Many homeowners don’t give much thought to their water heater elements until they go bad. In fact, many homeowners might not be exactly sure what a water heater element is!
These elements are metallic devices that heat water via a process called resistance. When electricity enters an element, its inner wire resists the current. And this collision generates heat, which is then sent to the water inside the water heater.
Standard home water heaters contain two heating elements, one for the water tank’s upper level and one for its lower level.
But what happens when one of these elements fails? Below, you’ll find 11 common symptoms of a failed water heater element, along with some info on what you could do about it.
Quick Takeaways
- No hot water often means a failed heating element.
- Lukewarm water can indicate either a bad upper element or a bad lower element.
- Strange water heater noises may signal sediment buildup around an element.
- Frequent breaker trips can indicate an electrical issue.
- Replacing a heating element is usually less expensive than replacing an entire water heater.
1. You Have No Hot Water
When a water heater is working correctly, its upper element heats the water in the top half of the tank first. Once that upper portion is heated, the machine powers the lower element so that it can heat the lower half of the water.
Therefore, if your home has no hot water, your upper element has probably failed.
2. Your Water Is Only Lukewarm
If your water is always lukewarm, something may be stopping an element from generating or transferring enough heat. For example, if an element were covered in scale — a crusty mineral buildup — it’d have a hard time heating water properly.
3. Your Hot Water Runs Out Much Faster Than Normal
If you get lukewarm water that turns cold moments later, your upper element is probably working, but your lower element could be faulty. Thus, you’re getting a little hot water from the upper half of your water tank before the unheated water from the lower half emerges.
4. The Water Temperature Changes Constantly
Erratic water temperatures are another sign that an element’s malfunctioning. Perhaps it’s working intermittently, so that some water is heated and some isn’t. Or it might be drawing power away from a water heater thermostat, which means the thermostat can’t regulate the temperatures correctly.
5. Your Electric Bill Suddenly Increases
Oftentimes, defective elements must work much harder to heat water. Therefore, they utilize more power, and the household’s electric bill rises accordingly.
6. Your Water Heater Keeps Tripping the Breaker
As an element gets older, its exterior might crack. Water could then enter it. And when water touches its interior wire, a surge of electricity could result. That electrical current would then go into the circuit breaker, tripping it in the process.
7. You Hear Popping, Humming, or Rumbling Sounds
If your water heater’s making strange noises, sediment buildup is probably impeding your lower element. Minerals inside a water heater tank sink to the bottom and eventually surround the lower element. The element then has to work harder, which can lead to some odd sounds.
8. The Water Heater Reset Button Keeps Tripping
If a broken element causes an electrical short, starts to boil water, or behaves in another potentially dangerous way, the water heater will take notice. And, to be safe, the appliance will reset itself.
9. You Notice Rust or Corrosion Around the Element
As with sediment buildup, rust and corrosion act as insulators when they encircle a water heater element. Heat will then have trouble passing through the element to warm the water. In addition to cold water, this situation could lead to element overheating, short circuiting, and wasted electricity.
10. Your Water Takes Much Longer to Heat Up
Occasionally, when one element’s broken and the other’s working fine, the functioning element can heat all the water on its own. However, that process could be very slow.
11. A Multimeter Test Shows the Element Has Failed
A multimeter test is a simple DIY exercise that can tell you, with a good deal of accuracy, whether or not an element’s working correctly. While it’s not a substitute for a professional evaluation, this test might help you to decide what your next steps should be.
How to Test a Water Heater Element Safely
To see if an element has failed, first turn off the power to your water heater (and double-check that it’s off).
You could examine the upper element first. Remove its access panel, tuck the wires aside, and clear away any insulation that’s in the way.
Then take a multimeter, set it to ohms, and touch its probes to this element’s two screw terminals. If the reading falls in the 10-30 ohm range, its resistance is normal. But if the number is outside this range — or if an “OL” appears onscreen — your upper element has failed.
You can also use your multimeter for a ground test. Touch one multimeter probe to a screw terminal and another probe to a metallic, unpainted spot on the tank wall.
When you do so, you should see no readings and hear no sounds. However, if the meter beeps or if it displays an onscreen reading, you have a shorted upper element that must be replaced.
Now you could repeat these tests for the lower element.
Should You Replace the Heating Element or the Water Heater?
Is your water heater less than 10 years old? And is a failed element the only problem it has? If the answer to both questions is yes, there’s no need to buy a new water heater yet. You could simply replace the malfunctioning element.
On the other hand, if your water heater is more than a decade old, it’s probably time to replace it. (On average, home water heaters last between 10 and 12 years.) Likewise, if this machine is corroded, leaking, or suffering from any other mechanical problem, it makes sense to purchase a new one.
With Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, the Heat Is On!
When it’s time for water heater repairs and replacements, professional services are a must. After all, water heaters are complicated and sensitive appliances. And given how they combine electricity and water — and sometimes propane or natural gas — it’s dangerous for amateurs to work on them.
Only a certified technician, someone with true electric water heater expertise, can ensure that your water heater runs safely and smoothly. This pro can also verify that the machine complies with all relevant building codes.
Of course, restoring hot water should be a top priority for every homeowner. Heated water is essential for health, hygiene, and sanitization. And if your Tampa-area home ever lacks hot water, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is just a phone call away.
Our punctual plumbers can replace heating elements, repair water heaters, and install new models with aplomb. Yes, you can always depend on us for thorough, top-quality plumbing services. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at any time.