How to Test Water Heater Element?

​Water heater element is the immersion element responsible for heating water. An electric water heater generally has two elements, lower and upper.  Failure of either one can result in no hot water or less hot water. Water heater element can fail to function because of high usage, regular supply of hard water or old age. If you have already started facing the issue, here is how you can easily check your elements at home.

You will need non-contact voltage detector, screwdriver, multimeter and rubber gloves.

Process of Testing Water Heater Element:

1. Turn off all the power buttons and turn off the main switch too.
2. Remove the screws and the access panel on the side. Also, remove insulation and plastic safety cover.
3. Both, upper and lower, elements are connected to upper and lower thermostat respectively.  Place the non-contact voltage detector near each wire connecting elements and thermostats. A light will flash on the detector if any electricity is present there.
4. Testing element depends on the situation of hot water. If the heater doesn’t give hot water at all, test the upper element but if the heater has less hot water, go for lower element. It is better to test both the elements. 
5. Loosen the particular element and free the wires attached to that element. Read the watts of the element
6. Place each probe of multimeter on one screw and get the reading on 200 volts. Generally, 3,500, 4,500 or 5,500 watt element is used. If the multimeter reads 16 ohms for 3,500 watt element, between 12-13 ohms for 4,500 watt or between 10-11 ohms for 5,500 watt, the element is in a good condition and needs no action to be taken.
7. If multimeter shows no or some other value of reading, it needs to be changed.
8. For next test, place one probe on any one screw and other probe on any of the bare metal portion of water heater. If multimeter shows no reading, the element needs no replacement. But if it shows even a small reading value, change the element.
9. Check both the screws in the same way with the bare metal part.
10. Now, test with one probe on screw and other one on the metal base of the same element. Again, no reading means good element. Any reading means you need to change it.
11. Fix the wires back to the elements. Put back the plastic safety cover and insulation. Screw the access panel back.

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Checking the elements at home is an easy task, but the next step either of replacing them, or any other hot water tank repair needs help of professional technicians in Edmonton. They can easily deal with all kinds of hot water tank services.