Are you running out of hot water way too soon? If so, then it’s time to fix the water heater. Most times this problem will be a bad water heater element. There are two heating elements, an upper and a lower element. Sometimes it is a bad thermostat or an improperly installed thermostat. And sometimes it’s a power feed problem.
We will explore how to troubleshoot and repair these water heater problems. If your hot water is not lasting very long then the first thing to do is go to the electrical panel and kill the double pole 30 amp breaker for the water heater.
Next remove the two access plates that cover the heating elements. There at the top one you should see the thermostat and the element. The thermostat is the long rectangular shaped device with about 6 wires hooked to it. You will need a voltage meter that has a continuity beeper for an ohms reading.
First put your meter on AC 600 volts and check the two wires at the very top of the thermostat to make sure the power is off to the water heater. Once that has been verified then look directly below the thermostat and you will find the element. It will have two wires hooked to it. Take a phillips screw driver and loosen one of the screws on the element where the wires attach and slip the wire out from under the screw. Now with one wire off and one wire still hooked to the element, set you meter on the continuity beeper and touch the two meter leads to each screw on the element. If the meter beeps and reads continuity then the element is good and you can hook the one wire back up.
Next go to the bottom plate and repeat that same procedure with the bottom element. If it does not beep continuity then the element is bad and needs replacing. There are two types of elements in water heaters. One screws right into the tank and the other type bolts into the tank. Most are 4500 watt elements at 240 volts. See this article on How To Change A Water Heater Element.
If by chance both elements read good then the other two things to check will be the proper voltage going to the water heater or the thermostat. First though, take a close look at the thermostat and make sure that the back side is securely touching the tank.
Next clear the area where the two wires hook to the top of the thermostat and turn the breaker back on. Set your meter to AC 600 volts and read the two wires to make sure you are getting somewhere in the range of 220 to 250 volts. If so then the thermostat would be your problem and will need replacing.
That can sometimes be a little tricky and confusing where all the wires hook back up and could possibly be a job for a qualified electrician.
