Will the water heater work with this change of element wattage?This is for the upper element since the lower element is not working.

Original requirements for this water heater:
Upper element: 4500w, 240v
Lower element: 3500w, 240v

Thank you,
RB

Will the water heater work with this change of element wattage?This is for the upper element since the lower element is not working.

Original requirements for this water heater:
Upper element: 4500w, 240v
Lower element: 3500w, 240v

Thank you,
RB

Yes! You may lower the wattage. It just won't heat up as much as a 4500 watt element. Why would you wish to do this?
BUT WAIT!
You have a bigger problem, You said.
This is for the upper element since the lower element is not working. This is the most impotent and hard working element in your heater. Without it you'll get very little hot water. My advice? Replace both elements with 4500 watt elements. Good luck, Tom

Yes! You may lower the wattage. It just won't heat up as much as a 4500 watt element. Why would you wish to do this?
BUT WAIT!!
You have a bigger problem, You said. This is the most impotent and hard working element in your heater. Without it you'll get very little hot water. My advice? Replace both elements with 4500 watt elements. Good luck, Tom
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Thank you for your advice Tom..

The other problem that I have is that I cannot remove the lower element ( too much rust, sediment.?. ) I tried to unscrew it with a 1.5" socket, a wrench, etc.. but to no avail...
Thus, I was hoping to work the heater with just one top-element
(will try with a 4500w instead of the 3500w-element that I have…)

Hope for the best.. (ahh, those cold showers!! )

RB

Let me tell you what will happen. You step in the shower and turn on the hot water. As soon as you open the valve cold water enters the water heater where it's directed to the bottom via the dip tube. Now normally the bottom element would heat the cold water and it would raise to the top where the heat would be maintained by the upper element.
But you don't have a bottom element so as you exhaust the small amount of hot water on top it will be replaced by cold water as you will be drawing it out faster then the top element can catch up.
Unless you dig cold showers I strongly advise you to lube the threads with WD-40 and take a impact wrench and replace the element.
Your only other option would be to replace the heater . Good luck, Tom