There is a chatter noise sometimes when its running

Check the breaker box for a tripped breaker, it should be a dual breaker and if only one side trips, it will not heat. If breaker vibrates, chatters or smokes, it must be replaced.

Appears to be a short in tank circuit probably cause by a water leak in tank. These usually wear a rusty hole in the tank inside the cover and are not seen unless the thermostat covers are taken off. I would remove them and do a visual thoroughly. Anytime a fuse blows or a breaker trips is always a dead short unless you have a bad breaker. I would check those as well for vibrating, chattering noises, and/or smoking. If any of this persist, replace breaker. A melted heat element could trip them, but not usually for it leaves an open circuit instead of a shorted one.

I would check the metal door on the bottom near the burner, sometimes they come loose and vibrate. If not that then I would suspect the chimney liner inside the tank, I have seen them corrode and start vibrating when the gas is running

Like a buzzing noise? Check valve where water lines connect at back will make a buzzing noise, if you only hear it when running hot water and not when running cold. Remove and replace it after shutting water off, and draining tank down. Be sure to shut off any hydro to electric element prior to draining.You can buy a replacement check valve, or just put a short 1/2" pipe nipple in there instead and reconnect your line, and refill it. noise should be gone .

Hi,
Is the noise when the water is running or when the burner is running???

If it is just the water then the noise often is the flow checks inside the tubes going to and from the heater...

If it is the burner, then the noise could be the gas going through the gas valve...a bit of moisture or dirt can sometimes cause noises...usulally will correct its self after a bit of time...no worry...

poping crackling sounds and such are common with mineral builsup in the bottom of the heater....
Flush the heater and get the dirt out....

sizzling noises sometimes happen from condensation dripping onto the burner....gain not a problem...

sometimes the gas properties will cause the gas to make noises when going through the gas orifice into the burner... usually this is air or a LP air mixture known as "citigas" that will burn like natural gas but really isn't and it will make noises such as your are describing...again no problem...

Ultimately the noise you hear is not a problem but can be irritaing if the heater is where you can hear it easily...

Feel free to comment back if you have any more questions...

heatman101

try by draining tank. it may have sediment build up in it. heres how. go to www.ehow.com/how_5544402_drain-hot-water-tank.html this site will explain it better. have a good day! Sediment can drift into recirculation lines, jam open check valves, and cause the recirc pump to stick until it burns out. it causes noise, sometimes enough noise to annoy, or even frighten, people if the tank is inside a dwelling. The noise is caused by small amounts of water under the sediment layer turning to steam bubbles, which then collapse violently.

E2 means hot water over shot, make sure to check boiler hot water system to make sure zone valve or control is staying closed when the call for boiler hot water to the water heater is isolated. Sometimes a zone valve will fail open or not close properly causing hot boiler water to constantly feed the water heater.

did you size the gas line properly? sometimes if the gas pipe isn't sized properly it will cause some pretty loud wistling noises. also if you have something in the fan like bugs or lots of dust it will cause alot of problems with noises

Reset the breaker manually to make sure they haven't tripped sometimes they may look ok but they aren't. Once you do that, check your voltage to the thermostat and leaving it, if you don't have voltage leaving then replace the thermostat. If you do check the ohms on the elements they should read 5 to 10. If you get another reading replace them.