Water Heater Top Or Bottom Element

In most water heaters the top heating element controls the thermostat and will still work even if the bottom element fails.

Water heater top or bottom element.

Only the water in the top of the tank is being heated. If the water in your home doesn t get any hotter than a lukewarm temperature try turning up the heat if that doesn t solve the problem it s possible that 1 of the heating elements in the water heater is malfunctioning or broken. How electric water heaters work. The upper heating element really only contributes when there is a high hot water demand and only serves to heat water in the upper portion of the tank.

This is a sign that the bottom element has failed. When an electric hot water heater s elements short out or burn through cool water is the result. With two element designs one element heats the water at the top of the tank while the second element heats the water within the bottom of the tank. Electric water heaters use either 120 or 240 volt power 240 volts is more common to energize metal heating elements that protrude into the water heater tank through the side wall.

Is the water hot for a short time before running cold. Cold water enters and remains at the bottom of the water. Electric heaters feature fewer parts than gas models but a basic understanding of how two element models function can reduce the time needed to diagnose a problem. Most water heaters have two heating elements one near the top of the tank another located further down.

No special tools required. Long tepid shower bad top water heater element. So provided the top heating element is working it can still. Many modern homes come with dual element water heaters.

If the electric water heater produces the same old hot water temperature but the quantity seems drastically reduced we suspect that the bottom water heater element has burned out. Single element water heaters have one element mounted at the bottom of the tank controlled by a single thermostat and high limit switch. Hot water heaters are an important home appliance that heat water for use in your sinks dishwasher washing machine and shower. You can often tell if a water heater element has failed by turning on the faucet in a sink.

However the water heater won t run efficiently and likely won t produce enough hot water to satisfy your families needs running on just the top element. Typically the lower element goes first but that s not always the case. How to diagnose a water heater element problem. Turn on the hot water tap at a sink and check for the following scenarios.

A dual element water heater uses two heating elements controlled.