step 5: When the 6-year tank is actually done
- What to look for: Six to twelve years in hard water, anode never changed, popping for years, rusty flush water, jacket weep, or water in the gas burner tray. A 6-06 was built to a 6-year warranty. Parts on a leaking shell are a delay.
- Required tools: None. Replacement is licensed in many cities.
When DIY Ends: Calling a Licensed Pro
Stop if the jacket is wet, the bushing spins, you smell gas, the T&P is streaming, the thermostat is charcoal, or a dry-fire already happened. You may lock the breaker, count flashes, fill the tank, and ohm elements. You may not jumper an ECO, cap a T&P, or thread on a “universal” gas valve. A licensed plumber replaces a leaking 6-06 the same day — cheaper than a collapsed subfloor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a Reliance 6-06 water heater? A: A 6-year AO Smith / State residential tank, usually 40 or 50 gallons, gas or electric. The plate looks like 6-40-6xxx or 6-50-6xxx. It is not a 6-gallon cube unless the plate says so.
Q: Why is my Reliance 6-06 not heating? A: Electric: breaker, ECO, or an open element (~12–13 Ω healthy at 4500 W / 240 V). Gas: closed cock, status-light lockout, or FVIR. A wet jacket is a new tank, not a new element.
Q: Can I still get parts for a Reliance 6-06? A: Elements, thermostats, drains, and many gas controls are family parts. A leaking shell is not a parts problem. Hire a licensed plumber if the jacket is wet or the gas valve is in lockout.