How House Works

Rheem code 61 (blower motor): what to check

By How House Works EditorialBased on Rheem manualsChecked against sources Updated

Rheem display

61

“Faulty blower motor.”

RTGH-3, RTG-3, RTG-R-3, Ruud Mid-Efficiency · RTGH-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 75; RTG-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 77; RTG-R-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 74; RTGH-3 and RTG-3 Troubleshooting Manual, p. 51; RTG-R-3 Troubleshooting Manual, p. 44; Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual AP18000-2, p. 26
Technician

Troubleshooting manual name: "Blower motor speed incorrect for combustion": the RPM signal is incorrect after the fan starts (AP21822 tech manual, p. 51). The Ruud Tankless Mid-Efficiency chart prints this row as "61 or 99" (AP18000-2 manual, p. 26).

What it means

The heater checks the fan’s RPM signal after the fan starts to run. If the signal is incorrect, it shows 61 RTGH-3 and RTG-3 Troubleshooting Manual, AP21822, p. 51; RTG-R-3 Troubleshooting Manual, AP24838, p. 44. All three owner charts send 61 to a dealer or qualified service technician RTGH-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 75; RTG-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 77; RTG-R-3 Use and Care Manual, p. 74.

A fan that keeps turning for a while after you close the hot tap is normal. Rheem calls it the post-purge cycle, which clears flue gases RTGH-3 manual, p. 73; RTG-3 manual, p. 75; RTG-R-3 manual, p. 72.

Check these first

The charts give no owner remedy for 61 beyond the service call. The reset sequence that applies to every code is the only owner step.

  1. Close all hot water taps. Turn the heater off with the POWER ON/OFF button on the remote control, wait about 5 minutes, turn it back on, then open a hot tap and check the display RTGH-3 manual, p. 74; RTG-3 manual, p. 76; RTG-R-3 manual, p. 73.
  2. If 61 is still shown, close the tap, turn the heater off, unplug it for about 30 seconds, plug it back in and restart RTGH-3 manual, p. 74.
  3. If 61 is still shown, turn the heater off, write down the code and call for service RTGH-3 manual, p. 74. Rheem directs repairs to your installer, plumbing contractor or licensed service agent, and lists its Manufacturer National Service Department at 1-866-720-2076 if the problem is not solved RTGH-3 manual, p. 75.

When to call a licensed technician

  • Every case of 61 that the reset does not clear.
  • Anything that means opening the heater. Rheem tells owners not to disassemble it RTGH-3 manual, p. 8 and says only a qualified service technician should remove the front cover RTGH-3 manual, p. 49; removing the front cover panel exposes live electricity RTGH-3 manual, p. 65.
  • The troubleshooting manual’s checks for 61 are written for technicians and service professionals only AP21822 tech manual, p. 7. Its flowchart includes DC voltage measurements, with a window of 144–192 V DC in AP21822 AP21822 tech manual, p. 51 and 145–195 V DC in AP24838 AP24838 tech manual, p. 44.
  • The same manual sends technicians to the 61 section from code 10, which means the blower is not creating enough ventilation or the heater ran before the vent was installed AP21822 tech manual, p. 37. Code 79 is a separate blower code for motor current AP21822 tech manual, p. 58.

Notes for different models

The chart for Ruud Tankless Mid-Efficiency heaters prints its blower row as “61 or 99” Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual AP18000-2, p. 26. On the -3 heaters, 99 is a venting code instead.

IKONIC heaters show A061 for a faulty blower motor, with the same remedy IKONIC Use and Care Manual, p. 107.

Related Rheem codes

  • 79 “Blower motor current failure”
  • 10 “Incorrect inlet air volume”

All Rheem codes

Rheem is a trademark of its owner. How House Works is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rheem.

Sources

  1. Rheem Manufacturing Company. RTGH-3 Use and Care Manual. AP21820 Rev 06, no printed date; cover title: Super High Efficiency Condensing Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual; the same file is posted for Ruud RUTGH models; p. 1 is the unnumbered cover. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  2. Rheem Manufacturing Company. RTG-3 Use and Care Manual. AP22009 Rev 06, no printed date; cover title: High-Efficiency Non-Condensing Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual; the same file is posted for Ruud RUTG models. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  3. Rheem Manufacturing Company. RTG-R-3 Use and Care Manual. AP23962 Rev 02, no printed date; cover title: High-Efficiency Non-Condensing Tankless Water Heater with Recirculation Use and Care Manual; the same file is posted for Ruud RUTG-R models. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  4. Rheem Manufacturing Company. RTGH-3 and RTG-3 Troubleshooting Manual. AP21822 Rev 02, no issue date printed; cover title: High and Super High Efficiency Tankless Water Heater Troubleshooting Manual; written for technicians and service professionals only (p. 7). Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  5. Rheem Manufacturing Company. RTG-R-3 Troubleshooting Manual. AP24838 Rev 01, no issue date printed; cover title: High Efficiency Tankless Water Heater with Recirculation Troubleshooting Manual; written for technicians and service professionals only (p. 6). Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  6. Rheem Manufacturing Company. IKONIC Use and Care Manual. AP22745 Rev 07, no printed date; cover title: Condensing Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual; Ruud's S and SR Series pages post Rev 06. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
  7. Rheem Manufacturing Company (posted on ruud.com). Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual AP18000-2. AP18000-2 Rev 03, no printed date; cover title: Tankless Water Heater Use and Care Manual, Noncondensing 199,900 Btu/h, 180,000 Btu/h, and 150,000 Btu/h Models; the manual prints no model numbers and no -3 suffix; ruud.com posts it on its Tankless Mid-Efficiency 70, 84 and 95 product pages (2026-10-12). Accessed Oct 12, 2026.