You don’t have hot water or your electric water heater seem to be running out of hot water faster than it used to or taking longer to make hot water? It could be the heating element has gone bad or is corroded with minerals from the water. This can be a simple DIY fix.
The first thing to check is the circuit breaker that supplies the heater. If that has not tripped, next sheck the reset button inside the water heater cover. If it still is not working you will need to test the elements.
Visit Family Handyman for a great tutorial on replacing the heating elements in you water heater.
What’s Inside and How It Works!
Most residential electric water heaters have two heating elements: one near the top of the tank and one near the bottom. Power enters the top and runs to the high-temperature cutoff switch, and then to the thermostats and elements. The top and bottom elements are controlled by separate thermostats. When the water on the top of the tank is hot, the top element turns off and the lower one heats. The upper and lower heating elements never come on at the same time.
