Ruud and Richmond Water Heater Troubleshooting

The Short Answer: Ruud and Richmond water heaters are made by Rheem, so they share Rheem’s designs, but each model has its own manual. When one stops making hot water, first find out whether it is gas or electric. On gas, check the pilot or the status light on the gas control. On electric, check the breaker. A leak needs its source found before anyone talks about replacement.

Who makes Ruud and Richmond

Both names belong to Rheem Manufacturing Company. Richmond’s website says its water heaters are manufactured by Rheem (opens in a new tab) and sells them mainly through Menards (opens in a new tab). The current Richmond catalog (opens in a new tab) states that Rheem owns the Richmond trademarks. Ruud (opens in a new tab) is also a Rheem brand. Its site directs buyers to independent dealers and contractors who sell and install it.

In practice, a Ruud or Richmond tank often closely matches a Rheem model built in the same years. Even so, the model number on your heater’s rating plate decides which manual, parts list and code table apply. Do not assume a code chart for one Rheem-family model fits another.

Start with the rating plate

The rating plate is the label on the side of the tank. Photograph it first. It tells you:

• Fuel. Natural gas, propane (LP) or electric, plus the electric voltage and wattage.
• Venting. An atmospheric gas heater has a metal draft hood on top. A power-vent heater has a fan on top and plugs into an outlet.
• Model and serial number. You need these for the manual and for any warranty or service call. Rheem’s support pages (opens in a new tab) cover all three brands.

If the heater is a tankless or heat-pump unit rather than a standard tank, the checks on this page are the wrong ones. Ruud and Richmond tankless models display codes listed in each model’s manual. The codes in Richmond’s Essential Plus and Encore manuals, including 11, 12 and 29, are explained in Richmond tankless error codes. For how Rheem-family tankless codes are organized more generally, see Rheem tankless troubleshooting.

What the symptom points to

Gas Ruud or Richmond: what you can check safely

• Gas supply. Make sure the gas shutoff valve next to the heater is open (handle in line with the pipe) and that other gas appliances work. On propane, confirm the tank is not empty.
• The control knob. Check that the knob is not on OFF, PILOT or VACATION. Vacation mode keeps the pilot lit but holds the water barely warm.
• The pilot. Look through the sight glass. If the pilot is out, relight only by following the lighting instructions printed on the heater’s label. If it goes out again within minutes or hours, stop relighting. That pattern usually points to a weak thermocouple or thermopile, a blocked flame-arrestor screen, or a failing control. Why a gas water heater won’t stay lit explains each of these.
• The temperature setting. The marks on the dial are approximate. For Rheem heaters with the SIT (Delta) gas control, Rheem bulletin TB-1444 (opens in a new tab) says each setting can vary by about 10°F. Turning it up will not fix a pilot fault and raises the scald risk. The approximate temperature for each mark on Richmond’s gas controls is listed in Richmond water heater temperature settings.

Status lights on the gas control

Many current Rheem-family gas controls have a status light. The meaning of each flash pattern depends on which control is installed. It is printed on a label on the heater or in that model’s manual, so read your own label first. As an example of how one documented table reads, Rheem bulletin TB-1627 (opens in a new tab) covers Rheem PowerVent ESII heaters with the Honeywell electronic control:

That table belongs to that one Rheem power-vent control. A Ruud or Richmond power-vent model may use the same control, but confirm it on the heater’s label before you rely on it. Atmospheric tanks use different controls with their own patterns. For Richmond, the atmospheric STATUS-light chart and the power-vent flash charts from Richmond’s own manuals are in Richmond water heater blinking light codes. A flammable vapor sensor lockout is a reason to keep the heater off and have it inspected. Do not relight a heater after flammable vapors may have been near it.

Electric Ruud or Richmond: what you can check safely

• Breaker. An electric tank usually runs on a double-pole breaker. If it has tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off. A breaker that will not hold means a short to be found, not a breaker to keep resetting.
• Was the tank recently drained? An element powered while the tank was empty burns out within seconds. If power was on during a drain or before refilling, expect an element replacement.
• How it behaves. No hot water at all 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 or thermostat. If your model has a display or status light, look up its message in that model’s manual.

The ECO reset and the thermostats sit behind access covers over live wiring. Resetting the ECO, testing elements and replacing thermostats is technician work. If the ECO trips more than once, something made the water overheat. Resetting it again does not fix the cause. Why a Rheem water heater is not heating covers the same electric diagnosis in more detail.

Leaks: find the source first

Dry the area, then watch where water reappears. A. O. Smith’s guide to puddles around a water heater (opens in a new tab) explains the same distinctions, and they apply to any brand of tank.

• Drain valve at the bottom front. A drip from the outlet or threads is a valve problem. It is a minor repair. See Rheem plastic drain valve leaking.
• Relief (T&P) valve or its discharge pipe. This valve opens when pressure or temperature is too high. Never cap or plug it. Have a plumber check the house water pressure and the expansion tank.
• Pipe connections on top. Fittings and flexible connectors can be repaired.
• The tank itself. Water coming from under the jacket or from rusted seams, with every fitting dry, usually means the tank has failed. A leaking tank cannot be repaired and needs replacing.

If water has reached the burner area of a gas heater, turn the gas control to OFF and keep it off until a technician has checked it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use Rheem parts and manuals for my Ruud or Richmond? A: Often the hardware matches a Rheem model of the same type and era. Look up the manual and parts list by the model number on your rating plate anyway, because controls change between model lines and production years.

Q: My Richmond came from Menards. Who handles the warranty? A: Start with the warranty document that came with the heater. It lists the terms for that model and how to make a claim. Have the model and serial number from the rating plate and your proof of purchase ready. Richmond’s contact page (opens in a new tab) lists a technical service line (1-800-432-8373) and a customer service, warranty, parts and tankless support line (1-866-720-2076).

Q: Is there a Ruud or Richmond “reset button” I should press? A: On electric models, the ECO reset is behind an access cover over live wiring, so it is not an owner step. Leave it to a technician. On gas models, follow the lighting instructions on the heater’s label. A control that stays locked out, or a fault that keeps coming back, needs a technician to find the cause.