# Fixing electric water heater....



## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Ok..here's the whole story.....

I have a 50 gal electric water heater. The fuse (Circuit breaker) on the water heater...not the panel on the wall, but the breaker on the water heater, keeps popping. There is a red button that is the reset button, that we have to push to reset the breaker.

Does anyone know why it keeps popping and how can I fix this...what do I need to replace?

Any help would be appreciated.


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## Rick Davis (Oct 7, 2002)

Replace the bottom element, once you have it out you can see if has been shorting out. Make sure you clean all the shale out through the element hole.


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Thanks Rick! Have you dealt with this before? Why the bottom one? I am just curious and I appreciate all your help!


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## Rick Davis (Oct 7, 2002)

If you have hard water all the shale goes to the bottom and usually shorts out the bottom element. Where I live the water is very hard and I have to change about every two years. I think I paid like 12 bucks for the element. MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF THE POWER!!! before messing w/ anything.


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Thanks Rick. Robert gave me a good bit of help on this too. I went to Menards and got everything..both upper and lower elements and the thermostats for both too. I will check everything out with the ohm meter and see what I have to replace and take the other stuff back.

I did call my wife and have her shut the power off in the breaker already too...and I will double check before I start!

I have taken 220 to the inside of my thigh before! Made me jump like a frog!!! Also burned a hole in my blue jeans!


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Well, I figured it out last night. The upper thermostat was bad. I also found out that I had so much crap in the bottom of the water heater that it was shorting out the lower element.

The thing is 3 years old and I vacuumed out about 5 lbs of scale from the bottom! I was shocked by the amount!

So, I replaced both the lower and upper thermostats and elements...70.00 bucks and now it works like a charm.

Look out for that West Fargo water!


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## MOB (Mar 10, 2005)

So that's what it is with you guys up North, it's the water? How do you vacuum out the scale in an electric water heater? Do you go through the heater element hole or is that what ran out of the drain? 
MOB


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

MOB said:


> So that's what it is with you guys up North, it's the water? How do you vacuum out the scale in an electric water heater? Do you go through the heater element hole or is that what ran out of the drain?
> MOB


I taped 4' of garden hose onto the end of the shop-Vac hose and pit it through the top element hole and then the bottom one. Then I let some water back in to move the stuff around I couldn't reach and repeated the process a couple times.

Once the water emptied to about 15 gal. left, NOTHING would come out of the drain due to the pressure of all the scale at the bottom and the water above coming off. I even tried forcing air through the drain hose I connected to the drain but to no avail.


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## macwilson (Oct 7, 2009)

The load current is greater that the amperage of the breaker. Add up everything that is plugged into the circuit. If the total is greater that the number marked on the handle of the breaker unplug some of the equipment.


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