Hot water help

[dralarms]

I need help with my hot water tank. Anyone here got any advice?

To give a run down, I have my thermostat set at 120 degrees, (been this way for 9 years), today I felt my water was getting "to hot" so I got a temp sensor and it's @ 138+. Way to hot.

I know the element is working (it's still heating), but it seems the thermostat is messed up.

Now the tank is 9 years old, it's a single element 40 gal tank in a modular home.(fancy name for a double wide;)).

Do I need to replace the tank, or just the themostat? And if I need to replace the tank canyou recommend anyone close to Athens that can handle it? I tried to talk to lowes and they are a bunch of :poop:heads. Won't even give me the model number of the water heater he is recommending so I can look it up on his web site and check it out.

[Mike.357]

why don't you just turn it down and see how well it regulates the temp?

[dralarms]

why don't you just turn it down and see how well it regulates the temp?

I did turn it down and also hit the "reset" button on the front. I'm just pissed that it's a single element, for 9 years I thought I had a duel element "energy effecient" one.

[Guest jdavis]

if you are still running a single element i would go ahead and get a new dual element tank it will pay for itself in a year just in what you save on the electric bill. call your power company and get one of their tanks i installed one for my mother and it is pretty good saves her money on the electric bill and the water will run hot for hours, and they will have it installed for you if you need them too.

[Guest Swamprunner]

Yup, I'd upgrade. If you are going to replace it your self, I'd use the crimp on wire nuts, not the twist ons. Too much current.

-Swamp-

[Mike.357]

we had to replace the water heater back in June, 2008.

Cost 487 bucks installed. It is a 40 gallon Whirlpool. I dunno about elements, but it gets the water dang hot!

Was done by a plumber plucked out of the yellow pages. Lowes sucks!

[analog_kidd]

I bet the thermostat is broken and not shutting off the element. Your water heater is probably constantly "on". I bet your electric bill will be up this month.

I'd see how much a new thermostat costs, and compare it to a new heater. They are not that hard to do yourself and save some money.

[Woody]

If it's 9 years old, I would just go ahead and replace it for sure.

[dralarms]

Well due to costs involved and it being the weekend, I guess I'm gonna try the thermostat first. I got a friend that's a plumber and may try to get him out next week to look at it.

Thanks for the help.

[enfield]

Why don't you drive over to Lowe's and look at the water heaters? They're in aisle 12. There's a free brochure available that compares features of the water heaters they stock.

They also carry elements and thermostats.

Edited March 7, 2009 by enfield

[Guest Astra900]

Could be worse. Atleast overheating isn't AS dangerous as it used to be. Any of you old fogies remember the days of a runaway water heater launching through your roof? I'd pay money to see that.

[dralarms]

Why don't you drive over to Lowe's and look at the water heaters? They're in aisle 12. There's a free brochure available that compares features of the water heaters they stock.

They also carry elements and thermostats.

Yea I got that, Figured I'd look in the morning while they are open, if I go look tonight I might have to call you for bail money.

Could be worse. Atleast overheating isn't AS dangerous as it used to be. Any of you old fogies remember the days of a runaway water heater launching through your roof? I'd pay money to see that.

Saw that once in an old movie, funny as heck. I will be turnign off the AC to the water heater tonight.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Could be worse. Atleast overheating isn't AS dangerous as it used to be. Any of you old fogies remember the days of a runaway water heater launching through your roof? I'd pay money to see that.

[strickj]

Saw that once in an old movie, funny as heck. I will be turnign off the AC to the water heater tonight.

....Well theres your problem!

Water heaters are not supposed to have air conditioning!

[Guest GhostHunter]

I have seen a couple of instances where the heating element was actually burned out, and the element "short circuited" using the water inside the tank as a conductor. As the thermostat only opens one "leg" of the 220 volt circuit, the other leg leaked to ground via the water to the tank, thus heating the water to a certain extent. A bad thermostat will either not heat, or will heat until the hi-temp safety trips. Did the reset button feel like it was tripped when you pushed it?

[dralarms]

I have seen a couple of instances where the heating element was actually burned out, and the element "short circuited" using the water inside the tank as a conductor. As the thermostat only opens one "leg" of the 220 volt circuit, the other leg leaked to ground via the water to the tank, thus heating the water to a certain extent. A bad thermostat will either not heat, or will heat until the hi-temp safety trips. Did the reset button feel like it was tripped when you pushed it?

Yep

[Guest GhostHunter]

I would replace the thermostat first. Then if it still overheats, depending on the condition of the tank (no leaks, rust, etc) I'd replace the element. If the tank is in bad shape, then I'd definitely and replace the entire unit with a dual element, high efficiency model.

[Guest bughunter]

A bad 'stat is not worth the hassle of changing the entire unit. You can get a new one (stat) for under $20.00 and install it yourself in a few minutes. I would do that and start setting aside some money for a good tankless unit sometime in the near future. JMHO:cool:

[dralarms]

A bad 'stat is not worth the hassle of changing the entire unit. You can get a new one (stat) for under $20.00 and install it yourself in a few minutes. I would do that and start setting aside some money for a good tankless unit sometime in the near future. JMHO:cool:

Problem with the tankless heaters, they require more amps than is available in my box (no open breaker slots).

[DWARREN123]

9 years old it could be calcium build up insulating the thermostat and it probably has quite a bit of build up inside the tank.

Try the stat replacement first but beqware that once problems start they don't stop!

Had to replace my tank last year after only 8 1/2 years of use.

[chipperi]

Tanks in trailers are fairly easy to replace. everything is threaded instead of soldered. You could just replace the thermostat, but at 9 yrs old it would probably be more cost efficient to replace the whole tank. I did mine last year and Lowes carries the side mount heaters for trailers for 150-200 range. It took me all of an hour to put it in and half of that was getting my wife's clothes out of the closet to gain access. For safety's sake use a new pressure relief valve don't use the old one.

[dralarms]

Tanks in trailers are fairly easy to replace. everything is threaded instead of soldered. You could just replace the thermostat, but at 9 yrs old it would probably be more cost efficient to replace the whole tank. I did mine last year and Lowes carries the side mount heaters for trailers for 150-200 range. It took me all of an hour to put it in and half of that was getting my wife's clothes out of the closet to gain access. For safety's sake use a new pressure relief valve don't use the old one.

The one for mine is 270.00 , I figure if I'm gonna do that I'm going with a 50 gal instead of a 40 gal. I got pipe so fittings on the side vs thetop don't mean snot. Yea I hear ya on the pressure valve. That sucker is why we don't exploding water heaters now.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Yea I hear ya on the pressure valve. That sucker is why we don't exploding water heaters now.

You also don't want the pressure valve to pop open one day for no reason. Happened to my parents. The end result involved us moving out of the house for a week while about half of the hardwood flooring was replaced.

[dralarms]

You also don't want the pressure valve to pop open one day for no reason. Happened to my parents. The end result involved us moving out of the house for a week while about half of the hardwood flooring was replaced.

Mine's piped under the floor. Guess I need to think about piping it out to a drain.

[chipperi]

Mine has a pipe from the pr valve through the floor if it pops it just flows out underneath.