American Water Heater 30 Gallon UltraLow NOx Natural Gas Water Heater GU6130T30 User Manual

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Do not store or use gasoline or other 
flammable vapors and liquids in the 
vicinity of this or any other appliance.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SMELL GAS
  •  Do not try to light any appliance.
  •  Do not touch any electrical switch;  
    do not use any phone in your    
  building.
  •  Immediately call your gas supplier  
    from a neighbor’s phone. Follow  
    the gas supplier’s instructions.
  •  If you cannot reach your gas 
    supplier, call the fire department.
Installation and service must be...

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Table Of Contents
Water Heater Safety .............................................................................. 1-2
Installing Your Gas Water Heater ........................................................ 3-16
  Unpacking the Water Heater ........................................................... 3
 Location Requirements ................................................................ 4-5
 Gas Supply .................................................................................. 6-7...

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INSTALLING YOUR GAS WATER HEATER
Important Information About 
This Water Heater
This gas water heater was manufactured to voluntary 
safety standards to reduce the likelihood of a flammable 
vapor ignition incident. New technology used in meeting 
these standards makes this product more sensitive to  
installation errors or improper installation environments.  
Please review the Installation Checklist found at the end of 
the installation instructions section and make any required 
installation...

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Location Requirements
The Flame Guard™ Safety System is designed to reduce 
the risk of flammable vapor-related fires. The patented 
system protects your family by trapping the burning vapors 
within the water heater combustion chamber through 
the special flame-trap. The burning vapors literally “burn 
themselves out” without escaping back into the room. In the 
event of a flammable vapor incident, the Flame Guard™ 
Safety System disables the water heater by shutting off 
the gas supply to the water...

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IMPORTANT: The water heater should be located 
in an area where leakage of the tank or connections 
will not result in damage to the area adjacent to the 
water heater or to lower floors of the structure. Due 
to the normal corrosive action of the water, the tank 
will eventually leak after an extended period of time. 
Also any external plumbing leak, including those from 
improper installation, may cause early failure of the tank 
due to corrosion if not repaired.  If the homeowner is 
uncomfortable...

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Gas Supply
Gas Requirements
IMPORTANT: Read the data plate to be sure the water 
heater is made for the type of gas you will be using in 
your home. This information will be found on the data 
plate located near the gas control valve/thermostat. If the 
information does not agree with the type of gas available, 
do not install or light. Call your dealer.
NOTE: An odorant is added by the gas supplier to the gas 
used by this water heater. This odorant may fade over an 
extended period of time. Do not...

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Combustion Air Supply and 
Ventilation
IMPORTANT:  Air for combustion and ventilation must 
not come from a corrosive atmosphere. Any failure due 
to corrosive elements in the atmosphere is excluded from 
warranty coverage.
The following types of installation (not limited to the 
following) will require outdoor air for combustion due to 
chemical exposure and may reduce but not eliminate the 
presence of corrosive chemicals in the air:
• beauty shops
•  photo processing labs
•  buildings with indoor...

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Unconfined Space
A water heater in an unconfined space uses indoor air for 
combustion and requires at least 50 cubic feet for each 
1,000 BTU/HR of the total input for all gas appliances. The 
table below shows a few examples of the minimum square 
footage (area) required for various BTU/HR inputs.
IMPORTANT:
•  The area must be open and be able to provide the 
proper air requirements to the water heater. Areas that 
are being used for storage or contain large objects may 
not be suitable for water...

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All Air from Outdoors
Outdoor fresh air can be provided to a confined area either 
directly or by the use of vertical and horizontal ducts. The 
fresh air can be taken from the outdoors or from crawl or 
attic spaces that freely communicate with the outdoors. 
Attic or crawl spaces cannot be closed and must be 
properly ventilated to the outside. 
Ductwork must be of the same cross-sectional area as 
the free area of the opening to which they connect. The 
minimum dimension of rectangular air ducts...

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Vent Pipe System
This water heater uses a non-direct, single-pipe vent system 
to remove exhaust gases created by the burning of fossil fuels. 
Air for combustion is taken from the immediate water heater 
location or is ducted in from the outside (see “Combustion Air 
Supply and Ventilation” section).
This water heater must be properly vented for the removal of 
exhaust gases to the outside atmosphere. Correct installation 
of the vent pipe system is mandatory for the proper and 
efficient operation...