Water heater problem again again

old · Jul 11, 2010

Well replaced the lower element about a week or so ago. Well today it is bad again and yep checks as an open on the ohm meter. So I guess maybe it is time for a new thermostat and new element. Is I thinking right or do I have other problems??
Thanks
One good thing is the tank has almost no lime in it any more LOL

Janicholson · Jul 11, 2010

Well In my opinion, unless it is operating on more than 140 volts, or operating with no water over it, it is the fault of the element. The lower thermostat should not cause it to burn out, it should boil water all day and night (lets hope not, but it should do it if the thermostat was bad.) I think a different manufacturer is in order.
If it did heat too much, the top controller would pop the over heat button, or the discharge safety valve would blow if all else failed. If it gave good heat for several days, then quit, it might be just a bad batch from a bad manufacturer.
Do check the operating voltage across the screws when the new one is in the tank. If a number was misplaced on the part given to you it could be a 120 volt unit running o 220. That would make it work about a week. Jim

old · Jul 11, 2010

Have not checked voltage when I put a new one in. Today when I saw I had very little hot water I checked voltage across it and got 240 volts which told me it was bad again and then turned it off and took one wire off and got that ohm reading. But yes I see your point and maybe just a batch of bad ones new in the package but this is getting very old. Also seems to happen on a day when I can not go get a new one or take the old one back since it has a year warranty on it. This is the 2nd or 3rd one in less then 2 months and it is getting old

Janicholson · Jul 11, 2010

It should have 240 across it both when it is on and good, and on and bad. The open (no resistance) reading is the key to a bad element. Best of luck.
Jim

old · Jul 11, 2010

One good thing is I have almost no lime in it any more. Sure wish the china stuff gets as good as the Japan stuff has. I still remember years ago when stuff form Japan was not all that good then in a few years the stuff from Japan got real good. Just hope the China stuff does. I figure this time I'll take this element back and get a free one then take the other one I take out back and get another one and hang it on the wall so if it goes again it is a simple drain and install and have hot water again.

Gary from Muleshoe · Jul 11, 2010

Old
I would try this and maybe I am way off track. But pull the top one out and put it on the bottom. Then put the new one in the top. I did that once and the problem went away. At least it lasted longer than six months. I thought one time that I had got all the lime build up out, but it turned out it was still built up around the element.

Did you clean the lime out with a shop vac or just by draining it? I use PVC or copper tubing on a shop vac and I get nearly every bit of it out. Takes a while but much cheaper than a new water heater.

Cas · Jul 11, 2010

to Old,
Japan was a different situation in a different time. I swear the Chinese junk is part of the bigger plan to defeat this country without firing a shot. Rich try to have a good day it will only get worse.

DaveK(IN) · Jul 11, 2010

Gary from Muleshoe (Where is that?) suggestion to vacuum it out with a shop vac and fabricated wand is a good one and works well. The PVC is a better idea. I have made mine out of EMT and worried about scratching the glass. I will switch.

If you take both elements out and shine a flashlight through the top hole you can see pretty well if you are getting all the limestone and crud.

GordoSD · Jul 11, 2010

Two words. Navy SHower.

Gordo

MN Scott · Jul 11, 2010

In a few years we won't have to worry about tank type water heaters anymore. In the latest newsletter from our power coop they had an article on all the change from the Obungal administration. Part of new regulations issued by the Energy Department is to outlaw sales of new tank type water heaters as they claim they waste to much energy. Didn't state when regulations go into effect but I would assume after 2012.

Crem · Jul 11, 2010

Scott, I read that article from the power company. I have an 80 gallon heater and heat it at an off peak rate which I thought helped out the power company and my electric bill. It seems like the guys making the rules don't have much common sense.
Old, if you can get a clamp-on ammeter it really helps out on the trouble shooting. If you have voltage across the element and put the clamp-on around one of the element wires you can get a good indication of what is going on. An ohmmeter can give some goofy readings depending on the condition of the element. Of course you said that you have an open in your element so that pretty much means that it is shot.

old · Jul 11, 2010

Did the shop vac thing 2 or 3 weeks ago and use a pipe from an old swing set which worked well for 2 reasons. One you could push it in hard and that in turn would brake up the lime and #2 it did not give if you hit any thing hard

old · Jul 11, 2010

Ya I was thinking about maybe taking the top one and moving it to the lower hole and then taking the new one and putting it up top. I know at this point it sure could not hurt but then maybe it may not help either. Or maybe I need to go back the the 55 gal. barrel painted black on a stand in the yard for my showers and the pot on the stove for washing dishes. LOL Yep BTDT years ago

JDseller · Jul 11, 2010

old: If you are getting the elements at the big box stores, Lowe's or Home-depot. They are made to be the cheapest bid. You should try a local plumber that has them from a US maker.
I found this out on a Delta kitchen facet. When we add on to the house I did most of the plumbing work. I ordered the supplies from a local plumber. When I went to get a kitchen facet he had a Delta one. I took it home and happen to look at the bill before installing it. It was almost $150 for that facet. I needed some lumber, that I will get at the big box places. I stopped and got a Delta facet from them, $75. When I got it home I compared the two. They had almost the same model number. The only difference was the big box one had some letters after the model number on it. The big difference was in the thickness of the metal in the facet. The local supplied one weighted one pound heavier. I checked them over close and the one from the big box place was just about tin when compared to the other one. I returned the big box one and never looked back.
Graingers has them and they are Emerson brand.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/water-heater-elements/water-heaters/plumbing/ecatalog/N-adx?op=search

old · Jul 11, 2010

Been getting them from the local hardware store which up till now has always been good but who knows now days you buy things and cross your finger that it is good/ Oh well I didn't want to take a hot bath tonight anyhow

Gary from Muleshoe · Jul 12, 2010

I am in the TX Panhandle.

showcrop · Jul 12, 2010

Old, Did you see my post before about low watt density elements?

old · Jul 12, 2010

Yes but my problem is there in only one place in town that has the right size element as in a 3800 watt one so I'm pretty much stuck buying from them or have to do with out hot water.

tjdub · Jul 13, 2010

This element business isn't much of a problem with my water heater. By the time the lower one goes out it's because that tank is that full of lime.

For the last year I've been running on just the top one. I tried to take the bad element out, but nothing on God's green earth is going to turn that sucker out.

It's easier to just buy a new water heater every 20 years. The only trouble is the old one is hard to carry out of the basement with 200lbs of lime in it.

tjdub · Jul 13, 2010

> I'm pretty much stuck buying from them or have to do with out hot water.

Can't you just crank up the temp on the top element and disconnect the lower one? That's what I do, but I guess you probably need kind of larger tank to make it work. Yours is of the smaller variety, right?

old · Jul 13, 2010

This one is les then 10 years old and is still under warranty to boot so that is not an option sort of unless Maytag will replace it for free that is. LOL. As for the lime it has almost none in it but that is because I cleaned 90% or more of it out

old · Jul 13, 2010

This is a 50 gal unit and the top element will only heat the top 1/4 of the water which leads to little or no real amount of hot water. As in you run out of hot water in less then 5 minutes

Water heater problem again again

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