Replies

1. 
   Phill_Giles | Dec 31, 2000 06:19am | #1

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   Maybe, on many hot water heaters there's a plastic tube inside the the tank on the inlet side that directs the incoming cold water down to the bottom of the tank. Although 4 years is a short time for this tube to wear out, they do eventually wear out and deliver the symtoms you've described. They also seem to go "suddenly" when they do pack it in.

   This may not be your problem at all; but, it's worth a check.

1. 
   Ralph_Wicklund | Dec 31, 2000 07:45am | #2

   *How did you check the elements?? With the power OFF, remove one lead from one screw on each element and then check for continuity across the screws of each. A two element water heater has two thermostats, that alternate in the on position. If you are getting hot water and then none, it is possible that the lower is not functioning (or the element) and the top is what is heating. Since the cold enters from the bottom via the fill tube the layer of heated is on top and quickly depleted. If the elements check out, you could replace the thermostat but since they are interdependent you could be replacing the wrong one. Replace both. Don't try to figure out which is bad.Reset button. Did you push the button? Did anything happen? If the button(s) clicked, then for some reason the protective feature functioned. It is a bimetal disk that reacts to heat from the tank wall and turns the thermostat off. They do go bad or are occasionally oversensitive. Push the button if you haven't already done so. It will either reset with a click, or it won't. If you don't get a click then most likely that part of the device has not activated. That still doesn't mean that one of the thermostats is not defective. You may get your heat back after the reset, but thermostats are cheap, replace them.

1. 
   Luka_ | Dec 31, 2000 08:02am | #3

   *If both elements are the same, then put the one you took out of the top, in the bottom. Can't hurt.

1. 
   Martagon_ | Dec 31, 2000 07:42pm | #4

   *Switch to natural gas.

2. 
   Gemma_Fabris | Dec 31, 2000 07:42pm | #5

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   >I have a fourty gallon Richmond electric hot water heater which is four years old and up until last week it's always given me plenty of hot water. Suddenly it's decided to stop doing that. I can run all of a quarter of a bath before the water turns cold. I checked the elements with a meter and I think it said that the top one was blown. I replaced it. Same thing. That is, it is still saying that the top one is blown and I only have two minutes of hot water. When do you need to hit the reset button and why does the heater say on it that the power should be off to hit the button? It doesn't make sense to me but then again, hot water heaters are not my forte. Anything silly I am overlooking?