Test Water Heater Element Thermostat

When shopping for a water heater thermostat you need to know how many elements the water heater has and the voltage.

Test water heater element thermostat.

However they do go bad and testing water heater thermostats is still required. Electric water heaters have one or two elements and each is controlled by a thermostat. Before you proceed further with the process of testing the heater thermostat take a screwdriver and the multimeter. If the thermostat has not defected then the bulb will light.

It s very easy to test and replace the faulty thermostat of your water heater. Otherways the bulb won t light. Your water heater usually has two elements and two thermostats. Start by checking the thermostat terminals for the supply of power.

You just have to be a little careful to avoid any kind of accident. Under the plate you ll see the water heater s thermostat and heating elements. You can find the voltage written on the end of the heating element. Leave the upper thermostat in the lowest setting and test the lower thermostat.

First it allows the upper element to heat the water in the top of the tank. Hold the a and b points of the series lamp with the heater s pluck. You can test them with the power off using an ohmmeter to measure resistance or with the power on using a voltmeter to measure voltage. If you want to test a thermostat on an electric water heater you will also need to check the heating element.

Testing the water heater thermostat involves the checking of the heating element also. Place the remaining probe against the metal base attached to the element where it enters the water heater. You can find this information on the data tag on the side of the water heater. If the hot water heater is not working one of the thermostats may be bad.

Common residential dual element water heaters are 240 volts. All you need is some tools screwdriver and multi meter etc. Remove the metal cover so you can see the water heater s thermostat. And basic knowledge of the replacement.

Use the screwdriver to set the lower thermostat to the highest setting. You don t need professional skills for this. The thermostats are less likely to be at fault than the elements. This is important especially as open and grounded heating elements result in inaccurate tests.

Set the multimeter at the lowest ohm point. The lower thermostat has only two terminals. You will also need to check the water heater thermostat with digital multimeter tools. Use a philips head screwdriver to take out the screws holding the metal plate in place.

You ll see a metal plate near the base of the hot water heater. The reading on the multimeter should be zero. If the data tag is missing you can identify single element vs dual element by the number of access panels on the water heater. Test the water heater thermostat.

The element is bad and must be replaced if the needle on the face of the multimeter moves. To look for faults you will need to use a screwdriver. Touch one probe of the multimeter to each terminal on the lower thermostat.