My water heater seemed to be running out of hot water sooner that normal. Since the elements have never been replaced [7 yrs], I thought this might be the problem. So I shut off the power, cut off the water supply to the heater and shut off the valve from the heater to the house. I connected a hose the drain, opened the drain valve and opened the pressure valve. After the tank drained, I opened the water supply to allow more water to enter the tank in order to flush the unit. After doing this, I replaced both elements, top first. After replaceing the elements, I turned the water on to check for leaks and once verifying no leaks, I turned the power back on. After 2-3 hours, I had no hot water. I rechecked the breaker and made certain that the reset wasn't tripped. I've checked for power from L1 and L2 down to the lower element and its present at every point. I shut power back off and removed the element wires, I then checked across both screws on each element. The top element read resistance while the lower one had a complete short. So why don't I have hot water?

I'm a bit confused with the "The top element read resistance while the lower one had a complete short". Nevertheless, have you checked the thermostat?

I am not an electrician - but - as far as I understand electrical: if an element is shorted, it probably will not heat.

Your bottom element will not have power to it until the top element is satisfied, then the top thermostat will shut power off to top and send power to bottom element, providing your thermostats are working properly , check proper power to thermostats...

Hi all:

Rare for a new element to be defective... so I'm thinking that the thermostat may be defective. Are you sure you are testing properly... the bottom thermostat/element should not have power in the beginning..? Last question... did you hit the RESET button on the top thermostat? If this is tripped then the top thermostat needs to be replaced.

This all needs to be tested one step at a time.

I usually start by shutting power off at the breaker or fuse, and then I remove the wires from the elements and test each element for CONTINUITY. If you do not have continuity to the element then it is defective (that will not be the case here, but can't hurt to do this step). If elements are fine, re-attach wires and turn power back on.

Now, test for power to the top thermostat and the top element... you should have power here first. As Drumerboy33 stated, "your bottom element will not have power to it untill the top element is satisfied, then the top thermostat will shut power off to top and send power to bottom element". If power is present at the top element and the top thermostat then things are working as they should be. If not, then the top thermostat is gone.

Finally, if all this checks out to this point then the lower thermostat is dead. It must be as the process of elimination only leaves this as the issue. Easy to switch these out and easy to find at any local home supply store.

I attached a picture of this (left pic. Is for you) so you can check wiring is all right.

Let us know what you think here...

MARK

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From my experience: Usually, the problem is that some HomeOwners install new elements and either flip the breaker ON before the heater is filled or before they bleed air out of it. What happens is that upper element burns out as result of not being submerge in water taking the bottom element out of action in the process.

Thanks for responding. Here's what I found based upon your directions.
Upper Element: [on x1 scale] 40ohms
Lower Element: complete short

With power turned on @ C/Bkr
Upper Thermo: power in check, power across thermo check, power to upper element
Lower Thermo: NO power at thermo nor across lower element

John

Can you take a continuity test WITHOUT wires on the elements??

That's the way I did it. I took both wires off each element before reading

With a continuity test you either get a ZERO reading (meaning element is fine) or you get no reading at all (element is bad). Here, when you touch probes you should get a zero reading , meaning that the loop is continuous. This applies to the elements as well. If touch probes to element and get a zero reading then element is fine, if not there is an interruption in continuty and element needs to be replaced... ;)

Let me know...

If you want to talk ohms you need to post this at electrical.

The reading @ the upper was almost like a capacitor in that when I attached the leads, the meter swung toward short but stopped and slowly moved back toward open and settled at the ohm reading I saw

I don't work with ohms...

Post this at electrical if you cannot take a continuity test... ;)

Thanks appreciate your help though this. I think I might have powered up before the tank was full causing the upper to burn out.

Really thanks

John

Milo suggested this at post #6... sounds reasonable... if you started the electricity without tank full then element gone for sure.

Quick fix all in all!

Pop over to electric if you have more issues. A few knowledgeable people over there for sure... :)

MARK

Am going to drain the tank again, remove the element, and recheck it. One other question, when I depress the reset, it doesn't catch. Could this be that the element is bad?

If the red reset button does not click into place then it usually means that the THERMOSTAT is fine.

Good luck!

Upper Element: 40ohms
Lower Element: complete short

This web site, Rheem 81V52D Water Heater FOR 220 Volts - 220 Volts Water Heaters - Best Price Buy Now - GandhiAppliances.com - $454.99 : Gandhi Appliances, Online store for all your 110, 200V electronic needs and Unlocked GSM Cell Phones, says that it has a 4.5KW element at 240 volts. Using Ohm's law, that means that each element should have a resistance of roghly 12.8 ohms (or 11.8 ohms if the calculations were done at 220 volts)

40 ohms would only produce 1440 watts of power (at 240 volts).

The complete short doesn't seem right, but neither does the 40 ohms. In fact, 0 is closer to 12 than 40 is.

I'm not sure what to tell you.

Thanks guys. Wife just finished washing clothes [thankfully she only uses cold water], so I can drain the tank and start all over. If any more questions will reconnect

Thanks - John

Hey Guys thanks to all that helped with the waterheater situation. I drained the tank down just past the upper element. When I removed the element, I found that the element had only about 3 inches of metal remaining. SO yes I turned on power way before the water filled the tank. The element has now been replaced, the tank filled and I have hot water.

Thanks again - John

PS Three elements, 1 element socket -- Still cheaper than a plumber and I won't have to wait until Monday.

To clarify for anyone who might try to use this post in the future as I have today:
When checking for continuity you are checking that the circuit is closed (a shorted circuit is a closed circuit but before it reaches some comment that it needs to reach thus not allowing the current to reach the component)
And element is a closed circuit what you are looking for in this instance is an open circuit to determine it is defective. So when you measure resistance you are looking for an overload or infinity symbol meaning it has an infinite amount of resistance since the circuit is open if you are read a resistance then the circuit is closed which you want in this case.
P.S. If you have not drained the water heater before you test the element even though it is open the water will complete the circuit giving you a resistance reading however it will be a low one comparably since water causes very little resistance to electricity, so make sure you drain it completely before you read.