Electric Water Heater Problem

[mnvikingsfreak]

I have a problem with my hot water heater its an electric bradford white hydrojet 50 gallon 4 yrs old I moved into a new house and I never had an electric heater and it wont turn on I looked everywhere for a switch and I cant find one am I missing something here? I even looked at the manual I cant figure out how to turn it on the breaker is on and the thermosats are at hot could the thermosats need to be replaced? any info would be very helpfull and money saving too!

thanks

[eggdish]

i think we have the same water heater. i had a similar problem with mine a couple of months ago. i replaced the heating elements and everything is fine now. was very easy to do with the right deep well socket. 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" if i remember right. just make sure that the heater is completely empty before you replace the lower element.

[mnvikingsfreak]

eggdish

Is there an on/off switch or something on the water heater? or when the water touches the heating elements does it automatic turn the heater on? cuz I dont hear anything and the water is cold does menards or any other store have the parts?

thanks

[Whoaru99]

I almost hate to ask, but....I assume you've double-checked the circuit breaker/fuse for the water heater?

[efgh]

If the water heater was emptied and the elec. was not shut off the water heater elements will burn out. Yhe therostats have a heat setting on them. Shut the elec. off and take a screw driver and turn the setting higher then lower, you should hear a click both times. If you don[t the thermo. is bad.

[backlash 1]

The top thermostat has a mini breaker built into it. It is a small red button a little smaller than a dime. Push it in. If it clicks, than you have just reset it, back in business.

[eggdish]

my thermostats were both good so i pulled the elements and they were both twisted and corroded. i got the replacements at menards. i think it was around 40 bucks for both of them and the deep socket. there is no on off switch for the heater itself.

[deacon]

Water heaters are typically direct wire to main electrical breaker box. Always be sure the water heater breaker is off when working on the heater. Also be sure is your water is off that the breaker to the water heater is off.

[Macgyver55]

And lastly after its installed, make sure to REFILL the water heater BEFORE turning the power back on!

[chunkytrout]

FYI, the elements or sometimes stat units have a high-limit switch on them. Sort of like a reset. If the T-Stat fails the high limits should "kick out". Also. if the Hot H2O unit is not in sight of your service panel, it should have a disconnect installed per NEC.

[mnvikingsfreak]

thanks for the help guys it was the heating elements I replaced both with a 1 1/2 socket finding the socket was harder than repalcing the parts thanks again!!