HOW TO SOLVE WATER HEATER PROBLEMS - Serving …groverelectric.com/assets/downloads/howto/30_How to...

ANOTHERG & G ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING DISTRIBUTORS, INC.INFORMATION SHEETCOPYRIGHT 1989

30

These “How-To-Do-It” sheets have been reviewed in June 2007 by a professional Engineer. If you find a problem, please notifyG & G Electric & Plumbing at 1900 NE 78th Street, Ste. 101, Vancouver, Washington 98665

HOW TO SOLVE WATER HEATER PROBLEMS

Always turn electrical power off before attempting torepair, replace or disconnect any electrical equipment.

The most severe problem you can encounter witha water heater is for it to begin leaking. Youshould determine where the leak originates, forif it is from around an element or pipe fitting itcan normally be repaired quite easily. If, however,the tank has rusted through and is leaking, it isreplacement time.

The most common electrical problem found in awater heater is caused by a burned outelement. I f you st i l l have hot water, butmaybe only about a shower’s worth, theculpr it is probably a bad lower element.Many people wil l just l ive with this condit ioninstead of repair ing the water heater, butpay for it in inconvenience and an increasedpower bi l l .

In high-recovery water heaters with two elementsover 2500 watts each, the top thermostat controls thecomplete heating function by not allowing the bottomthermostat and element to come on while the topelement is in operation. Therefore, if the topelement should fai l, the top thermostatwould never be satisfied and therefore nohot water is produced. Often, at the time ofinstallation, an air pocket builds up in the top ofthe tank because a hot water tap was not openwhile the heater was being filled. This airpocket causes the top element to becomenon-submerged and burn out when the power isturned on. Because the cause of the burn-out isso evident, the element will not be covered bythe manufacturer's warranty.

A bad thermostat usually results in total lossof hot water. When a thermostat fails to shutoff, the tank will overheat and cause the reliefvalve to open and/or the high temperaturesafety switch to cut off power to the water heater.

A tripped breaker or blown fuse will result intotal loss of hot water and is always the f irstthing to check. If, for any reason the tank gets toohot, the high temperature safety switch will shutoff all power to the water heater. You must thenfirmly push the red button on the top thermostatto reset it. If the condition recurs, it usually iscaused by a st icking thermostat . Check thethermostat set t ing and the temperature of

the water from a hot water tap. If it doesn'tappear exceptionally hot, it may be that thetemperature safety switch is weak and needsreplacement. If the water is exceptionally hot,it is best to replace the thermostats. If thetemperature/pressure relief valve opens, itwould indicate that the water is t oo ho t o r t hep r essur e t oo h i gh . A t empe ra ture/pressurerelief valve can go bad but seldom does. Check thewater pressure and temperature before youdecide to replace it. If the pressure is over 80P.S.I., a pressure-reducing valve should be installedin the incoming service line.

All tests are to be made from the point indicatedto ground (ground being the tank or elementbolt at the water heater) or the ground buss atthe service panel. This assures that the highestvoltage checked will be 120 volts.

There are three checks that should be made priorto testing the water heater:

1. Check for a blown fuse or a tr ippedcircuit breaker.

2. Turn off electrical power to the waterheater. Remove the inspect ion coverscovering the therm o s t a t s a n d e l e m e n t sa n d ch e c k f o r l o o s e connections.

3. Firmly press the red button on the top ofthe thermostat in. If a loud click occurs, turnelectrical power on and wait a while for thewater heater to begin heating water. If thissolves the problem, but after a while thethermal safety switch trips and loss of hot waterrecurs, check for sticking thermostats or a weakthermal safety switch. Replace if needed.

Sometimes, a decrease in available hot water isnot caused by an electrical problem. Colderweather, along with uninsulated pipes, cancontr ibute to a decrease in the quantity of hotwater that is available. Also, although not ascommon as electrical failure, the plastic diptube which carries the cold water to the bottomof the tank breaks and allows cold water to mixwith the hot water at the top of the tank as it isbeing drawn off. A check for a broken dip tubewould be made only after all other possibleproblems have been eliminated.

ANOTHERG & G ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING DISTRIBUTORS, INC.INFORMATION SHEETCOPYRIGHT 1989

30

These “How-To-Do-It” sheets have been reviewed in June 2007 by a professional Engineer. If you find a problem, please notify G &G Electric & Plumbing at 1900 NE 78th Street, Ste. 101, Vancouver, Washington 98665

TEST PROCEDURES FOR SINGLE ELEMENT120 OR 240 VOLT WATER HEATERS

ANOTHERG & G ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING DISTRIBUTORS, INC.INFORMATION SHEETCOPYRIGHT 1989

30

These “How-To-Do-It” sheets have been reviewed in June 2007 by a professional Engineer. If you find a problem, please notify G &G Electric & Plumbing at 1900 NE 78th Street, Ste. 101, Vancouver, Washington 98665

TESTING PROCEDURE FOR DOUBLE ELEMENT240-VOLT FAST RECOVERY WATER HEATER

ANOTHERG & G ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING DISTRIBUTORS, INC.INFORMATION SHEETCOPYRIGHT 1989

30

These “How-To-Do-It” sheets have been reviewed in June 2007 by a professional Engineer. If you find a problem, please notify G &G Electric & Plumbing at 1900 NE 78th Street, Ste. 101, Vancouver, Washington 98665