ReplyOn my Water Heater i believe there is a type of reset in by the Thermostat. May want to check there, hope that helps.Originally Posted by LandscapeMan
Regular Guest
Hot water heater help
Ok all of a sudden my 40 gallon hot water heater is only pouring out LUKE WARM water even if i let it run for a while. It just started doing this after I manually flipped the breaker a couple days ago. only luke warm-warm water, not hot at all.
any suggestions?
Regular Guest
On my Water Heater i believe there is a type of reset in by the Thermostat. May want to check there, hope that helps.
Professional Member*
Did you reset a tripped breaker, or had you turned the breaker off for some time and then back on? What exactly do you mean by "manually flipped the breaker"?
Dip tube and/or one of two heating elements being out comes to mind, if it is a dual element water heater. Only other thing is thermostatic control for one of the two elements may not be functioning properly, failing to bring on the second set of elements when they are needed.
How old is the heater?
Regular Guest
Do u have 220v coming out of the breaker? clamp an ampmeter around one leg to see if its running
Professional Member*
Well it might help to know the age of the water heater but in any event, 90% of the time the symptom you describe is the result of a failed lower element. That usually preceeds failure of the tank by about 1-month in my experience. The second cause, 10% of the time is a dip tube that's rotted off so the cold inrush water is not going to the bottom of the tank but rather right to the hot water outlet. Failure of the dip tube usually preceeds failure of the tank by about 5-weeks. I finally gave up trying to fix either problem because it's just a patch and within a short time, we're replacing the tank, which generally fails catestrophically. So I guess you can see what my recommendation is. Replace that sucker!!
If YOU want change, YOU have to first change.
If you are waiting for the 'other guy' to change first, just remember, you're the 'other guy's' other guy. To continue to expect real change when you keep acting the same way as always, is folly. Won't happen. Real change will only happen when a majority of the people change the way they vote!
Regular Guest
I shut the breaker off by hand, it was not tripped. We had someone putting in a shower and bath unit for master bedroom and everysince we turned the wateroff it seems like its not working properly.
The heater was made in 2003.
I have water temp set to 130-135 and Iused to ahve it set on 125 and it would burn my finger at touch from the faucet and now at even hotter temp it doesnt burn my hand. but the water will stay warm for a good period of time just not as warm as it should .
Professional Member
One element is working then. Like shop already said, its most likely the other element or stat.
Regular Guest
If you're able to open the drain on the tank, drain some water out. It could be there is sludge and deposits in the tank preventing the heat transfer. Be careful to not get scalded.
Professional Member
Had this happen years ago with a jenair stove, flipped breaker back on after a repair and the downdraft blower was running real slow, elements bairly got warm, turned out one leg of breaker went bad. I would have an electrician check to see if you are getting 220 to the heater.
Professional Member*
Had the same thing happen last week. No heat call, old Lennox electric furnace. Line voltage good @ 220+v, found a bad sequencer. Turned off the breaker, replaced the part. Turned the breaker back on, and only had one hot leg. Reset again, still dead. Breakers were about 25+ years old. You never know when they're gonna pack it in!
Where are you? Are you done yet? I got ONE more call for you.....
Professional Member
Check your elements, if they are good then check and see if the dip tube is intact on the cold side. It should almost go to the bottom of the tank. If it doesn't, replace it.
Professional Member*
Did they drain water without turning the power off to the water heater?
If they did you have a cooked upper element at least.
Even if they didn't do that it still sounds like an upper element or t-stat. The lower element maintains the minimum setpoint and the upper is considered the demand element that gives you the max hot from the top of the tank.
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