Hot Water Heater Problem

[schnarkle]

Just moved into a new place and here's whats happening.

At first there is no hot water, I check the temperature setting and it is normal. I hit the reset button and the water starts heating up.
The water then gets super hot and I suspect it trips the upper temp limit switch and turns off. Resulting in the water cooling down again. So I hit the reset button again. Lather | Rinse | Repeat...

This happens over and over.

Anyone have any experience with this? Can I fix it myself? If so how?

thanks to all the plumbers out there!

ps. it's electric

 

[NickDanger]

I don't want this to sound insulting, but have you adjusted the thermostat? It sounds like it is either set too high or isn't functioning properly. A frequent cause of water heater malfunction here in central Texas is limestone buildup. If you are the slightest bit handy, you can probably repair a water heater.

Is it a dual element? It's not uncommon for the lower element to get covered up with limestone. I have seen that cause erratic water heater performance.

Calling a plumber to diagnose the problem is probably going to be more expensive than just replacing the thing.

 

[BigWill]

[smartass] Why in the world would you heat "hot water"? [/smartass]

 

[Lat22]

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[NickDanger]

yeah and it's a pain in the *** to get out if it is even possible.

 

[Texastom]

My waterheater did this back in July. Turned out that the heating elements were covered with limestone. I went to Home Depot and bought two new elements along with the tool to take them out and it only took half and hour or so. You need to unplug the heater then drain tank. Draining the tank takes the longest amount of time.

Hope this helps.

 

[schnarkle]

thanks for the tips guys

 

[NickDanger]

The elements are in the $18 range as I recall. If they are just crusted, it's not that big of a deal. I had one once where there was a paleolithic layer of sediment encapsulating the element. New heater. If you choose to replace the lower element, go aheand and buy the wrench. You will not regret it. They make a special wrench like a huge socket for it.

 

[horn4life]

If you won the place foolw the above advice or move on to natural gas.

If you are renting call your landlord and inform him this is a big problem. tape record the conversations....

 

[idigTexas]

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[Dead Horse]

Actually, some units have two thermostats. Check to see if there is another place that it could possibly be.

 

[Lat22]

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[NickDanger]

I've purchased several older homes that never had their water heaters drained. When unscrewing the lower unit, the element was in solid limestone and literally twisted itself into a braid before breaking off. There was no way to put a new one back in and it didn't quite seal itself off so I had to throw the whole thing out. Water heaters may very well be harder to throw away than old garbage cans.

 

[idigTexas]

So what's the conventional wisdom regarding the frequency for draining one's water heater? We had a new one put in when we remodeled, but the old one had to have been close to 50% limestone. Oh sure, it said "40 Gallon Capacity" on the side, but if it held more than 20 gallons of actual water, I'd be shocked.

I'd like to not face that problem with the new one, or I'd at least like to postpone it as long as possible. So given that I am using the SA water supply, how often should I drain the heater to inhibit calcium deposit build-up?

 

[NickDanger]

They say different things. Personally, I don't ever do it. I learned my lesson years ago when I tried to drain one and the sediment ended up getting caught in the cheap plastic hose bibb they use for a drain. When I tightened down, the grit ruined the seal on the drain and it would quit leaking. You can't replace the drain so I had to replace the water heater.

It takes at least 5-10 years to significantly lime up and they just aren't expensive enough to worry about in my opinion.

 

[HilltopHorn]

I know this is going to sound really obvious, but turn it off and let the water cool before you drain it. I broke off the plastic valve Nick is talking about, and bailing 30 or 40 gallons of scalding water as it pours out is no fun.

 

[horn4life]

Before you start draining the thing but a METAL screw cap for the outlet.

As said above the buildup can indeed clog the valve so it will leak without placing a cap on it.

Here is a hint for anyone who has ever steam cleaned their own carpet. Think about taking the hot water directly from the heater into the tank of the steam cleaner. ONLY if it's clean and not full of lime of course. REALLY cleans well with the extra hot water as the starting point for the steam cleaner.