Trouble shooting an Electric water heater

Electric Hot Water Heater Repair, tips & trouble shooting-.

Assuming that the hot water heater was properly installed and were operating smoothly before the problems started you can do the following things to trouble shoot possible problems yourself before you call the plumber.  Almost all electric hot water heaters have two thermostats in the tank, one 10 inches from the top of the tank and one about ten inches from the bottom. They are covered by removable metal cover plates, and beneath a strip of insulation,  The thermostats are pressed against the bare metal wall of the hot water heaters tank if you have a problem with your electric water heater, you should start by opening up the two panels.

The top thermostat usually has a high limit switch that will trip if the water gets too hot. When it trips it shuts off the electricity to both the upper and lower heating elements. To reset the high limit switch there is usually a red button in that area, push the button and hopefully it will restart. When the upper limit switch trips it is often an indication that something else has gone wrong with the heater.  With that said, try resetting the thermostat before calling a plumber, if their was a interruption  with your electrical service it’s possible the heater may have tripped, and needs to be reset.

Water not hot- First remove the upper thermostat cover plate and check the high limit switch button. If it has tripped, press it to reset it. Check for power at the input terminals of the upper thermostat. (usually marked L1 and L2) If no power is present then check your circuit breakers or wiring to the water heater, and make sure that hasn’t tripped.

If there is no hot water check for voltage at the upper heating element.  If there is power at the heating element but the element is not getting hot then the heating element needs to be replaced.

Problem: Not enough hot water or water temperature just warm. (If you have an electrical meter) check for power at the upper thermostat terminals where the power is sent to the lower thermostat and heating element. If there is no power then the upper thermostat should be replaced. If there is power then check for power at the lower heating element. If there is no power at the lower heating element then replace the lower thermostat.  If there is power to the lower heating element then it should be getting hot.  If it is not, replace it.  Another possibility is a broken dip tube.  If the dip tube has started to break apart, you may see small plastic bits stuck in the shower head, or in faucet heads, it’s possible to even hear a swilling sound in the tank when this happens.

When the  water is too hot, a likely cause is from one of the thermostats. Check for power at the top heating element. If power is present at the top heating element, the top thermostat is defective. If power is present at the lower heating element then the lower thermostat is defective.
Relief valve leaking. The relief valve is located on top, or on the side of the tank,  it is made of brass and will operate (let water out) if either the temperature gets to high or if the pressure gets too high. Do not ever pull a leaking relief valve, a leaking relief valve may be working 100% properly if their is a bigger problem in the tank.

Banging and strange noises in the water heater tank. Scale can build up on the heating elements causing all sorts of noises to occur while heating.  Dip tubes can also break apart over time which can also create sounds inside the water heater. Try draining the tank, and removing the heating elements and either clean or replace them. Broken tip tubes can be replaced to, but they can be extremely hard to remove over time.  To see how to drain a hot water heater click here.

Egg Smell. Certain types of bacteria can react with the magnesium anode rod resulting in a rotten egg odor. Get a garden hose and find a place for the water to go, and empty the tank.  Fill the tan, and if the problem quickly arises again replace the tank.

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