How to Diagnose a Bad Element in an Electric Water Heater
Running out of hot water before your shower's done is a chilling experience. Save a bundle of money by diagnosing a bad element in an electric water heater on your own. Diagnosing an electric water heater element is straightforward. The whole process is straightforward and should only take about 30 minutes to complete. If you have any reservations about working with electricity, you may consider hiring a professional. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove the thermostat and heating element cover plate. You will need a Phillips screwdriver or a ¼ inch nut driver to remove the screws holding the cover in place. Your unit may feature more than one cover plate. Turn the screws counterclockwise. The screws are small and easily lost; keep them on the side in a safe spot next to your work area.
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Test the water heater's heating element with a voltmeter. Follow the directions on the voltmeter you are using to test for electrical current of 208 to 240 volts. Touch the voltmeter lead wires, one on each screw, at the top of the thermostat; the rectangle black box just above the hex-shaped heating element. If the voltmeter does not read at least 208 volts, you will need to test the circuit breakers or the fuse box.
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Turn on the bathtub or shower faucet to its hottest setting and let the water run for about 15 minutes. This will run an adequate amount of hot water from the water heater to trigger the thermostat and should switch the power on to the heating element.
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Touch the voltmeter leads to the two screws on the water heater element. The meter should read about 220 volts. If it does not register any power, or just 110 volts, install a new thermostat.
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Turn the power off to the water heater and confirm the lack of electricity with your voltmeter. Loosen the two screws on the front of the water heater element with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the two wires and bend them slightly back out of the way. Set your voltmeter to the Ohms setting. Touch the meter leads to the element screws. The meter should read 11 to 13 Ohms of resistance. If there is no reading or resistance within the element, you have a bad water heater-heating element.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace thermostats and heating elements at the same time when working on an electric water heater. This will save you the trouble of additional repairs in the near future.
Do not touch any of the wiring inside the cover panels with your bare hands while the power is still turned on. There is a risk of electrical shock, injury and even death.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit The Readout image by Cinneman from Fotolia.com
