Residential Water Heater Problem Repair And Reviews

Question: Any idea why my water heater quit heating my water?

(Posted by: Donald D on 2010-03-03 19:54:10)

It's a 40 gallon G.E. electric water heater. I had to shut my water off for a couple of days because of a leak. I drained the water heater to use the water to flush my toilet while it was shut off. Before draining it I shut the power off to the water heater. I allowed it to refill before turning the power back on. Before my water leak it was working but when I turned it back on it didn't. So I bought new heating elements and thermostats and replaced them. It still didn't work. I used a multi- meter to test the electricity. I tested the voltage to every wire. The top and bottom thermostat wires and the top and bottom heating elements all read 121 volts. During testing I tried using couple of different ground locations, the ground wire on the water heater and the water heater itself. They all read 121 volts regardless of ground location. I tested the heating elements again using the nut on them for a ground, still 121 volts. Finally I tested the continuity of the heating elements, no problem there. I turned the temperture setting on the thermostats all the way up. And I checked the reset button. I don't know of anything else left to check or test. Besides replacing it does anyone have any suggestions?

Posted by: gizmoe on 2010-03-03, 19:58:24

I am sure it is a 220 volt unit. You may only be reading one side. Make sure you have 220 volts between the two incoming hot wires, if not check the breakers or replace.

Posted by: David on 2010-03-03, 19:59:49

Probably because you stopped fucking it... Hard.

Posted by: Kevin on 2010-03-03, 20:11:15

On some of the hot water tanks you must have power off before adjusting the thermostat

Posted by: big fella on 2010-03-03, 20:18:02

Electric water heaters run on 220v.one should read 220v across the heater elements.If you don't have a fuse blown or breaker tripped,it acts as if you have an open neutral or ground wire.Check your wiring and check for loose connections.

Posted by: Captain Refrigerant on 2010-03-03, 20:26:47

You don't use a volt meter that way. One leg to ground tells you nothing of value. Find the incoming line voltage and use your volt meter at the two points. You can spot them by the connection point with wire nuts at the top of the water heater under the connection point cover plate. If you do not get your 208-230 volt there then you have a bad fuse or breaker. If you have a breaker snap it off and on 4 or 5 times, it may make (connect) both legs for you. If not change your breaker. Things just do not fail for no reason like that. Something is going on. Water heaters feed the top element first, then after the top portion of the tank is warm (stat satisfied), then the upper stat will snap to the lower stat. The lower stat will stay closed until temp setting satisfied.

Posted by: Stephen on 2010-03-03, 21:58:23

When you shut in your water heater how long did you wait until you started draining it off? The reason I'm asking was the water that came out of the tank fairly hot,or tepid or cold. The reason being is that if you didn't wait long enough for that water to cool then you could have cracked the liner, by drawing water out of it to soon. You seem like an intelligent guy actually everything should have been ok when you turned the water back on then switched on the breaker. What could of happened is that leak damaged your water heater before you even shut it in. Look, if the leak failed to provide the water heater with enough water then wouldn't you say a logical explanation would be that the damage to your water heater coincided with your leak and actually burnt up the water heater about the same time that you shut it in,does that make any sense or am I just blowing hot air, you decide if that scenerio is plausible, as I have no idea how your house is plumbed in.