First, if you have been running your water heater at excessive temperatures then you may have permanently damaged your over temperature sensor. A good indicator of this is, when you attempt to operate your water heater, the fan comes on but you do not hear the ignition sequence (rapid clicking). If this is the case, contact technical support as you may need to purchase a new sensor.
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An E3 error code appears when there is a failure to ignite the burners, and this is usually the result of:
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1. Insufficient gas supply
2. Excessive gas supply
3. Blockage of exhaust
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If this is a recent install, ensure your gas valve on your supply line is open and that there are no obstructions in the gas line.
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Contact a gas company to have your gas lines inspected and gas pressure measured. The gas pressure of Liquid Propane should be 11 inches of water column and the gas pressure of Natural Gas should be 8 inches of water column. If you have a gas tank, you could also have run out of gas or it could be extremely low. Your gas company should also verify that this is not the case.
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If your exhaust venting is blocked, exhaust can build up within the burner box and alter the fuel to oxygen ratio, smothering the flame. If this is a recent install, confirm all packing materials have been removed from the water heater and the vent pipes. For a water heater that has been working properly for a period and is now having issues, it is still necessary to check for blockages. Some common examples of blockages are bird nests, bee’s nests, or small animals. Confirm that nothing has bent or crimped the vent pipe as this may also prevent proper exhaust flow.