How To Adjust Temperature On Richmond Water Heater [Made Easy]

The method of changing the temperature on your Richmond water heater varies based on the type of heater you use. You can do it with the remote control in the tankless unit, but doing it in the electric and gas units requires different methods. So, how to adjust temperature on Richmond water heater?

You can change the temperature on the tankless units using the temperature adjustment buttons in remote. For the electric units, you’ll have to do it with the keypad. For the gas units, you have to turn the gas control knob. You can often get stuck on a top limit of 120°F on the tankless units and that’s frustrating.

how to adjust the temperature on Richmond water heater

We’ll show you how you can program your tankless heater to increase the temperature up to 140°F. You’ll also learn how to change the temperature in all types of Richmond heaters. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

How To Adjust Temperature On Richmond Water Heater [Explained]

We’ll take a look at how to adjust the temperature in all the different types of Richmond water heaters in this section. Let’s start with the tankless ones and work our way into the electric and gas units.

How To Adjust Temperature On Richmond Tankless Water Heater

Changing the temperature on your Richmond tankless water heater is easy and intuitive. The heaters are equipped with a remote control that also acts as the thermostat. You can change the temperature of the hot water using it.

heaters are equipped with a remote control

As you can see, the remote control has a Power On/Off button, a display indicating the current temperature, and temperature Adjustment buttons. You can use the button with the Up arrow to turn up the temperature and the button with the Down arrow to decrease the temperature.

You will be able to see the updated temperature in real-time on the LED display panel of the remote control as you change it. Keep in mind that you can set the temperature in the range of 100°F to 120°F.

Note: Also read our ultimate guide on Richmond electric water heater troubleshooting.

How To Adjust Richmond Tankless Water Heater Past 120°F?

When you get a Richmond tankless water heater, it’s programmed by default to not go past 120°F. That’s because anything above that temperature can cause scalding and Richmond doesn’t want you to sue them if that happens.

richmond tankless water heater

You can override that programming in Richmond and set the temperature even higher. Before we show you how to do that, keep in mind that setting the hot water temperature above 120°F opens you up significantly to the risk of scalding. In fact, here’s a table to help you out:

Temperature Of WaterTime Needed For Scalding
120°F (49°C)Over 5 minutes
125°F (52°C)Around 2 minutes
130°F (54°C)Around 30 seconds
135°F (57°C)Around 10 seconds
140°F (60°C)Faster than 5 seconds
145°F (63°C)Faster than 3 seconds
150°F (66°C)Within 1.5 seconds
155°F (68°C)Within 1 second

Okay, so you have been warned. Now, it’s up to you if you want to increase the temperature of the hot water. You may want to do it if you are using mixing valves in your home and you want to get hot water much faster.

Follow these steps to increase the temperature of your Richmond tankless water heater beyond 120°F:

  • Make sure the remote control is on. If it’s turned off, press the power button to turn it on.
  • Shut off the gas supply to the water heater by closing the shut-off valves.
  • Keep pressing the Up arrow button as many times as needed repeatedly until you get to 120°F.
  • Hold the Up arrow button until the 120°F temperature reading changes to 140°F and starts to blink. While holding the Up arrow button, press the Down arrow button once. That will set the temperature at 140°F and it’ll stop blinking.
  • You can now use the temperature adjustment buttons to set your desired temperature. You can set it upwards of 120°F in 5-degree intervals like 125°F, 130°F, 135°F, and 140°F.
  • Open the shutoff valves to supply gas to your water heater and enjoy hot water at your desired temperature.

The great thing about adjusting the temperature this way is that Richmond tankless water heaters remember that you have changed the programming even when there’s a power outage.

 electrical power outage

Your heater won’t make you stay within the 120°F temperature limit anymore now that you have changed the programming. And that can get you thinking – what you can do if you want to change it back.

Luckily, you can do that too and limit the temperature to 140°F just like it was by default. The steps are similar to the above with minor changes. Follow these steps to do it:

  • Turn on the remote control and turn off the gas supply.
  • Press the Down arrow button as many times as you need to get to 100°F or 85°F. Hold it down until the temperature reading starts to blink. While holding the Down Arrow button, press the Up arrow button once. The temperature will stop blinking.
  • Now, you have reprogrammed the water heater. You can change the temperature using the adjustment buttons as usual but you won’t be able to get past 120°F. Turn on the gas supply again to start using the hot water.

As you can see, instead of holding down the Up arrow button, all you got to do here is hold down the Down arrow button. That’s all you need to know to adjust the temperature of your Richmond tankless heater without any issues.

How To Adjust The Temperature In Richmond Electric Water Heaters

You can change the temperature on your Richmond electric heater using the keypad. The water heater will be in disabled mode when power is applied to it and it won’t heat the water at this stage. Start by pressing the right arrow until your desired temperature is displayed.

richmond electric water heaters

You can increase the temperature using the right arrow and decrease it using the left arrow. You can change it in 5°F intervals with the keypad. Once you’re happy with the temperature you’ve set, you can lock your keypad to prevent it from accidentally being changed again.

Press both arrow buttons together for 3 seconds to lock the keypad. Doing it again will unlock the keypad. You can switch between lock and unlock modes using the same method. It’ll also allow you to set a temperature above 140°F and you can go as high as 150°F.

How To Adjust The Temperature In Richmond Gas Water Heaters

You can change the temperature in Richmond gas water heaters using the temperature knob on the Gas control thermostat. There are different points marked on the knob that indicates the temperature of the water.

adjust the temperature in richmond gas water heaters

We are presenting a quick rundown as to the temperature that each of these points represents. Keep in mind that these are approximate values and you shouldn’t think of them as absolute values.

  • The “Low” Mark means a temperature of approximately 91°F.
  • The “Hot” Mark means a temperature of approximately 125°F.
  • The “A” Mark means a temperature of approximately 130°F.
  • The “B” Mark means a temperature of approximately 140°F.
  • The “C” Mark means a temperature of approximately 150°F.
  • The “Very Hot” Mark means a temperature of approximately 155°F.

Here’s a picture that will help you out:

gas control thermostat positions

You can turn the knob to any of these positions to get your desired temperature. Take stacking into account when you set the temperature in your heater. The water at the top of the tank will always be hotter than the water at the bottom of the tank.

You need to set the temperature according to that. Always test the temperature with your hand for a little bit before adjusting the temperature using the knob. 

Keep in mind that the lower the temperature settings you choose, the lower your bill will be. Setting it up to higher temperatures when not needed will not only increase your bill but can also cause accidental scalding.

There’s a safety shut-off device built into the gas control thermostat. It’s meant to shut off the gas supply when the pilot light goes out. There is also a single-use gas shut-off device to stop the gas supply to the burners when the temperature of the water heater exceeds normal levels.

Check out our guide on how to solve no hot water from Richmond water heater if you are facing this issue. Hopefully, you’ll find your fix there and can start getting hot water from your heater again.

FAQs:

Where should I install the Richmond tankless water heater remote control?

You should install the Richmond remote control away from the reach of children. Make sure that you don’t store it outdoors as it can be exposed to heat, water, and direct sunlight. These things will make it go bad soon.

Why do I get less water from my tankless water heater when I turn up the temperature?

When you set a temperature of more than 120°F, the heater takes longer to heat the water. The overall process gets slower and that’s why you get less water at the other end.

How far can you install the remote control from the Richmond tankless water heater?

The remote control is connected to your heater via a wire. You can keep it apart from your water heater at a maximum distance of 59 meters or 195 feet.

What to do when one of the temperature buttons gets stuck in Richmond gas heaters?

The first thing you should try is to press and release each of the buttons once and turn the heater on and off. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to most likely replace the gas control thermostat.

Conclusion

How to do Richmond tankless water heater temperature adjustment? We have not only discussed answering that question but you should also know how to do it for the gas and electric units if you have read this guide.

Not getting hot water when you want it can get extremely annoying. The tankless heaters can get stuck on a limit of 120°F but now you know how to get past it. Hopefully, you can change the temperature without any issues now. Comment below if you have any questions.

Note: You can also read how to fix Richmond water heater gas valve problems.

About David

David is a man who loves doing research and finding out the best solution to any type of heating appliance issues like heaters and fireplaces. Whenever he finds the perfect solutions to any issues of heating appliances after doing in-depth research, he loves to share them with his readers. In fact, his aim is to help his readers to fix the issues with their heating appliances easily.More about us .

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