Hot water heater help??

Question

I just replaced my element over an hour ago and i still have no hot water? The reset button is broke so does that mean mabey i need to replace the thermostat also?? I really thought it was the element because when i took it out it was rusty and part of it was even busted open. I have never replaced an element before but i turned the water and electric off before i changed it and i am pretty sure that i put the wires back on right also. I dont know what is wrong????

Answer 1

Brian M, the master plumber apparently never looked at the upper thermostat on a double element water heater. There are, I believe 7 wires attached to it, all color coded though. If the red button in the center is broken then the thermostat is most likely broken and needs to be replaced. The thermostats aren't that expensive, so to be safe you may as well replace both. They are just held in place against the tank by the spring clip that's around the element opening, they just pull out and snap back in, after you've removed the wires. The easiest way to replace the upper thermo with all the wires is to make a drawing of it on a separate piece of paper or cardboard. Draw all the screw heads and mark each one with whatever color wire goes to it. Make sure you've bled all the air out of the top of the tank before re-energizing the elements. They are made to work under water, not in air. They will burn out immediately if they are not immersed when the electric is turned on. Good luck

Answer 2

if the reset button is broken you need a new upper thermostat. I get them at Lowe's usually. There are only 2 connections for the wiring on an element, there is no wrong way. Make a drawing of how the wires are on the thermostat, or mark the wires with masking tape, then remove the old one take it with you match it up and install the new one from the drawing you made. make sure you turn the power off first.

the element being rusty is normal, the busted open part is not, it was bad.


Quoting Corky:
"Brian M, the master plumber apparently never looked at the upper thermostat on a double element water heater. There are, I believe 7 wires attached to it"

re-read what I wrote an ELEMENT has 2 wires, which essentially complete a loop through the element, there is no wrong way to connect the wires to an ELEMENT.

a THERMOSTAT I suggested making a drawing of how the wires were, which would imply that there would be more than a few.

Answer 3

It's time to change the thermostat. The element was bad for sure if it was busted open. If the thermostat is busted you should replace it. If you turned the electric on without the water heater being filled up again you will also have to replace the element you just put in. Never turn on the electricity to a water heater that isn't completly full of water. Change both thermostats. Most water heaters have two. one on the top and one on the bottum. There cheap compared to a new water heater.

Answer 4

If the reset button is broken, then yes it also needs replacing. I suggest you just go to Home Hardware or other place like that and just purchase new hot water heater. In the long run it will be better for you, safer, and easier as well. And hot water will then be in abundance again. Or, you could try to replace the thermostat first to see if that works. If not then.....? If you had put the wires on the wrong way you would know immediately as the sparks would fly everywhere and the breaker in the fuse panel would trip as well.

Answer 5

If you made the mistake of turning the power on before you turned the water back on, you burned out the top element. The bottom element will not come on until the top thermostat is satisfied.

Answer 6

Throw the breaker completely, you did turn the water on again.

Answer 7

A NGIE GO TO HOME DEPOT OR LOWES AND BUY A NEW WATER HEATER. YOU WILL SLEEP BETTER .AND GET SOMEONE TO HELP YOU WHO KNOWS ELECTRICTY SO YOU DONT BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN.