R96VA

Hardened ignition or PS retries.

1. 1 Watch one full try — do not reset

   Write the Rheem R96VA code. Watch inducer, HSI glow, valve click, flame, µA. The step that dies is the repair. Resetting only burns another try into a harder lockout. Read the code under it (11, 45, 46, 57). Do not just wait the hour.

   Expect: W1 / low → W2 / high → Water → EcoNet

2. 2 Gas and the valve

   Cock open, inlet pressure, then manifold on the stage that is failing vs the rating plate. 24 VAC at the valve during trial? Coil ohms? A valve that never opens looks like a ‘bad igniter’ if you did not watch the sequence.

   Expect: Manifold: Low and high vs plate.

3. 3 Flame prove, then the lockout timer

   Glow + valve + no prove → rod, ground, or IFC sense. Prove then drop → µA / PS / limit. Soft lockouts on this family often auto-reset on a long clock — do not sit on resets.

   Expect: Stable µA after light-off. No new PS/limit code.

Trial without prove.

1. 1 Watch one full try — do not reset

   Write the Rheem R96VA code. Watch inducer, HSI glow, valve click, flame, µA. The step that dies is the repair. Resetting only burns another try into a harder lockout. HSI, gas, rod, 24 VAC at the valve.

   Expect: W1 / low → W2 / high → Water → EcoNet

2. 2 Gas and the valve

   Cock open, inlet pressure, then manifold on the stage that is failing vs the rating plate. 24 VAC at the valve during trial? Coil ohms? A valve that never opens looks like a ‘bad igniter’ if you did not watch the sequence. Same prove logic as TA — the motor and the 45/46 card are what changed.

   Expect: Manifold: Low and high vs plate.

3. 3 Flame prove, then the lockout timer

   Glow + valve + no prove → rod, ground, or IFC sense. Prove then drop → µA / PS / limit. Soft lockouts on this family often auto-reset on a long clock — do not sit on resets.

   Expect: Stable µA after light-off. No new PS/limit code.

Weak µA.

1. 1 Measure µA while it is running

   Do not clean first and guess. Series-µA the rod on Rheem R96VA during a call. Falling µA is oxide, ground, or a dying flame. A hard drop is often the pressure switch or limit opening, not the rod. Rod, ground, manifold.

   Expect: Typically ≥ 1.0 µA DC on this family — confirm the door card. Rising while running.

2. 2 Rod, ground, then gas

   Clean the rod with a non-scratch pad — not sandpaper. Chassis ground to burner box and IFC (painted screw and missing star washer are classic). Then manifold on the stage that is dropping and confirm LP conversion leftovers.

   Expect: Manifold: Low and high vs plate.

3. 3 Prove it is not a switch opening

   Watch the live Rheem R96VA display when flame drops. A PS or limit code that appears at the drop means the rod was a victim. Inducer, hose, vent wind, or a limit on a wrong heat tap.

   Expect: µA stable and the live code stays a flame code — then rod/valve/IFC. Otherwise chase the new code.

Dropped after prove.

1. 1 Measure µA while it is running

   Do not clean first and guess. Series-µA the rod on Rheem R96VA during a call. Falling µA is oxide, ground, or a dying flame. A hard drop is often the pressure switch or limit opening, not the rod. Vent after blower-on, manifold, rod.

   Expect: Typically ≥ 1.0 µA DC on this family — confirm the door card. Rising while running.

2. 2 Rod, ground, then gas

   Clean the rod with a non-scratch pad — not sandpaper. Chassis ground to burner box and IFC (painted screw and missing star washer are classic). Then manifold on the stage that is dropping and confirm LP conversion leftovers.

   Expect: Manifold: Low and high vs plate.

3. 3 Prove it is not a switch opening

   Watch the live Rheem R96VA display when flame drops. A PS or limit code that appears at the drop means the rod was a victim. Inducer, hose, vent wind, or a limit on a wrong heat tap.

   Expect: µA stable and the live code stays a flame code — then rod/valve/IFC. Otherwise chase the new code.

Flame with valve off.

1. 1 Shut the gas cock first

   On Rheem R96VA the rod sees flame with the valve de-energized. Shut the cock. If flame stays, the valve is leaking — replace it. Do not jump or energize it as a test. Shut the cock. Leaking valve.

   Expect: Flame dies when the cock is shut.

   If fail: Leaking valve. Replace. Do not leave the unit.

2. 2 Rod and IFC flame circuit

   If flame dies with the cock shut, the rod is shorted to ground or the IFC flame circuit is lying. Unplug the rod, inspect ceramic, and check the harness for a rub-through on the collector.

   Expect: Rod isolated from ground. IFC does not report flame with the rod unplugged.

3. 3 Confirm valve solenoids are actually off

   Measure 24 VAC at both solenoids after the call drops. A welded IFC relay or a shorted W will keep a solenoid wet and look like ‘unexpected flame.’ Replace the IFC only after the valve and rod are proven.

   Expect: 0 VAC at both solenoids after the call. No flame.

Overtemp / airflow.

1. 1 Airflow before you touch the limit

   On Rheem R96VA a limit is airflow or overfire until proven otherwise. Do not replace the limit first. Filter, blower wheel, A-coil, and the heat-speed setting for THIS motor (tap, model plug, or communicating CFM — not a sister SKU chart). VS heat CFM, filter, coil, rise.

   Expect: Rise in the rating-plate window. Static vs this cabinet’s blower chart.

2. 2 Measure static and temperature rise

   Total external static vs the Rheem R96VA blower chart for this cabinet size. Supply minus return rise after 8–10 minutes. A new 5" media cabinet or closed supplies will trip this all winter. 61 if the VS motor is the cause — this is not a TA tap motor.

   Expect: Rise typically 35–65 °F — rating plate wins.

   If fail: Fix the restriction or the heat-speed setting. The limit is doing its job.

   If pass: Airflow in range → step 3 (overfire / limit itself).

3. 3 Overfire, then the limit circuit

   Clock the meter / manifold on the stage that is tripping vs the rating plate. Then ohm the limit after it cools — a limit that never recloses is failed. Rollout in the same circuit is a different call (see rollout on this door card).

   Expect: Manifold: Low and high vs plate.

L1/N or ground.

1. 1 Hot and neutral at the IFC, not the disconnect

   On Rheem R96VA polarity/ground is measured at the board. A correctly landed disconnect with a swapped whip at the IFC still throws this. Hot/neutral at the IFC. Chassis ground.

   Expect: L1 hot, N neutral, ~120 VAC L1 to N, ~0 VAC N to ground.

2. 2 Burner-box and IFC ground

   Green ground to cabinet and IFC. Painted screw and missing star washer fail the ground check and kill flame sense.

   Expect: Near-zero ohms burner box to IFC ground screw.

3. 3 Then flame and HSI

   Polarity/ground faults take out HSI and flame sense together. After the wiring is right, run one heat cycle and confirm µA and igniter glow before you change those parts.

   Expect: Code cleared. One clean light. µA in range.

Flame containment. Manual reset.

1. 1 Treat this as flame outside the exchanger

   Do not reset the Rheem R96VA rollout and walk away. Write the code, kill the call, and look for flame at the burners, crossover, and vestibule before you do anything else.

   Expect: No flame outside the exchanger. Burners seated. Crossover lit.

   If pass: Still inspect secondary / flue / condensate before you reset.

2. 2 Secondary, condensate, and flue

   Blocked secondary, drowned collector, or a plugged flue pushes flame out the front. Pull the inducer/collector look, confirm the trap is flowing, and check PVC/vent. Exchanger, burners, flue. Do not keep resetting.

   Expect: Dry collector, open flue, trap clear.

3. 3 Reset only after the cause is fixed

   Manual-reset rollout. Recurring rollout on Rheem R96VA is a CO / fire call — cracked primary, misaligned burners, or a failed secondary. Confirm CO in the space before you leave.

   Expect: One clean cycle after the cause is fixed. No second reset as a repair.

On VA / Endeavor cards that split low-pressure: the LPS did not close while the inducer is on high. This is not TA ‘45 = all low PS.’

1. 1 Prove inducer and the live code

   Do not pull power — that clears the Rheem R96VA active code. Write 45. Is the inducer spinning on this call? Silent inducer is not a pressure switch. Confirm the door card on THIS cabinet before you treat 45 as intake/low-fire.

   Expect: 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call. Wheel turning.

   If fail: 120 VAC missing → IFC / door switch / incoming power. Voltage + dead motor → inducer.

   If pass: Inducer running + this code → trap, hose, switch, vent (step 2).

2. 2 Trap, collector, and the hose

   A drowned 96% trap will not make collector pressure. Pull the trap, flush it, confirm the collector box and inducer outlet are not full. Hose cracked, off the port, or full of water fakes an open switch. High-inducer LPS hose, inducer actually on high, vent load at high speed.

   Expect: Trap flowing, hose dry and downhill, ports not swapped on a two-switch board.

3. 3 Switch ohms, then vent load

   Ohm the pressure switch: NO, must close when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint. If the switch is good, walk the PVC — bird screen, ice, long 2" run, wind, shared chase. 58/59 first if stored.

   Expect: Switch closes on known draft. Vent unrestricted.

   If fail: Replace the open switch only after the vent and trap are proven.

   If pass: Switch closes on draft and the code stays → IFC input.

LPS did not close on low inducer. This is the VA low-fire / low-inducer half of the split TA never printed.

1. 1 Prove inducer and the live code

   Do not pull power — that clears the Rheem R96VA active code. Write 46. Is the inducer spinning on this call? Silent inducer is not a pressure switch. Low-inducer LPS path, intake, trap, inducer low speed.

   Expect: 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call. Wheel turning.

   If fail: 120 VAC missing → IFC / door switch / incoming power. Voltage + dead motor → inducer.

   If pass: Inducer running + this code → trap, hose, switch, vent (step 2).

2. 2 Trap, collector, and the hose

   A drowned 96% trap will not make collector pressure. Pull the trap, flush it, confirm the collector box and inducer outlet are not full. Hose cracked, off the port, or full of water fakes an open switch. Do not swap the 45 switch first because a TA chart said ‘45 is low.’

   Expect: Trap flowing, hose dry and downhill, ports not swapped on a two-switch board.

3. 3 Switch ohms, then vent load

   Ohm the pressure switch: NO, must close when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint. If the switch is good, walk the PVC — bird screen, ice, long 2" run, wind, shared chase.

   Expect: Switch closes on known draft. Vent unrestricted.

   If fail: Replace the open switch only after the vent and trap are proven.

   If pass: Switch closes on draft and the code stays → IFC input.

High-pressure / exhaust switch open.

1. 1 Prove inducer and the live code

   Do not pull power — that clears the Rheem R96VA active code. Write 57. Is the inducer spinning on this call? Silent inducer is not a pressure switch. Exhaust, high-fire hose, inducer high.

   Expect: 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call. Wheel turning.

   If fail: 120 VAC missing → IFC / door switch / incoming power. Voltage + dead motor → inducer.

   If pass: Inducer running + this code → trap, hose, switch, vent (step 2).

2. 2 Trap, collector, and the hose

   A drowned 96% trap will not make collector pressure. Pull the trap, flush it, confirm the collector box and inducer outlet are not full. Hose cracked, off the port, or full of water fakes an open switch. 46 vs 45 vs 57 are three different moments — write the order.

   Expect: Trap flowing, hose dry and downhill, ports not swapped on a two-switch board.

3. 3 Switch ohms, then vent load

   Ohm the pressure switch: NO, must close when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint. If the switch is good, walk the PVC — bird screen, ice, long 2" run, wind, shared chase.

   Expect: Switch closes on known draft. Vent unrestricted.

   If fail: Replace the open switch only after the vent and trap are proven.

   If pass: Switch closes on draft and the code stays → IFC input.

96% drain or water switch.

1. 1 Float and the pan

   On Rheem R96VA a drain / float code is water until proven otherwise. Pan full? Float stuck? Secondary drain piped? Trap, pump, slope, ice. Water first, then 45/46/57.

   Expect: Pan dry after you clear it. Float moves freely.

2. 2 Trap and the pump

   Indoor trap primed and flowing. Condensate pump actually pumping, check valve not stuck. On a furnace, a drowned collector will also throw PS codes — clear both.

   Expect: Trap flowing. Pump discharges. No water in the collector.

3. 3 Then the switch circuit

   If the pan is dry and the code stays, ohm the float / condensate switch and the IFC input. Do not jump a wet-switch input as a repair.

   Expect: Switch closed when dry. Code gone.

VS motor / CFM fault.

1. 1 Is the wheel free?

   Spin the Rheem R96VA blower by hand. Ice, debris, or a seized bearing is not a control problem. Confirm the motor type on this plate — serial ECM, 9-speed tap, or X-13 — before you grab a capacitor. Harness, VS comms at the motor, static.

   Expect: Wheel free. Correct motor family for this IFC.

2. 2 Command vs rotation

   Call for G or heat and confirm the IFC is actually requesting CFM (taps, serial, or communicating). Amp the motor. Locked rotor + a good command = motor. No command = IFC / harness / shared data. A TA CT motor will not run correctly on this IFC.

   Expect: Command present. Motor amps in range, not locked.

3. 3 Static and the wrong motor

   High static will trip current/limit codes and look like a dead motor. Measure TES vs this cabinet. Wrong horsepower or a leftover memory card after a control swap is the other half of this call.

   Expect: Static on the blower chart. Matching motor / shared-data card.

IFC self-fault.

1. 1 Write the live code and watch one cycle

   On Rheem R96VA read Rheem 2-digit IFC (VA / Endeavor) before you pull power. Write 93 exactly. Watch one full sequence and note which step dies. Stored stack first. Wet board, polarity (26), persistent input.

   Expect: W1 / low: Inducer low → 46 if the low-inducer LPS never closes (VA split). HSI → valve → 11/12/13 if flame fails.

2. 2 Prove the circuit this code names

   Do not confuse 93 with an EcoNet-stat blank.

   Expect: A measured open, short, or out-of-range reading — not a guess.

3. 3 Confirm with a number, then the next part

   If the named part measures good, the IFC input/output or a related code on this same plate is next. Do not apply a sister-SKU chart.

   Expect: Door card: 45 vs 46 printed as high-inducer LPS vs low-inducer LPS on VA/Endeavor. Photograph it.