Please note that the content of this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.
It was just a regular day, or so I thought. I had set out to tackle a long-overdue project: removing some old, peeling paint from the basement floor. Equipped with paint remover a scraper, and a quite affordable angular grinder from my good friends at Harbor Freight, I spent the better part of the afternoon stripping away layers of paint that had seen better days. It was tedious work, but this was the only way to prepare the floor for getting a new look using a Quickcrete Re-Cap concrete re-surfacer from QUIKKRETE.
As evening approached, I decided to take a well-deserved break. I looked forward to a hot shower to wash away the grime and paint fumes. But when I turned on the faucet, nothing but cold water came out. Confused and worried, I tried the kitchen sink—the same result. It didn’t take long to figure out that my water heater was having a problem
So, I went back to the basement optimistically hoping to find some simple, easily fixable problem. When I reached the water heater, I noticed the green light on the control panel blinking. At first, I felt a wave of relief—after all, green is good, right? But then, something about the blinking pattern caught my eye. It wasn’t just a random flicker; there seemed to be a pattern to it. So I paid a little more attention and counted. Seven blinks, a pause, then seven blinks again. I realized that must be some mysterious code from the manufacturer, which somehow gave me the feeling that something may not be going very well.
I had no idea what the blinking meant, but for the first time, I noticed that the water heater had a label, listing all kinds of parameters. So there it was. The Seven blinks were a diagnostic code.: Flammable Vapor Sensor triggered.
My first thought was, “What in the world is a Flammable Vapor Sensor?” After a little more digging, and I learned that it’s a safety feature designed to shut down the heater if it detects flammable vapors in the air, the kind released by paint removers. My heart sank as I realized that my afternoon project had inadvertently caused the very problem I was now trying to fix.
This was one of those moments where I couldn’t help but marvel at the complexity and intelligence of modern appliances. Here was a machine that didn’t just heat water; it could sense danger in the air and take steps to protect my home. But with that complexity comes a steep learning curve for the DIY homeowner and of course, a price put on your time and your pocket. Unlike the water heaters of yesteryear, which might have simply required a quick relight of the pilot light, this one was giving me a coded message that required some serious detective work to understand.
Initially, I thought that the water heater will start working again once the flammable vapors dissipated, but it wasn’t like that. The next morning It became clear that simply waiting for the problem to resolve itself wasn’t an option. From what I could gather, the sensor wouldn’t reset on its own. The internet was full of horror stories from people who had to replace the sensor entirely. I was starting to fear the worst—would I have to call in a professional and even worse, that it may take days to find one available as well to find a new sensor in a timely manner.
Determined not to give up, I spent the next few hours diving deeper into the world of water heaters than I ever thought I would. I combed through forums, watched videos, and read technical manuals, trying to piece together a solution. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about water heater sensors, control boards, and safety features.
Eventually, I stumbled across a post from someone who had faced the same issue. They described a specific sequence of steps to reset the control unit after the sensor had been triggered. It was like finding a hidden treasure—a practical solution buried in the vast sea of information. However, it was a bit difficult as it seemed that my heater’s brand, Bradford White, does not seem to be very much documented on the web. Instead, I learned that it is the controller which actually is the brain behind the device, which controller is made by Honeywell. With that information at hand, I was able to find information that I was looking for at other brands, like Rheem.
Before going further, take note of the position of the heat level knob, so you can put it back to its original setting.
And also take note that the content of this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice.
Anyway, here are the steps to reset the Flammable Water Sensor:
- Stop the water heater from the Controller Stop/Start slide switch
- Unplug the water heater and wait at least 5 minutes (some people say one minute but I stayed on the safe side and waited 5 minutes
- Plug back the water heater
- Turn on the water heater and very important! Do the next step within 30 seconds of this
- Turn the heat level button to minimum within 30 seconds after you turned it on
- As soon as you can turn the heat level button to max, then back to min, and keep on doing this seven times. So it will be 1 – Max,2 – Min, 3 – Max, 4 – Min, 5 – Max, 6 – Min, 7- Max
At this time you should hear the water heater igniting and burning gas. If you don’t, try repeating the 7 steps again
- Set the heat level to your desired level.
With cautious optimism, I followed the steps exactly as described. I powered down the unit, let it sit for a few minutes, and then powered it back on, and did all the seven moves Min to Max and back. I held my breath as the unit powered up, the green light blinking its usual steady pattern, every 4 seconds. The hot water was back.
Imagine the sense of pride I experienced. I had figured it out, and in doing so, I had saved myself the cost and hassle of calling in a professional. But more than that, I learned something valuable: the importance of understanding the technology we rely on every day.
The experience left me with a desire to share what I’d learned. If I could save someone else the hours of research and the stress of not knowing what to do, then all that time spent poring over forums and manuals would be worth it. That’s why I’m sharing this story—not just to recount a frustrating evening in the basement, but to pass along the knowledge I gained.
So, if you ever find yourself staring at a blinking light on your water heater, know that you’re not alone. It might take some digging, but the solution is out there. And when you find it, you’ll not only have hot water again, but you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you solved the problem on your own. And that, in my book, is worth every minute of effort.
Please share if you have experiences of the same nature.
I would like to give credit to several people who shared their experiences and knowledge and I encourage you do to the same, so this way, we can help each other.