How to check hot water heater element. How to check a heating element in a water heater. Switch on the water heater for two hours then run the hot water faucet to see if the water is well heated. Locate the water valve at the bottom of the water heater.
How to determine which water heater element is bad. Turn off the power to the electric hot water heater. Use a digital multimeter to read the water heater element.
Remove the metal cover so you can see the water heaters thermostat. The water heater element has no terminal so you dont have to worry about which one to test first. Some units are wired to plug into a wall socket and power is shut off simply by unplugging them.
How to check heating elements in hot water heaters. Youll see a metal plate near the. All the tests that you will perform will be done with the power turned off.
Turn off the breaker that powers the hot water heater. Attach a garden hose to the emptying valve and turn the valve using a wrench. Place one of the multimeter probes on a screw attached to the face of the element.
Reconnect the circuit to its power source by activating the circuit breaker. You will notice a relief valve near the top of the water heater you can flip the handle up to open it. Remove the two wires connected to the water heater element and push them aside.
Turn off the circuit breaker supplying power to the hot water heater. You can do this by unraveling the loose end of the metal element. The hot water heater must not be active have electrical power while youre testing the.
Place the remaining probe against the metal base attached to the element where it enters the water heater. Determine which of the two heating elements in your water heater could be the problem by turning on the water at the faucet and feeling the. How to troubleshoot a defective thermostat on an electric water heater.
How to test a hot water heater element.