Elec water heater element replacement

[harvey lee]

I have a burned out top water heater element in our place in North dakota.

It is a 52 A O Smith gallon elec model. I purchased a new top element for it and borrowed a wrench to take the old one out and put the new in.

It this a tough job or pretty easy and fast.

I know I will have to turn the power off the to water heater, drain the water heater and then remove the element and put the new one in. Yes, I will fill the water heater before I turn the power back on.

Any hard parts to doing this or any possible issue I could run into?

Thanks for any help.

[pushbutton]

Been putting this off as well and going to piggy back on your party. Tom, how did you know it was the top element? Also, is this a special wrench?

[harvey lee]

I talked to a plumber and here is what he told me.

I explained to the fellow that I had a very little heat in the water.

He explained to me that the top element heats the water and the bottom element maintains the heated water if that makes sense. So, since I had a small amount of heat, he said he was sure that my top element was burned out.

The reason I believe it burned out is when I leave there for home, I drain the water lines and the hot water heater and turn the power off to the hot water heater to save some on the electric bill.

When I return, I fill the water heater and then open a hot water faucet to make sure i have all the air out the the hot water heater and the thing is full of water. My last trip up last weekend, I got in a hurry and turned the juice on to the water heater after I filled it back up but did not make sure there was no air in the system and there was so I did not have the water heater plumb full of water and burned out the top element.

I will not be in that big of a hurry again.

The element was only $26 so that was not a big deal. The plumbers use a special socket for removing the element from the tank. Really just looks like a huge socket about 5" long.

Looking at the directions on the element, it looks to be a pretty simple job to replace it. Turn off the power to the water heater, drain the water, then remove wires and remove the element. After replacing the element, refill the water heater, open hot water valve to remove any air from the system and then check for leaks where the new element went in to make sure it is sealed all up. if all is well, turn the power on and enjoy the hot water.

It could also be the T stat but the local plumber believed almost for sure it is the element.

Pushbutton, here is a link to elec water heater repair I was sent from another FMer.

http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-an-Electric-Water-Heater

[BobT]

The directions are accurate and I would agree with your plumber's assessment. Those heating elements need the water as a heat sink. Since you didn't bleed out the air in the system the water heater tank was probably only a liitle over half full of water or maybe 3/4 full. At any rate, the heating element was exposed to air in the tank rather than being submerged in water. Air won't dissipate the heat fast enough and so the element overheated and burned out.

[harvey lee]

Glad to hear another believe this is my issue.

Thanks BobT.

[fishwidow]

I did this for a neighbor a few years ago. It was my first time, and it was really pretty easy. For what it's worth, I hate plumbing and usually run into leaks that need to be redone, but this was a surprisingly quick and easy task.

[BobT]

You could test the heater, Harv, if you have a ohm meter around. Just turn off the power, disconnect at lest one of the wires on the heater itself and check continuity of the heater. If it's bad it will be an open circuit (infinite or maximum resistance). If your ohm meter shows a very low resistance then the heater is probably okay.

[harvey lee]

I thought of that Bob. I already purchased the element and I am going to replace it as from my research, I truely believe the element is the issue due to the air in the tank and the element not being submerged in water when I put the breaker on.

If the element is not it, then I will have to test t-stats and the rest to find the issue.

I guess I put the cart b-4 the horse by not checking everything to see what was wrong for sure, espically when I am not a plumber. Hoping lady luck is on my side.

I will report back as to the end result next week as I am going back there Thursday.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[BobT]

Nothing wrong with ending up with a spare element too.

[WallEYES]

Harvey

I would replace both elements top and bottom to be done with it. They should both be 4500 watt elements and pretty easy to change out with a socket...The only snag you may run into is the element is seized up when trying to remove..I have replaced many by taking a hammer and chisel and hitting the element on one of the hex corners to free it up then use the socket to remove....have fun

[Scott M]

I would do top and bottom as well. If they are old, I don't know what your water is like in NoDak, but our water in northern Minnesota is really iron rich and the heating elements can get weakened over time. Better to have them replaced at the same time.

I've made the same mistake with the water before Tom. Start up and shut down procedures are like holy doctrine for us now.

[Dave]

I'll be putting in an electric water heater in my cabin soon so, this is good information to know, guys. Thanks!

[harvey lee]

We have pretty good water. We also have an iron filter with the water softner. May not need the iron filter but the water is excellent with it in use.

Not a bad idea to replace the other or bottom element as long as I am at it.

Thanks for the tip on using the hammer and chiesel if needed. I was a bit concerned that it could be a bit stuck.

The water heater is like 5 years old so I do not expect a issue but one never knows.

[Tom7227]

Don't forget to have whatever you're going to need to seal the threads or whatever is appropriate. Long trip to a store to buy a roll of teflon tape or whatever.

[topcat3820]

A buddy of mine just did his last weekend & decided to record his experience to "help" anyone else who tries it themselves ...

"OK, 5 year old water heater..........should not be an issue. Notice in shower...a few minutes of hot....then cools off...........OK, probably just an element. No issue, changed lots over the years. Go to buds store...........discuss, yup, just more than likely the bottom element. Just run a test with the multi-meter, make sure no water at element level, will get a false reading........hey, no issue, used a multi-meter lots, changed lots of elements over the years...know what I am doing.

1) Turn off power........good idea........did that lots over the years.........no issue.

2) Turn off water to tank..........OK, there is a valve....turn off...no issue did same last time, did lots over the years and also open valves upstairs... yup, got it... good to go.

3) Connect drain hose and stretch it out to reach drain.....good plan.......open drain cock on tank

4) Wife goes to "Zumba".............now this is were things go for a s&%#!!!

5) Water draining OK, but slow..........take time to clean muzzle loader.........not that it did anything spectacular this year .

6) Put cleaning stuff away and figure it should be good now as water has been slow but pretty much stopped. Yup, no issues, just like last time.

7) Look at element and disconnect wire to both and use multi-meter as I have done this before.

8) WTH??? Both test good............stupid meter . Also notice special tool needed as I remember doing this before. Call bud, who is still at store at 6:30 pm according to his wife, and she gives me his cell. If someone called here and I was down.....who cares wife is at "Zumba".

9) Go to store, get special tool.......not a twin of me , an actual tool. Also picked up another element, just in case . May as well do both while I'm at it.

10) No water in hose....great, no issue....remember that from last time. IT IS DRAINED. Use mulit-meter...........stupid meter .

11) Go to take out bottom element........HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.............can that little hole spout that much water???..........fight to get element back in....God, that water was cold.........OK, so it must be the bottom element .

12) Well, I have two........so maybe needs more air to drain as obviously in (10) it is not drained. Use the aforementioned tool, on the top element, the heck with the meter , HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, was that water hot.

12) Wife home from " Zumba"..........."WTH, watch your language, your daughter is here as well......suck it up she is 18 .

13) Gets shop vac from garage so suck up gallons of water.........I love that girl .......step on a shard of glass... yes, I work in bare feet... HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, did that hurt. Get pliers to pull it out. Again reprimanded for the aforementioned language .

14) Disconnect hose, blow into it........just like a cat with a hair ball...plugged up now, draining like the Red in a flood.

14) Water sucked up, elements in... yes, it was the bottom element but figured this tank did not like me at all and I do not plan on messing with it any time soon.

15) Was it this hard before.........don't remember, don't think so...but then again am a lot older now... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ."

Don't do it like my buddy, Harvey !!!

[Surface Tension]

hahaha Topcat! Truth.

[harvey lee]

I have no plans of going through all that topcat. I already drained it before I left last Saturday then use air to empty the tank completly, then turned the power off. I just need to get there tomorrow and change the element out and fill er up.

Then I am going to go out and whack a deer.

Then when I get back, hopefully I will have hot water. If not, cold shower I guess.

[harvey lee]

This was about as easy as it can get to change the element out. I took out the top element as planned and I knew right away this was the issue as the element had 2 burn holes in it.

Works like a champ now.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and help.

Got it fixed then I went out and shot my muzzleloader deer. great day.