Electric Water Heater Thermostat Troubleshooting

Electric water heaters use either 120 or 240 volt power 240 volts is more common to energize metal heating elements that protrude into the water heater tank through the side wall.

Electric water heater thermostat troubleshooting. This will supply 240 volts to the heater. Before checking any electrical parts of a water heater shut off the power to the heater s circuit by turning off the appropriate breaker in your home s service panel breaker box. When there s no hot water the problem can stem from lack of power a faulty electric thermostat or a faulty upper electric heating element. If you touch any bare wires or terminals you will receive a severe shock that can be deadly.

If the hot water heater is not working one of the thermostats may be bad. An electric water heater that s leaking from the bottom is typically because of normal condensation a leaking electric heating element gasket or a small amount of water being expelled through the overflow pipe because the t p valve is opening to release excess pressure in the tank. An electric thermostat is set at the factory and not. Electric water heaters have one or two elements and each is controlled by a thermostat.

You can easily repair and replace if necessary the controls and heating elements of most common residential 120 208 and 240 volt electric water heaters with traditional line voltage controls. Ran out of hot water. See troubleshooting electric hot water heaters or water heater element testing for other related topics. Not the microprocessor types that are starting to appear in stores.

When the upper element works and the lower one does not you have a low supply of hot water. Symptoms can range from no hot water to inadequate hot water to water that s too hot. Scalding hot water from a tap presents a serious problem for homeowners. How electric water heaters work.

Most water heaters have two heating elements one near the top of the tank another located further down. The lower thermostat just controls the lower element. Further it does not discuss gas or propane fuel types nor plumbing related issues. Troubleshooting an overheating electric hot water heater.

The water could be hot enough to cause burns or it could lead to. Several types of electric water heater issues can cause problems with water temperature. Extreme caution is required.