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Tip of The Week
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July 28, 2007
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This week’s tip comes from our “It’s
Element-ary” file. |
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Is your electric water heater not giving you
enough hot water or worse yet, no hot water?
Before you call in the plumber you may want to try some simple fixes
yourself. |
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Typically the problems with an electric water
heater can be narrowed down to one of three things. A breaker has been tripped and the unit has
no power, one or both of the heating elements is bad or the thermostat / high
temperature cut off is bad. Every one of
these is easy to diagnose and to fix. |
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First cut off the power to the unit. There will be two access panels on the front
of the tank. Unscrew the panels and pull
the insulation out. You will reveal a
thermostat (a black rectangular “box” with multiple wires) and a heating
element. If the tank has a single
heating element the thermostat is typically located at the bottom of the
tank. If the tank has two heating
elements there will be a larger thermostat on top (It includes a high temperature
cut off switch) and a heating element and a smaller thermostat and heating
element closer to the bottom of the tank. |
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Test the
elements first. Get a simple continuity
tester. Remove the wires from the
element and check for continuity. The
heating element is simply a circuit with high resistance. If you test for continuity, i.e. a current
flows through it then the element is good.
If it will not conduct a current the element is bad.
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| To replace the element, keep the power off, shut
off the water supply at the top of the tank and drain the tank. We have had plumbers tell us that they can
change the elements one at a time without draining the tank. We make a strong recommendation against this
for the novice and the uninsured. We
understand the principles of physics that make this possible but we also
understand the principles that make flight possible yet neither of us will find
our seat on a plane in the cockpit. So,
the tank is drained. The element is
being held in one of two ways. It has
four bolts on a flange around it, which must be removed, or it has threads on
it and it can be turned counter clockwise until it is removed. The screw in type is usually six sided. Your home improvement store has a special
socket that can be used to loosen the type that screw in. Remove the element and replace it. |
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| To select the right element make sure that you
check the screw configuration noted above and the watts. The watts will be stamped or printed on the
face or collar of the element. The
wattage is also usually listed on the plate of the heater as well. |
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| We suggest replacing both elements even if only
one is bad. It is not uncommon for the
elements to have similar life spans and they are inexpensive. Since you have the tank drained you may as
well go ahead and replace both. |
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| If the elements are good replace the
thermostats. Again we recommend
replacing both thermostats. Replacing
the thermostat does not require draining the tank but the parts are inexpensive
and you’ll likely save a cold shower somewhere down the road. |
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| Remember, shut off the power and the water
before you begin. The next time your
shower gives you the “cold shoulder” the cause could be element-ary. |
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Thanks for visiting Ask John and Dave.com and we’ll see you
on the air,
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John and Dave
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If you would like to comment on this article or
have an idea for our Tip of the Week, contact us
at:
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questions@askjohnanddave.com
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