**ATTENTION: Both thermostats should NEVER be on at the same time. They both cycle on and off. If your thermostat is set at the highest setting, you will not be able to get it to click ON/OFF. In order to test it, you'll need to disconnect power from the heater, remove the wires, then remove the thermostat from the heater. You can use a heat gun to direct heat toward the back of the thermostat as you rotate the dial. Please read through the comment section to see if your question has already been answered. If you post duplicate questions in the video comment area, you will not get a reply. Thanks! **For GREAT deals(Usually cheaper than EBAY) on DMM's and other electronic test equipment, please refer to the links posted below. (Purchase supports my channel) All Items: bit.ly/2cgYr14 Flash Deals: bit.ly/2cb6CZB *Try these money saving coupon codes: Double12 or BFTOOL or aff7off or elec or elec1 or measure or HDWARE2 or WELDTOOL or ask if other codes are available!
HELP! I replaced the heating elements and the thermostats, and still my water heater is not working. It triggered the breaker in the house breaker box when it first quit working, but it does not trigger the breaker any more, bust still no hot water, even after replacing the elements and the thermostats. Plumber/electrician says there is power going to the hot water heater, and at the same time he wants to replace it with a new one. The elements I removed, especially one of them, had a huge hole in it/cancerous looking. HELP.
Very helpful - just fixed my hot water heater after watching this and 1 other video - replaced everything just to cover my bases - parts cost $40 - Plumber quoted $275. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
I've done my own repairs over the years with my limited knowledge and advice from others I've gotten by and every time I've had problems with my hot water heater I've got it done but luckily this time you helped me out turned a couple hr job into 10 minutes THANK YOU!
Thank you so much! I replaced my thermostat after following this video to troubleshoot and another to replace it and it all cost me $28. Plus I feel like MacGyver and I can fix anything...woo hoo! I am not normally ‘handy’ . This is a big deal for me.
My local Electrician says that it is rare, however one of the dual circuit breakers failed at our home. The measurements according to this video led to some uncertainty. After replacing both upper and lower modules (one had a failed thermostat) and checking the resistance of the heater coils, the only thing left was a problem with input power. By turning off the dual breakers, and removing the two nuts to separate the wires, it was clear that full 240V was not being delivered to the water heater. Otherwise, this video is a standout among other stuff on UA-cam, and much appreciated.
I searched many videos on this topic, and this is by far the easiest to follow, thank you for posting this, now I know what's wrong with my water heater.
Thank you for this video. I was just about to buy a water heater to replace one I thought was bad. Took my phone with me to the water heater and watched your video and followed it step by step. Only to learn I didn't need a water heater at all. Just replacement parts. Thanks again. You saved me a couple hundred bucks!
There are 4 parts total that make an electric heater work -- 2 elements and 2 thermostats. When the water is cold in the tank the top element will come on first, heating the top portion of the tank. Once it satisfies for temp the upper thermostat will transfer power to the lower which will then do most of the heating. Lower element and thermostat are the workhorses of an electric heater and would be the most common parts to go bad. The two causes for the High limit switch (red reset button) to trip are a grounded element or a stuck thermostat. Both of these would cause water in the tank to become overheated. The high limit only measures the temperature of the water. So if u notice your water is overly hot and then notice no hot water check the reset button. If it's tripped u know what to look for. Great video!
You can also test for AC volts on top two screws of the upper thermostat, if getting 240 go to the next two screws below the high limit, if the reading is off that indicates it is faulty--replace upper thermostat if the red button isn't tripped
Great to hear! Return the favor by looking over my extensive video playlists for other great videos of interest to you, subscribing, and most importantly sharing my channel with many others. Thank you
Thank you very much for this video. I done everything you showed on here twice but everything checked out fine on the heater except it still kept kicking the breaker within 15 minutes. Thus I figured out it must be a weak breaker. After following your advice I feel there isn't anything on the water heater that I can't diagnose now. Thanks again!
This is a handy video. As a journeyman plumber I see a couple things that have been overlooked. First of all it is a common joke in the trade that it is a cold water heater, not a hot water heater as it does not heat hot water. I am not nay saying you it's just a joke. However a couple people that wrote you complaining of only warm water may have a different problem. Sometimes if the elements and t-stats check out and you may have a problem with your dip tube. This is a tube that moves the cold water entering the tank to the bottom of the tank. Since heat rises if this tube rots out you may get tempered water. A tank full of hot water will be cooled continuously by hot and cold mixing at the top of the tank if this part is compromised. Everything else is pretty spot on. Most important check for the power. If you don't have it you have a loose wire nut or a breaker problem. Call sparky the electrician. Second ohm both elements. If they good change the stats. Alot of time you may have a stat that is sticking causing the elements to overheat which in turn trips the reset button on the upper stat. If a customer complains of getting a few minutes of hot water and then warm it is most likely but not always a dip tube. also the guy who replaced his t&p and it still dripped. This may be from having too much pressure. A pressure regulating valve may need to be installed on the main water service or you may want to install a thermal expansion tank on the inlet side above the heater.
Thanks For Watching, I have very rarely or ever seen the plastic dip tube which sends the cold water to the bottom of the tank deteriorate. In all my experiences repairing water heaters, when the water is hot for a short period of time, then becomes warm, it is usually due to the lower element is not turning on.
Very great video man. If someone doesn't understand your instructions then they should hire someone to repair their water heater. Remember people you are very close to high voltage and it may kill you.
I did get both the thermostat and element replaced. The plumber offered to do it for the ripoff price of $425.00, but thanks to videos like yours that show how easy it is to do yourself I turned him down and got my next-door neighbor (who does my home improvement) to do it for $50.00. It works fine now.
Insurance costs plumbers a shitload of $! Water cannot only cause major damage, but mold as well. You can usually talk them down about 15-20%. But a plumbers overhead is quite large. Tools, truck, insurance.. you are not just paying for his time, you are paying for his tools, his knowledge and his warranty. Dont get it twisted, it's not a RIP off.
Should have just don’t it yourself or had your neighbor do it from the get go! Why did you even call a plumber? Did he tell you what was wrong? Did you find out the problem from this video and then call a plumber? Your story is very confusing. Did he show up and you just wanted him to replace everything for 400 bucks? I’ve wasted way too much time digesting your comment
Your Cautionary Notes in RED with WHITE lettering is a wonderful addition to your video! You saved me a ton of trouble just by commenting on the timing of the thermostats. I could not get a voltage reading on the lower Thermostat when the upper read 238 Volts. I thought I had an open wire between the upper and lower Therms. I profusely THANK YOU for the Cautionary Notes, You made my day SIR!! My wife thinks I'm pretty cool right now! May be an interesting evening afterall!!
electronicsNmore i dont know if you have an idea. I checked the water heater. Its a 40 gallon with 2 elements. The power wire was completely dicked. The breaker is a double 15 amp and looked dicked too. I put a double 20 amp new breaker and a new 12/3 wire. Every thing is hooked up now. i put a ground, and one wire in one side of the breaker and another wire on the other side of the breaker. Hooked up the ground to the water heater and hooked up the 2 wires. ( is it possible that i hooked it wrong?) When i put one probe on a screw of the element and the other probe on a ground, i have power on the 2 screws of the 2 elements. My test meter is set on 240 volt and looks just like yours and the needle is in the middle of the gauge so that tells me i got power to both screws of both elements at the same time? In the video you say its not supposed to happen i think? does it tells you something?
OK. You did good by replacing with a double pole 20A circuit breaker. The 12-3 was not necessary. You could have used 12-2 wire. (2) 12 gauge wires with a bare ground wire. In your case (using 12-3)you had a black, white, red, and bare or green wire. The black and red connect to each screw on each circuit breaker. The bare or green wire goes to the ground bar in the circuit box(screws into the steel box), or neutral bar. The white wire is left unused. The black and red connect to the wire on top of your heater. The bare/green wire connects to the ground screw. Measure the voltage across both screws on the heating element/elements. Look for 240V. If you test only from each screw, you will get 120V from each. If one leg is faulty, you cannot tell by testing from each screw to ground. So measure between the heating element screws.
electronicsNmore when i put the 2 probes on the 2 screws of the element,i got no reading, but when i put one probe on one screw and i put the other probe on ground, the needle moves to the middle of the gauge (the test meter is set on 240) on the 2 elements, both screws had power when i touch one screw and a ground.(I must be dumb, im a mechanic not an electrician) Should i get 240 when i put the 2 probes on the 2 bolts of the element? I dont understand, because to me, it looks like there is lots of power on these screws of the elements, i touched it with a finger and oh boy, these screws had lots of electricity, so in my head, an element that has electricity is supposed to be hot, but no hot water yet. Also the water heater doesnt make ANY noise when i turn the power on, and my thermostats doesnt click like yours does in the video when i turn them to adjust the temperature, even with the power on so i dont know what that means either, to me it should do even a tiny noise so i know its on or something. It doesnt click or do anything when i push the reset button too. i dont really know what to do from there. To me , looks like i have 120 volts on each element bolts.
You might be OK. If the thermostat is the problem, even though 240V is supplied to the water heater, you will only get 120V from either element screw to ground. You are only getting 1/2 the power, only 1 leg(120v). When the thermostat clicks off power to the element, you will only have 120v, and no reading between both screws. I suspect a bad thermostat. One wire on the heating element goes up into the insulation toward the top of the water heater. The other wire goes to the thermostat. You need to check the voltage between the screw on the element which does not go to the thermostat, and the upper left thermostat screw. You should see 240V. Under that upper left screw is the switched thermostat screw which is connected to the element. If the upper left screw and the other element screw gives 240V, and adjusting the thermostat does not turn on the heater, change out the thermostat.
Great to hear! Please return the favor by sharing my UA-cam channel with others, rating thumbs up, watching my other videos, and subscribing. Thank you
Thanks, we used your video to help make repairs on our water heater. Got hot water again. I shared your video. Thanks. You speak clearly and show easily what you are doing. Great tutorial.
The only time the power was on, was to verify that power was being supplied to the heater. All other tests are done with NO power! I'm pretty sure I stated that in the video. Thanks for watching!
VERY HELPFUL! I had replaced both upper and lower thermostats on an old water heater and STILL had no hot water. After running these tests I found the new upper had malfunctioned (I'll explain why momentarily). This is a very simple and easy to follow guide, thank you. I will add my own personal note: MAKE SURE your water heater has refilled and you have burped the tank (let the air bleed out a faucet) before you turn power back on. Otherwise, you'll be replacing that upper thermostat again. Again, Thank you electronicsNmore I will be sure to add you to my list of places to research when I have an issue!
Issues posting so I'll try again here: "Yes, I totally understand that after verifying power is getting to the hot water heater that you flip the CB off. However, what I was not understanding (until now) is that with the power OFF, how was there any power on the water heater to move the multimeter needle when checking the reset switch, heating element terminals, etc? The answer, of course, is that in the later tests the multimeter is not checking POWER going through the hot water heater but is instead checking the 'circuit' of the switches, terminals, etc themselves and the power to move the needle in those later tests is coming from the batteries in the multimeter. I bet that lack of clarification in your video is why you keep getting asked by posters about "is the power removed after the first step or not?" OK, gotta go watch your tutorial so now I can test those switches and elements!"
Your explanation was great. I now understand only one element gets power at a time. TIP If your tank has hard water build up in the bottom, you can make a small shovel by forming the end of a curtain rod (the adjustable rectangle old school kind) that will fit through the bottom element hole and clean it out a small scoop at a time. When you get all you can reach turn on the water to flush it around. you can get most of it out and start clean with your new elements. We have hard water, my heater is 18 yrs old have done it 3x now. I just had a flex connector for hot at the top fail and take out my top thermostat, they don't like water! . Now replaced with braid covered plastic. Instructions say check for leaks every 6 months sounds like a good idea to me!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the tip! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below, and most importantly share my channel with many others. ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
Great video. At 2:10, the presenter, although he did show how to check to identify if the reset switch was not faulty, he should have mentioned to check to see if the reset switch was disengaged. After finding out there was no continuity between either two sets of screws, I noticed the button popped out a little so I pushed it back. After the switch was engaged, I found I had continuity. After supplying power from the circuit breaker I had hot water! I wonder how many folks have replaced a water heater that had a simple problem that could be easily fixed. Thanks for the video!
To me that was a given, I mentioned the reset switch, and most people when working on(or testing) a heater thermostat will see "push to reset". Thanks for watching
Thank you! Your instructional video was exactly what I needed to fix my water heater. A multi-meter (exactly like yours) and two thermostats later, I can shower with warm water again!
Thanks for the knowledge. After viewing this I replaced both elements and thermostats in the water heater in my rental house. You saved me at least $200.00.
Nice Job, appreciate your help, the link popup explaining the lower thermostat, and explaining the operation of the NO/NC contacts of upper thermostat mainly explains the entire circuit along with the information in this video.
I've replace a water heater last year and while doing so also burnt out the top rod because I didn't wait for the water to completely fill the tank. This year I got a call from my electric company telling me I was using (3) times my normal rate of electricity. I see the high current drawn from that cheap replacement rod when I got home. Thank you for the video because now, I can troubleshoot to see what is real broken.
...excellent, descriptive and very useful video. Thanks so much. Had to drain my water heater to raise it onto a small platform (apparently plumbers in Miami believe water flows uphill :-( ) after the a burst line flooded my garage, in spite of the heater being in a pan. After draining and refilling, water not heating as before, suspect a bad element but didn't want to fiddle with until I armed myself with a little knowledge. Thanks again, great video.
My god I could kiss you for posting this video. I had problems with my Well 6 days ago then hot water tank went squirrely on me. U saved the day and money. Thank you
Glad to hear that! Kiss not necessary, just be sure to get out and vote for Trump to help stop a criminal that belongs in prison from ending up in the White House. :-)
Hi your video was amazing. It makes diagnosing easy. I have the confidence to do this now. How often does this happen on newer hot water heaters? My new home is just over a year old and just out of warrantee. From watching your video I am positive I will find the issue. The hot water is getting colder faster than it should. From your video, I will probably locate the issue on the lower components. Aside from my first question (how often does this occur on newer hot water heaters), my second question is am I more likely to see issues with the elements more frequently now that I have a water softener / filter installed inside the home? Your video probably will make sure I will keep much more money in my pocket (Even with needing to purchase one of those huge sockets to do the job). Thank you.
Hi, I watched the other video, you are amazing. I am older (real old in my 60's) Apparently many plumbers are unethical, I have on several occasions had my hot water replaced. EVERY time I called the plumber, they would NEVER check it out, or attempt a repair, they just replaced it. Once when I was younger, I replaced it. I never knew these where repairable. Retirement income is difficult to pay the bills with. You have no idea how thankful I am that you did this video. Can you answer my 2 questions, how often does this occur to newer (1 year old units) and does it occur more often in homes with water filters / water softeners?? Thank you.
@@arlenewolf5260 Almost never happens with 1yr old heaters. Elements usually corrode over time(several years) due to poor water quality. Whole house water softeners prolong the life.
Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for, and my troubleshooting only took a couple of minutes longer than in the video. My problem ended up being the top thermostat is NFG. You saved me a lot of trouble. Again, thanks - great instruction video
Thanks for the tutorial. You may want to mention that some tanks have higher wattage elements, and only 1 at a time will show 240V when tested. If your element has only 12-13 Ohms, it's a beast, producing 4000-4500W. Think about it, if both 4500W elements came on, there would be drama in the wiring or at least a tripped breaker. The upper element is the master, it comes on first. So if the bottom appears dead, just turn the top element all the way down and re-test. It should then show 240V.
Thank you very much for the video! This helped me grab a "tune-up" kit at the local DIY shop for about $40 and replace some bad elements, along with the thermostat and reset switches all in one go. The upper element was so corroded that it literally erupted into pieces taking it out quickly, but I just left the pieces inside (as per other posts on the net.. Likely will now have some more time to budget and replace it with a new, more efficient heater).
Thanks, pretty good video. It is cute that you use an analog meter, but I am old, I grew up using them, they are cute, but use a digital meter. There is a lot to know about using an analog meter properly because the internal resistance is 100Kohms vs 10-100Mohms. Especially for demo purposes for homeowners. 😁
Thanks for your clear, slow, guidance. I think my heater passed all these tests, BUT i think i pushed the reset button(why would the button fault?) ...Also when removing the top cover and insulation behind, i noticed the insulation was very warm, is that an indicator of something?...I guess i have to wait for the heater(only 6 years old, its a 30 gallon for the in-law suite) to stop heating again and perform the test again without pushing the reset button.
Behind the metal cover should be warm. That is normal. If the RESET button triggered, then clearly the temp rose too high causing it to open the circuit. When that happens it is usually a faulty thermostat. Thanks For Watching! Be sure to share and rate Thumbs Up.
Glad you enjoyed the video Carolyn! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for other videos of interest to you, and most importantly share my channel with friends. Thank you ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
Great video. I just replaced both elements in my water heater, but I still don't have hot water for very long. Sounds like I need to have the thermostats checked.
Thank you so much for this video. I am comfortable changing the heating elements and I tested both and they were good. Then I found this video and checked the power coming into the water heater and there was nothing coming in. I then took off the cover of the main breaker, tested the volts coming from the breaker on the water heater switch and it was at 246, so I'm guessing the problem is something with the wires coming to the heater, the connection at the heater, or something else. Well, I still have no hot water but that was fun. Thanks again.
Either there's a bad connection, or the heater has a switch that's in the OFF position. Thanks for watching! Be sure to share my channel with many others.
Hi, I have yet to do the above, and will be doing it pretty soon. We have a condo that has three units with separate bathrooms each. One bathroom does not have hot water, the other 2 does. Do you have any suggestions on how to check the one bathroom out of the three bathrooms? I have no idea how to trouble shoot this since the other two bathrooms are fine? All coming from the same water heater? Thank you so much for posting this informative video. Really helped!
+Charlene Tanisawa Hi. I have no idea how your plumbing is set up at your condo. Could be another water heater, or you might want to try running the cold water in that bathroom to see if it gets hot. The lines could be reversed.
I have checked everything while following the video and everything checked good. My multi-tester has one Ohm setting (no low). Two months and my problem still exists. Hot water tepid on occasion and super hot on others. Like a runaway thermostat. Reset button has popped. I did replace upper thermostat and now I feel that it was not the problem as I still have a wide range of temperatures....mostly good, but at times it is extreme. I love your video as it is easy to follow, I have hearing loss and found it difficult near the end. But still very much grateful! I hope you can help thank you.....
Nice video, learned a couple of things. Ran into a problem today that wasn't covered in the video. Maybe it's something obvious I am just simply over looking. A water heater I was working on had power to the elements, thermostats. everything ohmed appropriately and had power. but still no hot water. Replaced both elements, replaced thermostats upper and lower (twice in case they were bad also). still now hot water. checked breaker to make sure the full voltage was going through. Yes it did. Out of frustration I replaced that also. As a maintenance worker at an apartment complex I will admit I don't know everything but this had me and my boss stumped. I havent had an issue like this in 6 years and he hasnt seen this in his 20 there. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Both elements were getting power at the same time
Thank you! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for many other helpful/interesting videos, and most importantly share my channel with others. ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
I was checking mine this morning and did not have any draw at the heaters. I turned the thermostat up on the upper heater and heard a snap. I then was getting 18A at each heater at the same time. At first I thought this was normal to have both of them on then I found your video. Can they both be on at the same time? It's a 2 year old heater, october 22. I was researching a low cpacity water issue, hot water but for only 5 minutes. Thanks for the video!
Joshua Owens If you want to order a DMM, I have a product review video showing a very nice multi-function DMM at a great price. If you can't wait to order one, then buy a $5 DMM at Harbor Freight.
Wondering if our hot water heater thermostat is faulty. A couple of days ago while taking a shower the hot water was extremely hot to the point I had to turn it to almost cold to get it warm. It was then that I suspected that our hot water heater may go out soon. Here I am two ldays later without hot water. This morning, I drained the hot water heater and the water is clear and clean. I am wondering if I should just go ahead and replace the thermostat and both the elements since they are about 8 years old and we have extrememly hard water here in Texas. I will have to go buy one of those voltage meters too I suppose. Love your video and I hope my husband, teen son and I (mom) can get this done tonight! I hate dealing with electricity really scares me. But, watching this and taking notes to make sure we do it right. Thanks!
Nice video. I have a question do you know what would cause a water heater go from 125 degree water to about 185 degree water. The upper element was badly corroded but other than that everything seemed. fine. I replaced both element and both thermostats and all is fine. The thermostats tested fine but I cant understand why they did not do their jobs and cut current to the heating elements. Unit seems fine now. Great video, thanks
Hi Scott! Only a faulty(sticking) thermostat would cause that. Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you, use supplied Amazon links to support my channel when making purchases(No added cost to you), and share links to my videos with many others on social networking sites. Thanks! ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
That's great to hear! I have many excellent videos on my channel, so be sure to look over my extensive video playlists for other videos of interest to you, rate thumbs up, and most importantly SHARE my channel with others. Thank you
You're welcome Rob! I have many videos that cover a wide range of subjects, so be sure to check them out. Thanks ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
Hey, thanks so much for the tutorials...they was very helpful in troubleshooting my water heater issues. My particular issue is that my water gets extremely hot until the high limit trips out. I assumed it was the thermostats, but someone told me it was probably the elements. I troubleshot the thermostats. I presume that a thermostat that is taken out at room temperature should click on/off upon running the setting up and down, correct? If I put a heater on it, it would switch, then if I put it up against a cold surface, it would switch back. However, at a steady temperature, it would just stay in its current position, regardless of the setting up or down.
You're welcome. Any time the water gets too hot, it's because the thermostat isn't doing it's job. If the thermostat does not turn off power to the heating element, the temp will continue to climb until the button pops. Don't forget to rate the video thumbs up, and share my channel with others. Thanks!
I loved this video. It helped me discover that my heating element was bad. I also have a problem with the wires going into the tank. The plastic screw cap bonding the black wires together was burned/melted off of the wires. Is it likely that the very corroded heating element might have caused that or should I be looking for another cause?
Hello Carey, No. What you are describing is a condition which was caused by a high resistance/poorly made connection which generated heat. TURN OFF power to your WH, then cut the cap off, strip the wires about 3/8"-1/2" twist them together, then use a new wire nut. Thanks For Watching. Be sure to share, and rate a thumbs up.
Hi! Thank you very much for this video. It is helping me a lot to understand how this is working. I have a question about the upper thermostat. I am having problem with low quantity of hot water. After a few seconds, it runs cold. I tested all the parts according to the video. The only unusual reading I get is continuity on upper and lower part on the upper thermostat. Your comment says this will happen when the water in the tank is below 90°F. But the metal on the tank must be hotter than that, as it is very hot when I touch it. What could be the problem? Thank you very much!
Sorry for the dumb questions which I’m hoping are only due to very limited knowledge of electric circuits and wiring. The truth is, the unit has already been installed, by my brother in law, who now as I look back comically offered to install it, declaring; ‘Theres nothing to it.’ Obviously he failed to notice that we were replacing a 240 volt heater with a 120 volt heater and I didn’t catch it either. The unit worked fine…for about a month and until I no longer had any hot water. While investigating what might be the problem I then noticed the voltage disparity and immediately called the ‘installer.’ It was his suggestion that I might try installing an element for a 240 volt heater. That did not sound right to me so I searched on-line and found your video. I did your meter test and have determined that there is power to the unit and by going through the other tests I have determined that the element is not working properly. So now it is clear to me that I must make the necessary changes at the breaker box. Naturally I will first have to learn what a ‘neutral busbar’ is before I can proceed. Although it might be wiser to just call an electrician, I am a disabled vet on fixed income so I’m determined, that armed with a little know how I can do this myself. I have after all changed out receptacles and light switches. One other problem with this Rheem 20 gallon tank is that for some reason it was manufactured without a drain spigot, so I will have to do a wet replacement of the element. I only wish the installer did not run the cold water intake pipe directly in front of the damn element. It is back about four inches so I think that is enough room to get the plug out. In trying to find some positive from this experience I suppose that one could say that up to this point that this is a fine example of what not to do. Thanks to your video and answers to my questions I now have a better understanding of what I must do to solve this problem.
+Robert Potter I have 2 videos which may help you: ua-cam.com/video/yK_3Qn1oMYk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/QUMF1vJ4Hc0/v-deo.html Everything you need to know is in these videos. Be sure to rate thumbs up. Thanks.
Great video. We have changed both heating elements and thermostats but still little hot water just some warm water. Have not done any multi meter testing. Suspect should check voltage. What do you think it could be if not voltage?
Helpful. I used this video to understand how the water heater worked and was able to troubleshoot my faulty water heater to a bad thermostat. Very nice tutorial and thank you for putting it together - it saved me calling a white van (read $$).
For the olhms test on element you said put one probe on jacket of heater that's metal. What if it's a marathon and mostly plastic. Would you use metal plate that is a bracket to thermostat.
electronicsNmore - First thank you for your videos they are professional and very helpful. Second thank you for your incredibly fast response. Now you said my problem it did not make sense to you but you hit it on the head in you suggestion. The valve on the cold water supply between the supply valve and the water heater is set to 125PSI +/- 10% the T&P is set to 150PSI (+/-?) so the pressure relief valve would kick in before the T&P. Nothing has been changed (temp etc) for 4 years. Can it still be the water temp setting?
City water supply is "around" 60-70psi. If the valve on the cold water pipe is ONLY a pressure relief valve, then that means the city supply is over 125psi, or the valve is faulty to make it leak.
Thank you very much for the great videos. My house has hot water but it does not last as long as it used to, I performed all of the tests in the video and found the thermostats to be working and both elements to have continuity with about 13 ohms of resistance which is about where they should be. Do you have any other ideas? Thank you.
Alysia Mason Feuer Sounds like the lower element is not operating. Try leaving a tester connected to the water heater lower element while it is powered up. You may also have a corroded or damaged dip tube in the tank. The tube sends cold water to the BOTTOM of the tank. If the tube is damaged/corroded, then the cold water will not go to the bottom of the tank, but mix with the hot water at the top. You need to remove the (C) cold water fitting on the top of the tank and check the tube by pulling it up and out with your finger. Be sure to rate Thumbs Up and Share. Thanks.
Thank God you mentioned the reset switch. I replaced both elements, tested the 220V in, tested the thermocouple, everything seemed fine, still it wouldn't heat. I watched two videos before this one and they did not mentioned the reset switch.
@electronicsNmore Hello, Thought I would ask a question. My tenant has a electric 30 gallon water tank. cimarron by Reheem. model > cL81V -30d 5 year war. I am guessing it is over 7 years old. The problem is it seems to only heat enough water for about 1 to 2 mins before it runs out of hot then all cold. I am guessing about only 2 to 4 gallons of hot water. Any input? Any reply would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time. Charles.
Great vid thanks. My upper thermo is still showing ohms when you turn the adjustment to the coldest setting, so I guess it needs to be replaced? Not understanding how this would interfere with operation unless it had to do with the way the upper and lower work independent of one another, which I also didn't know till I just seen it in another video.
+myspaishot Hi there. Disconnect the wires and test it again. Be sure to take note where the wires go on the thermostat. Watch my other video, you will not find a better video explaining how a thermostat operates. Thanks ua-cam.com/video/nifLZkI7bJI/v-deo.html
+electronicsNmore Because of your quick response I was actually going out the door to purchase a new upper thermo and my phone went off saying you replied to my post. I removed the wires and the ohms were in fact coming from the bottom thermo bleeding back through, and I got a negative reading this time showing that it was in fact good. Unfortunately, that means I have some other problem not showing up with any of the troubleshooting tests because they show everything is good. Possible the dip tube or whatever it's called has become detached. Anyway, thanks for saving me from a purchase I didn't need! BTW I did watch your other vid on how a thermo works (actually even before my first post) and learned a lot from it. I can relate to it as well as I used to do a lot of metal fab and welding, so I know how heat can expand and warp metal. Thanks for posting.
Great video.. I had no reason to check mine since I had no hot water at all and I simply changed the upper and lower heating elements and thermostats. Two days ago. (11 year old unit).. Today, I noticed the cold water coming out was warm. The hot water was fine but now it is VERY hot. I pushed the reset button and turned it down from 125 (which I thought was normal) a few notches down. I will see what happens in the morning but I thought cold water had nothing to do with this. The hot water is bearable now though. Will update this in the morning. Have you heard of the cold water being affected by the hot water temp being too high?
+noto1070 Hello. There is a tube that takes the cold water and sends it to the bottom of the tank. The tube could be missing or damaged. You can also buy a check ball nipple and place it where the cold water connects to the heater. Doing this contains the hot water inside the tank. Thanks For Watching!
Both the red button and breaker in electricity box cut off . Water is extremely hot and like I said element and both thermostats have been replaced . And ty for your response !!!!!
Great video, thanks! What kind of multimeter do you think is best for doing this kind of work. There are so many different ones out there and the prices are all over the place. Thanks!
Thanks. Be sure to rate thumbs up. You really do not need a special DMM for this. An inexpensive one that has continuity, ac voltage, and up to 10M ohms resistance is good enough.
Have followed your wonderful video step by step (as I have the exact same heater you show in your video which made it quite simple) and everything checks out as working. Both thermostats and both heating elements... still not heating the water. Anything else I can try?
Your missing something. If you are not getting ANY hot water, then I would suspect a power problem. Make sure you are getting 240V to the heater. Leave the tester connected to the power supply wires on top of the heater, then adjust each thermostat higher. The voltage must remain close to 240V. If you see the voltage drop, then you likely have a problem with the circuit breaker, a wire, or the connection between the circuit breaker and panel. Also double check the reset button. No power flowing through the high temp cutoff(reset button) will prevent heating. If all is OK, then try a new UPPER thermostat. Thanks For Watchin!
Thanks for the great video! Very well done and helpful.I have a heater that every couple of months stops working and I just have to press the reset button. I tested it like you showed, and all was ok except the thermo. didnt click and and it showed continuity even when turned on lowest. both top and bottom. any ideas? Thank you.
The water inside your tank may be too hot causing it not to click at the lowest. Try removing it from the heater, allow it to sit at room temp for a 15 minutes, then rotating the dial each direction. I suspect a faulty thermostat, likely upper. Thanks For Watching! Be sure to rate a thumbs up and share.
Great video! I do have a question, if you don't mind. I am replacing a 30 gallon dual element water heater which has a 30 amp breaker (cutler hammer) with #10 wire. The new heater is a single element (1500 watts on the element) and it is a 120 watt unit. Do I have to change out the breaker and use a single pole 20 amp? or will the 30 amp double pole existing breaker work? The wiring diagram is completely missing from the new water heater.
Remove the 30A double pole breaker, and install a single pole 20A on one of the wires connected to the old breaker. Next take the remaining wire from the old breaker and put a wire nut on it and tuck it inside the panel.
@@electronicsNmore - Thanks! That's what confused me. I know that #12 wire is used with 20a breakers - so, the only information I could get from the water heater manual is that "be sure and use #10 wire" - so naturally, I assumed that somehow, I should use the 30a breaker, because of that.
@@electronicsNmore - That's what I figured. The #10 wire requirement threw me off, but the formula stays the same. Multiply the value for current by 125 percent to determine the size of the breaker you need for the heater. A 1500-watt heater on a 120-volt circuit would need a breaker of 15.6 amps. Because a 15-amp breaker would be too small, you need a breaker with the next highest rating, which is 20 amps. ...and this unit is single phase rated, so what you said makes sense! Thanks again
**ATTENTION: Both thermostats should NEVER be on at the same time. They both cycle on and off. If your thermostat is set at the highest setting, you will not be able to get it to click ON/OFF. In order to test it, you'll need to disconnect power from the heater, remove the wires, then remove the thermostat from the heater. You can use a heat gun to direct heat toward the back of the thermostat as you rotate the dial. Please read through the comment section to see if your question has already been answered. If you post duplicate questions in the video comment area, you will not get a reply. Thanks!
**For GREAT deals(Usually cheaper than EBAY) on DMM's and other electronic test equipment, please refer to the links posted below. (Purchase supports my channel)
All Items: bit.ly/2cgYr14
Flash Deals: bit.ly/2cb6CZB
*Try these money saving coupon codes: Double12 or BFTOOL or aff7off or elec or elec1 or measure or HDWARE2 or WELDTOOL or ask if other codes are available!
HELP! I replaced the heating elements and the thermostats, and still my water heater is not working. It triggered the breaker in the house breaker box when it first quit working, but it does not trigger the breaker any more, bust still no hot water, even after replacing the elements and the thermostats. Plumber/electrician says there is power going to the hot water heater, and at the same time he wants to replace it with a new one. The elements I removed, especially one of them, had a huge hole in it/cancerous looking. HELP.
electronicsNmore what if there is no power at the top of the water heater but is at the breaker
electronicsNmore what about tanks with one element
@@dakingayork6588 then your wire is cut somewhere
Thanks
Very helpful - just fixed my hot water heater after watching this and 1 other video - replaced everything just to cover my bases - parts cost $40 - Plumber quoted $275. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Cheap plumber. My company would have charged about 550
John Lashbrook did u have a probe?
I wouldve charged an extra 50 bucks just because of you calling it a HOT water heater lol
I've done my own repairs over the years with my limited knowledge and advice from others I've gotten by and every time I've had problems with my hot water heater I've got it done but luckily this time you helped me out turned a couple hr job into 10 minutes THANK YOU!
Thank you so much! I replaced my thermostat after following this video to troubleshoot and another to replace it and it all cost me $28. Plus I feel like MacGyver and I can fix anything...woo hoo! I am not normally ‘handy’ . This is a big deal for me.
Jennifer Roach I’m jealous
My local Electrician says that it is rare, however one of the dual circuit breakers failed at our home. The measurements according to this video led to some uncertainty. After replacing both upper and lower modules (one had a failed thermostat) and checking the resistance of the heater coils, the only thing left was a problem with input power. By turning off the dual breakers, and removing the two nuts to separate the wires, it was clear that full 240V was not being delivered to the water heater. Otherwise, this video is a standout among other stuff on UA-cam, and much appreciated.
The problem is usually a bad connection between the circuit breaker and busbar in the panel.
I searched many videos on this topic, and this is by far the easiest to follow, thank you for posting this, now I know what's wrong with my water heater.
Great to hear. You're welcome!
Thank you for this video. I was just about to buy a water heater to replace one I thought was bad. Took my phone with me to the water heater and watched your video and followed it step by step. Only to learn I didn't need a water heater at all. Just replacement parts. Thanks again. You saved me a couple hundred bucks!
Great to hear! Please return the favor by sharing my channel with others, rating thumbs up, watching my video playlists, and subscribing. Thanks
There are 4 parts total that make an electric heater work -- 2 elements and 2 thermostats. When the water is cold in the tank the top element will come on first, heating the top portion of the tank. Once it satisfies for temp the upper thermostat will transfer power to the lower which will then do most of the heating. Lower element and thermostat are the workhorses of an electric heater and would be the most common parts to go bad. The two causes for the High limit switch (red reset button) to trip are a grounded element or a stuck thermostat. Both of these would cause water in the tank to become overheated. The high limit only measures the temperature of the water. So if u notice your water is overly hot and then notice no hot water check the reset button. If it's tripped u know what to look for. Great video!
You can also test for AC volts on top two screws of the upper thermostat, if getting 240 go to the next two screws below the high limit, if the reading is off that indicates it is faulty--replace upper thermostat if the red button isn't tripped
hey dude.
so if high limit needs to be reset after heating up hot water heater, does that mean its either the lower t stat/element?
branigan binkley 8jkj
Thank you!!
You said you know what to look for? So its the thermostat getting stuck when it gets to hot and trips the reset, then no hot water?
Good Job. Took me 5 minutes to find the lower heating element shorted to the tank. Saved me a lot of money. Thanks!
Great to hear! Return the favor by looking over my extensive video playlists for other great videos of interest to you, subscribing, and most importantly sharing my channel with many others. Thank you
Thank you very much for this video. I done everything you showed on here twice but everything checked out fine on the heater except it still kept kicking the breaker within 15 minutes. Thus I figured out it must be a weak breaker. After following your advice I feel there isn't anything on the water heater that I can't diagnose now. Thanks again!
Be sure to share my channel with others. Thank you!
This is a handy video. As a journeyman plumber I see a couple things that have been overlooked. First of all it is a common joke in the trade that it is a cold water heater, not a hot water heater as it does not heat hot water. I am not nay saying you it's just a joke. However a couple people that wrote you complaining of only warm water may have a different problem. Sometimes if the elements and t-stats check out and you may have a problem with your dip tube. This is a tube that moves the cold water entering the tank to the bottom of the tank. Since heat rises if this tube rots out you may get tempered water. A tank full of hot water will be cooled continuously by hot and cold mixing at the top of the tank if this part is compromised. Everything else is pretty spot on. Most important check for the power. If you don't have it you have a loose wire nut or a breaker problem. Call sparky the electrician. Second ohm both elements. If they good change the stats. Alot of time you may have a stat that is sticking causing the elements to overheat which in turn trips the reset button on the upper stat. If a customer complains of getting a few minutes of hot water and then warm it is most likely but not always a dip tube. also the guy who replaced his t&p and it still dripped. This may be from having too much pressure. A pressure regulating valve may need to be installed on the main water service or you may want to install a thermal expansion tank on the inlet side above the heater.
Thanks For Watching,
I have very rarely or ever seen the plastic dip tube which sends the cold water to the bottom of the tank deteriorate. In all my experiences repairing water heaters, when the water is hot for a short period of time, then becomes warm, it is usually due to the lower element is not turning on.
Awesome vid! Step by step gets 2 the issue! Found that the lower thermostat was bad on mine!
Great to hear! Please share my channel with others. Thank you
Very great video man. If someone doesn't understand your instructions then they should hire someone to repair their water heater. Remember people you are very close to high voltage and it may kill you.
I did get both the thermostat and element replaced. The plumber offered to do it for the ripoff price of $425.00, but thanks to videos like yours that show how easy it is to do yourself I turned him down and got my next-door neighbor (who does my home improvement) to do it for $50.00. It works fine now.
Oh-and BTW, the $425.00 didn't include the price of parts, because I had already bought them.
Insurance costs plumbers a shitload of $! Water cannot only cause major damage, but mold as well. You can usually talk them down about 15-20%. But a plumbers overhead is quite large. Tools, truck, insurance.. you are not just paying for his time, you are paying for his tools, his knowledge and his warranty. Dont get it twisted, it's not a RIP off.
Should have just don’t it yourself or had your neighbor do it from the get go! Why did you even call a plumber? Did he tell you what was wrong? Did you find out the problem from this video and then call a plumber? Your story is very confusing. Did he show up and you just wanted him to replace everything for 400 bucks? I’ve wasted way too much time digesting your comment
Why not get good ol Handyman Dan to do it from the get-go since he already does all of your home improvement needs as it is?
Your Cautionary Notes in RED with WHITE lettering is a wonderful addition to your video! You saved me a ton of trouble just by commenting on the timing of the thermostats. I could not get a voltage reading on the lower Thermostat when the upper read 238 Volts. I thought I had an open wire between the upper and lower Therms. I profusely THANK YOU for the Cautionary Notes, You made my day SIR!! My wife thinks I'm pretty cool right now! May be an interesting evening afterall!!
youtube is the best. I had a problem with my water heater and now im gonna go ahead and test it out with the new knowledge i got from this video
Great! Hope you discover the problem fairly easily.
Thanks For Watching!
electronicsNmore i dont know if you have an idea. I checked the water heater. Its a 40 gallon with 2 elements. The power wire was completely dicked. The breaker is a double 15 amp and looked dicked too. I put a double 20 amp new breaker and a new 12/3 wire. Every thing is hooked up now. i put a ground, and one wire in one side of the breaker and another wire on the other side of the breaker. Hooked up the ground to the water heater and hooked up the 2 wires. ( is it possible that i hooked it wrong?) When i put one probe on a screw of the element and the other probe on a ground, i have power on the 2 screws of the 2 elements. My test meter is set on 240 volt and looks just like yours and the needle is in the middle of the gauge so that tells me i got power to both screws of both elements at the same time? In the video you say its not supposed to happen i think? does it tells you something?
OK. You did good by replacing with a double pole 20A circuit breaker. The 12-3 was not necessary. You could have used 12-2 wire. (2) 12 gauge wires with a bare ground wire. In your case (using 12-3)you had a black, white, red, and bare or green wire. The black and red connect to each screw on each circuit breaker. The bare or green wire goes to the ground bar in the circuit box(screws into the steel box), or neutral bar. The white wire is left unused. The black and red connect to the wire on top of your heater. The bare/green wire connects to the ground screw. Measure the voltage across both screws on the heating element/elements. Look for 240V. If you test only from each screw, you will get 120V from each. If one leg is faulty, you cannot tell by testing from each screw to ground. So measure between the heating element screws.
electronicsNmore when i put the 2 probes on the 2 screws of the element,i got no reading, but when i put one probe on one screw and i put the other probe on ground, the needle moves to the middle of the gauge (the test meter is set on 240) on the 2 elements, both screws had power when i touch one screw and a ground.(I must be dumb, im a mechanic not an electrician) Should i get 240 when i put the 2 probes on the 2 bolts of the element? I dont understand, because to me, it looks like there is lots of power on these screws of the elements, i touched it with a finger and oh boy, these screws had lots of electricity, so in my head, an element that has electricity is supposed to be hot, but no hot water yet. Also the water heater doesnt make ANY noise when i turn the power on, and my thermostats doesnt click like yours does in the video when i turn them to adjust the temperature, even with the power on so i dont know what that means either, to me it should do even a tiny noise so i know its on or something. It doesnt click or do anything when i push the reset button too. i dont really know what to do from there. To me , looks like i have 120 volts on each element bolts.
You might be OK. If the thermostat is the problem, even though 240V is supplied to the water heater, you will only get 120V from either element screw to ground. You are only getting 1/2 the power, only 1 leg(120v). When the thermostat clicks off power to the element, you will only have 120v, and no reading between both screws. I suspect a bad thermostat. One wire on the heating element goes up into the insulation toward the top of the water heater. The other wire goes to the thermostat. You need to check the voltage between the screw on the element which does not go to the thermostat, and the upper left thermostat screw. You should see 240V. Under that upper left screw is the switched thermostat screw which is connected to the element. If the upper left screw and the other element screw gives 240V, and adjusting the thermostat does not turn on the heater, change out the thermostat.
THANK YOU! I JUST FIXED MY WATER HEATER MYSELF AND SAVED MYSELF ALOT OF MONEY. COULDN'T HAVE REPLACED MY THERMOSTAT WITHOUT YOUR HELP.
Great to hear! Please return the favor by sharing my UA-cam channel with others, rating thumbs up, watching my other videos, and subscribing. Thank you
Thanks, we used your video to help make repairs on our water heater. Got hot water again. I shared your video. Thanks. You speak clearly and show easily what you are doing. Great tutorial.
Glad I was able to help. Please rate Thumbs Up. Thank You
Yes, I did. Thanks.
The only time the power was on, was to verify that power was being supplied to the heater. All other tests are done with NO power! I'm pretty sure I stated that in the video.
Thanks for watching!
electronicsNmore I’m getting 280 volts at the top of my water heater
VERY HELPFUL! I had replaced both upper and lower thermostats on an old water heater and STILL had no hot water. After running these tests I found the new upper had malfunctioned (I'll explain why momentarily). This is a very simple and easy to follow guide, thank you.
I will add my own personal note: MAKE SURE your water heater has refilled and you have burped the tank (let the air bleed out a faucet) before you turn power back on.
Otherwise, you'll be replacing that upper thermostat again.
Again, Thank you electronicsNmore I will be sure to add you to my list of places to research when I have an issue!
Glad my video was able to help you. Be sure to rate thumbs up, share my channel with others, and check out my extensive video playlists! Thanks
I will.
Watch this short video for a detailed understanding of how the thermostat operates:
FULLY Understanding How Electric Water Heater Thermostats Work
Hello, this video was made with lots of love for the people of the world, by this great man. Thanks so much.
Thanks for watching Ash! Please share.
Issues posting so I'll try again here: "Yes, I totally understand that after verifying power is getting to the hot water heater that you flip the CB off. However, what I was not understanding (until now) is that with the power OFF, how was there any power on the water heater to move the multimeter needle when checking the reset switch, heating element terminals, etc? The answer, of course, is that in the later tests the multimeter is not checking POWER going through the hot water heater but is instead checking the 'circuit' of the switches, terminals, etc themselves and the power to move the needle in those later tests is coming from the batteries in the multimeter. I bet that lack of clarification in your video is why you keep getting asked by posters about "is the power removed after the first step or not?" OK, gotta go watch your tutorial so now I can test those switches and elements!"
Thanks guy, found out that the breaker was loose. All working fine now. You all are great. God bless
I ran into that many times in the past when repairing HWH's, that is why I knew.
Your explanation was great. I now understand only one element gets power at a time.
TIP If your tank has hard water build up in the bottom, you can make a small shovel by forming the end of a curtain rod (the adjustable rectangle old school kind) that will fit through the bottom element hole and clean it out a small scoop at a time. When you get all you can reach turn on the water to flush it around. you can get most of it out and start clean with your new elements. We have hard water, my heater is 18 yrs old have done it 3x now. I just had a flex connector for hot at the top fail and take out my top thermostat, they don't like water! . Now replaced with braid covered plastic. Instructions say check for leaks every 6 months sounds like a good idea to me!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the tip! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below, and most importantly share my channel with many others.
ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
These illustrations on the water heater got me feeling that if I point at it it's gonna explode haha. God bless you
Great video. At 2:10, the presenter, although he did show how to check to identify if the reset switch was not faulty, he should have mentioned to check to see if the reset switch was disengaged. After finding out there was no continuity between either two sets of screws, I noticed the button popped out a little so I pushed it back. After the switch was engaged, I found I had continuity. After supplying power from the circuit breaker I had hot water! I wonder how many folks have replaced a water heater that had a simple problem that could be easily fixed. Thanks for the video!
To me that was a given, I mentioned the reset switch, and most people when working on(or testing) a heater thermostat will see "push to reset". Thanks for watching
First time homeowner and my first time to fix my water heater too! Thanks to your very informative video!
Your welcome! Please share my videos, and rate Thumbs Up.
Thanks
Best explanation I’ve found so far! Thanks a lot!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you!
Your instructional video was exactly what I needed to fix my water heater. A multi-meter (exactly like yours) and two thermostats later, I can shower with warm water again!
Glad I was able to help you. Be sure to share my channel with others and rate thumbs up. Thank You
Thanks for the knowledge. After viewing this I replaced both elements and thermostats in the water heater in my rental house. You saved me at least $200.00.
Nice Job, appreciate your help, the link popup explaining the lower thermostat, and explaining the operation of the NO/NC contacts of upper thermostat mainly explains the entire circuit along with the information in this video.
Your welcome! Thanks for watching
Excellent video. Right to the point and concise. Thanks for not cluttering it up with obvious redundant safety advice.
I've replace a water heater last year and while doing so also burnt out the top rod because I didn't wait for the water to completely fill the tank. This year I got a call from my electric company telling me I was using (3) times my normal rate of electricity. I see the high current drawn from that cheap replacement rod when I got home. Thank you for the video because now, I can troubleshoot to see what is real broken.
The problem was the lower heating element. Your video helped me figure it out and saved me a bunch of money, THANKS. Norm
Great to hear! Be sure to share my channel with others, check out my video playlists, and rate thumbs up. Thanks
...excellent, descriptive and very useful video. Thanks so much. Had to drain my water heater to raise it onto a small platform (apparently plumbers in Miami believe water flows uphill :-( ) after the a burst line flooded my garage, in spite of the heater being in a pan. After draining and refilling, water not heating as before, suspect a bad element but didn't want to fiddle with until I armed myself with a little knowledge. Thanks again, great video.
+Jose Cunha
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video.
My god I could kiss you for posting this video. I had problems with my Well 6 days ago then hot water tank went squirrely on me. U saved the day and money. Thank you
Glad to hear that! Kiss not necessary, just be sure to get out and vote for Trump to help stop a criminal that belongs in prison from ending up in the White House. :-)
Marissa A
Hi your video was amazing. It makes diagnosing easy. I have the confidence to do this now. How often does this happen on newer hot water heaters? My new home is just over a year old and just out of warrantee. From watching your video I am positive I will find the issue. The hot water is getting colder faster than it should. From your video, I will probably locate the issue on the lower components. Aside from my first question (how often does this occur on newer hot water heaters), my second question is am I more likely to see issues with the elements more frequently now that I have a water softener / filter installed inside the home? Your video probably will make sure I will keep much more money in my pocket (Even with needing to purchase one of those huge sockets to do the job). Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed my video Arlene! Be sure to watch my other water heater video below. Thank you
ua-cam.com/video/TNi9w4bAdRk/v-deo.html
Hi, I watched the other video, you are amazing. I am older (real old in my 60's) Apparently many plumbers are unethical, I have on several occasions had my hot water replaced. EVERY time I called the plumber, they would NEVER check it out, or attempt a repair, they just replaced it. Once when I was younger, I replaced it. I never knew these where repairable. Retirement income is difficult to pay the bills with. You have no idea how thankful I am that you did this video. Can you answer my 2 questions, how often does this occur to newer (1 year old units) and does it occur more often in homes with water filters / water softeners?? Thank you.
@@arlenewolf5260 Almost never happens with 1yr old heaters. Elements usually corrode over time(several years) due to poor water quality. Whole house water softeners prolong the life.
used this video to diagnose identify and replace my thermostat on my hot water tank thank you
Great to hear! Be sure to rate thumbs up and share my channel with others.
Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for, and my troubleshooting only took a couple of minutes longer than in the video. My problem ended up being the top thermostat is NFG. You saved me a lot of trouble. Again, thanks - great instruction video
+Richard Martin
Glad my video helped. Be sure to rate Thumbs Up, and share my videos with others. Thank You!
Thanks for the tutorial. You may want to mention that some tanks have higher wattage elements, and only 1 at a time will show 240V when tested. If your element has only 12-13 Ohms, it's a beast, producing 4000-4500W. Think about it, if both 4500W elements came on, there would be drama in the wiring or at least a tripped breaker. The upper element is the master, it comes on first. So if the bottom appears dead, just turn the top element all the way down and re-test. It should then show 240V.
Excellent video!!! All you need to know to fix the problem is right here!! Thanks so much for sharing, especially on the heating element.
Glad my video was able to help you. Be sure to share with others. Thanks
Just did! Thanks again
Thank you very much for the video! This helped me grab a "tune-up" kit at the local DIY shop for about $40 and replace some bad elements, along with the thermostat and reset switches all in one go. The upper element was so corroded that it literally erupted into pieces taking it out quickly, but I just left the pieces inside (as per other posts on the net.. Likely will now have some more time to budget and replace it with a new, more efficient heater).
......great stuff.....will save me a service call one day. Thanks in advance.
Roger Lund Glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you very much. I did the first step and found out it was a loose connection. 20 minutes I got the hot water tank back on.
Good to hear! Be sure to share my channel with others, and rate Thumbs Up.
Thank you!
electronicsNmore I have already did that. And you're on my favorites list
Very helpful. Clear and concise thank you
You're welcome!
Thank you! Your water heater model in your video is exactly the same as mine so it was very, very helpful.
+Chuck Nodine
Great to hear. Thanks for watching!
Thanks, pretty good video. It is cute that you use an analog meter, but I am old, I grew up using them, they are cute, but use a digital meter. There is a lot to know about using an analog meter properly because the internal resistance is 100Kohms vs 10-100Mohms. Especially for demo purposes for homeowners. 😁
very detailed and well organized and thanks for your explanation
You're welcome! Be sure to share my channel with others and rate Thumbs Up.
Thanks. This video helped me learn more about electric water heaters and allowed me to diagnose mine.
Glad this video helped you.
Thanks for the info. The cold water heater works fine now.
Thanks for your clear, slow, guidance. I think my heater passed all these tests, BUT i think i pushed the reset button(why would the button fault?) ...Also when removing the top cover and insulation behind, i noticed the insulation was very warm, is that an indicator of something?...I guess i have to wait for the heater(only 6 years old, its a 30 gallon for the in-law suite) to stop heating again and perform the test again without pushing the reset button.
Behind the metal cover should be warm. That is normal. If the RESET button triggered, then clearly the temp rose too high causing it to open the circuit. When that happens it is usually a faulty thermostat.
Thanks For Watching! Be sure to share and rate Thumbs Up.
Great troubleshooting video. Bad reset never crossed my mind!
Glad you enjoyed the video Carolyn! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for other videos of interest to you, and most importantly share my channel with friends. Thank you
ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
Great video. I just replaced both elements in my water heater, but I still don't have hot water for very long. Sounds like I need to have the thermostats checked.
Yes. Check the thermostats.
Thank you so much for this video. I am comfortable changing the heating elements and I tested both and they were good. Then I found this video and checked the power coming into the water heater and there was nothing coming in. I then took off the cover of the main breaker, tested the volts coming from the breaker on the water heater switch and it was at 246, so I'm guessing the problem is something with the wires coming to the heater, the connection at the heater, or something else. Well, I still have no hot water but that was fun. Thanks again.
Either there's a bad connection, or the heater has a switch that's in the OFF position. Thanks for watching! Be sure to share my channel with many others.
@@electronicsNmore Thanks again, I'll share. It was a timer that switched the heater off during certain times.
Hi, I have yet to do the above, and will be doing it pretty soon. We have a condo that has three units with separate bathrooms each. One bathroom does not have hot water, the other 2 does. Do you have any suggestions on how to check the one bathroom out of the three bathrooms? I have no idea how to trouble shoot this since the other two bathrooms are fine? All coming from the same water heater? Thank you so much for posting this informative video. Really helped!
+Charlene Tanisawa
Hi. I have no idea how your plumbing is set up at your condo. Could be another water heater, or you might want to try running the cold water in that bathroom to see if it gets hot. The lines could be reversed.
I have checked everything while following the video and everything checked good. My multi-tester has one Ohm setting (no low). Two months and my problem still exists.
Hot water tepid on occasion and super hot on others. Like a runaway thermostat. Reset button has popped. I did replace upper thermostat and now I feel that it was not the problem as I still have a wide range of temperatures....mostly good, but at times it is extreme. I love your video as it is easy to follow, I have hearing loss and found it difficult near the end. But still very much grateful! I hope you can help thank you.....
Try replacing the lower thermostat and check all wiring/circuit breaker supplying the heater.
Nice video, learned a couple of things. Ran into a problem today that wasn't covered in the video.
Maybe it's something obvious I am just simply over looking.
A water heater I was working on had power to the elements, thermostats. everything ohmed appropriately and had power. but still no hot water. Replaced both elements, replaced thermostats upper and lower (twice in case they were bad also). still now hot water. checked breaker to make sure the full voltage was going through.
Yes it did. Out of frustration I replaced that also.
As a maintenance worker at an apartment complex I will admit I don't know everything but this had me and my boss stumped. I havent had an issue like this in 6 years and he hasnt seen this in his 20 there.
The only thing out of the ordinary was that Both elements were getting power at the same time
Excellent video.
Thank you! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for many other helpful/interesting videos, and most importantly share my channel with others.
ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
I was checking mine this morning and did not have any draw at the heaters. I turned the thermostat up on the upper heater and heard a snap. I then was getting 18A at each heater at the same time. At first I thought this was normal to have both of them on then I found your video. Can they both be on at the same time? It's a 2 year old heater, october 22. I was researching a low cpacity water issue, hot water but for only 5 minutes. Thanks for the video!
Great video. I'm gonna get a multimeter and do this. Any recommendations?
Joshua Owens If you want to order a DMM, I have a product review video showing a very nice multi-function DMM at a great price. If you can't wait to order one, then buy a $5 DMM at Harbor Freight.
Wondering if our hot water heater thermostat is faulty. A couple of days ago while taking a shower the hot water was extremely hot to the point I had to turn it to almost cold to get it warm. It was then that I suspected that our hot water heater may go out soon. Here I am two ldays later without hot water. This morning, I drained the hot water heater and the water is clear and clean. I am wondering if I should just go ahead and replace the thermostat and both the elements since they are about 8 years old and we have extrememly hard water here in Texas. I will have to go buy one of those voltage meters too I suppose. Love your video and I hope my husband, teen son and I (mom) can get this done tonight! I hate dealing with electricity really scares me. But, watching this and taking notes to make sure we do it right. Thanks!
Thanks for helping me diagnose my water heater problem.
THANKS for the help it help me find out what was wrong with my hot water heater.
Glad I was able to help you. Don't forget to rate a thumbs up!
Thank You
Nice video. I have a question do you know what would cause a water heater go from 125 degree water to about 185 degree water. The upper element was badly corroded but other than that everything seemed. fine. I replaced both element and both thermostats and all is fine. The thermostats tested fine but I cant understand why they did not do their jobs and cut current to the heating elements. Unit seems fine now. Great video, thanks
Hi Scott! Only a faulty(sticking) thermostat would cause that. Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you, use supplied Amazon links to support my channel when making purchases(No added cost to you), and share links to my videos with many others on social networking sites. Thanks!
ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
@@electronicsNmore Thanks for your .videos and reply. I will share your videos with my friends. Take care.
Hi there. Well done video.....what would you suspect to be the cause of a water heater cutting off at hi temp indicator.
Faulty thermostat.
thank you so much, i fix my own water heater, thanks to your video.
That's great to hear! I have many excellent videos on my channel, so be sure to look over my extensive video playlists for other videos of interest to you, rate thumbs up, and most importantly SHARE my channel with others. Thank you
Very, very helpful. Thanks 👍👍👍
You're welcome Rob! I have many videos that cover a wide range of subjects, so be sure to check them out. Thanks
ua-cam.com/users/electronicsnmoreplaylists
Hey, thanks so much for the tutorials...they was very helpful in troubleshooting my water heater issues. My particular issue is that my water gets extremely hot until the high limit trips out. I assumed it was the thermostats, but someone told me it was probably the elements. I troubleshot the thermostats. I presume that a thermostat that is taken out at room temperature should click on/off upon running the setting up and down, correct? If I put a heater on it, it would switch, then if I put it up against a cold surface, it would switch back. However, at a steady temperature, it would just stay in its current position, regardless of the setting up or down.
You're welcome. Any time the water gets too hot, it's because the thermostat isn't doing it's job. If the thermostat does not turn off power to the heating element, the temp will continue to climb until the button pops. Don't forget to rate the video thumbs up, and share my channel with others. Thanks!
Thanks a bunch repaired without cost.
stew m Great to hear! Be sure to rate thumbs up, check out my video playlists, and share. Thanks
I loved this video. It helped me discover that my heating element was bad. I also have a problem with the wires going into the tank. The plastic screw cap bonding the black wires together was burned/melted off of the wires. Is it likely that the very corroded heating element might have caused that or should I be looking for another cause?
Hello Carey,
No. What you are describing is a condition which was caused by a high resistance/poorly made connection which generated heat. TURN OFF power to your WH, then cut the cap off, strip the wires about 3/8"-1/2" twist them together, then use a new wire nut.
Thanks For Watching. Be sure to share, and rate a thumbs up.
Hi! Thank you very much for this video. It is helping me a lot to understand how this is working. I have a question about the upper thermostat. I am having problem with low quantity of hot water. After a few seconds, it runs cold. I tested all the parts according to the video. The only unusual reading I get is continuity on upper and lower part on the upper thermostat. Your comment says this will happen when the water in the tank is below 90°F. But the metal on the tank must be hotter than that, as it is very hot when I touch it. What could be the problem? Thank you very much!
Sorry for the dumb questions which I’m hoping are only due to very limited knowledge of electric circuits and wiring.
The truth is, the unit has already been installed, by my brother in law, who now as I look back comically offered to install it, declaring; ‘Theres nothing to it.’ Obviously he failed to notice that we were replacing a 240 volt heater with a 120 volt heater and I didn’t catch it either. The unit worked fine…for about a month and until I no longer had any hot water.
While investigating what might be the problem I then noticed the voltage disparity and immediately called the ‘installer.’ It was his suggestion that I might try installing an element for a 240 volt heater. That did not sound right to me so I searched on-line and found your video. I did your meter test and have determined that there is power to the unit and by going through the other tests I have determined that the element is not working properly. So now it is clear to me that I must make the necessary changes at the breaker box. Naturally I will first have to learn what a ‘neutral busbar’ is before I can proceed. Although it might be wiser to just call an electrician, I am a disabled vet on fixed income so I’m determined, that armed with a little know how I can do this myself. I have after all changed out receptacles and light switches.
One other problem with this Rheem 20 gallon tank is that for some reason it was manufactured without a drain spigot, so I will have to do a wet replacement of the element. I only wish the installer did not run the cold water intake pipe directly in front of the damn element. It is back about four inches so I think that is enough room to get the plug out.
In trying to find some positive from this experience I suppose that one could say that up to this point that this is a fine example of what not to do.
Thanks to your video and answers to my questions I now have a better understanding of what I must do to solve this problem.
+Robert Potter
I have 2 videos which may help you:
ua-cam.com/video/yK_3Qn1oMYk/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/QUMF1vJ4Hc0/v-deo.html
Everything you need to know is in these videos. Be sure to rate thumbs up. Thanks.
Great video. We have changed both heating elements and thermostats but still little hot water just some warm water. Have not done any multi meter testing. Suspect should check voltage. What do you think it could be if not voltage?
Do the tests and post results.
Great video . Really appreciate it.
Thank you
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Very Nice video.. Thanks for the Great Help.
Charley Meckna You're welcome. Be sure to share, and rate Thumbs Up. Thank You!
Helpful. I used this video to understand how the water heater worked and was able to troubleshoot my faulty water heater to a bad thermostat. Very nice tutorial and thank you for putting it together - it saved me calling a white van (read $$).
Your very welcome. Be sure to share the video/my channel, and also rate a thumbs up.
For the olhms test on element you said put one probe on jacket of heater that's metal. What if it's a marathon and mostly plastic. Would you use metal plate that is a bracket to thermostat.
electronicsNmore - First thank you for your videos they are professional and very helpful. Second thank you for your incredibly fast response. Now you said my problem it did not make sense to you but you hit it on the head in you suggestion. The valve on the cold water supply between the supply valve and the water heater is set to 125PSI +/- 10% the T&P is set to 150PSI (+/-?) so the pressure relief valve would kick in before the T&P. Nothing has been changed (temp etc) for 4 years. Can it still be the water temp setting?
City water supply is "around" 60-70psi. If the valve on the cold water pipe is ONLY a pressure relief valve, then that means the city supply is over 125psi, or the valve is faulty to make it leak.
This is a GREAT video.
Thank you so much.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Be sure to rate thumbs up and share. Thank you!
Lots of great tips. Thanks for sharing.
+We Fix Water Heaters
Thanks For Watching
Thank you very much for the great videos. My house has hot water but it does not last as long as it used to, I performed all of the tests in the video and found the thermostats to be working and both elements to have continuity with about 13 ohms of resistance which is about where they should be. Do you have any other ideas? Thank you.
Alysia Mason Feuer Sounds like the lower element is not operating. Try leaving a tester connected to the water heater lower element while it is powered up. You may also have a corroded or damaged dip tube in the tank. The tube sends cold water to the BOTTOM of the tank. If the tube is damaged/corroded, then the cold water will not go to the bottom of the tank, but mix with the hot water at the top. You need to remove the (C) cold water fitting on the top of the tank and check the tube by pulling it up and out with your finger.
Be sure to rate Thumbs Up and Share.
Thanks.
Thank God you mentioned the reset switch. I replaced both elements, tested the 220V in, tested the thermocouple, everything seemed fine, still it wouldn't heat. I watched two videos before this one and they did not mentioned the reset switch.
Glad you resolved the issue.
Be sure to share the channel, and rate a thumbs up.
Thank you!
@electronicsNmore Hello, Thought I would ask a question. My tenant has a electric 30 gallon water tank. cimarron by Reheem. model > cL81V -30d 5 year war. I am guessing it is over 7 years old. The problem is it seems to only heat enough water for about 1 to 2 mins before it runs out of hot then all cold. I am guessing about only 2 to 4 gallons of hot water. Any input? Any reply would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time. Charles.
Yes, once you verified that the power supply is not the problem, then disconnect the power for all of the tests.
This video was perfect!!
Love that analog multimeter.
Was 7-11 having a sale??
LOL. I was visiting a friend that had a heater problem, that was all they had.
Great vid thanks. My upper thermo is still showing ohms when you turn the adjustment to the coldest setting, so I guess it needs to be replaced? Not understanding how this would interfere with operation unless it had to do with the way the upper and lower work independent of one another, which I also didn't know till I just seen it in another video.
+myspaishot
Hi there. Disconnect the wires and test it again. Be sure to take note where the wires go on the thermostat. Watch my other video, you will not find a better video explaining how a thermostat operates.
Thanks
ua-cam.com/video/nifLZkI7bJI/v-deo.html
+electronicsNmore Because of your quick response I was actually going out the door to purchase a new upper thermo and my phone went off saying you replied to my post. I removed the wires and the ohms were in fact coming from the bottom thermo bleeding back through, and I got a negative reading this time showing that it was in fact good. Unfortunately, that means I have some other problem not showing up with any of the troubleshooting tests because they show everything is good. Possible the dip tube or whatever it's called has become detached. Anyway, thanks for saving me from a purchase I didn't need! BTW I did watch your other vid on how a thermo works (actually even before my first post) and learned a lot from it. I can relate to it as well as I used to do a lot of metal fab and welding, so I know how heat can expand and warp metal. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for your help! You saved us a lot of money...
Glad I was able to help!
Great video.. I had no reason to check mine since I had no hot water at all and I simply changed the upper and lower heating elements and thermostats. Two days ago. (11 year old unit).. Today, I noticed the cold water coming out was warm. The hot water was fine but now it is VERY hot. I pushed the reset button and turned it down from 125 (which I thought was normal) a few notches down. I will see what happens in the morning but I thought cold water had nothing to do with this. The hot water is bearable now though. Will update this in the morning. Have you heard of the cold water being affected by the hot water temp being too high?
+noto1070
Hello. There is a tube that takes the cold water and sends it to the bottom of the tank. The tube could be missing or damaged. You can also buy a check ball nipple and place it where the cold water connects to the heater. Doing this contains the hot water inside the tank.
Thanks For Watching!
Both the red button and breaker in electricity box cut off . Water is extremely hot and like I said element and both thermostats have been replaced . And ty for your response !!!!!
Very good video, thank you.
Your welcome! Please be sure to rate "Thumbs Up", share with others, and check out my other videos as well.
Great video, thanks! What kind of multimeter do you think is best for doing this kind of work. There are so many different ones out there and the prices are all over the place. Thanks!
Thanks. Be sure to rate thumbs up. You really do not need a special DMM for this. An inexpensive one that has continuity, ac voltage, and up to 10M ohms resistance is good enough.
Have followed your wonderful video step by step (as I have the exact same heater you show in your video which made it quite simple) and everything checks out as working. Both thermostats and both heating elements... still not heating the water. Anything else I can try?
Your missing something. If you are not getting ANY hot water, then I would suspect a power problem. Make sure you are getting 240V to the heater. Leave the tester connected to the power supply wires on top of the heater, then adjust each thermostat higher. The voltage must remain close to 240V. If you see the voltage drop, then you likely have a problem with the circuit breaker, a wire, or the connection between the circuit breaker and panel. Also double check the reset button. No power flowing through the high temp cutoff(reset button) will prevent heating. If all is OK, then try a new UPPER thermostat.
Thanks For Watchin!
Thanks for the great video! Very well done and helpful.I have a heater that every couple of months stops working and I just have to press the reset button. I tested it like you showed, and all was ok except the thermo. didnt click and and it showed continuity even when turned on lowest. both top and bottom. any ideas? Thank you.
The water inside your tank may be too hot causing it not to click at the lowest. Try removing it from the heater, allow it to sit at room temp for a 15 minutes, then rotating the dial each direction. I suspect a faulty thermostat, likely upper.
Thanks For Watching! Be sure to rate a thumbs up and share.
Thanks for this video, saved me from getting a new water heater
Glad I was able to help you Tom. Please share my channel/videos with others. Thanks!
Very helpful!
at 2:10 , if the needle swings fully to the right does that mean that we have infinite resistance , so the reset switch is open ?
Great video!
I do have a question, if you don't mind.
I am replacing a 30 gallon dual element water heater which has a 30 amp breaker (cutler hammer) with #10 wire.
The new heater is a single element (1500 watts on the element) and it is a 120 watt unit.
Do I have to change out the breaker and use a single pole 20 amp? or will the 30 amp double pole existing breaker work? The wiring diagram is completely missing from the new water heater.
Remove the 30A double pole breaker, and install a single pole 20A on one of the wires connected to the old breaker. Next take the remaining wire from the old breaker and put a wire nut on it and tuck it inside the panel.
@@electronicsNmore - Thanks! That's what confused me. I know that #12 wire is used with 20a breakers - so, the only information I could get from the water heater manual is that "be sure and use #10 wire" - so naturally, I assumed that somehow, I should use the 30a breaker, because of that.
@@hybridamerica You can always put a smaller breaker on a larger wire, but never a higher current breaker on a smaller wire.
@@electronicsNmore - That's what I figured. The #10 wire requirement threw me off, but the formula stays the same.
Multiply the value for current by 125 percent to determine the size of the breaker you need for the heater.
A 1500-watt heater on a 120-volt circuit would need a breaker of 15.6 amps. Because a 15-amp breaker would be too small, you need a breaker with the next highest rating, which is 20 amps.
...and this unit is single phase rated, so what you said makes sense! Thanks again
Also, shouldn't I take the remaining wire from the old breaker and connect it to the Neutral bus to complete the circuit?
Awesome explanation! Thank you!
Josh Lloyd Thanks Josh!