This will make it more likely that the tank is hot enough that both should be switched off, but it also carries the risk of opening the stuck contact, leaving you with a questionable thermostat and no way to identify it. You may wish to switch both thermostats to their minimum setting. If the upper thermostat is the one that's stuck, you'll have a pretty steep temperature gradient in the tank, so let the tank sit for an hour or so. Let the tank heat up for a while until the water is well above the thermostat set point, then shut off power to it. If you've got a multimeter, it's easy you don't need to disconnect any wires or anything. T6 is the terminal with a single wire connected to the upper element, while T4 connects to both elements and T7 connects to the lower thermostat. Note that point "T6" in the schematic is on the right and T7 is on the left, while on most actual thermostats, it's the other way around. The switches are in the positions you'd find them on a hot tank with both thermostats working. The picture on the left is the upper thermostat for a typical water heater the schematic on the right shows both the upper and lower thermostats. There's never more than one element active at a time. Plumber is headquartered in Marietta, Georgia and has three locations to serve the Atlanta metro area.The typical dual-element, dual-thermostat water heater in the United States is a "non-simultaneous" design: first the upper element heats the top of the tank to the set temperature, then the upper thermostat switches power to the lower thermostat, which uses the lower element to heat the rest of the tank. Should I Repair or Replace my Old Water Heater?.3 Signs Your Water Heater Will Go Bad Soon.
Water heater element stuck professional#
If you’re in the Atlanta area and are in need of a professional plumber to repair your water heater, schedule your appointment with Mr. The good news is that a professional can both test and repair your water heater. Unless you’re experienced with wiring and electrical components, we suggest leaving it to a professional to pinpoint your specific issue. So, how do I know which is causing the reset button to trip?ĭiagnosing this problem on your own is tricky and dangerous because you’re dealing with 240 volts of electricity. So, if this is the problem, you’ll need to replace the whole thermostat. The reset button is actually part of your upper thermostat. This can cause it to perform less effectively and continually trip regardless of the temperature of the water in the tank. Just like all parts of the water heater, the reset button will eventually suffer from wear and tear. This means the heating element is still working and will continue to increase the water temperature, eventually tripping the reset button. Reason #3: Bad heating elementĪ short in one of the heating elements allows power to flow through the element even after the thermometer shuts off its power. If there is a loose electrical connection within your water heater’s system, your reset button’s thermometer can trip (regardless of the water’s temperature) if it picks up the heat from that loose wire. The high resistance caused by a loose wire produces a substantial amount of heat that can eventually cause fires. Loose electrical connections are a hazard no matter where they occur. If this is the problem, you’ll need to replace the thermostat.
This allows the element to keep heating the water until the reset button trips. The thermostat’s job is to monitor the temperature of the water in the tank and shut off the heating element when it reaches your set temperature.īut when a thermostat goes bad, it sometimes gets “stuck” and doesn’t turn off the element it serves.
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