Maintaining Electric Water Heaters Medford MA

The following applies to electric water heaters only. The heating elements in an electric water heater are susceptible to sediment buildup, burnout and sudden failure. Learn how to clean and inspect the heating elements in your electric water heater.

1. Most electric water heaters will have two heating elements: one in the upper half of the water heater and one in the lower half. These two horizontal elements look similar to the metal grill pieces on older electric stovetops. As the name implies, the heating elements literally heat the water in the water heater. The elements are attached into compartments on the side of the tank. The compartments are behind panels with screws holding the panel in place. Elements can either be high-watt or low-watt. High-watt elements are smaller and burn hotter while the lower-watt has about twice as much surface area, but it will not be nearly as hot as a high-watt element. The lower element does most of the work with the upper element running only when there is a large amount of new cold water inside the water heater. Both elements rarely come on at the same time.
2. Thermostats on water heaters usually work for several years without any problems. You will find a thermostat attached to the heating element compartment on the side of the water heater for the lower heating element; the upper element usually does not have a thermostat. The upper element is preset for 120 F and will automatically shut off if it ever reaches 190 F to prevent the circuit from overheating (see How To Operate Electric and Gas Water Heater Temperature Controls). If this happens, there is a red reset button near the bottom heating element compartment....

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Author: John Haynes