How to Repair Your Water Heater
Most of the conventional water heaters these days are electric. Therefore, this article will be focused on electric water heater repair. This repair guide is related to hot water heaters that no longer heat up as fast as they used to, water heaters that run out of hot water faster than it used to, and even hot water heaters that no longer heat water at all.
With the information gathered from water heater maintenance and water heater repair services carried out by our company, it is established that 90% of the time, replacing one or both of the heating elements in your hot water heater will solve your water heating problem. However, if your water heater is already 10 to 15 years old, then you should consider replacing the hot water heater rather than repairing it.
However, before you decide to change your heating elements, you need to first check that your circuit breaker is not tripped off. Also, you should try resetting the high-temperature cut off usually found above the upper thermostat of your hot water heater as this might solve the problem of your water not heating up at all. However, if you find that your cut-off is tripped, it might mean that there is an electrical problem in the first place. This is when you need to test your heating elements.
Testing your heating elements
Before attempting to check your hot water heating elements, you need to make sure that the power is turned off. Find the circuit breaker in your main electrical panel labeled as the water heater and switch it off.
Remove the metal covers protecting the thermostats and heating elements. You can make sure there is no power in your water heater by testing it with a non-contact voltage detector.
In most of the conventional water heaters found in most homes, there are usually two heating elements used for heating water. One can be found near the top of the tank, while the other might be found near the bottom of the tank. The two elements are usually controlled by two separate thermostats because they are usually not on at the same time.
With the use of a continuity tester, which is used to test if a circuit is complete, test for continuity in both elements. After removing the two metal covers, the plastic and insulation cover on the side of your water heater, you can then connect the alligator clip to one end of the element terminal and the second clip to the second terminal end. A burned-out element will not light up the bulb or test positive for continuity.
Changing a burned-out element
Make sure you drain out all the water in your water heater tank and unscrew the bad element with the use of a wrench. Then go on to install the new elements using your wrench to tighten it, after which you can go on to connect the wires. Close the valve that controls the drain passage and fill your heater tank back with water. Switch on the circuit breaker and check to see if your water now heats up.
If you are not comfortable with carrying out your own water heater repair, you can make use of our Emergency water heater repair service. Also, we deliver same-day water heater repair services to make sure that you do not lack hot water in your home.