You know your day is already ruined when you try to turn on the water heater for a hot and relaxed shower and the heater doesn’t turn on. Knowing the reasons behind this can still save your day!
So, why is your Atmor tankless water heater not turning on?
The Atmor tankless water heater won’t turn on for many reasons. Some of them are,
- Tripped circuit breaker
- Turned off or faulty breaker
- Faulty wiring
- Low water flow rate.
There are some other reasons as well including a closed shut-off valve and dirty filter screen.
From my experience of troubleshooting Atmor tankless water heaters, I have seen that ensuring proper power and water supply resolved this problem. In this article, I will discuss how to do that. So keep reading!
Table of Contents
Atmor Tankless Water Heater Not Turning On: At a Glance
Before going into the in-depth discussion about the reasons and solutions for this problem, let’s see those reasons and solutions in a table. This will give you an idea of what you are going to deal with. Here’s the table.
| Reasons | Solutions |
| Tripped Circuit Breaker | Reset the tripped breaker or replace it if damaged. |
| Turned Off Breakers | Switch them to the “on” position if turned off. |
| Faulty Breaker | Replace a faulty breaker |
| Faulty Wiring | Rewire the heater correctly. |
| Closed Shut-Off Valve | Ensure the water inlet valve is fully open to allow adequate water flow. |
| Low Water Supply Rate | Test the water supply rate and if required clean clogs, upgrade plumbing, or consult a professional for solutions. |
| Dirty Filter Screen | Clean the filter screen |
Now, let’s discuss these problems in detail in the next segment.
Atmor Tankless Water Heater Won’t Turn On: In-Depth Discussion
Sometimes your Atmor Tankless water heater won’t turn on, especially if you are a user of the ThermoPro and ThermoPro 2 series. If you are a user of the Thermo Boost or Atmor Inline series, you may also sometimes face this problem; however, I haven’t encountered cases like that yet. But for those series, the reasons and solutions will be the same.
In this case, you will notice two symptoms. The first symptom is obviously, there is no hot water at all. And the other symptom is the display in your Atmor tankless water heater doesn’t light up.
If your Atmor tankless water heater turns on, the display will light up. If the display lights up but your Atmor water heater still doesn’t provide hot water, that’s another problem you need to address.
But our focus problem, the following reasons are behind the heater not turning on issue.
Reason 1: Tripped Circuit Breaker
If the circuit breaker for the water heater trips, it’s like a safety switch turning off the power. The water heater won’t turn on because it doesn’t have electricity.
How To Fix It?
Find the electrical panel or breaker box in your home. This is usually in the basement, garage, utility room, or a similar location. Now check if the circuit breaker is tripped or not. If the circuit breaker to the water heater is found tripped, reset the breaker.
Sometimes, the circuit breaker can be found damaged as well. A sudden electric surge can cause it to get damaged. In this case, you have to replace the circuit breaker.
Reason 2: Turned Off Breakers
If someone intentionally turns off the breakers for repair or some other reason and forgets to turn them on, there will be no power supply to the water heater. So, the heater won’t have the electricity to turn on.
How To Fix It?
Inspect the breakers to see if any are in the “off” position and should be in the “on” position. If you find any breakers that have been turned off, switch them to the “on” position. After turning on the necessary breakers, check if the water heater now has power and turns on. If it does, the problem is resolved.
Reason 3: Faulty Breaker
Sometimes, the breaker itself might need to be fixed. It acts like a gatekeeper for electricity. If it’s faulty, it won’t let electricity through to the water heater, so it won’t turn on.
How To Fix It?
If you find the breaker to be turned on but it still doesn’t work, it is time to suspect that the breaker is faulty. If you suspect a faulty breaker, identify which breaker is associated with the water heater. It may be labeled or, in some cases, might be the one that continuously trips.
To fix a faulty breaker, you will need to replace it. Consult a qualified electrician to do this safely, as working with electrical components can be dangerous. They will disconnect the old breaker and install a new one that is compatible with your electrical system.
Reason 4: Faulty Wiring
If you have recently installed the water heater and it is not turning on despite having a proper electrical connection, the wiring might be at fault. Sometimes, if the electrician is new at this job, they do the wiring incorrectly.
While repairing Atmor water heaters, I have encountered so many cases like this where the wiring was all wrong. As a result, the heater doesn’t turn on.
How To Fix It?
If you suspect that the wiring is faulty or incorrectly done, it’s best to contact a licensed electrician or a technician experienced in water heater installations and repairs.
If the electrician or technician confirms that the wiring is incorrect or damaged, they will need to rewire the water heater properly. In this case, they have to disconnect the existing wiring and connect it according to the manufacturer’s specifications and local electrical codes.
If you don’t have the owner’s manual available to you, the wiring diagram given below can also help.
Reason 5: Closed Shut-Off Valve
If the shutoff valve of your water inlet source is closed or is not fully open, it can restrict water flow to the unit. According to the ThermoPro user manual, the tankless water heater won’t turn on if it doesn’t have at least 0.5 GPM of water flow. So, due to the close shut of the valve, the heater will not turn on.
How To Fix It?
To resolve this issue, you must find the shut-off valve on the water inlet source that supplies water to your Atmor tankless water heater.
Ensure that the valve is fully open. If it’s in a closed or partially closed position, turn it counterclockwise until it is fully open. After opening the shut-off valve, check if the tankless water heater now turns on and functions correctly. If it does, the issue is resolved.
Reason 6: Low Water Supply Rate
As I have already mentioned, the Atmor tankless water heaters require at least 0.5 GPM water flow to activate the unit. If you have a lower water supply than that, the heater will not turn on.
How To Fix It?
First, you have to test the water supply rate in your home then you can take any action about it. To check if you have sufficient water supply for your tankless water heater, you can perform a simple test.
Step 1: Get a bucket and place it under the faucet closest to the water heater.
Step 2: Turn on the faucet to the maximum flow.
Step 3: Measure the amount of water collected in the bucket in one minute. If it’s less than 0.5 gallons (0.5 GPM), you have an insufficient water supply.
If your water supply rate is below 0.5 GPM, consider the following options.
- Check for any clogs or obstructions in your water lines that might be restricting flow. That involves cleaning the filter screen which is discussed below.
- Upgrade your water supply system to provide the required flow rate. For this, you have to consult a plumber and install larger pipes.
- Consult a professional to assess your water supply and determine the best solution for your specific situation.
Reason 7: Dirty Filter Screen
If the inlet side filter screen gets dirty and clogged, water can’t flow through it properly. As a result, the required amount of water can’t go through and activate the heater. So the heater remains turned off.
How To Fix It?
In this case, you have to check and clean the dirty filter screen of your Atmor tankless water heater. Here’s the whole process of cleaning the filter screen.
Step 1: Safety comes first! Don’t forget to turn off the power supply to the water heater before jumping into the cleaning process.
Step 2: Along with turning off the power supply, you need to turn off the water supply to the water heater as well to prevent any water from flowing while you work on it.
Step 3: Once the heater is ready to work, locate the Inlet Filter Screen. The inlet filter screen in your Atmor tankless water heater is located on the cold water inlet side of the tankless water heater.
Step 4: Take an adjustable wrench and loosen the inlet valve. Remove it from the heater.
Step 5: Now, carefully remove the filter screen from its housing.
Step 6: Rinse the filter screen under running water to remove any accumulated debris. You can use a soft brush or toothbrush to gently scrub away stubborn particles. Avoid using excessive force, as the screen is delicate and can get damaged.
Step 7: Once cleaned, place the filter screen back into its housing, ensuring it is properly seated and secured.
Step 8: Reassemble everything back to the heater
Step 9: turn on the water supply and power supply back to the heater and check if the water heater turns on or not.
If the heater fails to turn on after trying all these solutions, you must consult with the dealer/manufacturer of the Atmor tankless water heater and they will tell you what to do.
FAQs:
Why does my Atmor hot water heater keep turning off?
If your Atmor water heater keeps turning off, there can be an electrical short in the breaker. Also, if the heating coil or thermostat is damaged or there is a malfunctioning heating element, this problem can occur.
What is the most common issue with Atmor tankless water heaters?
The most common issue with an Atmor tankless water heater is the heater doesn’t provide hot water or the water isn’t properly hot. Other common issues of this tankless water heater can be the heater not turning on or turning off frequently.
How does the Atmor water heater work?
When you turn on the faucet or shower, it starts the tankless water heater. The heater warms the water as it passes through, delivering it to you at the right temperature and flow. When you turn off the water, the heater switches off on its own.
What is the warranty on Atmor tankless water heaters?
Atmor offers a warranty of 7 years for leakage in their tankless water heater. That means you don’t have to encounter any leakage from the heater within this period. And for other parts replacement, Atmor offers 2 years of warranty.
Conclusion:
Here goes the in-depth discussion on the Atmor tankless water heater not turning on the problem. I hope now the problem is not concerning you as much as it did before reading this article. If you are still unsure about the repair process, just hand it over to your local electrician.
If your Atmor tankless water heater doesn’t heat water even after turning it on, there are some other reasons you need to address.
We have reached the very end of this article. Good bye and have a great day!
Also, read Atmor tankless water heater not heating.