I have a 60gal Giant brand electric water heater. It's the 2nd time in approx. 2 years (since we moved into the house) that there is not hot water left in the tank.

I turn off the circuit breaker and then turn it back on and the water starts to heat again.

The circuit breaker did not 'pop'!

Is this possible or am I missing something?

The water heater was manufactured & installed approx. June 2003.

Thanks for your help.
RC.

After 6 years it sounds like the element is going. If you live in an area with hard water then you've gotten more than ample life out of this heater unit. The unit is trying to tell you something when it keeps tripping the breaker. I'd have it tested and more than likely you need a new element(s) in this unit. Better to change them out now when they are going bad at your convenience, then wake up one day and the circuit breaker trick won't work! I had a water tank crack and leak and it was only 6 years old as well. Some folks here where I live go through water heaters every 3-4 years due to the hard water deposits in the water.

After 6 years it sounds like the element is going. If you live in an area with hard water then you've gotten more than ample life out of this heater unit. The unit is trying to tell you something when it keeps tripping the breaker. I'd have it tested and more than likely you need a new element(s) in this unit. Better to change them out now when they are going bad at your convenience, then wake up one day and the circuit breaker trick won't work!! I had a water tank crack and leak and it was only 6 years old as well. Some folks here where I live go thru water heaters every 3-4 years due to the hard water deposits in the water.

From your experience, is the Circuit Breaker actually tripping? The breaker did not "pop", it didn't move to the side the way that a circuit breaker normally does? That's why I'm confused about what the problem actually is... if the bottom element is broken and we take a shower and do the laundry there may not be any hot water left... correct?

Thanks so much for your help. It's very much appreciated.
RC.

What you are doing is actually resetting the hot water heater with tripping the circuit breaker manually. Basically turning the hot water heater off and on again. That's why I think it's your element.

Or it could be one of the following possibilities:

1. Heater disconnect switch off
2. Fuse blown or circuit breaker tripped.
3. High limit temperature cutoff faulty.
4. Thermostat faulty.
5. Element faulty.

It can't be anything other than those 5 possibilities as a hot water heater really does not have many parts to go bad.