single_digit
New Member
I have a TK2 that is approximately 9 years old. It has two quirks that started a while back and that I would really like to resolve. Maybe they are related, maybe not.
The most important problem is that when the unit is first fired up (my wife takes HOT showers in the morning), if the water is turned on more than a small amount the TK will start to rumble and vibrate horribly (it sounds almost like a special effect out of a movie). If allowed to proceed it sounds like it would rip the plumbing system apart. If the water is allowed to warm up before running wide open, there is usually no problem. When the flame window is viewed the flame goes completely chaotic inside. I called Takagi and they said it was most likely because my intake pipe was too close to the exhaust, so I rerouted my intake (3" PVC) to turn downward and it is now several feet (~4') from the exhaust vent. This did not solve the problem. Another suspicion was the gas flow was insufficient. I have 3/4" gas line all the way to the heater and this happens when no other appliance is using gas. The problem did not occur when first installed so I don't believe it to be a problem of the line delivering too little gas. I don't have a remote so I can't pull a code (unfortunately I don't recall if the LEDs changed or not during the vibration). My suspicion (and Takagi tech suspected as well) is that this is somehow an issue only when running full combustion (wide open). Though it doesn't strictly seem to happen that way (it has occasionally acted up mid-shower without changing settings, but this is rare). I have recently done a vinegar flush and saw very little difference (very little buildup despite not having flushed it in a long time).
Second problem is that occasionally mid shower the heat will drop out for a few seconds and then come back.
You can feel the water in the shower getting colder for ~10 seconds before it goes completely cold then comes back. saw this discussion, but I have no idea how to clean the flow sensor. Link to instructions would be great.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. FYI this water heater only services a single bathroom. But the problem has manifested both in the shower and on our jacuzzi tub (ie not the mixing valve in the shower) for the intermittent hot water loss).
The most important problem is that when the unit is first fired up (my wife takes HOT showers in the morning), if the water is turned on more than a small amount the TK will start to rumble and vibrate horribly (it sounds almost like a special effect out of a movie). If allowed to proceed it sounds like it would rip the plumbing system apart. If the water is allowed to warm up before running wide open, there is usually no problem. When the flame window is viewed the flame goes completely chaotic inside. I called Takagi and they said it was most likely because my intake pipe was too close to the exhaust, so I rerouted my intake (3" PVC) to turn downward and it is now several feet (~4') from the exhaust vent. This did not solve the problem. Another suspicion was the gas flow was insufficient. I have 3/4" gas line all the way to the heater and this happens when no other appliance is using gas. The problem did not occur when first installed so I don't believe it to be a problem of the line delivering too little gas. I don't have a remote so I can't pull a code (unfortunately I don't recall if the LEDs changed or not during the vibration). My suspicion (and Takagi tech suspected as well) is that this is somehow an issue only when running full combustion (wide open). Though it doesn't strictly seem to happen that way (it has occasionally acted up mid-shower without changing settings, but this is rare). I have recently done a vinegar flush and saw very little difference (very little buildup despite not having flushed it in a long time).
Second problem is that occasionally mid shower the heat will drop out for a few seconds and then come back.
You can feel the water in the shower getting colder for ~10 seconds before it goes completely cold then comes back. saw this discussion, but I have no idea how to clean the flow sensor. Link to instructions would be great.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. FYI this water heater only services a single bathroom. But the problem has manifested both in the shower and on our jacuzzi tub (ie not the mixing valve in the shower) for the intermittent hot water loss).