Article Views:
3521
Ezine ready page
Ezine ready page
Posted on April 1, 2006 by Alphonso Sirtle.. | Posted under Home and Family
6 Tips To Improve Your Electric Hot Water Heaters
|
Below, you will find five useful tips for getting the most out of that electric hot water heater. While not all suggestions will provide useful, many of the suggestions may act as a launching pad for further investigation. Keep in mind, if you ever feel overloaded or uncomfortable with any task, call a professional. The life you save may well be your own. This informational guide assumes that all electric hot water heaters have been installed properly, and were in good working order before the current problem occurred. Problem: The hot water is not hot like it was yesterday.Suggestion: You will need to remove the top thermostat plate. Now, check that switch button that regulates high limit. If it has been tripped, press the button to reset the electric hot water heater. If this does not work, or does not apply, use an OHM meter to see if you are getting power to the input terminals on the top thermostat - these are usually evident because each will have L2 labeling them. If there is no power, flip the circuit breaker for your electric hot water heater on and off. If you find that it has power as is needed, yet you still have no hot water, you will need to replace the heating element. If there is no power to the top heating element, you may need to replace the thermostat. Problem: You have hot water, just not a lot of it; maybe the hot water isnt getting hot enough.Suggestion: You have two thermostats on all electric hot water heaters. The bottom thermostat and the top thermostat. When the top half of the tank gets hot, the top thermostat turns off the power to that top heating element, and the power gets transferred to the bottom thermostat, which then turns on the bottom thermostat. If you have a malfunctioning bottom thermostat, you will not get the normal hot water you usually do. If you use an OHM meter to check for power to the bottom thermostat, you will find that it either works or it doesnt. If it doesnt work, you need to replace the bottom thermostat. If you find that it does have power, the heating element may need replaced. You should also consider a malfunctioning dip tube. If this is the case, you may need to replace the dip tube. Problem: The hot water is way too hot.Suggestion: This could be caused by a malfunctioning thermostat. To check the thermostat, check for power at the top and bottom heating elements. If there is direct power to either heating element, change the thermostat that corresponds to that heating element. If you are lucky, you may find that simply pushing the thermostats firmly against the water tank works wonders. Problem: That leaking relief valve is causing hassles.Suggestions: That relief valve only operates when the temperature of the pressure in that electric hot water heater is too high. Sometimes, it may be necessary to purchase and install an expansion tank to solve that problem, Often, people will look for the why to this problem only to discover that the problem is not the water heater, but the water supply has changed. Sometimes, the city water may have increased pressure, or your well pump may need to be looked at more closely. If you have well issues, this may require a professional to fix to insure the quality of your water is improved or maintained. Problem: Stinky water coming from the electric hot water heaters.Suggestion: You can get buildup on the heating elements as well as in the tank. It is usually necessary to drain and clean the system periodically just to make sure the system stays clean. Sometimes the anode rod will react with bacteria or algae and cause a rotten egg smell. You can clean the tank using chlorine, you can dust and clean around the heating elements, and then if all else fails, you should change the anode rod. Problem: Leaky tank.Suggestion: If you electric hot water heaters start to leak, you need to replace the tank. I know it can be inconvenient, and is often expensive, but a leaky tank cannot be permanently mended. If you need a quick fix, there are many types of bond glue that will work temporarily to spot fix that hole or crack. I always suggest you add a piece of metal a little bit bigger than hole or crack, then you can use the flue like a putty. Plumbers putty is a good option for this. You want to avoid getting chemicals into your water supply. Since the water tank is under such enormous pressure, a leak usually means time to go shopping. About The Author: Alphonso has been working in the home remodeling industry for last 5 years. Take advantage of his experience and written material on heater ideas at his website at http://www.improve-home.com |
Tags:
