Rheem Rheem Professional Classic 50 Gal. 38,000 BTU Natural Gas Water Heater NO HOT WATER Error Fix: No Hot Water — Pilot Light Out

Error code NO HOT WATER on the Rheem Rheem Professional Classic 50 Gal. 38,000 BTU Natural Gas Water Heater means: No Hot Water — Pilot Light Out. The water heater produces no hot water and the pilot light is out. Look through the sight glass near the bottom of the water heater — you should see a small blue flame (the pilot). If the pilot is out: turn the gas control knob to OFF, wait 5 minutes for any residual gas to dissipate, turn to PILOT, press and hold the knob while pressing the igniter button repeatedly until the pilot lights, continue holding the knob for 60 seconds after the pilot lights to allow the thermopile to heat up, then release. If the pilot lights but goes out when you release the knob, the thermopile is weak (see 2 FLASH or 8 FLASH codes). If you smell gas, do NOT attempt to light the pilot — leave the area and call your gas utility company.

The most successful fix is "Replace Thermopile Assembly to Maintain Pilot Flame" (medium difficulty, ~45 minutes). Estimated DIY cost: $15-$25. HomeMD has 2 community-ranked fixes for this error.

This error is rated warning severity. It is generally not urgent and can often be resolved with a simple DIY fix.

Yes — the top-ranked community fix ("Replace Thermopile Assembly to Maintain Pilot Flame") is rated medium difficulty and takes about 45 minutes. Tools needed: Phillips screwdriver, Adjustable wrench.

DIY cost: $15-$25. Professional repair typically costs $150-$250. Many homeowners save money by trying the top-ranked community fix first.

The Rheem Rheem Professional Classic 50 Gal. 38,000 BTU Natural Gas Water Heater has 8 other known error codes, including: 1 BLINK / 3 SEC (Normal Operation), 2 FLASH (Thermopile Voltage Low), 4 FLASH (Temperature Exceeded High Limit), 5 FLASH (Temperature Sensor Failure), 7 FLASH (Gas Control Valve Electronics Failure), and 3 more.

Error code NO HOT WATER also appears on 1 other Rheem model: Rheem Performance 40 Gal. 4500-Watt 6-Year Tank Electric Water Heater. The fix may vary by model, so check each model's specific page for tailored repair steps.