While in operation, you may notice that your Rheem tankless water heater remote control is blank, or even surprisingly there isn’t any error code seen at all. Well! From my years of experiences using and dealing with Rheem water heaters, I can confirm that the following are the major reasons behind your Rheem tankless water heater no power to remote issue:
- Bad wiring connection between the tankless and remote control.
- Or, a defective remote control itself.
- At times, the defective PC board is responsible for this issue.
Before considering the remote control defective, it will be worth it to inspect the remote control wiring for any loose or faulty connection. Replace the worn-out wiring or install a new remote to your unit.
But we’re here for you bringing an easy solution to an unresponsive remote on the Rheem tankless water heater. Let’s dive in to learn that!
Table of Contents
Quick Solutions To Rheem Tankless Water Heater No Power To Remote
If the remote controller of your Rheem tankless water heater has stopped working, don’t worry! You are not alone! Even it is one of the most common phenomena to the Rheem users that mostly happens after a power outage to the unit.
Anyway, if your Rheem tankless water heater remote won’t turn on after a power outage, there is a very quick solution suggested by Rheem tech support. Through this, you will get the ultimate power to your remote control and be able to run the heater as it should.
For instance, do the followings:
Step #1: Head to the hot and cold water valves of your tankless water heater.
Step #2: Turn the valve lever to the off position. Make sure you’ve turned off both valves.
Step #3: Wait for about 5-10 minutes. When done, press the power button on the remote to turn the unit back on.
Step #4: By doing so, the remote controller of your water heater should turn on immediately.
Step #5: If so, open both valves back up.
In case the remote still won’t turn on, trust me, I’ve been there too. For instance, you’ll need to go through a deep inspection of your Rheem tankless water heater.
Before heading over to the details, have a glimpse at the quick table below, highlighting all the probable reasons responsible for this issue with their effective solutions:
| Probable Reasons | Recommended Fix |
| Loose or damaged wiring connection | Fix the loose wiring to the remote control |
| Dead remote control | Replace the faulty remote |
| Non-responsive control board | Inspect & replace the defective remote control. |
How To Fix If Your Rheem Tankless Water Heater Remote Control Not Working [Easy Solutions]
There are a few major factors to concentrate on if you get an empty display or in case the unit won’t work properly. Keep on reading to get all the simplest solutions for all individual causes.
1. Reset Your Tankless Water Heater
In case your Rheem tankless water heater remote won’t turn on, the best chances are there might be a minor glitch in the system. This may happen after a power outage or after running the unit for longer.
Whatever the fact is, you can easily diminish the glitch by simply resetting the heater. Here is all you can do here to reset your Rheem tankless water heater:
Step #1: First off, you need to stop the power going through your Rheem tankless water heater. To do so, unplug the unit from the power connection.
Step #2: Now at this point, head to the hot water fixture for your tankless unit. Turn it off.
Step #3: Wait for 10-20 minutes before setting everything back on.
Step #4: After that time, Plug the unit back in. Also, turn on the hot water fixture that you want to turn. Everything should come on including the UMC remote control of your Rheem tankless water heater.
2. Loose Or Damaged Wiring Connection To The Remote Control
If you have an issue relating to the black screen on the UMC remote control for your Rheem tankless water heater, loose or worn-out wiring connection in the system is one the root culprits to blame. In most cases, you may encounter your Rheem tankless water heater won’t turn on at all.
How To Fix:
Unplug your tankless water heater power cord from 3-prong outlet. Now, disconnect the remote control and all the related wiring terminals from the bottom of the unit.
Take a new short piece of new thermostat wire and connect the Remote Control directly to the remote control wiring terminals at the bottom of the unit.
After that, plug the heater back into the power supply and test the heater. If your tankless unit and UMC remote control turn on, be sure the wiring is defective.
Fix the loose connection in the wiring terminal or replace the defective wires to get the remote back in operation.
In case, there is no power at the unit even after disconnecting & reconnecting your remote controller, it is more likely related to the degradation in power supply.
To fix the issue:
- Head to the circuit breaker to your unit and flip the switch back “ON” if it is tripped.
- In case of a blown fuse, you need to replace it.
- Ensure a snug power cord connection of the heater to the electrical outlet.
- Make sure your heater is getting the right voltage to run it effectively.
- If needed, disconnect your water heater from the switchboard where the appliance is connected. Then connect another electric appliance to the same outlet to see if it is running properly or not. Try to connect your water heater if there is any malfunction to the previous outlet.
- Finally, in the case of a gas equipped tankless water heater, you need to ensure a fluent gas supply to the unit. If needed, hire a professional to deal with it.
3. Dead Remote Control
If all the above assembled fixing steps fail to resolve the issue, a higher possibility is you have a dead remote control that needs replacement. After a long year of using it, wearing out the remote control is quite normal. At times, due to mishandling or lack or ensuring the proper operation, you may encounter such issues.
Whatever the fact is, the only way to deal with the issue is to replace the defective remote controller. You can hire a professional for this task and can perform it by yourself following the detailed instruction below.
How to Install The Remote Control On The Tankless Water Heater?
Make sure you’re going through step-by-step procedures to replace the remote on your Rheem tankless water heater:
Step #1: First off, unplug the unit from the power coaction. Now, disconnect the damaged remote control from its place.
Step #2: Now fix a place where you’ll install the new controller or you can install it to the previous place as well.
Step #3: Anyway, drill up to 1- to 1 1/2-in. (2.5/3.8-cm) hole at the proposed control location. Take your new remote control and disassemble it from the base plate.
Step #4: Now install the remote control cable between the location of the remote control and the water heater.
Step #5: Then gently feed the remote control cable through the large center hole in the base plate like in the picture below.
Step #6: When done, you need to install the base plate to the wall. Secure it with the appropriate screws and wall anchor. Connect the cable with the remote control.
Step #7: After that, position and attach the remote control to the base plate properly.
Step #8: Now at this point, you need to connect the remote controller to your water heater. To do so, locate the screw located on the remote control connection cover. Gently loosen it.
Step #9: Now attach the cable of the new remote to the remote control connection terminals. Connect the terminal screws and ensure a snug connection of it.
Step #10: Secure the remote control extension cable on the hook located on the side of the remote control connection base.
Step #11: Replace the remote control connection cover and secure it with one screw.
Step #12: Finally, restore the power supply to your water heater and test the remote whether it is working or not.
Precautions:
- Avoid installing the remote water heater in high-temperature environments, steamy places like the inside of the bathroom, outdoors, or in direct sunshine. Make sure it is out of the reach of your child.
- While operating the remote be careful that it is not coming into contact or water and oil.
- Make sure the remote control wiring is not more than 150 feet. Also, it should not be close to other cables from other products.
- Try to use a conduit to protect the remote control wiring from frequent damage that should be a minimum of 18 AWG (No polarity).
01. Unresponsive Control Board
If the control screen of your Rheem tankless water heater is blank or non-responsive, a defective or malfunctioning control board can be one of the big culprits itself. A non-functional control board will fail to communicate properly with the remote control, leading to its malfunction or not responding at all.
Thus at the stage when all the above factors fail to resolve the issue, you need to visually inspect the control board to see its condition.
Here is all you need to follow out:
How To Fix:
To test the control board, do the followings in sequence:
Step #1: First off, make sure you’ve unplugged the unit from the power connection. Then, remove all the screws, holding the front cover to the connection.
Step #2: When done, locate the control board from the underside of the front cover. Make sure you’re not damaging any of the wiring while handling the control board.
Step #3: In case, the control board is hidden by a plastic cover, squeeze and remove it.
Step #4: Now locate the power supply wires on the control board. It will be two black wires with red plastic adaptors. Make sure the adaptors are fully pushed in.
Step #5: To examine the control board, you need to remove it from the connection. You will find two gray tabs back on each corner of the cover panel. Just flex the tabs and disconnect the board.
Step #6: Now, locate the colored prongs on the board and try to push them down on side to side or wiggle them. While doing so, look at the control screen to see whether it is responding.
Step #7: If the button prongs respond, it signs you either the control board is seated too far away from the cover or there is a glitch in the power supply. For instance, reattach the board and ensure a snug connection of it to the top cover. Fix the power supply issue.
Step #8: In case, the button prongs are not responding, be sure the control board is faulty and needs replacement. Consult a professional one to replace your defective control board.
FAQs:
Will My Rheem Tankless Water Heater Work Without The Main Remote Hooked Up?
Yes definitely! Your Rheem tankless water heater will work even without hooking the remote controller on the connection. In that case, the unit will work at default 120 degrees F. But you need to plug your tankless 120 Volt electrical outlet which should have correct polarity and be grounded.
How to adjust the temperature on a Rheem tankless water heater remote control?
To set the Rheem tankless water heater temperature:
1. Press & hold the UP adjustment button repeatedly until 120°F blinks.
2. Press the UP and DOWN adjustment buttons simultaneously to stop the blink.
3. Finally, use UP or DOWN to set the desired temperature.
What does green & red indicator mean in Rheem tankless water heater remote control?
The green indicator on the remote signs that the unit is plugged into 120 Volt. If the red indicator blinks, check for water leaks and error codes on the screen. If so, both up-and-down arrows on remote control will reset the error.
In Closing!
While operating the tankless water heater, encountering various issues on the unit is quite obvious. Rheem tankless water heater no power to remote is the most common one of them that the user often faces.
Whenever you have such an issue, you need to visually inspect the heater to find out the bad wire between the tankless and remote control. If so, fixing the damaged wires is enough to resolve the issue.
In case the issue is related to the defective PC board or remote control itself, you need to replace the damaged part. Well!! We’ve described all the needed processes. Hope that all will make your replacement tasks easier without spending huge bucks on a plumber.
Get more information on any of the appearing issues on the unit through our comprehensive Rheem tankless water heater troubleshooting guide.