A bad thermostat can leave your water heater cold.
Most electric water heaters use two heating elements to heat the water. The lower element provides the bulk of the heating while the upper element maintains the water temperature. If either element stops receiving voltage, the water heater efficiency will suffer greatly. Two thermostats, located on the sides of the water heater, control the voltage to the elements. Testing the thermostats is easy but does require working around live electrical circuits. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Turn off power to the water heater at the main breaker panel.
2. Remove the retaining screw from the top thermostat cover. Remove the cover and set it aside. Remove the plastic guard and insulation behind the cover and set them aside.
3. Turn on the power to the water heater.
4. Set the multimeter for the correct AC voltage scale for your water heater. Read the tag on the top or side of the water heater to determine if the water heater uses 120 or 240 volts.
5. Use a flat screwdriver to turn the temperature-setting knob on the thermostat all the way clockwise. Avoid touching any other parts of the thermostat with the screwdriver.
6. Touch the leads from the multimeter to the two terminal screws on top of the thermostat. Check the voltage reading on the multimeter and compare it to the voltage requirements listed on the tag.
7. Turn off the breaker for the water heater and check the thermostat reset switch, water heater circuit breaker and water heater wiring if the voltage reading is below the listed requirements. Replace the thermostat if all other components are working correctly.
8. Turn off power to the water heater. Turn the temperature knob back to its original setting and replace the insulation, guard and cover if the test voltage is correct.
9. Turn on the power to the water heater.
Tags: water heater, power water, power water heater, Turn power, Turn power water