Ask Me Help Desk - Water Heater (State Upright)

Water Heater (State Upright)

I have a problem with the water heater continuously having to be reset after use. The temperature of the water goes cold after someone takes a shower or the washing machine is used. I again reset the water heater by pressing the reset button. This happens continuously. Am I damaging the water heater? Is it going bad? It is only 3 years old. Please advise..

You aren't damaging the heater by hitting the rest but you do have a problem. I can get into several things to try but the easiest is to call the manufacturer since it should still be under warranty after only three years. I think you have one element shorting out on you. Not hard to check or replace but try the warranty route too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by truitt06

I have a problem with the water heater continuously having to be reset after use. The temperature of the water goes cold after someone takes a shower or the washing machine is used. I again reset the water heater by pressing the reset button. This happens continuously. Am I damaging the water heater? Is it going bad? It is only 3 years old. Please advise..

You need to have it looked at asap. As a rule of thumb, if a device trips more than once, there is a fault. It is not uncommon for a protective device to fail which spells bad news.

I agree with both responses above. The tankless w/h's are new technology and not too many plumbers know how to service them. That's mostly because they perform really well. We are still in process of collecting feedbacks on causes of their malfunctions. Contacting manufacturer is your best bet. Please, let us know what was wrong.

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Hi Truitt:

You said you have a State UPRIGHT water heater... right? So not a tankless as Milo is thinking. I am sure he misread post is all.

And Ballenger, the PARTS warranty on any water heater that I know of is only valid for 1 year from date of installation... so thinking warranty is out of the question here.

As mentioned by bad luck chuck.. you have a fault there that will require you to replace the lower or upper thermostat or the upper or lower element!

Check out the pictures below.

The first pic. Is the wiring diagram for most electric water heaters today. YOU should have the double thermostat setup on the left.. so ignore the other two to the right... ok? The other picture is the upper thermostat and the upper element... there is a set up like this under each access panel of the heater (bottom thermostat doesn't have the reset).

Best recommendation is to call in a licensed plumber that knows electrical....fix this up very fast for you... ;)

Otherwise, if you want to do this yourself... we can help, but you need to have BASIC mechanical skills to proceed... ok? You will also need an electrical tester that reads continuity.

First, you would SHUT POWER OFF at the 30 amp, double pole circuit breaker (or fuses) at the electrical panel for the water heater and then TEST that the power into the heater is off from the junction box on top of heater... this is most important step here...ok (see last pic.). Test each wire for power separately (110 volts) as in the pic. Below... want to touch positive lead from electrical tester to individual wire, then other lead to ground screw on heater... then repeat to test the other wire.

Once power confirmed OFF, then want to remove the access panels.

Then want to loosen and remove the wires from the elements (only two to each one).

Then want to set tester to continuity and take a continuity reading at each element. Here, touch both leads to the screws on the element...

If have no continuity at an element then that element will need to be replaced... here, you will need to drain the heater, remove the element, and then get a replacement part.

If elements check out then I would simply have you replace the upper and lower thermostats... no way to really test for faulty/defective thermostats... so just easier to replace them.

All home supply stores carry universal upper and lower thermostats... but if want to go to SEARS (state industries distributer) and get them, that also also work fine!

UPPER and LOWER thermostats are super cheap and super easy to replace. Just don't remove them until you have the replacements in front of you.. then simply exchange wires.. one for one until replaced (again, power must be confirmed OFF)

You can also use the picture at the bottom left to double check that you wired this correctly if you lose your place somehow.

After parts replaced, turn power on and hopefully all set! If you replaced the element, you must FILL the water heater with water before turning power back on!

Let us know what you decide... and let us know if you have any more questions...

Good luck...

MARK

PS: My bet is on the upper thermostat or the upper element!. ;)

Regarding the warranty, its my experience that most heaters have longer warranties on the tank and parts than one year. The exception being low end heaters that only had a 3 years to start with. In any case the home owner has several options. I like making a crabby phone call as the first option before I get the tools out.GE SmartWater: Water Heaters: Warranties and Features

Interesting to hear that Bob...

I only install RUUD and RHEEM water heaters and they only have a 1 year parts warranty in my area... (even with the 6 and 10 year models).

Intersting to see GE has a 3 year... but it is a LIMITED warranty.. Any idea what that means?

Anyway, good information! I will look into this abit more... maybe I should be installing other heaters with better parts warranties!

Thanks... MARK

Quote:

Originally Posted by massplumber2008

PS: My bet is on the upper thermostat or the upper element!!...;)

OK, you are on. I'll take the lower. What's the stakes? How about a can of Boston Baked beans.

Oooops, sorry, I misidentified the heater ! Thanks for noticing MassPlumber2008 ! However, tons of good advices and info's offered in posted responses !

Mark I believe the limited warranty implies the parts are free but not the labor and/or shipping. Not really positive though.

Thanks Bob... sounds reasonable.

I appreciate the heads up on this... will investigate deeper. May be that I need to switch over to Bradford white or similar!

Milo... you will catch me doing same thing once in awhile. Please let me know when you do.. ok?

And Harold... You're on... can of Boston baked beans it is... ;)

Have a good day all!

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You guys know what through Milo off thinking this was a tankless heater don't you? Take a look at the Adsense ad for tankless heaters, they plopped it right on post #1.