Residential Water Heater Problem Repair And Reviews

Question: Help with my water heater problems?

(Posted by: dellboy36426 on 2010-03-08 03:17:00)

I had to replace the top element in my water heater because it went out (volt meter showed nothing). Well, after replacing it and giving it a full day to heat the rest of my water up, my water heater still doesn't last as long as it used to. I checked with my volt meter and the new element works. There is a small leak around the seal, but I plan on replacing that seal as soon as possible. I turn off the power every now and then to clean the water out. To prevent a short. My question is, my element is working, so why isn't it making a difference?

Posted by: Pro on 2010-03-08, 03:24:24

If the thermostat is not making direct contact or it is getting wet it will not get a good read on temp.It may also be bad. You should always change the tsat and gasket with the element for a few extra dollars it saves in the long run.

Posted by: dvdacmn on 2010-03-08, 04:00:23

The bottom element is the slave did you check continuity on the element or voltage only? did you check amp draw?

Posted by: 2B or not 2B on 2010-03-08, 04:18:22

It actually sounds like the thermostat was and is faulty for your top element, OR, there are some other possibilities. I may be reading between the lines here a bit, but by your description, you only talk about using your voltmeter, did you actually look at the resistance of the element in order to prove that the element was faulty to begin with? I also have to assume that this is a dual element water heater since you mention replacing the "top element ". It is extremely possible that you replaced the wrong element if you were only looking at voltage measurements, since the bottom element is far more important for heating the tank. The top element is to be a booster for preheated water to deliver sufficient hot water temperature. You can check the bottom element after turning off power with your ohmmeter and you should see only a couple of ohm's, if you see a high reading then the element is faulty and needs to be replaced. Good Luck!

Posted by: The Plumber on 2010-03-08, 04:49:47

The bottom element is not working. Always change both elements and both thermostats when repairing a dual element electric water heater. This is a simple rule that I fallow. This way, you never have to go back and work on the same problem twice.

Posted by: Sickness22 on 2010-03-08, 06:31:32

Well, several possibilities. Was the other element bad too? Did you purchase the same Watt element to replace the worn out one? Was the thermostat settings accidentally changed to a lower setting during the repair. Should be 120 or 130 depending on how hot you like it. If all else fails, if the tank is fairly old, like 8, 9 maybe 10 years, you may have a broken dip tube.