Error code

Rheem tankless water heater error code 61

Snap a photo — see what it is, how urgent, who to call.

One photo of the problem. fixRAgent reads it and gives you a Triage Profile.

Triage a photo now

No sign-up.

Is 61 on a Rheem tankless water heater an emergency?

Treat it as urgent — deal with it today. If you smell gas, do not touch switches or try to relight anything: leave, and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.

Take the photo. We’ll tell you what it is.

Managing this for someone else? Managers: set it up for your buildings →

Managing this for someone else? There is a version of this for whole portfolios.

Managers: set it up for your buildings →

What 61 means

“Faulty blower motor.”

— Rheem, Rheem tankless gas water heater Use & Care manual (AP22009 Rev 04), Service Error Code Chart. Codes vary by model: check your tankless water heater’s own manual.

Where 61 fits

In plain words, 61 is about a motor or fan — it did not turn, turned the wrong speed, or the load is unbalanced.

Rheem gives one other motor, fan and spin code for this tankless water heater: 66 (Faulty bypass motor).

Next to 61 in Rheem’s table: 33 (Faulty outlet thermistor) and 66 (Faulty bypass motor).

What to try first

  • Turn the heater off and call a qualified technician.

Safety: If you smell gas, do not touch switches or try to relight anything: leave, and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.

How urgent is it?

At least TODAY. fixRAgent treats this code as needing attention today. It points at water where it should not be, overheating, a combustion or ignition safety shutdown, food that may be warming, or a wiring problem. This is fixRAgent’s reading, not the manufacturer’s. A photo can raise it — water near wiring, scorch marks, a gas smell — but a code never lowers what the photo shows.

Who to call

Plumber. Have the model and serial numbers from the label ready — a photo of the label works.

Recalls and manuals

Check whether your model is under a safety recall on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s site: cpsc.gov/Recalls. Your owner’s manual is on Rheem’s support site; search it with the model number from the label.