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    lwoodhams's Avatar
    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Apr 20, 2010, 03:56 AM
    I have a whirlpool electric water heater that doesn't work. How do I change elements?
    I have a whirlpool electric water heater that doesn't work. How do I change elements? Do I have to drain the unit first? Is there any other reason why it would not work? The breaker box is not tripped. Thank you.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
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    #2

    Apr 20, 2010, 04:59 AM
    Hi lwoodhams:

    I suspect the issue will be with thermostats... not the elements. Let's find out...

    Did you remove the upper access panel at the front of the water heater? If not, open up the front access panel and remove the insulation and the plastic guard plate. The wires are live in this area so do not touch any wires!! Here, you'll see an upper thermostat like in my picture below. You'll see a red button (circled in RED in the image)... carefully, push this button in... did it make a click sound? If so, then you will have a tank full of hot water soon... :)

    That being said, the thermostat tripped as a result of excessive temperature and will need to be replaced sooner than later. Go to a home supply store and pick up an upper and a lower UNIVERSAL THERMOSTAT (220 volt) so that the next time the thermostat trips you can be ready to replace both the upper and the lower thermostats. You'll need to replace both as it is hard to tell which thermostat is causing the upper thermostat to trip... OK? These universal themostats are cheap... like $8.00 each, so be sure to replace both.

    To replace both thermostats you'll need an electrical tester and you'll need to confirm it works and you know how to use it to fix this. To confirm it works test it on a working 110 volt receptacle. After you have confirmed the tester works, cut the power at the electrical panel and then confirm p[ower is out at the junction box at the top of the water heater. Here, after power is off, remove the junction box cover and remove the wire nuts from the wires. Touch one electrical tester probe to one wire and the other electrical tester probe to the ground screw at the heater (see 2nd image)... should be no power. Do this to the other wire as well... again, no power should be present. Then you'll simply swap out one thermostat at a time. For a first timer on this repair I recommend that you draw a diagram of the wiring so you can be sure you hook all back up correctly. Repeat for the 2nd thermostat. I attached a wiring diagram just in case you need it... see last image. Your setup will be like the double thermostat setup on the left of the diagram.

    If the thermostats are not defective, pop back and let us know and we'll chat about removing the elements... as you suspected, you will need to drain the heater to below the elements.

    Let us know if you have more questions here...

    Mark
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    lwoodhams's Avatar
    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Apr 20, 2010, 05:12 PM

    Okay I'll try changing the thermostats first, rather than the elements. I have to learn how to use an electrical tester so I will need to buy one also. I already did try the reset button but it didn't work. Thanks, I am grateful for people of experience like yourself willing to help greenhorns like myself! -Larry
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
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    #4

    Apr 21, 2010, 04:45 AM
    Hi Larry:

    Hold on now... ;) Let's start back at the basics here... OK? How many heating elements in your heater? Most residential water heaters have two heating elements so you will usually get some hot water if the bottom element is out. If the top element is out you may not get any hot water. Do you get any hot water at all?

    Do you have power going into the top of the water heater at the junction box? Remember to use one probe on one wire and the other probe touches the ground screw (see above post). If no power then the breaker or fuse at the electrical panel could be the culprit.

    Get an electrical tester that tests for voltage AND for continuity and test for power first. Then, if power present, read up on how your tester tests for coninuity.

    To test for continuity at the elements you'll need to shut off the power going to the heater (at electrical panel) and then you'll confirm no power to the heater (up at the junction box on top of the heater (again, read how to do that above) and then you'll disconnect the two wires from each of the elements (start a the top element if no hot water at all). Set the electrical tester to CONTNUITY and then touch a probe to each screw head on one of the elements. If you get a continuity reading across the element then the element is good. If you don't get a continuity reading across the element then the element is bad and will need to be replaced. Repeat for the other element.

    Once you find the defective element, you'll need to keep the power shut off and get a replacement element and an ELEMENT WRENCH ($8.00 at home depot) at a home supply store. Use the element wrench and loosen/remove the element in question. Replace with the replacement element and be sure to remove the old rubber seal and use the new rubber seal and tighten all up. Reconnect the wires to the elements and then fill the heater with water being sure to purge all air through a hot water line before restoring power to the unit. That's how it's done... let me know if you have more questions...

    Mark
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    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Apr 25, 2010, 06:56 PM

    I am far from Lowe's so I went there and got it all: tester, elements and thermostats. They were cheap enough and I thought I might just change the thermostats first and see if that cures my no hot water problem. When I got home I saw that the upper thermostat sold to me has only 6 screws, and the original had seven. The one missing was used for a wire on the other one. I called Lowe's, but they said they have only this kind of thermostat. I see online where I can get some like the original but that will take days. Any chance I can use the Lowe's ones? I'm guessing NO.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
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    #6

    Apr 26, 2010, 04:22 AM
    Hi again...

    Looks like you picked up a thermostat for a single element water heater. You could hook it up (wire for single element), but it wouldn't really solve your problem as it would only heat part of the tank anyway so you're best not to even mess with it as it is a 240 volt electrical system... OK?

    Did you do any of the electrical tests yet? I'd recommend that you test the top element for continuity as I presented above at post #4... could very well be the upper element and you don't even need the thermostat. By the way, since the reset button didn't reset I don't think it is the thermostat... ;)

    Check the top element (check both of course)... be careful of the electricity and finally, if you aren't comfortable with electricity call a friend that is comfortable or you can certainly call an electrician/plumber in on this... SAFETY FIRST!

    Mark
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    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    May 8, 2010, 07:02 PM

    I put in the new thermostats and the heating elements. The top element has 240 volts and works. The bottom one has only 120 volts coming in and none coming out. I put vinegar in the tank, 4 gallons in empty tank to get rid of the lime the bottom element was sitting in. The vinegar may have injured the new bottom element? But this does not explain why the voltage is only half to the bottom element.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #8

    May 8, 2010, 10:18 PM

    ..
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    lwoodhams's Avatar
    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    May 9, 2010, 06:57 AM

    I'm really green, so please make it simple for me :-)

    You didn't mention why I have 240 volts at the heating element on top. The elements say they are capable of 240 so I assume that is okay. Shouldn't the bottom have 240 also?
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #10

    May 9, 2010, 09:07 AM

    It all depends on how you check voltage. Apparently you need a little more basic information about electricity and voltage.
    You have 120 volts coming in each wire from the electric panel. However, that is 120 volts to ground. Alternating current goes from 0 to 120 volts positive voltage, drops back to 0 volts, then goes to 120 volts negative voltage then back to 0 volts. That is one cycle. Think of voltage as the pressure pushing the current through the resistor. The resistor being the heating element.
    There is always some kind of resistor in an electrical circuit.
    In a light bulb the filament is the resistor. The filament made such that 120 volts will push enough current through it to make it glow. The resistance in the filament creates heat, the filament gets hot and glows. The path of the current is from the source through the filament to the neutral. For this discussion you can think of the neutral as ground. 240 volts would push too much current through the filament and the filament would burn up.

    The amount of resistance in a resistor depends on material it is made of and its size.The light bulb filament is a very fine wire with just enough resistance to get hot and give off light at 120 volts. The water heater element is designed to generate and dispense heat. Therefore, it is a larger wire with greater resistance. It requires more voltage to push the required amount of current through element and generate the required heat.

    You have two 120 volt wires from the circuit panel. That is 120 volts to ground. How do you get 240 volts? The current on the two wires is in opposite halves of the cycle. When one wire is positive the other is negative. When voltage is measured to ground the reading on each will be 120V. When measured between the two wires (not connected) it will be 240V. You could think of it as a push/pull operation. If you are in front of the wagon pulling at 120 lbs of force and I am behind the wagon pushing at 120 lbs. together we exert 240 lbs of force on the wagon.

    Back to the water heater. Notice that terminals 3 (red wire) and 4 (black and red wires) are connect together. These terminals serve only as a means of connecting the incoming red, the black wire to the top element and the red wire to the bottom element together. Therefore, you will always have 120V to ground on these wires. That is, 120 volts to ground available (meaning it's there when you need it). However, the elements are not grounded so no current passes.

    Now to the incoming black circuit. When the top thermostat is not satisfied there is a connection between terminals 1 and 2. Current passes to the top heating element. Because the other side of the heating element is connected to the red circuit which is in the opposite half of the cycle, current passes through the element. One circuit is pushing at 120V and the other is pulling at 120V for a total of 240 volts of pressure. That 240 volts passes enough current through the element to cause the element to get hot.

    When the top thermostat is satisfied, the connection between terminals 1 and 2 is broken and the connection between terminals 1 and 4 is made. That makes the voltage on the red circuit available to the bottom thermostat. If the bottom thermostat is not satisfied the current is passed to the bottom element. Then, and only then, will you get a reading of 240 volts between a terminal of the bottom element and ground. Until the top thermostat is satisfied, you will get a 120V reading to ground because the red circuit is always hot and the black circuit is not connected.

    When you take a voltage reading you are measuring the difference in voltages. Think of the heating element as an extension of the red circuit. Testing the bottom element terminals for voltage, with the top thermostat not satisfied, is just like testing two points on the same wire for a voltage difference. Because the two points will always have the same voltage, the reading or difference in voltage will always be zero.

    This is probably more than you ever wanted to know but I hope it has helped some.

    To answer your question simply, you are getting 120V at the bottom elements because you are measuring the voltage to ground and only one leg of the circuit is available. If you test for voltage after the top thermostat is satisfied the voltage will be 240V.

    By now the water should be hot anyway.
    lwoodhams's Avatar
    lwoodhams Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #11

    May 9, 2010, 09:32 AM

    Thanks. That clears things up and I know it is going to work. The water is getting hot right now. By the way I basically put the elements in only hand tight with the socket. I didn't want to torque the rubber washer and distort it. Is that the right way? Didn't use dope tape either. No leaks so far, but it is not really all the way hot yet.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #12

    May 9, 2010, 03:08 PM

    I think I would make the elements more than hand tight. Assuming you are using the element socket wrench, put a #2 Phillips screwdriver through the holes and tighten as much as possible. At least one good grunt.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
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    #13

    May 10, 2010, 06:05 AM
    Nice Job Harold!
    jimi1216's Avatar
    jimi1216 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #14

    Nov 10, 2011, 07:08 PM
    hkstroud... you rock.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
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    #15

    Nov 10, 2011, 07:23 PM
    Yes... yes he does! :)

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