by Kevin W Byrom

Created on: December 22, 2011   Last Updated: December 25, 2011

When the hot water valve is opened at any sink, shower or bathtub, heated water flows from the water heater through the pipes and emerges from the faucet. When an individual passes their fingers through the heated water and finds that it's too hot, they open the cold water valve to moderate the water temperature so it doesn't feel too hot or too cold.

At some point during the life of a water heater, the water flowing from the faucet will eventually run hot, then cold quickly, or cold water will flow consistently when the hot water valve is opened. If one or both of these situations should occur, these are indications that one or both of the heating elements may be defective and need to be tested.

If some hot water flows from the faucet, it's an indication that the lower element is probably faulty. If no hot water comes out of the faucet, it's an indication that the top water heater element is burned out.

Any individual who owns a home should be able to test and replace defective water heater elements, provided they follow some basic safety procedures, and have in their possession the tools and knowledge required to perform this task safely.

The tools you need to have are a 120V/240V voltage tester, multimeter, Phillips head screwdriver, and an element removal tool. One additional tool you may need is either a pipe wrench or a large crescent wrench that will fit the element just in case it's rusted and difficult to remove should the need arise.

Before you begin any tests on the water heater elements, you need to turn off the electricity to the water heater. This is accomplished by going to the circuit breaker panel, locating the 30 amp breaker which feeds electricity to the heater, and then flipping the circuit beaker handle to the off position. It may be a good idea to place a note on the breaker panel cover warning everyone that electrical work is in progress, and that nobody is to touch the panel or its breakers until the work is completed.

If you find that electricity is still flowing to the water heater at any time while performing the following steps, don't proceed further until the electricity has been disconnected from the circuit.

The wire that feeds electricity to the water heater enters at the top of the tank and is secured by a wire clamp. A cover plate on the top of the tank protects these wires and their connection to the water heater wiring from unauthorized tampering and possible electrocution. When you remove the cover plate you'll be able to see the

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