The Bradford White Defender FVIR (Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant) System is by far the best available on the market today. Other Manufacturers have struggled with design and reliability problems including one that resulted in a class action settlement. FVIR is a safety system for gas water heaters that prevent the water heater from becoming an ignition source for vapors from spilled flammable liquids. As of July 1, 2003, 30, 40, and 50-gallon, gas-fired water heaters built for sale in the United States were required to have FVIR protection.
A simplified description of how FVIR Technology works is that older designs had an open combustion chamber where combustion air is drawn in at the base of the water heater. When a flammable liquid was spilled or used in the area of the water heater flammable vapors would accumulate along the floor and if the vapors reached the pilot or burner flame in the correct proportions they could ignite and burn back to the area where the flammable liquid was spilled or, being used causing an explosion and or, fire. The FVIR technology encloses the combustion chamber of the water heater and draws the combustion air through a flame arresting device where it is used for the pilot and burner. There is also a device that senses if the flame is too tall or, overheating either from a lack of proper combustion air or, too much fuel caused by flammable vapors entering the unit. Improper flue venting may also affect the temperature in the burner area. In any case when an unsafe burner condition, or FVIR event is noted the sensor shuts off the gas supply to the burner and pilot flame preventing ignition of the flammable vapors.
Bradford White Defender FVIR Water Heater and Cut Away Drawing Showing Combustion Air Inlets on the side and the FVIR Burner
Virtually every water heater manufacturer other than Bradford White has had problems in one form or another that result in their customers either having to face excessive maintenance and repair costs, unreliable operation, or even replacement of the water heater in some cases.
One manufacturer had a thermocouple with a thermal fuse built in that had a reverse thread. This thermocouple when tripped was required to be replaced and was unavailable except through the manufacturer requiring a wait for the replacement parts and if you wanted it faster there was a substantial cost for expedited shipping. This resulted in a class action lawsuit and a fix involving replacement of the burner assembly to one which used a thermal device with a reset switch and a design change for the new production units.
Bradford White Thermal Reset Switch
Some of the manufacturers have the combustion air drawn in through a small screen on the bottom of the water heater only a small distance above the floor. This design has faced problems with the screen clogging with dust and lint causing a lack of proper combustion air and tripping the sensor. This problem was amplified by the fact that water heaters are typically installed in laundry areas, closets and basements which are typically high lint and dust areas and the fact that the screen is located under the unit near the center and is difficult to access to clean when the water heater is set in the code required pan.
Another manufacturer has the combustion air inlet on the side of the unit but it is low between the bottom of the water heater and the combustion chamber door this is only slightly better than the bottom of the unit in terms of getting it away from the high dust area at floor level. It also requires replacement of the pilot assembly once the FVIR sensor has tripped.
Bradford White Defender FVIR burner diagram showing combustion air flow
Yet another manufacturer has a design which I consider to be second best as it has the combustion air inlet up on the sides which is good but does not have a reset for the FVIR sensor. Tripping of the FVIR sensor requires replacement of the pilot assembly. Fortunately for their customers the likelihood of dust and lint clogging the flame arrestor is greatly reduced by the height of the combustion air inlet and the pilot assembly is readily available.
Only the Bradford White Defender FVIR System brings all the right stuff to their design. They have the combustion air inlet high on the side of the unit where cleaner air is drawn into the unit keeping the flame arrestor from clogging with lint and dust. The design of the flame arrestor has larger openings that rely on velocities of the air flow and changes in direction to provide the flame arresting function giving less likelihood of lint and dust clogging over the screen design. A reset button is provided for the FVIR sensor so no parts replacement is required if there is an FVIR event. This combination of features makes Bradford White Defender FVIR Water Heaters my pick for the best FVIR water heaters. They are by far the lowest maintenance, highest in reliability, & lowest in repair frequency among the FVIR gas water heaters available. Whether or not you have hot water in the morning should be the last thing on your mind, yet sadly for many people, it is something they have to worry about.
good information and I will link it to my web site
thank you
master plumber mark
http://weilhammerplumbing.com/home/
Thanks Mark,
For the comment and linking.
I know you are a big fan of Bradford White Gas Water Heaters Too.
This site has been very helpful in choosing my new water heater. Can you tell me if the “second best” FVIR design is the one used on the GE 40 Gallon FVIR NG Short model that you reviewed favorably?
Hi Pat,
Yes the same design is used on Rheem, Ruud, Richmond, and GE, FVIR gas water heaters.
Thanks for commenting,
Redwood
Somebody put that design drawing in a bottle of Jack Daniels and smuggle it into the American Water Heater company! That’s the only way those drunk fools will get exposure to true engineering that’s worth a darn!! Whirlpool Flame Lock nightmare garbage!!! aaahhhh …. I feel better!! I get my new Bradford White from XXXXX Plumbing and Heating on Monday, Monday evening I get my money back from Lowe’s for the Whirlpool paperweight in my laundry room…. light at the end of this tunnel that passed through hours on the phone with “Frank” the helpdesk technicians in Punjab India…. “oh, Your 25th Thermocouple is free “Missa Whengert” but shipping is $50.00… oh I’m sollee I didn’t know you wanted it overnight… $78.50 prease”. Never again Whirlpool, never again!
I have a 2 year old Bradford White Defender Model MI 503 36FBN-394 . I have been getting this sickening odor out of my Aquatherm heating/air-conditioning system ducts. I have spent so much money already on plumbers . It was now suggested to me to have the flu connection checked for leaks. Should the plumber who installed the heater be responsible for that? Also they never installed a pan underneath? Should I hold the initial plumber responsible for that? The odor comes out mainly at night but not all the time. I am living in a condo, first floor. I read now that many people have problems with hot water heater. It seems some plumbers have no idea what causes that. Any suggestions?
Hi Ursula,
There are a lot of possibilities for the odor you are getting. The flue connection should be checked for leakage as well as proper draft and operation. A flue not installed properly can have fumes leaking or, may not have proper draft causing spillover from the diverter hood. If you have a tightly sealed building and there is not enough combustion air supplied or, you have a negative pressure from exhaust fans fumes can also enter your home. These fumes could be drawn into the air handler and distributed causing the odor.
Another possibility that should be looked at as well is the Installation of the air handler. The outside air inlet may be too close to the exhaust of your water heater or, a neighbors drawing in fumes and distributing them through your home. The condensate drain from your air handler should also be looked at. In many cases the condensate drain is plumbed to a drain, which can have a trap dry out because only the air handler uses that drain, this trap drying out would occur in the heating season when the air conditioning is not producing condensate. Once the water in the trap is dried out the air handler can draw in sewer gases and distribute them through your home. You have a lot of things to look at in order to determine where the odor is coming from, hopefully the solution can be found.
The requirement for a drain pan is dictated by code in many locations where the drain pan needs to be installed under the water heater and a drain to a location where damage to your unit and other units will not occur. You should check with your local building officials to see what the requirements are under the code used in your area. Unfortunately there are many different codes used across the country in the different states, counties, and even cities so I can’t say from here.
Redwood
Hi — I’ve had big trouble — from the start — with my Bradford White water heater, installed in 1996. Do you know if a B-W that old might have had issues the company has since solved? What happens with this one is that for a year or so it works fine, then starts to decline, with the LOW temperature — the temp at which the burners are supposed to turn on, to keep the water hot, getting lower and lower, to the point, at about 1-1/2 years, that I get just tepid water a lot of the time, even if I haven’t pulled any water from it (like overnight, for example); then by two years it’s tepid water all the time. The installer replaces the burner assembly/thermostat/thermocoupler, and it works again for a year, then the same decline starts. The installer has long since contacted B-W about this, but they would do nothing and had no suggestions. Now I’m at the end of my rope (and so is the installer) and am getting ready to spring for a new water heater. I hesitate to go for B-W, due to this problem and their refusal to help at all. But I guess what I want to know is whether you know of anything about OLD B-W gas water heaters that would cause this problem — maybe the air intake on the old ones was positioned in a way that it would clog? Or something else you’ve experienced? Mine is installed in my basement, with plenty of air circulation and nothing else there that would cause lint, but there is dust and there are (gulp) spider webs aplenty (thought we’ve never noticed any of the latter around the unit).
Hi Melissa,
From August 1993 until October 1996 many water heaters were made by a lot of different manufacturers that had a defective dip tube in them made by Perfection Corporation. This was the subject of a class action lawsuit settlement which has expired as of December 31, 2000. Dip tubes in a water heater extend from the cold water inlet down toward the bottom of the tank and direct the incoming cold water there to avoid its mixing with the outgoing hot water. The defective dip tubes were made from a plastic that disintegrated resulting in the classic symptom of running out of hot water, and faucet aerators and shower heads clogging with small pieces of plastic which many people thought were mineral deposits. they were whitish gray and vinegar which would have dissolved minerals did nothing.
You can check the serial numbers of your water heater to see if it was one of the included units. The serial number starts with 2 letters and those letters are the date codes. Affected Bradford White units have the following date codes KH through KM, LA through LM, MA through MM, NA through NM, OA, PA, or PB.
Melissa, I hate to say this but I don’t think your installer was in contact with Bradford White or, had knowledge of the highly publicized dip tube class action settlement. I would check your serial number against the list above and if you match call them back as an angry customer. I’m afraid your putting up with this problem this long was caused by them. As the water heater is now 14 years old and nearing the end of its expected service life I would say that a new water heater is a better choice than repairing the old.
Redwood
I had a Bradford White Defendor 50 Gal. gas water heater installed June 30th 2010 – It has been a problem since – In the morning the water is just temped or anytime after the tank sits for 3 hours with no use – About 30 minutes after use the water will be hot. It appears the thermostat does not trigger the burner to keep the temperature up in the tank until there is a drawl on the tank or maybe the Honneywell gas control is not working properly –
Hi Lynn,
It sounds like yours does have a problem with the thermostat. Sometimes a bum thermostat requires the shock of a water draw to trigger it to switch on the burner. I would suggest having the installing plumber troubleshoot the unit and make the required repairs. This should be a warranty repair.
My comments in this article are primarily directed at the design of the FVIR system of the Bradford White Defender which is IMHO far superior to the systems used on other brands. A few of those with the flame arrestor drawing air on the bottom of the unit have some severe problems with lint and dust blocking the airflow and shutting down the unit.
When you said Honeywell gas valve I’m wondering if you have the new Bradford White Icon System controlling your water heater.
Redwood
Thanks for your reply – According to Bradford White’s Web site my tank was produced in April 2010 if that helps – I think it does as it has all kind of led flashing codes to show what the problem is with thd hot water heater – In my case when I check before using the tank it does show one led f then a 3 second pause which means it has no faults.Then after you draw some water off the tank it show 2 quick led flashes then 3 second pause which means thermostat is calling for heat. So it appears it is the thermostat?
Hi Lynn,
Yes it sounds like normal operation is indicated by the flashes. Both the pilot and the call for heating.
How is the temperature of the water when drawn immediately after the burner has shut off?
What is the temperature when the unit continues to not have water drawn on it?
Will it eventually be allowed to cool off completely?
Has it been like this since the initial installation or, has it changed?
In a thermostat there is always a temperature differential of several degrees I’m wondering although I hate to say it if the thermostat is merely set to low for your needs. The reason I hate to say it is, if turning up the thermostat may create an unsafe water temperature on the high end of the differential. It’s hard to say and if there is a problem with the unit turning it up is not the answer to your problem. If you have a thermometer and you could take some temperature readings of the highest and lowest possible water temperature you can find out if you are within the on/off differential that I’m talking about and call Bradford White at 1-800-334-3393 to ask them if you should call for service or turn it up.
Redwood
I have Bradford White 48 gal gas model MITW50l6EN12 installed in 2002. It’s worked just fine until now -it stopped heating. I put the new thermostat trigger in and it doesn’t do anything. Is it time for me to get a new one or just simple thing my plumber just missed? Thanks
Hi Ann,
Your Bradford White Power Vent water heater is a fairly expensive unit and as long as it is in good condition and not leaking I would probably consider repair to be a worthwhile gamble. I would call the plumber back and have him diagnose the unit. Obviously he missed something or, it failed right after he left.
Redwood
Hi Redwood,
Thank you for reply. I called my plumber back and he is recommended me to put in a new one since is gonna cost me $900 to fix it. It’s 8 years old, not worth the money to fix it according to my plumber. The new Bradford White and service is gonna cost me around 1,300$ , is too much for me to afford. Can I just put in a regular brand from Home Depot, Lowes or Sears ? Do I have to go with Bradfor White? Thank you.
ann
Hi Ann,
That’s why I warned you about the high price tag of the water heater.
You have a power vent water heater and generally they are installed in locations where conventional water heaters cannot be used because of how the venting has to run in the building. In most cases you are stuck with getting another power vent and the cost is comparable no matter who the manufacturer is. I would stick with Bradford White as they are what I consider one of the best water heaters.
I always look towards fixing as many times a small relatively inexpensive part can cause the unit to shut down and go into lockout. There are quite a few sensors that provide feedback to the motherboard and cause it to shut down. But figuring the problem can be difficult and not all plumbers will get deeply involved in troubleshooting them. Of course there is always the possibility that things that cost more such as gas valves and mother boards can fail in which case the replacement of the old water heater is a more viable option.
Did your plumber check out the water heater and say what component(s) had failed?
Or, did he just replace a part then when you called back said replace it?
Redwood
Hello Redwood,
I didn’t asked to replace it. I told him what was wrong with my water heater. Be honest, I wasn’t around when he did the diagnosis so, I don’t know if he did or he didn’t the diagnosis. He just told me the cost of fixing it, not the problem(s). The actual cost is $1,900 and he wants me to replace the new one by this Staturday. I wanted to fixing it because $1,900 is a lot money to put in a new water heater. He called me today and wanted to know if i’m ready for putting a new one in. What shall I do? Thank .
Hi Ann,
Do you fell like spending some money on a second opinion?
It’s either that or, replace it.
What is your confidence level?
Redwood
Hi Redwood,
I think I want to replace it but I wanted to go with simple water heater. I know I cant afford the Bradford White brand, so, I gonna ask the Home Depot if they could install the simple one. Hopefully, they can. Again, thank you very much for helpping me out.
Ann
Hi Ann,
I pretty sure that you are locked into having a power vent installed without an option for atmospheric venting.
The builder would not have put in the expensive water heater if they didn’t have to.
I would check the Recharge Colorado website if I were you and also check with your gas company to see if rebates are available for high efficiency gas water heaters. There is also a 30% tax credit up to $1500 that may help offset the costs.
The Rebates and Tax Credit along with a savings on your gas bill may soften the hit on your wallet.
Redwood