Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Electric Hot Water Heater

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Hersel

05-05-2008 08:04:10




Report to Moderator

How can I check both top and bottom elements in a hot water heater? Thanks




[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
dave2

05-06-2008 06:58:51




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Of course your bill went down. Same thing if you have any kind of a flame heating device (wood, pellets, gas, oil, etc) The more rust, lime, etc that builds up (insulation), the more fuel it takes to get the same effect as a clean surface. I learned real quick to clean my heater with a wire brush and drill once a year. Had I not had an honest guy come check us out after the heater failed the emission test, we'da been out about $10k. That was about 6 years ago on a heater that was already 15 years old. Sure worth that hour a year.

Dave

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Mike M

05-06-2008 06:01:44




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
I recently had an adventure with mine. The bottom element started to seep water so I was able to tighten it up somemore. That lasted a week ? so then I attempted to drain it, thought it was done but it wasn't got a gusher as I unscrewed that element ! Bottom was clear full of deposits up to and all around that bottom element. Element was totaled out getting it out. so with a long nail and then a wet & dry vac I got it all clean insides but this took most of the day ! New element and a new drain that is a full flow ball valve so I can actually get something out of it when draining. I think my electric bill went down too.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Gary from Muleshoe

05-05-2008 17:42:14




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Hersel If you have a multimeter, set it to ohms, disconnect the wires to the element, put leads on the screws if you have continuity the element is good, if no continuity element is bad. This has always worked for me. All the other info from these guys is great but this is the simple way to check an element.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
lucas boy

05-05-2008 17:05:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  

all the answers are pro.. but sometimes i just touch the element exposed part ,you can tell if its hot.lucas



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Charles (in GA)

05-05-2008 14:29:40




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Bottom element does all the heating, until virtually all of the hot water has left the heater, then the bottom element switches off and the top one switches on, in an attempt to continue to give you hot water, by heating what is near the outlet at the top.

Start running the water from the heater. The lower element should turn on. You can see this by checking the voltage across the element, or measuring the current flow with a clamp type amp meter on one of the elements wires.

Continue running water. When the heater is very nearly empty, the thermostat should switch over to the top element, and you can check the voltage/amp draw the same way as the bottom one.

When the top half heats up enough, the thermostat will again switch back to the bottom element.

Charles

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
bill mart

05-05-2008 13:23:27




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
pet peeve of mine, Its an electric water heater not a hot water heater,hot water is already hot you dont have to heat it. I know its petty but it still bugs me. Bill M.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Jiles

05-05-2008 20:25:32




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to bill mart, 05-05-2008 13:23:27  
I am a Plumber and I agree with Bill M!



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hoosier JD

05-05-2008 17:07:47




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to bill mart, 05-05-2008 13:23:27  
I don"t know about you, but anything above 98 degrees is considered hot to me. My HOT water heater comes on in the 100 - 105 degree range....therefore I have a HOT water heater. My couple of cents, and I"m sticking to it. Mike



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
dave2

05-05-2008 13:31:27




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to bill mart, 05-05-2008 13:23:27  

bill mart said: (quoted from post at 13:23:27 05/05/08) pet peeve of mine, Its an electric water heater not a hot water heater,hot water is already hot you dont have to heat it. I know its petty but it still bugs me. Bill M.


There's nothing like friendly, helpful input. And that was nothing like it..... ....

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
bill mart

05-06-2008 02:11:56




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to dave2, 05-05-2008 13:31:27  
friendly yes,helpful not really.As I said, petty on my part. Never really thought about the low temp. that the heater maintains.If it really is around 98� then by the dept of health standards it is hot water.You learn something new every day. Bill M.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Cliff (VA)

05-05-2008 13:06:15




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Where I live there is a serious problem with scale in hot water heaters. The heater does not seem to recover very fast because the bottom element is buried under lime chips. I have personally vacuumed out 5 gallons of chips from the bottom of an 8 year old heater.

If hard water and scale are a problem in your area, you may want to shut off the breaker, shut off the water, drain the tank, and remove the lower element. Then you can get in and check for lime chips or sludge. I vacuum it out with an extension to my shop vac.

NEVER turn on an electrical hot water heater without filling it with water first!!!!


HTH

Cliff (VA)

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Brother Dave

05-05-2008 11:43:57




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
You can use an amp meter or an ohm meter to check the elements. If you use an ohm meter, turn off the power, remove the two wires going to each element, set the ohm meter to any of the ohm settings and check each element. If you don't get any reading, the element is open. Another pesky problem is both elements are good but the heater does not make as much hot water as it used to. Inside the heater where the cold water comes in is a plastic tube that directs the cold water to the bottom of the tank. These tubes can become brittle with age and break into small pieces. This causes the cold water entering the tank to mix with the heated water at the top of the tank and cool the water going out to the house. Just another thing to check.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
buickanddeere

05-05-2008 11:03:40




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Clip on ammeter and dial the stats up and down



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
IH2444

05-05-2008 10:09:29




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
be sure and remove all power from the water heater brefore using an ohm meter on it.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
bradk

05-05-2008 10:05:19




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
Check for resistance with an ohmeter.A burnt element will be open and will have no reading on meter.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
sean mcdonnell

05-05-2008 08:24:18




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to Hersel, 05-05-2008 08:04:10  
what exactly are you trying to check for? corrosion of function?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hersel

05-05-2008 09:33:17




Report to Moderator
 Re: Electric Hot Water Heater in reply to sean mcdonnell, 05-05-2008 08:24:18  
Function

Thanks



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy