Test Water Heater Element Thermostat

Now sometimes you use the hot water tap to only discover cold water coming out.

Test water heater element thermostat.

Both thermostats control two different heating elements for the heater to function. If you get the reading of 240v on terminal 1 and terminal 3 then the power is on but if you get no readings then the power is off. Common residential dual element water heaters are 240 volts. Testing water heater thermostats is important in locating water heater problems.

When it goes bad you don t have any hot water at all. Turn the water heater circuit breaker off inside the main service panel. Check the power supply of the thermostat. Test the water heater thermostat testing the water heater thermostat involves the checking of the heating element also.

You will also need to check the water heater thermostat with digital multimeter tools. This article deals with thermostats on electric water heaters. If the water is cold the multimeter will point near zero. You can find the voltage written on the end of the heating element.

If the data tag is missing you can identify single element vs dual element by the number of access panels on the water heater. To look for faults you will need to use a screwdriver. Connect the multimeter pin ends on point 1 2 as shown in the picture below. The upper thermostat controls both the upper and lower element.

If the opposite thing happens that means your thermostat has defected. This is important especially as open and grounded heating elements result in inaccurate tests. Remove the upper and the lower access panels with a phillips screwdriver. How to test an electric hot water heater thermostat step 1.

Before you proceed further with the process of testing the heater thermostat take a screwdriver and the multimeter. When shopping for a water heater thermostat you need to know how many elements the water heater has and the voltage. If you want to test a thermostat on an electric water heater you will also need to check the heating element. In this case also check the current at the high limit switch.

This is when the upper thermostat has a problem. Pull away any insulation that is. You can find this information on the data tag on the side of the water heater. Start by checking the thermostat terminals for the supply of power.