Bradford White Water Heater Error Codes

Look up what a blink or error code means on your Bradford White water heater, and whether it is safe to check yourself.

This is a gas appliance. If you smell gas or hear hissing, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. Repairs to gas lines or burners are a job for a licensed technician.

This table covers the DV Series atmospheric water heaters only. The power vent UPV75 pressure switch codes (3 flash and 6-2 flash) are shown as one general venting problem. The source manual did not clearly separate the two versions of that fault.

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DV Series atmospheric direct vent residential gas water heaters (models RG2DV40S, RG2DV50S, RG2DV50H, LG2DV50H50) - ICON System Gas Control V1 (single green LED)

Code	Severity	What it means	Safe checks
No light (LED not on or flashing)	DIY OK	The pilot is not lit and the gas control has no power from the thermopile. A homeowner can retry the lighting procedure on the label. If the pilot will not stay lit after a few tries, a technician needs to check or replace the pilot assembly or gas control.	1 safe check Follow the lighting instructions printed on the water heater's label to relight the pilot
1 flash, then a 3 second pause	Normal	Normal. If the dial is set to Pilot, this means a pilot flame is detected and the dial can be turned to a temperature setting. If the dial is already set to a temperature, the tank is at temperature and satisfied. No repair needed. This is normal operation.	1 safe check Turn the temperature dial to your desired setting if it is still set to Pilot
Short flash, once per second	Normal	Normal. The burner is on and heating the tank because the water is below the set temperature. No action needed. This is normal operation.	None needed
Light on continuously (solid)	Normal	The temperature dial was just turned to OFF and the pilot is cooling down. Wait for the light to turn off. No repair needed.	1 safe check Wait for the light to go out before trying to relight the pilot
2 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The pilot flame signal is weak. The system will reset itself once the pilot flame is steady. This points to a thermopile or unstable pilot problem that a technician diagnoses with a multimeter and gas pressure checks. Do not attempt electrical testing yourself.	1 safe check Look through the sight glass, per the water heater's label, to confirm the pilot flame is lit and steady
3 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The water is not being heated enough. The system will try to reset itself. Caused by a thermal sensor calibration problem or a faulty gas control. The gas control typically needs replacement by a technician.	None needed
4 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	The tank got too hot and shut itself down as a safety measure. This is an overheat safety shutdown. A technician must replace the gas control. Do not attempt to reset or bypass it yourself.	None needed
5 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The temperature sensor inside the gas control has failed. Requires gas control replacement by a technician.	None needed
7 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The gas control's electronics detected an internal fault. A technician can try resetting the gas control. If the fault returns, the control needs replacement.	None needed
8 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	The pilot is staying lit even though the temperature dial is turned to OFF. This means the gas valve is stuck open, which is a safety-relevant gas control failure. Do not attempt to force the valve closed. A technician must replace the gas control.	None needed

Sources

Bradford White DV Series Service Manual (Direct Vent Water Heaters, models RG2DV40S, RG2DV50S, RG2DV50H, LG2DV50H50), Manual 238-51636-00D REV 10/20 (accessed 2026-07-03)

DV Series atmospheric direct vent residential gas water heaters (models RG2DV40S, RG2DV50S, RG2DV50H, LG2DV50H50) - ICON System Gas Control V2 (multi-color LED)

Code	Severity	What it means	Safe checks
No light (LED not on or flashing)	DIY OK	The gas valve is not powered. The pilot is not lit. A homeowner can retry the lighting procedure on the label. If the pilot will not stay lit, a technician needs to check or replace the pilot assembly or gas control.	1 safe check Follow the lighting instructions printed on the water heater's label to light the pilot
1 flash every 4 seconds (green)	Normal	Normal. The pilot is lit and the main burner is off. The knob can be turned to a desired temperature. No repair needed. This is normal operation.	None needed
1 flash every second (green)	Normal	Normal. The main valve is open and the main burner is lit. The control will shut the burner off automatically once the water reaches the set temperature. No action needed. This is normal operation.	None needed
2 flashes, then a 3 second pause (yellow)	Pro required	Low thermopile voltage. The main valve is not turning on. A technician needs to check the thermopile and its wiring connections.	1 safe check Confirm the pilot flame is lit by looking through the sight glass per the water heater's label
4 flashes, then a 3 second pause (red)	Safety hazard	The temperature cut-out limit was reached, shutting the unit down. This is an overheat safety shutdown. Reduce the temperature setpoint and have a technician verify control operation; the control may need replacement if it keeps exceeding the setpoint.	None needed
5 flashes, then a 3 second pause (red)	Pro required	An electronics, sensor, or gas valve fault was detected. A technician needs to check the water temperature sensor and its wiring for open circuits, shorts, or damage; the gas control likely needs replacement.	None needed
Solid light on (red)	Normal	Not an error by itself. It indicates the control is in the OFF position. No repair needed while the control is intentionally off.	1 safe check Wait until the light turns off before restarting the system

Sources

Bradford White DV Series Service Manual (Direct Vent Water Heaters, models RG2DV40S, RG2DV50S, RG2DV50H, LG2DV50H50), Manual 238-51636-00D REV 10/20 (accessed 2026-07-03)

UPV75 Series through-the-wall power vent gas water heaters (models URG2PV75H76, ULG2PV75H76) - ICON System Gas Control with Flammable Vapor Sensor

Code	Severity	What it means	Safe checks
2 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The pilot signal was weak on the last call for heat. The system will try to reset itself. Points to an unstable pilot, blocked pilot tube, or wiring problem at the gas valve that a technician should inspect.	1 safe check Look through the sight glass, per the water heater's label, to confirm the pilot flame is lit and steady
3 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	A venting or pressure switch problem was detected (a blocked or kinked pressure sensing line, blocked pressure tap, or a faulty pressure switch). Venting problems can affect safe exhaust of combustion gases. A technician needs to check the vent configuration and pressure switch. Do not clear an internal blockage yourself.	1 safe check Make sure nothing is blocking the outside vent termination (leaves, snow, debris)
4 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	Excessive tank temperature. The system must be reset. This is an overheat safety shutdown. A technician needs to replace the gas control.	None needed
5 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	An undesired or false pilot flame was detected, meaning the pilot valve may be stuck open. This is a gas safety condition. A technician needs to replace the gas control.	None needed
6, then 1 flash, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The unit failed to light the pilot on this attempt. The system will automatically retry. If this code keeps repeating, a technician needs to check the pilot assembly, pilot tube, and wiring connections.	1 safe check Confirm the gas supply valve is fully open
6, then 2 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	The pressure switch or blower temperature switch opened during burner operation. The system will automatically retry. This relates to venting and blower operation. A technician needs to check the vent, pressure switch, and blower if this code repeats.	1 safe check Make sure nothing is blocking the outside vent termination
6, then 3 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	The pilot flame went out during operation. The system will automatically retry. If this code keeps repeating, a technician needs to check the pilot, gas pressure, and combustion air supply.	1 safe check Confirm the gas supply valve is fully open
6, then 4 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	An undesired or false pilot flame was sensed. The system will automatically retry. If this code repeats, a technician needs to inspect the gas valve for a stuck pilot valve.	None needed
7 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	A fault was detected in the flammable vapor sensor or the resettable thermal switch. This safety shutdown protects against flammable vapor ignition. Remove any flammable liquids or vapor sources from the area, then follow the label's relighting instructions. If the code returns, the flammable vapor sensor or thermal switch needs professional replacement. Never bypass this safety device.	1 safe check Check that no gasoline, solvents, paint, cleaning products, or other flammable liquids or vapors are stored or used near the water heater, per the warning label on the unit
8, then 1 flash, then a 3 second pause	Safety hazard	The flammable vapor sensor reading is out of specification. A technician needs to inspect or replace the flammable vapor sensor. Do not bypass this safety device.	1 safe check Check that no flammable liquids or vapors are stored or used near the water heater
8, then 2 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	A temperature sensor fault was detected. A technician needs to replace the gas control.	None needed
8, then 3 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	A gas valve electronics fault was detected. A technician can try resetting the gas control. If the fault returns, the control needs replacement.	None needed
8, then 4 flashes, then a 3 second pause	Pro required	A gas valve fault was detected. A technician can try resetting the gas control. If the fault returns, the control needs replacement.	None needed

Sources

Bradford White UPV75 Series Service Manual (Through-the-Wall Ultra Low NOx Gas Water Heaters, models URG2PV75H76, ULG2PV75H76), Manual 238-53991-00A 05/22 (accessed 2026-07-03)

Last updated 2026-07-03.