Will my Rheem still heat water with code 76?

Sometimes it keeps heating, but you lose control of the temperature from the remote. Get it fixed so you can see future codes.

Rheem Tankless Code 76: Remote Control Communication Fault

The wall-mounted remote lets you set the temperature and see codes. It talks to the heater over a thin two-wire cable. Code 76 means that conversation has stopped.

The meaning and service steps below come from Rheem's tankless gas troubleshooting manual, which covers both Rheem and Ruud tankless water heaters. Rheem technical support: (800) 432-8373.

Common causes

Loose or corroded connections at the remote or at the terminals on the bottom of the heater
Damaged remote wiring, for example from a nail, a renovation or rodents
A failed remote control
A failed control board in the heater

How Rheem narrows it down

Inspect the wiring and tighten or repair any loose or damaged connections.
Disconnect the remote wires at the heater and see whether the unit fires on its own. If it does not, the control board is suspect.
Connect the remote directly to the heater with a short new piece of wire. If code 76 disappears, the original wiring is bad. If it stays, the remote is replaced.

What you can do

Check whether any work was done near the remote's wiring recently, and look at the terminal screws under the heater for anything loose. Turn off power before touching the terminals.

Before you call

Have the model and serial number from the rating label ready, along with the exact code and when it appears: at startup, during use, or only at high demand. Mention any recent work on the gas, water or electrical supply and when the heater was last serviced. This helps the technician bring the right parts and often saves a second visit.

See every code on our Rheem error codes page.

Other Rheem codes

Code	Meaning
00	Continuous combustion for more than one hour
03	Communication failure between units, remote or manifold controller
05	Improper combustion detected by the flame rod (warning)
10	Air supply or exhaust blockage (hard lockout)
11	Ignition failure
12	Flame failure
13	Poor combustion detected by the flame rod (indoor units)
14	Overheat safety tripped
15	Heat exchanger or hot water temperature too high (boiling safety)
16	Outlet water temperature above the set point (over temperature warning)
21	Air intake filter switch fault (earlier models)
24	Remote control buttons held too long, or operational switch fault
29	Condensate not draining (condensing models) or heat exchanger temperature too low
31	Inlet water temperature sensor (thermistor) fault
32	Heat exchanger thermistor fault
33	Outlet (outgoing water) thermistor fault
34	Ambient or combustion air temperature sensor fault
35	Improper thermistor connection
51	Gas valve fault: flame detected after shutdown (current) / gas inlet solenoid valve fault (earlier)
52	Modulating gas valve (PGFR) fault
61	Blower (combustion fan) motor fault
65	Water volume control valve fault
66	Water bypass valve fault
71	Gas inlet solenoid valve fault
72	Flame rod fault: flame sensed before ignition
76	Remote control communication fault
79	Blower (fan) motor current fault
80	Gas cut-off failure: flame detected after the unit turned off
82	Control board program chip fault (current) / gas type data failure (earlier)
90	Vent blockage detected before ignition
92	Neutralizer needs replacing soon (warning, condensing models)
93	Neutralizer must be replaced; unit will not operate (condensing models)
1L	Lime (scale) buildup detected in the heat exchanger
99	Vent blockage detected after shutdown / blocked flue (hard lockout)
P1	Not enough water flow to fire the burner (warning)

Rheem code 76: remote control communication fault