![]() ![]() Shut the power back off before you do this. Checking For LeaksĪfter the water has heated up, check the elements for leaks. This would not be good news for a brand new set of heating elements. Turning on the power before the tank is filled can damage the heating elements. See the instructions in the article 'Turning On a Hot Water Heater' for the procedure that should be followed. Starting the Hot Water Heater Upĭo not turn the power back on until the water tank is filled with water. It does not matter which terminal each wire is attached, both of them are hot leads. Hook Up the wiringĪfter the elements are installed you can attach the wires. Tighten up the bolts on the element with the socket wrenches. Clean the area around the opening first to make sure you get a good seal. A flanged element will have a gasket on it that you need to get aligned properly. Tighten them down evenly Using a Flanged Adapter Kitĭid you get a kit for a flanged element? Follow the instructions that come with the kit. Insert the element into the hole and start the four bolts into the holes. Clean the area where the flange goes to get a good seal. These are usually found on older water heaters. Installing Flanged ElementsĪ flanged water heating element is held in place with four bolts. Once you are sure that it is threading in correctly, you can use the 1 1/2" socket wrench to tighten it. Screw it in by hand at first, making sure not to cross thread it. Use some pipe dope on a threaded hot water heater element. Your going to need the socket wrench that you used to remove the old element and some pipe dope. The opening in the side of the tank is threaded to match the element. Installing New Water Heater Elements Installing Screw Type Elements Getting the old one out was most of the work. Remove the rust and build up off the heating surfaces. You can clean the scale off the elements with a wire brush in the sink. The other would be to clean the scale off of the ones you have and re-install them. ![]() With your elements out you are ready to do one of two things. Not rocket science here, remove the bolts and presto, the element comes out. Again you will use a socket wrench to remove it. The other type of element has a flange with four bolts on it. Don't try to get them out with channel locks. Does your neighbor have one? Use a socket wrench or buy to wrench. You may not have an 1 1/2" socket wrench. They sell a special wrench for $7 or $8 dollars. You need a large socket wrench for this type. Most hot water heater elements on newer models are a screw in type. In fact put a couple of wire nuts on them while you are working on it. Unhook the leads, tag them if you want to. Double check the leads with the tester, remember, no power. It should not matter which way they are hooked up, both of them are hot leads (120 volts each to give you 240 volts total). ![]() The element should have two wires hooked to it. You should see the thermostat, reset button and elements. There may be some batt insulation covering the elements. Remove the two covers on the side of the hot water tank. This article gives you the step by step procedure that you need to follow. In addition, the electrical current that is used to heat the water can injure or even kill you.īefore you begin, review the article on ' Shutting Down and Electric Hot Water Tank'. The water inside your tank is hot and can scald or burn your skin. You can not work on the the heating elements until you have shut down the power to the water heater and drained the tank. This article covers the last two steps in this process. ![]() Once you have the correct parts and the water heater prepared, you will need to remove the old elements and install the new ones. Second, you will have to ' shut down' and and ' drain your water heater'. To install a hot water heating element you need to first, ' purchase the correct elements'. Not sure if the elements are your problem? See the article on ' Troubleshooting for Electric Water Heaters' or ' Gas Hot Water Heater Troubleshooting' to find a complete listing of water heater problems and the associated information that will provide solutions. If not, you need to see the article on ' Testing Electric Hot Water Heater Elements', for information on how to check them. At this point you should have determined that your elements are bad. This article covers the steps involved with installing hot water heater elements. ![]()
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