Rinnai RH180 Code 63

[sashki2]

I can’t get rid of code 63 on my hybrid Rinnai heater. The code keeps coming back intermittently. The manual says to (1) clean water filter, (2) check the water flaw and/or (3) clean the heat exchanger. I’ve cleaned the water filter twice - and the second time the filter was clean so it was not the filter. I don’t know for sure what heat exchanger is but I assumed after some research they mean flushing it with vinegar. Am I correct? Either way, I did that twice for around an hour each. I don’t know how to check the water flow but I think you’ve got to press some button combination for the water flow to display. However, let’s say the water flow is low, what would I do next? Also, why would water flow become low all of a sudden? Is it possible the flow sensor is bad?
I’m assuming, this is what’s happening: when a shower is extra long, you use the water in the tank first. Since the tank is only about 20 gallons, at the end the heater switches to tankless. This is when it goes to the code 63. So the issue is somewhere in the tankless part of the heater.
Any advise is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[breplum]

Not enough info about your piping array. Usually (before Navien's mini tank and due to poor temperature control, or if using recirculation) we would do hybrid tank add ons. Now we never do with better equipment, including newer Rinnai.
In normal tank w/Rinnai, the tankless "pre heats" the flow into the WH tank. Therefore, as soon as hot water is called for, the Rinnai kicks on.
Call Rinnai

 

[sashki2]

Well, Rinnai didn't say anything meaningful and tried to send me to a certified plumber . So I gave up and called whoever installed them. So the guy called Rinnai from me and they mentioned a little detail missing from the manual. Before starting the system flushing, you'd have to get the heater going by running the water. This will open some valve. Then you'd unplug the unit hoping the valve is still open and only then drain the tank and start flushing. Supposedly, with the valve closed, the flushing would not clean what it needs to clean. The guy was nice enough not to charge me when he understood I could do the flushing myself. Apparently his company charges over $450 for flushing the system - outrageous in my opinion since a monkey could do it - assuming the manual is correct. So I've just finished another flushing lasting about 2 hours. We'll see if the code comes back.
I wish I went with a straight forward tank heater - simple, less things can go wrong, almost no maintenance.

 

[voletl]

Don't say that a monkey can do it because you did try to flush it the first time and failed

correct?

 

[sashki2]

Don't say that a monkey can do it because you did try to flush it the first time and failed

correct?

read the full sentence

 

[tltmat3095]

I can’t get rid of code 63 on my hybrid Rinnai heater. The code keeps coming back intermittently. The manual says to (1) clean water filter, (2) check the water flaw and/or (3) clean the heat exchanger. I’ve cleaned the water filter twice - and the second time the filter was clean so it was not the filter. I don’t know for sure what heat exchanger is but I assumed after some research they mean flushing it with vinegar. Am I correct? Either way, I did that twice for around an hour each. I don’t know how to check the water flow but I think you’ve got to press some button combination for the water flow to display. However, let’s say the water flow is low, what would I do next? Also, why would water flow become low all of a sudden? Is it possible the flow sensor is bad?
I’m assuming, this is what’s happening: when a shower is extra long, you use the water in the tank first. Since the tank is only about 20 gallons, at the end the heater switches to tankless. This is when it goes to the code 63. So the issue is somewhere in the tankless part of the heater.
Any advise is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Did you ever find the remedy for this? Having exact same problem. Like the water heater outside of the code 63 issue. Flushed numerous times and might be ok for a week before code 63 reappears. Bled air out of tank from top of tank and lasted 3 weeks without having to reset. Did that valve trick work for you that unsure if it’s open or not during flushing? I check flow rate after resetting and it’s always above 4pm. Makes me wonder if air is getting in somehow and circulation pump sees it and shuts down. I feel like relief valve on top might have something to do with it since it kinda leaks a little for awhile after purging it. Thanks for your post and any possible solutions. Have a good day

 

[enusbaum]

Did you ever find the remedy for this? Having exact same problem. Like the water heater outside of the code 63 issue. Flushed numerous times and might be ok for a week before code 63 reappears. Bled air out of tank from top of tank and lasted 3 weeks without having to reset. Did that valve trick work for you that unsure if it’s open or not during flushing? I check flow rate after resetting and it’s always above 4pm. Makes me wonder if air is getting in somehow and circulation pump sees it and shuts down. I feel like relief valve on top might have something to do with it since it kinda leaks a little for awhile after purging it. Thanks for your post and any possible solutions. Have a good day

did you ever get an answer to this? i am dealing with the same issue it is so frustrating!!! PLEASE HELP

 

[Twowaxhack]

Pump may not be pumping properly.

Could be obstruction in the line

Could be bad sensor

Could be bad brain board

Most Tankless water heater companies do not offer tech support to homeowners. You’re welcome to try.

It’s typically not DIY friendly.

Good luck to you.

 

[enusbaum]

Pump may not be pumping properly.

Could be obstruction in the line

Could be bad sensor

Could be bad brain board

Most Tankless water heater companies do not offer tech support to homeowners. You’re welcome to try.

It’s typically not DIY friendly.

Good luck to you.

TY for your reply. I am still getting error #63, its been about 8 days now and i am on my 2nd plumber. He is asking me to have my water system people (i have a Kinetico system) to bypass my pressure pump to see if that is causing the error on the hot water heater..........does that make any sense?

It is becoming a huge frustration.......the water is taking too long to get hot, the hot water pressure goes in and out, there's something wrong....my house and the HWH are not even 2 yrs old

 

[Twowaxhack]

The plumber needs to call Rinnai tech support while at your home and let them help him trouble shoot the unit.

And that’s that……

 

[swhill]

Hi all - Did anyone resolve this issue? I did a flush this weekend and it cleared the issue for about 48 hours. Have a Rinnai Pro coming next Monday but was hoping to direct them anyone has successfully fixed the problem when it persists.

 

[plumbted]

I am having this same issue. System is 5 years old. Happened first time soon after install (new construction) in 2018. Went through all the suggested fixes. Determined that flow was the issue. Drilled out and removed all flow restrictors in shower heads and faucets. Recirc still not coming on, and flow not initiating heat. Plumber finally got Rennai to replace circuit board. We had to pay the labor of $800. Not cool for basically new unit. That worked for about 3 years. Now having same issue again. Rennai just gave us a new board, and now plumber wants $1800 to replace it. I will probably do it myself. Very frustrated with this unit. The plumber said they have had lots of issues with these era units (circa 2015) and the newer ones work fine. I am really disappointed and considering just going back to a standard water heater with a simple recirc pump. We had plumber do a flush and it worked for less than a week. Filters are clear, and house pressure is close to 70.

 

[sashki2]

I'm the thread originator. I've replaced the board myself - it's an easy plug-n-play replacement. This didn't help though. I and plumbers talked to Rennai support repeatedly. They basically have no clue what's going on. They suggested to replace the pump but didn't guarantee this was the culprit. I could not find the pump at the time cheaper than $450. Since I didn't want to through out another $450 + shipping after I spent on the circuit board and the plumbers visits without any assurances this would fix the issue. Another thing I realized was no one knows how to work with these units. Plumbers have this look like they're looking at a nuclear submarine when they see the heater. In light of all this, I decided to just get a conventional heater - old, simple and proved technology lasting 10-15 years.
You can call Rinhai support and pretend you're a plumber. They have no way to know you're not. Worst comes to worst, tell them you're new to the profession.

 

[plumbted]

Thanks, Sashki - I will swap out the board and see if that helps. I get the same plumber reactions. This latest guy did seem familiar with Rennais, but admitted that this model was probably never going to work right. I see a conventional heater in our future.....

 

[Twowaxhack]

When I switch out brain boards on Rinnai heaters The boards must be programmed.


Good luck to you guys, realize you’re not working on a bicycle……..if you don’t know what you’re doing then you could end up with a deadly or dangerous situation.

 

[havasu]

And this right here is why I resorted back to a tanked water heater. Just plug and play, no headaches!

 

[plumbted]

I'm the thread originator. I've replaced the board myself - it's an easy plug-n-play replacement. This didn't help though. I and plumbers talked to Rennai support repeatedly. They basically have no clue what's going on. They suggested to replace the pump but didn't guarantee this was the culprit. I could not find the pump at the time cheaper than $450. Since I didn't want to through out another $450 + shipping after I spent on the circuit board and the plumbers visits without any assurances this would fix the issue. Another thing I realized was no one knows how to work with these units. Plumbers have this look like they're looking at a nuclear submarine when they see the heater. In light of all this, I decided to just get a conventional heater - old, simple and proved technology lasting 10-15 years.
You can call Rinhai support and pretend you're a plumber. They have no way to know you're not. Worst comes to worst, tell them you're new to the profession.

Just an update: My plumber got Rennai to cough up a new circuit board and a pump. I was going to have him install them when he quoted something like $1800, so I balked. He left the parts with me. I finally got around to doing the board swap. Took all of 45 mins to swap it out, set the dip switches, and update the control panel time/settings, etc. So far, so good, but it has only been a day. I did not do pump, as that is a much more complicated job.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Just an update: My plumber got Rennai to cough up a new circuit board and a pump. I was going to have him install them when he quoted something like $1800, so I balked.

$1,800 for an install? And you already had the parts?? Let's see. $1,800 divided by 0.75 hour comes out to right at about $2,400 per hour. Some of that must have been mileage to and from your home so I guess that rate makes sense.

 

[plumbted]

$1,800 for an install? And you already had the parts?? Let's see. $1,800 divided by 0.75 hour comes out to right at about $2,400 per hour. Some of that must have been mileage to and from your home so I guess that rate makes sense.

Well, to be honest, I think that included the pump and not just the circuit board. I asked him if he thought it would really fix the problem, and he admitted that it probably would not, and he would not give me any warranty on the work, so......

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Understood.

Well, to be honest, I think that included the pump and not just the circuit board. I asked him if he thought it would really fix the problem, and he admitted that it probably would not, and he would not give me any warranty on the work, so......

Understood. Good luck!