Electric water heater diagnosis & repair questions & answers - set#2:

These answers to frequent questions help troubleshoot and fix an electric water heater, calorifier, geyser that is not working properly or that's not heating water at all.

This article series explains how electric hot water heater tests & repairs.

Questions & Answers Explain How to Repair an Electric Water Heater / Calorifier / Geyser

These questions & answers were posted originally at ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR GUIDE - home - be sure to review that article.

On 2019-09-18 by (mod) - I had hot water yesterday but not today

Lets start with the diagnostics at ELECTRIC WATER HEATER - NO HOT WATER

On 2019-09-18 by Brandi

I had hot water yesterday but no hot water today,I switched out the heating element and still no hot water

On 2016-11-21 by (mod) re: when to stop re-setting the electric geyser or calorifier circuit breaker

Tania

If you have to re-set an electric water heater breaker repeatedly then there's a problem to be found and repaired. It could be a failing control on the heater, a shorted wire, or even a bad breaker.

If your electrical panel is one of the trouble-giving brands like FPE, Challenger, and some Pushmatics or a few others I might suspect the breaker.

If the heater is wired with aluminum wiring there could also be corrosion and overheating and a fire risk at the heater or in the panel.

But most-common, I'd suspect a failing heater element or heater thermostatic control.

On 2016-11-2 by Tania

Hello,

I have 5 months Giant electrical 40 G water heater tank. Lost hot water then I reset the Water Tank breaker. Was good for a day then it happens a few times again, need to reset the breaker again. What the first to check, bad breaker or tank defect? thank you, Tania

On 2016-11-12 by Pat

Water supply interrupted due to floods and storms. Was sorted 3days later, and now, a good 14 hours of water supply resuming, I STILL have no hot water. Please advise?

On 2016-10-31 by (mod) re: why water is sometimes hot, sometimes cold

There are a couple of possible things going on here Rebecca:

1. the thermostat controlling the water heater may be defective

2. the wiring could be defective or the heater could be mis-wired: for example if the two hot wires of the 240V circuit are not powered by an individual double-pole 240V breaker than you might have turned off just one of the two heating elements: your electrician can check to confirm that turning off the circuit breaker that powers the water heater indeed turns off power to the heater: if it doesn't there's a wiring or labeling error.

3. A well-insulated water heater will stay hot for quite a few hours (though 16 sounds like alot) after power is turned off. but if you'd run hot water during that time, with the heater off, it ought to have cooled down.

The system may be unsafe.

On 2016-10-29 by Rebecca

We noticed yesterday that our hot water was extremely hot just in the days time.

We turned the breaker off to the tank but the pipes and water remained seriously hot 16 hours later. We have turned the thermostat down from 120 to 100,pushed the reset button and turned the power back on.

The pipes started to cool down. We then turned the power off and was going to let the water in the tank completely cool down.

The pipes started heating up again. What could be causing this to happen

On 2016-10-22 by (mod) re: help me fix my no-hot-water problem

anon

In the article series linksat ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR GUIDE please see ELECTRIC WATER HEATER - NO HOT WATER for a detailed diagnostic procedure that ought to help you out.

On 2016-10-22 by Anonymous

Someone help me!! I have no hot water or heating! I have tried to turn them both on but nothing is happening!!! And tryed to re boost it

On 2016-10-22 by Amy

Why won't my hot water and heating turn on

On 2016-10-20 by (mod) re: put in new heater elements but I still have no hot water

Anon:

Did you turn on the electric water heater before it was filled with water and all air purged from the system? If so the new elements probably burned-up.

On 2016-10-20 by Anonymous

I put two new elements on hot water heater I put a brand new thermostat on it and I still don't have no hot water what is wrong

On 2016-10-03 by Jayme

I have an htp hot water heater. It will not turn on and my house has no heat. Help?

On 2016-09-30 by (mod) re: do not turn on the electric calorifier (water heater) before it is full of water

A replaced element can have burned up instantly if the electric heater was turned on before it was filled with water; or a control, thermostat, or second element could be defective.

On 2016-09-30 by Gary

I have an electric water heater in my commercial building that is suppose to go to one offices kitchen, but you turn on the water and after two minutes it will get luke warm and then cold again.

Now I know that the element was just replaced two weeks before I got the job and when I went up and looked at it for the first time it was only set on 85 but there was no change after turning up temp.

On 2016-09-14 by (mod) re: signs of a bad water heater element

Erica,

Sorry to say it sounds like a failed bottom heating element in the water heater. I would also check the thermostatic control. If the heating element has failed for a second time in such a short. I would be looking for an external cause.

On 2016-09-09 by Erica

I changed the bottom element on my water heater about a month ago. It's been working great; high temperature water that lasts a long time. Now all of a sudden I'm having the same problem as before. Water gets somewhat hot but doesn't last long at all. What is likely to cause this?

On 2016-09-08 by (mod)

Ashley,

I sure hope that this new water heater is under warranty and that the installing plumber is willing to come by to diagnose and fix it.

Unless something odd happened such having power on to the electric water heater when the tank was empty of water (that'd burn up the heater electrodes) the heater ought to work for more than 2 weeks.

Before bringing in somebody, and PROVIDED you can change fuses without getting yourself electrocuted, I'd start by finding fuses that I could test or have tested so I knew they're good.

On 2016-09-08 by Ashley

Hello, I got a new hot water tank 2 weeks ago, it worked perfect until today it stopped given out hot water. I change the fuses, thinking it might of blew the fuse.. But still no hot water, any help would be great

On 2016-08-27 by (mod) re: replaced water heater parts but still no hot water

No

Did you turn on the heater before it was FULL of water or before all air had been purged from the system? IF so the new element may have burned-up. Test the heater elements for continuity.

Watch out: if you're not expert in electrical wiring, making a mistake can kill you or someone else.

On 2016-08-27 by No hot water.put nee thermostat. And new heating element

No hot water still. Put in new thermostat. And mew heating element.

On 2016-07-25 by (mod) re: buzzing noise at the water heater, ehen no hot water, lots of leaks

Water is leaking somewhere on your water heater and perhaps shorting the electrical components. If the leak is at a plumbing fitting it may be repairable. Leave the unit off until the leak has been found and thus the repairability question decided and either repair or replacement are done.

On 2016-07-24 by Wes

I noticed my A.O. Smith water heater was not heating the water as it always has, only a period of two days. I moved the conduit running into the unit and heard a buzzing noise so I immediately cut the power to the unit.

There is some corrosion around the electrical input. After cutting the power I removed the electrical covers and there was a lot of corrosion and WATER. How does water get to the electrical hookup? Can it be fixed or do I need to replace?

On 2016-06-26 by Michael

I recently moved a working hot water heater to a different building and am not getting hot water. The reset switch has not tripped nor has the breaker. The inlet and outlet pipes are warm to the touch. The unit is a 40 gallon electric Westinghouse about 2 years old.

On 2016-06-23 by (mod)

Try the steps above: that's the best organized approach I've seen.

but first: did you turn it on before all the air was out of the heater?

On 2016-06-23 by Timothy Sutton

I just put in a hot water heater but my water is not hot what can be wrong

On 2016-06-17 by (mod) re: what to check if we have shorting water heater elements

I don't know, David, but I would check for

- a bad sacrificial anode in the water heater

- errors in electrical wiring, shorts, stray currents

- wrong heater element wattage being installed

- defective heater thermostat that's not shutting off the heating elements

- corrosivity index of the water supply

On 2016-06-17 by David Kettleburgh

We bought a house two years ago. All electrics replaced about two years before that. Hot water is heated electrically.

Was OK for first 18 months after we bought house but suddenly bottom elements in hot tank have been corroding and shorting electrics. They only last five or six weeks - latest one fitted on 13 May and went today! They have been fitted by different plumbers, with good reputations. What is likely cause and cure please? Thanks!

Question: no hot water after draining and working on the water heater

(Dec 6, 2015) kevin said:

I had to drain my electric water heater so that I could install a pan underneath it. I did NOT turn the power off however as I dont currently know which breaker belongs to it. But now that I've refilled the tank it is not heating the water. Did I ruined the heatinge element by not turning the power off?

(Dec 21, 2015) Anonymous said:

I replace both elements to hot water heater and water is still almost just warm - any help?

(Dec 21, 2015) Deak said: help family cant take another cold shower tonight

(Jan 7, 2016) C said: New electric tank not getting hot at all.

(Feb 7, 2016) Joy said:
Replaced upper and lower elements. If top element got wet and melted some of the black plastic when power was supplied could that cause sensor fail light to come on?

Reply: things to check if you have no hot water from an electric calorifier geyser cylinder water heater

Yes, Kevin. Turning on an electric geyser or water heater before it is completely filled with water and all air has been removed risks a nearly instantaneous burn-up of the heating elements.

Anonymous: if you turned on the water heater before it was completely filled you may have destroyed the upper heating element.

Derek: if you have no hot water,

Check for power at the elements and for a failed element.

Watch out for fatal electric shock hazards. Never work on electrical equipment before turning off the electrical power to it.

Then see HOT WATER PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS

C: If the water heater has power but is not heating water I suspect someone turned it on before it was filled with water: that will immediately destroy the heating elements. They can be tested and if faulty, replaced.

Joy I'm not sure what sensor fail light you are discussing. But if an element shorted it is or was unsafe.

Question: dead hot water heater after an electric power surge

We had a power surge last night .My hot water heater wont come on. I checked the breaker and reset it. I tried the reset button . Still wont come on .Any suggestions please - Penny Thompson 7/26/12

Reply:

A power surge can damage an electrical panel, circuit breaker, fuse, or an electronic control, possibly in equipment in the home.

I'd start by making sure that the water heater is receiving electrical power, then try pressing the reset switch on the control. If you have power and the switch won't reset, it's time to call a service technician.

Question: no hot water after bumping the water heater - fuse keeps blowing

Oct 23, 2015) Bobbi said:
Hi, I was cleaning with a gernie and did around hot water system and now the fuse keeps blowing. Would I have caused this? And how can I work out what's going on? I have changed the fuse wire and I'm on off peak. Should I wait to see if it warms up tonight or will it keep blowing and should I turn off power before pulling out the fuse to check it?

Reply:

Sorry I don't know what a "gernie" is - if you bumped wiring and caused a short or if you wet wiring or wet an electrical control that also caused a short that might cause the fuse of an electric water heater to blow. Leave the system off pending repair - to be safe; I'd turn it off at the fuse or breaker panel.

Check for loose, damaged electrical wire connections at the heating elements & controls

Question: no hot water from electric water heater with good elements

(Jan 11, 2016) Anthony said:

I have installed not one but two brand new 40 gallon single element hot water heater, I have 240 going straight to them, tested several times with voltmeter still no hot water, but have 240 at the heating element, and yes I waited till they were filled up before I turn them on. Just can't figure out why I have no hot water.

(Feb 1, 2016) Herv said:

Brought brand new heater and is doing the very same thing the old one did and that's nothing.

The water is not hot at all. I had several experts look into this and they are baffled. On this particular heater the reset button stays flush. I checked for leaks in the house and everything. If there was a leak; shouldn't it still get some type of hot water?

(Feb 1, 2016) Herv said:
By the way, the reset button is fine. The new heater has another type reset button. I can't live like this in the winter months. I have to microwave water to survive. Help me figure!

(Feb 2, 2016) not right said:
My hot water heater Stopped heatingAnd I check the power Getting full power to the top Heating element Gets full power The lower heating element And bleed through To the ground Does that mean the lower heating element is out

(Feb 19, 2016) vickie said:
when the hot water tanks seems to reach its water temperature it blows a circuit breaker. Why?

(Apr 6, 2016) Malcolm said:
Reset button won't stay pushed in on electric hot water heater

Reply:

Not-Right: check the circuit breaker brand, ampacity, and compare that to the water heater's requirements.

Your electrician will look for a shorted or burned out heating element, thermostat, or wiring

Malcolm:

If you try pressing an overheat-sensor reset button right after the switch has tripped, it won't re-set; the system needs to cool down.

If you waited for the heater to cool down and the reset button still won't stay in, then the switch has failed and needs replacement, or there is a short or other failure.

If the reset button on your electric water heater's control won't stay re-set try waiting for the unit to cool down. This is a temperature-operated switch.

If after 15-20 minutes you still can't reset the switch I suspect a shorted heating element of a failed switch control.

All readers who've lost hot water and don't see an obvious cause,

see HOT WATER PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS

Question: wiring water heater thermostats

I have an old 6 wire upper water heater 'stat. The newer upper 'stats are 5 wire. (I' talking wire lugs) How do I re-wire the newer 5 wire models? - Jim 9/7/12

Reply:

Jim, take a look at wiring details at ELECTRIC WATER HEATER ELEMENT REPLACEMENT - the replacement units I've seen include very clear wiring schematics right on the package.

Question: water heater made an exploding sound

I have a new (about 1yr old) whirlpool electric water heater (80G). I have a renter who says the water heater made an exploding sound. water is from a well. pressure is about 40PSI.

the pressure relief valve shows no water leakage, but the pan has about 1/2 in of water in it. whirlpool said to check the temperature setting and upper and lower plugs for water leakage..

but that's about it. maybe temp control valves are defective. anyone ever heard of this? I will drain the pan and un-bypass the unit and leave it operational.

i will set the thermostat to a lower setting to see if it is still coming out hot. anyone ever had this problem. just about everyone i talk to is stumped. - bill Huttle 9/11/2012

(Nov 28, 2015) Mark Johnson said:
We have well water so we have to replace elements every couple of years. We now have a dual element AOSmith water heater that just burns out the top element.

We replaced both this week and have had to replace the top one twice since then. When taken out it is covered in calcium deposits and burned thru . The bottom has nothing stuck to it and looks new. I have cleaned the tank thoroughly . Any suggestions? We have also replaced both thermostats.

Reply: scale problems at water heaters can cause popping sounds, noise, rumbling

Bill

Watch out, an exploding water heater can cause injury or death as well as property damage. Search InspectApedia for BLEVE.

It seems to me you'd want to start by checking all system otnand cold water pressures, proper plumbing installation, and most critically the pressure/temperature relief valve.

Sometimes, water heating inside a water heater, particularly one with scale deposits, can make crackling, rumbling sounds that might sound to some like an "explosion"

See WATER HEATER SCALE DE-LIMING PROCEDURE

Mark:

The element having more on time is failing first.

I would install a water softener

Question: lower water heater element failed - I can't get the old one out

Help. My lower water heater element went out and I went to replace it. I followed all the instructions, and proceeded to remove it. The element is not coming out because it seems misshapen at the end and is too large to fit through the hole.

I have no idea how it got inserted in the first place, the irregular shape must have happened inside the heater. Its from 2002 and a Bradford white model _ Tammy Friedman 10/21/2012

Reply:

Tammy,

I've seen this problem, and it's annoying, agree. In fact, working carefully we've been able to get a deformed electric heating element out through its mounting hole by bending, even cutting one end of the element itself, but the trick is to work carefully to avoid dropping trash or broken debris into the bottom of the heater tank; if you do so it won't be a catastrophe, but the risk is debris clogging of water piping, faucet strainers, etc.

Question: water heater circuit breaker keeps tripping: diagnosis & repair - Pushmatic Breaker

The circuit breaker keeps tripping on my electric hot water heater. The heating elements are new (we initially thought they were the problem), theres negligible corrosion and the anode rod is ok. There's no evidence of electrical shorts.

Once the heater cools a bit the breaker can be re-set, but trips again within 15 minutes. I have both thermostats set to only 102 degrees but the problem persists. I suspect faulty thermostat(s) causing the element(s) to overheat. Can you shed some light on this? Thanks! - Jeremy 3/16/2013

(Sept 28, 2015) Debbie said:
Our GE electric water heater is less than five years old.

Recently it has tripped the breaker twice. We reset it and it immediately turned on to heat the water. On Saturday I noticed the water was extremely hot. Then on Sunday, yesterday, it tripped the breaker again and it does not work to reset it. Is this likely a thermostat problem or ?

Reply:

Jeremy,

What is the brand of circuit breaker?
Have you tried switching to a different or new 240V breaker in the panel - just temporarily - to see if that makes a difference. If it does not then there is surely an overcurrent - a short circuit, wiring mistake, shorted heating electrode, or short in the thermostatic control. - DF

Reader follow-up:

The circuit breaker takes longer to trip the lower I set the water temperature, which makes sense because higher water temperature settings require more current. But no matter what it does eventually trip. Closer inspection of the 240V breaker did reveal burnt contacts; I will replace the breaker and re-evaluate the water heater's performance. Much obliged, Dan!

Reply:

Jeremy

not quite. Higher water temperature settings do NOT require higher current flow rate. The curring flow rate is about the same, but the duration - how long current flows - is what varies when you set the temperature higher. So if there is a defective component the defect may not show up until the circuit has been on longer - allowing more time, for example, for a defective connection or component to heat up.

If the breaker had burnt contacts the implication is that the heater is drawing excessive current AND possibly that the breaker is not tripping when it should. Aluminum wiring could be at fault, or a bad breaker such as FPE or Zinsco brands or even another brand.

Reader follow-up:

This is an old 40A 2-pole Pushmatic breaker switch; the contact is burnt on the side where power enters the breaker, not the wiring connection that leads to the water heater. I will need to investigate the wiring to the breaker box if this occurs again with a new breaker.

Reply:

Jeremy,

Thank you for the important follow-up. Over at PUSHMATIC - BULLDOG PANELS you'll read that some of these have been a recurrent problem; I would not replace in-kind. I'd change out the panel if you're having that trouble. A breaker that does not trip or reset properly is unsafe.

What we don't know in this case is whether the burnt-up Pushmatic breaker occurred just because of internal flaws in the circuit breaker, or if in fact the breaker was being subjected to protracted overcurrent conditions (say because of problems at the electric water heater).

Also watch out for aluminum electrical wiring - it is common (and legal) for an electric water heater to be powered by a multi-strand aluminum wire, but if the connections were not made with exquisite care (and maybe even regardless) overheating and burn-ups can also occur at the aluminum wiring connections - risking a fire and loss.

Statistically, because an aluminum-wired water heater circuit has many fewer connections than say a string of aluminum-wired electrical receptacles, the heater circuit risk is less. But subjected to overcurrent and heating from problems at an electric water heater itself could increase the risk of a circuit or breaker failure showing up as well. See ALUMINUM WIRING HAZARDS & REPAIRS.

Send us some sharp photos of the equipment if you can, and keep us posted - what yo learn will help others.

Daniel

...

Continue reading  at ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR GUIDE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR FAQs-3 more recent questions & answers about diagnosing and fixing an electric water heater

Or see these

Electric Water Heater Repair Articles

• ELECTRIC WATER HEATER CHECKLIST
• ELECTRIC WATER HEATER CONTROLS
• ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR GUIDE
  • ELECTRIC HOT WATER TEMPERATURE CONTROL
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER ELEMENT TESTS
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER ELEMENT REPLACEMENT
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER HIGH TEMP CUTOFF TEST
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER RESET SWITCH
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER THERMOSTATS
  • ELECTRIC WATER HEATER - NO HOT WATER
  • RELIEF VALVE LEAKS
• HOT WATER T&P RELIEF VALVE
• WATER HEATER ANODE & DIP TUBE CHECK
• ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT

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ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER HEATERS

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