Under the plate you ll see the water heater s thermostat and heating elements.
Water heater check upper element.
Check the resistance of the upper heating element using a multimeter.
The element will then turn on or off to keep the water at the right temperature.
When a water heater no longer produces hot water the upper element on a double element water heater.
An electric water heater uses one or two heating elements to heat the water inside the tank.
A good element will have a resistance between 5 and 25 ohms.
To look for faults you will need to use a screwdriver.
Measure the resistance between the two screw terminals on the upper heating element.
A designated thermostat controls each element.
Remove the metal cover so you can see the water heater s thermostat.
If it isn t the upper thermostat is not sending power to the lower one.
The access panels are on the side of the electric hot water.
If you want to test a thermostat on an electric water heater you will also need to check the heating element.
Remove the upper and the lower access panels with a phillips screwdriver.
The thermostat is a commonly replaced part fo.
You will also need to check the water heater thermostat with digital multimeter tools.
Turn the water heater circuit breaker off inside the main service panel.
In most cases 120 to 125 degrees fahrenheit is a safe and comfortable temperature.
This video demonstrates how to test a thermostat on a water heater.
This is important especially as open and grounded heating elements result in inaccurate tests.
The reading should be between 110 and 120 volts.
If the water starts off cold it could be the upper element but if it starts off warm and turns cold it could be the lower element.
Determine which of the two heating elements in your water heater could be the problem by turning on the water at the faucet and feeling the temperature of the water.
Select below whether the element was in or out of range.
Touch one meter lead to the top screw and the other lead to the metal body of the water heater.
Remove the rectangular shaped cover plate running up the front of the heater to get access the hot water heater s thermostats thermal overloads and the upper and lower water heating elements.
Replace the upper thermostat.
You set the water temperature by adjusting the thermostat.
How to test an electric hot water heater thermostat.