Electric Water Heater Thermostat Troubleshooting

Turn off the power at the breaker panel.

Electric water heater thermostat troubleshooting.

Too much hot water can be almost as frustrating as not enough hot water. If the thermostats are okay you need to test the water heater elements. If you re experiencing this problem it s possible that one or both of your water heater s thermostats is set too high. The most common reason for absolutely no hot water is that the circuit breaker has tripped and you should first check the breaker box.

Hence make sure you don t touch any exposed element or powered component of the electric water heater. To check the thermostat settings. To test the lower thermostat turn the top one to its lowest setting and the lower one to its highest setting. Water in an electric water heater is heated by two heating elements in most cases.

If that s not the cause then the heating elements may have failed and need replacement. Touch one meter lead to the top screw and the other lead to the metal body of the water heater. Sometimes merely resetting this bottom will cause the heater to begin working again. Electric water heater thermostats are a fairly simple devices that can fail from time to time.

Easily identify the c. A thermostat problem is fairly unusual though it s much more likely that a burned out heating element is causing problems. Turn off the power to the water heater in the service panel. Testing is the only option if you want to determine whether or not one or both of them has failed.

The water heater thermostat has a dial indicator that allows you to control the temperature of the water. You cannot inspect a thermostat with the power turned off. The reading should be between 110 and 120 volts. Typically 120 degrees is sufficient for most hot water needs.

However the dial indicator. Water heater no hot water heater trips circuit breaker hot water runs out water only warm thermostat reset button popped no power. Troubleshooting the thermostats and heating elements the first step in troubleshooting a hot water heater is to gain access to the areas to be tested. Also check the reset button on the thermostat the red button located at the top of the thermostat.

You would get a shock. See testing electric water heater elements for more information.