Open 24/7 for emergencies
A Rheem water heater, furnace or AC repair starts with the $99 diagnostic, and a new Rheem gas water heater is $3,379 to $5,485 installed, permit and haul-away included. Rheem is our first pick for a new tank, so we know what the status light on its gas control is trying to say.
From about $56 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. How financing works
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Licensed and insuredVirginia Class A contractor #2705192276
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Read your own Rheem
The things people describe on the phone about a Rheem tank, and what they usually turn out to be. A Rheem furnace or AC acting up? The HVAC prices are further down.
On a gas Rheem, the pilot or burner isn’t lighting: a worn thermocouple or thermopile, a dirty pilot, a tripped flammable vapor sensor, or the gas control. On an electric one, a burnt element, a failed thermostat, or the high-limit reset tripped. The status light on the gas control usually says which.
Sediment on the bottom of a gas tank, a broken dip tube mixing cold into the hot, or one dead element on an electric tank. A tank that used to be plenty and suddenly isn’t is a part, not the tank.
That’s water trapped under a layer of sediment boiling through it. A flush clears what’s loose; on an older tank the noise is the warning that the bottom is working too hard.
Find where it comes from first. The relief valve line or a fitting on top is a repair. A drip from the bottom seam or the jacket means the tank itself has rusted through, and no part fixes that.
Bacteria reacting with the anode rod, the metal rod inside that rusts so the tank doesn’t. Swapping the anode (aluminum for a zinc-aluminum one) usually ends it.
On a standing pilot tank, the thermocouple or thermopile isn’t making enough voltage to hold the gas valve open. On a newer tank, a flammable vapor sensor or a blocked air intake screen will lock it out on purpose.
The status light
A Rheem gas tank’s control blinks its status light in a pattern. Count the flashes, note the color if it has one, and write it down before you touch the knob.
The light on the gas control knob. One blue blink every three seconds is normal.
| Blinks | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Light off or solid | The control is off or the pilot is out; solid means it just went out and is cooling down | Relight by the label on the tank. If it won’t stay lit, call |
| 2 red | Pilot is lit but the thermopile voltage is low | A thermopile or pilot repair |
| 4 red | High temperature shutdown: the water got too hot | Leave it off and call |
| 5 red | Temperature sensor failure | A sensor repair |
| 7 red | Gas control or valve failure | Usually a new gas control |
| 8 red | False pilot flame signal | Call: the control sees a flame that isn’t there |
Source: Rheem, Combination Gas Control Status Light Troubleshooting. Codes vary by model and control board: the chart printed on your unit, or its manual, is the final word.
| Flashes | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Pressure switch failed closed | Call |
| 3 | Pressure switch or blower thermal switch open | Check the vent outside for a blockage, then call |
| 4 | The high-limit (TCO) tripped | Make sure the tank is full of water; then call |
| 6 then 1 | Locked out: it tried and failed to light | Check the gas is on; then call |
| 6 then 3 | Locked out: the flame went out | Call |
| 7 | Locked out: the flammable vapor sensor tripped | Air out the room, look for stored gas cans or paint, and call. Don’t tamper with the sensor |
Source: Rheem, Gas Valve LED Codes, power vent. Codes vary by model and control board: the chart printed on your unit, or its manual, is the final word.
IKONIC models print the same faults with A0 in front: A011, A012, A029.
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | No ignition: the flame never lit | Check the gas valve to the heater is fully open |
| 12 | Flame lit, then went out | Gas service interrupted, or a propane tank running low |
| 1L | Lime building up in the heat exchanger | A descale flush, before it does permanent damage |
| 29 | Condensate isn’t draining (a clogged neutralizer) | A drain and neutralizer service |
| 90 or 99 | Air intake or vent blocked | Clear snow, leaves or nests from the vents outside |
| 14 | Overheat limiter active | Usually the gas supply or venting; call |
| P1 | Not enough water flow to fire (under 0.4 gallons a minute) | Clean the inlet filter or aerator; then call |
| 88 | Maintenance reminder | It’s due for a flush; left alone it will shut down |
Source: Rheem tankless troubleshooting guide. Codes vary by model and control board: the chart printed on your unit, or its manual, is the final word.
Rheem and Ruud condensing furnaces show a two-digit code on the board’s display. Check the display is the right way up before you read it.
| Code | What it means | What it usually takes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | One-hour lockout after four failed ignitions | Gas, igniter or flame sensor |
| 11 | Failed ignition | Often a dirty or loose flame sensor, or the gas turned off |
| 12 | Low flame sense | A flame sensor cleaning, or a poor ground |
| 22 | Main limit open | Airflow first: the filter and the blower |
| 26 | Line and neutral reversed | A wiring fix |
| 33 | Rollout switch open | Call: combustion air, a blocked vent or the heat exchanger |
| 45, 46 | Low pressure switch open with the inducer running | The vent, drain or inducer |
| 57 | High pressure switch open | A blocked intake or exhaust |
| 59 | Blocked drain: water backing up in the furnace | A clogged drain or trap |
| 61 | Blower can’t run | The blower motor |
Source: Rheem (-)96T installation instructions. Codes vary by model and control board: the chart printed on your unit, or its manual, is the final word.
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A108 | Condensate line blocked | Clear the condensate line |
| A107 | Water detected on the floor | Look for the leak; call |
| T131 | Clean the air filter | Slide the filter out and wash it |
| A008 | Dry fire: it tried to heat without water | Call |
| A200 | High water temperature (ECO) | Call |
Source: Rheem ProTerra troubleshooting alarm codes. Codes vary by model and control board: the chart printed on your unit, or its manual, is the final word.
What it costs
A water heater repair is priced after the $99 diagnostic, because the fix depends on what failed. A new tank is a range we can print. Rheem furnace and AC repairs are below, by part.
Flame sensor cleaned
The thin rod that proves the burners lit. Coated in soot, it tells the board the flame went out, and the gas shuts off a few seconds after the burners light.
$95 to $180
Condensate drain cleared, trap and switch added
High-efficiency furnaces and every AC coil make water. When the drain or trap clogs, a float switch stops the system on purpose so the water doesn’t end up in the ceiling.
$175 to $420
Refrigerant topped up
One to three pounds. If it needs it again next season it’s leaking, and topping it up every year is the expensive way to lose.
$190 to $740
Run capacitor replaced
The part that kicks the compressor and fan motors into turning. The single most common reason an outdoor unit hums and never starts.
$240 to $370
Igniter or flame sensor replaced
A cracked hot surface igniter glows weakly or not at all, so the burners never light. Usually on the van.
$240 to $410
Contactor replaced
The relay that sends power to the outdoor unit. Burnt or stuck points mean it sits silent while the thermostat calls, or runs when it shouldn’t.
$290 to $425
Blower wheel pulled and cleaned
A wheel caked in dust moves a fraction of the air it should: weak airflow, a frozen coil, a furnace tripping its limit.
$300 to $440
Thermostat replaced
Standard through smart, wired and set up for the system it runs.
$300 to $640
Defrost board replaced
Heat pumps only: the board that decides when to melt the ice off the outdoor coil.
$450 to $1,150
Control board replaced
The brain in the furnace or air handler. When it goes, nothing downstream of it does what it’s told.
$550 to $1,180
Blower motor replaced
The indoor fan motor. The spread is a standard motor against a variable-speed one.
$670 to $2,400
Condenser fan motor replaced
The fan on top of the outdoor unit. If it stops while the compressor runs, the repair gets more expensive by the minute.
$1,100 to $1,500
Refrigerant leak found and repaired
Finding it, fixing it, then recharging the system.
$1,850 to $2,700
or $31/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
Compressor replaced, part under warranty
Labor and refrigerant, when the manufacturer still covers the compressor.
$1,900 to $2,500
or $32/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
Compressor replaced, out of warranty
The big one, and usually the point where replacing the system wins. You get both numbers.
$2,200 to $5,100
or $37/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
Monthly figures: 60mo @ 0% APR on each starting price, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Longer plans lower the payment and cost more in total. The lender sets the final terms. How financing works
Gas or propane tank
$3,379 to $5,485
or $56/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
50 or 75 gallon on the flue you already have. Installed, everything in.
Electric tank
$2,757 to $5,493
or $46/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
50 or 80 gallon. No flue, no gas line.
Tankless
$8,886 to $10,486
or $148/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
One high-efficiency condensing unit, sized for the whole house.
Monthly figures: 60mo @ 0% APR on each starting price, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Longer plans lower the payment and cost more in total. The lender sets the final terms. How financing works
A water heater flush is $199 on its own. Comfort+ members get the $99 diagnostic included in the visit, 15% off any service, and 50% of each repair bill banked toward replacing that system, up to $1,500. How Comfort+ works.
Fix it or replace it
The serial number on the label gives the month and year it was built. Here’s how to read it.
Rheem’s serial number has ten characters on the rating label. The first two digits are usually the month and the next two the year: 1209D01234 was built in December 2009. A few lines were coded by week instead, so read it as a guide (Rheem’s own guide).
Rheem says a tank usually lasts 8 to 12 years and to start planning a replacement around year 10, and that if a repair costs more than half the price of a new heater, replacing it is usually the better buy (Rheem).
Gas furnace alone
$4,285 to $14,040
or $71/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
Keeping the AC you have. Installed.
Furnace and AC together
$8,898 to $23,000
or $148/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
2 to 5 ton, matched, installed.
Power vent tank
$5,957 to $7,494
or $99/mo at 0% APR for 60 months
Gas or propane, a fan out a side wall. Installed.
Monthly figures: 60mo @ 0% APR on each starting price, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Longer plans lower the payment and cost more in total. The lender sets the final terms. How financing works
Want your own number before anyone comes out? The water heater estimator prices your house in a few questions.
A Rheem air conditioner we set on a wall bracket pad in Northern Virginia.
Why we install Rheem
Rheem sells two families of tanks, and the difference matters when something breaks.
One of our plumbers lifting an old Rheem tank out on a hoist, on its way to a replacement.
The warranty
The serial number tells us, and the model tells us which line it is.
A water heater warranty pays for the tank or the part, not the plumber. We read the serial number and the model before ordering anything, so you know what’s covered.
Where we work
Out of Chantilly and Ashburn, across six counties. Pick your town for its own water heater page: the houses there, the county’s permit rules, and the same prices.
Keep reading
Every make we work on, in one place: the brands we repair.
The system we put in first
Built to take a beating. Put in by our crew.
Heat lamps, snow and rain on one outdoor unit: that’s Trane’s own film. We’re a Trane Comfort Specialist, on Trane’s own dealer locator, and when you pick a Trane, our crew puts it in.
Films: Trane’s own.
Asked on the phone
Installed, everything in: a gas or propane tank on the flue you have is $3,379 to $5,485, an electric tank $2,757 to $5,493, a power vent tank $5,957 to $7,494, tankless $8,886 to $10,486. A repair starts with the $99 diagnostic and is priced in writing before any work. From about $46 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. How financing works
Yes. We’re a Rheem Pro Partner, and Rheem is the tank water heater we recommend first. We also put in A. O. Smith and Bradford White tanks, and Rheem furnaces and air conditioners.
Yes, Ruud is Rheem’s own brand: Rheem bought Ruud in 1959, and the same warranty certificate covers both. Richmond is Rheem’s hardware store name. A Ruud or Richmond repair is the same job as a Rheem one.
It’s a code. On a Rheem gas tank, count the red blinks: 2 is a weak thermopile, 4 means it overheated and shut down, 5 a failed sensor, 7 a failed gas control. The table on this page has the rest.
On a Performance tank it’s usually the thermopile; on a Professional Classic it’s usually the thermocouple. A tripped flammable vapor sensor or a lint-choked air intake will also keep it out on purpose.
A tank usually lasts 8 to 12 years, longer with a yearly flush. Our guide to how long a water heater lasts goes through what shortens it.
Get the hot water back
No hot water, water on the floor, or no heat: call (703) 997-9757, 24/7. Not that urgent? Send the form at the top and the office calls or texts you back.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
4230 Lafayette Center Dr N, Chantilly, VA 20151
44679 Endicott Dr, Suite 211, Ashburn, VA 20147
Virginia Class A contractor license #2705192276
Water heater prices are SwiftPro’s installed ranges with the permit, expansion tank, drain pan and haul-away; HVAC repair prices are by part. Yours is quoted in writing before any work.
Rheem, Ruud and Richmond are trademarks of Rheem Manufacturing Company.