Honeywell Water Heater Status Light Blinking 7 Times [Solved]

Honeywell water heater status light blinking 7 times in red color is the error indication of gas control or valve failure.

Water heater gas valve failure is a quick sign that the heater pilot light is not working properly or the thermocouple is not producing the electrical signal. 

Furthermore, the temperature sensor might not be working, or the high-limit probe has been tripped.

There is a high possibility of a clogged burner tube or orifice. In fact, it’s more likely that the gas control valve is defective and needs to be replaced.

However, it will be best to reset the gas control valve while you are resolving the issue with the 7 blinking lights.

If it fails, you will need a complete troubleshooting guide. Go through our below comprehensive guide to resolve this error blinking issue.

Honeywell Water Heater Status Light Blinking 7 Times [Solved]

Honeywell hot water heater status light blinking 7 times in red mainly indicates the gas control or valve failure. The gas inlet of the heater is connected to the gas control valve which controls the gas flow to the unit. 

This element allows the pilot light to ignite. When it ignites, the thermocouple gets heated and sends a signal to the gas control valve.

After getting the signal, the burner starts operating and heats the water. However, read the complete guide to learn the details about gas valve failure and to troubleshoot the issue with ease. 

1. Honeywell Water Heater 7 Flashes Reset

The blinking 7 times abnormally or permanently is mainly relatable to the faulty gas control valve. Thus, resetting this effective element may fix the issue for most parts.

Here we have included the Honeywell water heater gas control valve reset steps for all of your convenience. 

Note: You can also read why Honeywell r7284 won’t turn on and how to fix it.

How To Reset Honeywell Water Heater Gas Valve

Follow the instructions to reset the water heater: First, move to your water heater pilot light knob. Mainly it is the reset button of this water heater.

Before resetting, make sure that the pilot light is turned on. Turn the knob clockwise to the “very hot” position and wait for 10 seconds.

After that, turn the pilot light knob counterclockwise to the “hot” position. Leave in this position for 10 seconds as well. Finally, turn the knob to the “pilot” position for 10 seconds.

Your water heater is being reset, and the flashing red light 7-time issue should be resolved. You can also watch the tutorial to get a better idea to reset the Honeywell control valve:

2. Heater Pilot Light Problem

There are some major reasons why the gas control valve may stop working. Malfunctioning the pilot light is one of them.

The pilot light is an essential element that functions as an ignition source for your water heater.

It connects the burner to the gas valve, and for that, a flame will keep alight constantly in the burner. In this way, the water in the tanks starts heating up.

But for several reasons, the pilot won’t light or fails to stay light. That includes faulty wiring, clogged pilot tubes, kinks in the flex tube, a bad control valve, or power failures.

Due to all these reasons, the gas valve will fail to function properly and leading to the valve failure issue. Follow the below instruction to resolve the faulty pilot light from your heater:

Solution:

• First, look for debris in the pilot tube that restricts airflow. Clean out the dirt build-up in the pilot tube using a slender needle or this type of object.
• Now check out the thermocouple of your heater which is the brain of your water heater. It produces a signal that triggers the pilot light. Accumulated dirt particles get in the way that interrupts the signal. So, clean out this element as well.
• Asides from being dirty and grimy, ensure perfect placement of the thermocouple. Replace the defective one.
• Clean out the obstructed flex tubes. 
• Measure the voltage reading of the thermal switch. 
• A faulty pilot button that doesn’t pop up after pressing is also another major sign of a faulty main control valve. So, check out the pilot button.
• If still, the pilot light fails to ignite, check the gas supply line. It’s a possibility of a kink in the hose.
• Repair the heater’s poor electrical wiring connection with the help of the technician.

3. Clogged Burner Orifice

After recovering the pilot, the thermocouple problem, and still the status light is blinking, there is a higher possibility of a burner orifice.

After long wear and tear, the burner system of the heater may be clogged by dirt, debris, water, insects, tree roots, rust, and physical pipe deformation.

Because of the blockage in the burner assembly, the normal gas flow will restrict. As the valve manages the flow of gas to the water heater, thus it starts malfunctioning because of the burner problem.

For this, the water heater isn’t heating water, the burner is not firing up, and the status light is blinking the error code 7.

How To Clean A Water Heater’s Burner

Here we will tell you how you will check and clean your burner of the water heater.

• First, turn off the heater. Turn off the gas control valve as well. Also, close the gas shutoff valve on the gas supply.
• After extinguishing the flame, remove the combustion chamber cover panel. Now remove the combustion door by sliding it out of the way.
• This time slide the burner tube and assembly out from the combustion chamber very gently and carefully. 
• Start cleaning the assembly using a soft bristle brush and a vacuum cleaner. Don’t miss to vacuum up the entire combustion chamber.
• Clean out the flame arrestor and remove any dust or debris from the air intake screens to ensure fluent airflow.
• Now reassemble the burner assembly by sliding it back into the combustion chamber.
• Turn back on the main gas shutoff valve and look through the status light to see if still, it is blinking or not.

4. Malfunctioning From Gas Control Valve’s Probes

In every water heater, there have two probes sticking out of the gas control valve. One is the heat limiter probe, and the other one is the temperature probe.

The high-limit probe senses the water temperature. It functions as a safety component on the heater.

When the probe senses the water temperature is too high, it gets tripped and shuts down the valve. This prevents the water heater from heating the water to an unsafe level. 

Now the temperature probe functions differently. It senses the temperature of the water as well, and when the heater reaches the set temperature, a rod within the long probe presses a lever inside the gas valve. 

After that, the gas valve will open, and the burner will be able to ignite to heat the water. Anyway, because of the probe’s defection, the gas valve or control failure will occur. 

Solution:

• First up, determine if the temperature sensor and the high limit probe are working or not. For this, you may measure the resistance reading with a multimeter.
• Now you can compare the resistance reading to the expected reading. You may take help from the manufacturer’s chart for sensor resistance.
• If you find the reading ok, be sure the faults are only in the gas valves that need to be replaced. Otherwise, if the reading will not match, replace the sensor and probe.

5. Replace The Damaged Gas Valve

If all troubleshooting fails to prove well, it is sure that the gas valve is defective now and unable to function properly anymore.

For several reasons, this valve may stop working, as we have discussed above. Also, this element may be worn out, or it may be damaged due to basement seepage or submersion.

Whatever the reason is, it is impossible to continue with a faulty gas valve. You need to replace it as soon as you can.

How To Replace Faulty Gas Control Valve On A Water Heater

Follow the instructions to replace the defective control valve:

• First, turn off the heater by turning the control knob in the Off position. Switch off the water supply by locating the water inlet line.
• This time, you have to drain the water from the tank. For this, open the drain valve. Take a wrench and disconnect the gas supply line to the gas control valve.
• Disconnect and remove the burner assembly to easily access the valve. Remove the bad gas control valve. 
• Install the new gas control valve and reassemble the burner assembly. Connect the gas control valve and gas line.
• Light the pilot light, and hopefully, the Honeywell water heater blinking 7 times is resolved.

FAQ:

What does it mean when the water heater blinks red?

If the water heater is blinking red, it is an error indicating that the heater has entered a lockout condition and needs attention. Stop using water when the error persists. 

What causes the hot water heater to shut off?

Insufficient fuel or gas supply is the root reason for consistently turning off the unit. There have several reasons why the heater is not getting enough gas, including a faulty gas valve or leakage in the valve.

What trips the reset button on a hot water heater?

Hot water heater keeps tripping the reset button because of the faulty and loose electrical connections. Due to this, there may supply a higher resistance voltage that produces a substantial amount of heat.

Wrapping Thoughts

At the end of the guide, we can expect that you are clear about all aspects of causing 7 blinking codes on the red LED indicator light of the Honeywell heater. Our troubleshooting guide is effective enough to fix the error without any hassle.

But still, if you face trouble while resolving the issue, don’t be late to inform us through comments. We will get back to you as early as we can.