Bradford White 7 flashes: gas valve fault

Seven flashes is the gas control reporting a problem with its own electronics.

The meaning below comes from Bradford White's service manual for its ICON gas controls. Bradford White changed its flash codes in January 2019: serial numbers with a date code before TA use ICON 1.0 codes, and TA or later use ICON 2.0. Our guide on how old is my Bradford White water heater shows how to read the date code.

What causes it

• A control that needs to be reset
• A control that is wet or physically damaged, for example from a leak or water dripping from above

What to do

1. Look for water on or around the gas control and for drips from pipes or the vent above the heater.
2. Reset the control by turning the knob to OFF, waiting, and relighting the pilot following the instructions on the heater's label.
3. If seven flashes return, call a technician. Bradford White's service step is to replace the gas control.

Repair or replace?

A gas control replacement is a common repair on a newer tank. On an older tank, compare the quote with a new heater. The serial number tells you the age.

Before you call

Note the exact flash pattern, count it twice, and have the model and serial number from the rating label ready. Tell the technician when the light started flashing, whether the pilot is lit, and whether anything was stored or spilled near the heater recently. The serial number also tells you the heater's age, which matters when deciding between a repair and a replacement.

See every code on our Bradford White status light codes page.