Temperature cut-out reached, shutdown (ICON System)
LED: 4 flashes, 3-second pause
On the ICON System V2 control, four red flashes with a three-second pause mean "Temperature cut-out limit reached, causing shutdown". On the ICON System V1 control, four flashes mean "Excessive tank temperature. System must be reset". Both describe the control's high-limit having opened because the water temperature exceeded the limit, shutting the burner down. The White Rodgers electronic gas control documents the same four-flash pattern as "Temperature cut-out limit reached causing shutdown".
Hot water and scalding
- Water above 49 °C at a tap can scald in seconds, and children and older adults are at most risk. BC's plumbing code limits shower and bathtub water to 49 °C.
- Storage tanks are normally kept hotter (Health Canada advises 60 °C) to limit Legionella growth, with a thermostatic mixing valve tempering the water to the fixtures.
- Never bypass or remove a mixing valve, thermostat or high-limit control to get hotter water.
Official guidance: Government of Canada on water temperature and scalds and HealthLinkBC.
Applies to
Applies to atmospheric and power-vent residential gas tanks fitted with an ICON System electronic gas control, including the Defender RG2 family sold in Canada. The Canadian parts list for the RG2 atmospheric line lists the ICON electronic gas control (parts 415-52944-01/02 natural gas and 415-52945-01/02 propane) as the replacement gas control. Units with the White Rodgers mechanical control and piezo igniter have no LED status light and cannot show this pattern. Identify the control from the rating plate and the valve before reading any pattern.
- Bradford White Defender Safety System atmospheric vent (RG2)
- Bradford White RG240T6N
- Bradford White RG230T6N
- Bradford White RG240S6N
- Bradford White RG250T6N
- Bradford White RG250S6N
- Bradford White RG230S6N
- Bradford White RG130T6N
- Bradford White RG140T6N
- Bradford White RG150T6N
- Bradford White RG250L6N
- Bradford White RG260T6N
Control platform: Bradford White ICON System electronic gas control (V1 single-colour or V2 coloured LED status light); the current Canadian parts list 238-53513-00F lists the ICON gas control as the replacement control for the RG2 atmospheric family. Source manual: 238-51542-00E (REV 08/22).
Why a code is not a diagnosis
The code proves the high-limit opened, not why it opened. Causes the manual lists include a faulty gas control, a temperature sensor out of calibration, and a tank that genuinely overheated (a stuck gas valve or sediment overheating the tank bottom can do that). Water at the taps that is abnormally hot before the shutdown points to a real overheat; repeated trips are a safety issue and need testing, not resetting.
Same code, other equipment
- White Rodgers electronic gas control (green LED): Four flashes with a three-second pause also mean temperature cut-out reached causing shutdown, per the same service manual. Source
- SIT ICON gas controls on other Defender generations: Patterns differ by generation and control; read the pattern from the control fitted to the unit and its manual. Source
Safe things to observe
- Note the flash colour and count and the three-second pause between repeats.
- If the water from the taps was unusually hot before the shutdown, do not use hot water until the cause is found.
- Check that nothing is leaking around the temperature-and-pressure relief valve.
Do not
- Do not repeatedly reset the control to restore hot water; each trip is the limit doing its job.
- Do not bypass the high-limit, the resettable thermal switch or the temperature sensor.
- Do not set the control above its marked temperature range to stop the trip.
How professional service helps
- A technician resets the control by the manual's procedure, then tests the temperature sensor, the gas control and the thermopile before returning the heater to service.
- The cause of an overheat, such as a stuck gas valve or heavy sediment, is found and corrected rather than cleared.
- On the V2 control, the manual directs replacing the gas control if it exceeds the setpoint after verification.
Diagnostic visit
Repair visits carry a diagnostic service fee that CANRO states is credited toward the repair if you proceed. The amount is confirmed by phone; it is not published. Source, checked September 7, 2026.
Where CANRO provides on-site service
On-site service is currently offered across Metro Vancouver: Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, White Rock, Tsawwassen; plus Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay, Bowen Island, Abbotsford with travel or ferry arrangements confirmed by phone. Everything else on this site is reference information you can use anywhere in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
My unit shows four flashes. Is it dangerous?
The control has shut the burner down because the limit opened, which is the safe direction. If the water was abnormally hot first, treat the tank as unsafe to use until a technician has tested it; otherwise note the pattern and call with the brand, model and control type.
Can I reset it myself?
The manual gives the reset procedure, but resetting without finding why the limit opened can simply repeat the trip. WaterHeating.ca recommends a technician test the sensor and gas control before the heater is relied on again.
Which control do I have?
Look at the gas control at the bottom of the tank: the ICON System controls show an LED status light; the White Rodgers mechanical control with a piezo igniter has none and cannot flash codes. The rating plate and the valve body identify the platform.
Locked out with no hot water? Call with the code ready.
The brand, model and this code are passed along when you request service online, so the technician arrives prepared.
On-site service in Metro Vancouver, BC. Call to check availability.
Sources and verification
- Defender Safety System Service Manual, ICON System V1 and V2 troubleshooting charts · 238-51542-00E · accessed September 7, 2026
- Installation and Operation Manual, LED status tables · 238-51012-00V · accessed September 7, 2026
- Canadian Residential Gas Replacement Parts List (ICON gas control as the replacement control) · 238-53513-00F · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
- Canadian spec sheet C1101 (ICON System listed on the atmospheric line) · C1101-1125 · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
Facts checked September 7, 2026. Last updated September 7, 2026. Technical reviewer: not yet assigned.