JT! Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) I'll get something like this. They're no where near 4", more like 2.5" tops. Edited March 12, 2013 by JT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 How odd! Wonder how they differ internally then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Yours has hot water internally, mine doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Got them out, replaced them, everything up and running again, got to wait now to see if it actually worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Nope still clap cold. Any suggestions as to how I could actually tell if the thing is getting power at all using a multimeter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Put one test lead on the Neutral, the other on the feed side of the element, it should read 240v (or whatever the American voltage is), it should be the same on the other side too. Its not on a timer or something daft is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 120v over each when one lead is to ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 What is the voltage over there? I presume 110? If so, it all seems ok voltage wise. Is it 120 on both sides of the element? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I had my element out to clean and could not screw it out but mines is mounted on a flange so took that off I can't work out if that is serious or just being rude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I would've thought you'd be able to tell if the elements are heating by feeling the exposed part when powered up. As Mr Seamons says if they have power are you sure it's not something silly like your thermostat is set too cold, the timer isn't operating and that the water is actually filling the tank beyond the elements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 What is the voltage over there? I presume 110? If so, it all seems ok voltage wise. Is it 120 on both sides of the element? When I measure across the element, it reads 0 volts. But if I measure any side of the element against earth, it reads 120v, even though both elements are 240v. I would've thought you'd be able to tell if the elements are heating by feeling the exposed part when powered up. As Mr Seamons says if they have power are you sure it's not something silly like your thermostat is set too cold, the timer isn't operating and that the water is actually filling the tank beyond the elements? Tank is defiantly full as the hot water only comes out when it is full. Cold water comes in at the bottom and hot leaves at the top. There is no timer, just two thermostats, they are set quite high for now. There isn't really an exposed part other than the bolt at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Sounds like you have the wrong elements then. If they are designed to run at 240v, and they are only getting 120v, they wont heat up. Where did you get the elements from? You never answered before, but I presume all your other appliances run at 110-120v? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 I can't remember what I have said on here and haven't as I have a couple of topics open on other forums. So I'll go over everything again. The very first thing I did when I had no hot water was replace a fuse that went out, stupidly I replaced the one that had gone (there's two) and never thought to check it again assuming the problem was something else, like the elements. It seems that the elements I took out were actually good all along and the problem is the water heater is just blowing out the fuse. I did get it to run for a few seconds ( I could hear it hum) then the fuse went again. The hearer is 240V and can take up to 4500W elements, of which I have two in there now. Apparently measuring over the element should give me 240V, however I get nothing, because the fuse has gone. I get 120v at any point relative to ground because 1 fuse has gone and not the other, one fuse deals with 120V the other with the other 120V (that may not make sense to someone who knows what they're talking about with regards to electronics but... yeah). Apparently measuring against ground is pointless as ground it not part of the functioning circuit. Also apparently with my water heater only 1 element will run at any given time, the top one heats up first, then when the water at the top is hot enough, it'll switch to the bottom one. Seeing as though the thing actually ran for a short period of time, I've figured that it can't be a short as the fuse would blow right the second I turned it on. So today I'm going to replace both thermostats which seems easy enough and if that doesn't work I'll have to call an electrician as there's nothing else really that I can do. A water heater isn't anything more than 2 elements, two thermostats and a big container of water.I've also read that a 240v element will run on a 120v system, but it will be 25% of the wattage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 American electrics are f**ked up! Taking a fuse out should totally isolate a componant, not half isolate it. Stupid Yanks Just because it isn't blowing the fuse straight away, doesn't mean its not a short. It could insulation related. Check the actual fuse outlet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted March 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Replaced upper temp switch, appears to be working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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