Replacing Electric Water Heater Thermostat

Water heater thermostat replacement procedure applies to either the lower or upper element.

Replacing electric water heater thermostat. Remove the cover and insulation to have access to the thermostat. There is one important and potentially dangerous difference between the two however. The thermostat turns the heating element on and off to maintain the water temperature. Here are the symptoms and repair steps.

I am replacing fuses on my water heater. Replacing a thermostat on an electric water heater is much simpler that on a gas water heater and you can make the repair without having to drain the tank. You may need to repair your electric hot water heater. Always disconnect the power or shut off the breaker before doing any work on a water heater.

Electric water heater thermostat replacement step 1. To change thermostats you will need to remove the access panel and safety cover do this for both upper and lower access panels on dual element units. Remove the plastic cover. Instead you get only cold water.

You step into the shower and turn on the hot water faucet all set for a nice hot shower. As the water in the tank continues to cool it will reach a point when the lower thermostat shuts off and the upper thermostat turns the upper heater on. This diy repair guide explains how to replace the thermostat in an electric water heater. Replacing them is different but no harder than replacing a furnace thermostat.

Our suburban rv water heater wasn t heating the water fully so we replaced the electric thermostat and all is well. How to replace an electric water heater thermostat. If the thermostat stops working the element either won t come on at all and the water is cold or the element stays on too long and the water is scalding. Continue to check the upper heating element for voltage it may take quite a while and the water may have to quite cold but it should come on eventually.

Before replacing make sure that the electrical power to the unit and breaker is turned off. How to replace an electric water heater thermostat and video. A conventional low voltage thermostat operates at 24 volts.