AO Smith Water Heater Reset Button [How To Reset]

The AO Smith water heater reset process is simple. First, find out the electrical panel and check the circuit breaker’s position.

If the breaker is ON, turn it OFF  and while it’s found OFF, turn it ON. Then find the heater reset button and press it. And it’s all in short to reset your water heater.  

However, if you need to learn the reset process in detail, don’t skip the article. This article will break down all the details of how to reset the water heater, the result after resetting it, and why you need to reset your AO Smith water heater. So, let’s dive into deep…

AO Smith Water Heater Reset Button [2 Easy Steps]

Whenever your water heater stops its smooth running due to a power surge or short circuit, or any other issue, the reset button can act as a life savior for you.  It ensures the heater’s safety and turns it back to its normal position.

However, you can easily reset your AO Smith electric water heater following just two simple steps. The steps are:

Note: You can also read AO smith hybrid water heater troubleshooting.

Step 1: Inspect the Electrical Panel

First, you need to locate the electrical panel before starting your water heater’s resetting process.

Usually, the electrical panel is located in most households’ basements, garages, or storage. You will find a written “Water Heater” label in the electrical panel’s circuit breaker body. 

Then inspect the breaker’s position. For example, it could be in the “On” or “Off” position. Now depending on its position, do the following:

i) The Breaker’s Position Is “ON”:

When the electrical panel’s circuit breaker is ON, you don’t need to do much. Turn it to the opposite direction or off position before resetting your heater.

ii) The Breaker’s Position Is “Off”:

If the circuit breaker remains OFF, then you need to rotate it to ON. After turning it ON, if it remains the same, you can assume that it’s not a serious problem, and you can easily reset your heater by yourself.

Note: You should take it seriously when the breaker flips back again to the OFF position. Be sure that your AO Smith water heater is struggling with some major problems. If it happens, you won’t reset your heater. In that case, you need to contact an electrician to deal with the issue first.

Step 2: Press the Heater’s Reset Button

The AO Smith electrical or gas water heater comes with a reset button somewhere in the heater itself. Generally, this button is found in red color. Check near the thermostat, and you will find it. 

However, the reset button doesn’t need to always be near the thermostat. Sometimes, you may find it behind the unit’s removal metal panel. Or if you don’t see it either here, check behind the heater’s insulation.

Whatever its location is, you need to find the reset button and press it. Thus, to reset your water heater, push the reset button, wait for a few seconds or minutes, and finally release it.

However, sometimes the heater consists of a second thermostat and reset button. So check the second button too.

After pushing the heater’s reset button, if it immediately trips again, you should consider it a significant crisis. Then, instantly contact a professional technician to fix your heater’s issues.

3 Results After Your Heater Reset

After resetting your AO Smith water heater, you need to check its result. The result could be either positive or negative. Check the following signs:

  1. After resetting your heater, you may find your heater is On and working fine. Then get relaxed, turn it ON, and get the hot water. But remember, it may take a few hours to reheat the tank’s water.
  2. If you get no result after completing the resetting process and the heater fails to turn on, you should contact an expert electrician to detect the issue. 

Note: However, don’t forget to set the control panel’s breaker again in the off position before calling the pro. Otherwise, it can cause danger for you. 

3. Once the heater’s resetting process becomes complete, you may see your heater’s reset button is tripping again. But still, the heater is also working correctly. Switch off the home’s circuit breaker and contact the electrician in this situation. Otherwise, it can cause severe trouble or danger to your heater. 

Whenever your heater’s reset button keeps tripping, be sure that your heater goes through some significant issues. Try yourself or contact AO Smith water heater technical support to detect and fix all those problems. 

Why Need To Reset Your AO Smith Water Heater?

When your water heater starts malfunctioning, you may need to reset it to ensure its smooth running again.

So how do you know that there is something wrong with the water heater and you need to reset it? You can identify it by seeing your heater tripping reset button.

The heater’ reset button is mainly designed as a safety feature. However, it keeps tripping when it receives any malfunction signs. For the following reasons, you may require resetting your water heater. 

  • Defective thermostat
  • Faulty reset button itself
  • The heater’s high-limit switch stops working
  • Burnt-out or malfunctioning heating elements
  • Loosen wire connections
  • Lousy circuit breaker

FAQ

Does a gas water heater have a reset button?

Yes! The gas water heater consists of a reset button to quickly reset your heater. Usually, when the AO Smith water heater malfunction occurs, you may need to use this reset button to restart it again.

How long does it take for hot water to reset?

After resetting the heater, how long it will take to supply the hot water significantly depends on the tank’s size. For example, if you own an A.O Smith gas water heater, 30-40 minutes will require getting the hot water from it.

What are the most common problems with the AO Smith gas water heater?

The AO Smith water heater’s most common issues are water leaks, tank corrosion, microscopic fractures, cracks in the heater, etc. Again, the other problems are the heater stops supplying hot water, hot water creating strange smells, hot water’s low pressure, etc.

How do you tell if the pilot light is out on the AO Smith water heater?

If your AO Smith water heater’s pilot light is out, you can experience it in three different ways. You will see several signs such as cold water and the heater not showing the flame or creating error messages.

Why my AO Smith water heater is beeping?

When your AO Smith water heater consists of a water leak, it produces a beeping sound. If your heater’s closet floor contains moisture or water, leaking your heater is obvious. And this ultimately leads to the heater’s beeping issue.

Conclusion

Now you know the AO Smith water heater reset process. Hopefully, you can reset your heater by yourself.

However, if you fail to reset it, you should contact an expert. Or let us know in the comment section. We’ll assist you ASAP.

About William

William is the founder of Fireplacehubs.com. He has real life practical skills in fixing smoker & heating appliance issues. He loves to share his knowledge & helps others in fixing their appliances & saving their money. William firmly believes that anyone can repair his or her unit with the correct guidance & knowledge. See more at about us.

6 thoughts on “AO Smith Water Heater Reset Button [How To Reset]”

  1. I have an AO Smith Model 6-120 Electrical Water Heater. 4 weeks back water went cold – next Week I had to reset a few times and and after some preliminary troubleshooting – I was told to replace upper thermastat – which I did.
    Worked ok for 4 days then same issue. I then replaced upper and lower heating elements after draining tank twice and used shop vac to clean up residue left – there was not much corrosion etc from draining. Worked fine for over a week then went cold again.
    Replaced lower thermastat today since only thing left I could think of and hot water back on.

    Note:
    Circuit Breaker has never tripped but I did power off before changing above parts as well as unplugging.
    Verified all wiring in unit is correct and tight.
    No Leaks

    One thing I notice is Hot water in main bedroom shower and spa gets much hotter and much quicker than other areas (bathroom sinks, Kitchen sink) – these seem to take forever to heat up.

    Any advice on where issue could be – I am out of options.

    PS – origionally both thermastats were set to just about Max of 150 – upper being just a tad below the lower one. I set upper to 135 and lower to 140.

    Tx for any advice

    Reply
    • Hi Dave

      Do you check for sediment build-up that could be the culprit behind the issue even though the thermostat works? If not, flush the water heater to fix the issue,

      If it doesn’t work, take help from the AO Smith support team.

      Wish you all the best.

      Reply
  2. I have an a.o. smith water heater, serial number 1632A004058, model # FMHR 40 400. My problem is that it went out and I started it back up worked good for a day. When I got up the next morning I checked an the pilot was out, so I tried to reset it but nothing happened, For 2 days I tried to light it but there was no polite light? I tried it then waited 10 mins sometimes 30 mins but nothing. I’m 73 years old and can’t afford another one cause I got it from liheap program 10/16/2016. Its going on 3 days which is from Friday to Sunday I’m really worried. I have no on to help me. And would like to know does it have a plug in?PLEASE HELP

    Reply
    • Hi Louise

      As your water heater pilot light goes out, a dirty or defective thermocouple could be the culprit behind the issue.

      Well, to fix the problem, clean the thermocouple. Plus, clean the pilot assembly & blow compressed air into the pilot area.

      However, you need to replace the thermocouple if you get it faulty.

      Hopefully, your problem will be solved.

      Wish you all the best!

      Reply
  3. Trying to relight gas water heater after the city water supply has been out for two weeks , just came back on today and followed lighting instructions multiple times without success

    Reply

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