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Posted by Al Bundy on August 25, 2006, 9:21 pm
> loved the DOS joke... lol!
> I bought two elements today, called rheem customer support and they
> told me what to get, i also bought the tool used to screw them in
> (since they are screw in). Figured id replace bouth.
>
> I was thinking "the heater is 12 years old, ill just buy a new one"
> but the installed price was like over $700, so I fugured I would try
> this one first...
>
> Yeah, my dad told me about the "quick draw" mehtod, but all the same i
> think I will drain it, in case there are any sediments...
>
> if you guys dont hear from me by this weekend, it went well... if it
> was a disaster, ill prob be back.
> thanks again!
> Jazz Mann
>
> PS... yes, tennessee valley authority. Honestly, he has worked there
> my whole life and retired recently,... and still, to this day, I cant
> tell anyone what my dad does or did... i always jut say "He works for
> TVA" that either stumps them or they nod in understanding... either
> way they stop asking.
>
> mm wrote:
>>
>> >I am a computer guy, not a handy-man, so forgive the stupidity of my
>> >question...
>> >
>> >I have a Rheem 40 gallon water heater.
>> >240 volts, 4500 wattage, model number 81V40D C ...
>> >
>> >My dad, a water heater inspector for TVA,
>>
>> Tennessee Valley Authority?
>>
>> > tells me the top element is
>> >probably bad (We have some hot water, but runs out pretty fast
>> >now... i trust his judgement since he has done it for over 25
>> >years).
>>
>> I don't know what the symptoms are when the top element is bad, but
>> when I had the same symptoms as you, it was the bottom element. I
>> figured that out by using a volt-ohmmeter. Sometimes called a
>> multi-meter. They have them at Radio-Shack for under 20 dollars. If
>> I recall what they sell, I wouldn't get the cheapest little one with
>> a needle movement, but the next one up, which happens to be digital.
>>
>> (Nothing wrong with an "analog" meter, one with a needle, but the
>> cheap one they sell is just too small. Digital meters do have
>> advantages, though, such as usually auto-polarity. Even when
>> measuring a DC voltage, like testing a battery, you don't have to
>> have the red on positive and the black on negative. It will just
>> show a negative sign if you connect it backwards. Some digital
>> meters have auto-ranging, but one can live without that....)
>>
>> >So I go to home depot to grab a new element, and I am seeing screw
>> >in, twist in, walk in, fly in, run in, etc... :^)
>>
>> As someone said, if you take the cover panel off (to check which one
>> you need, and if you need the heater or the thermostat -- neither are
>> hard to replace) you'll see if you want screw in or bolt-in.
>>
>> OTOH, if you went to a Rheem dealer, he would know. OT3H, who are
>> you going to believe, the dealer or your own eyes? I doubt the
>> dealer would make a mistake, but if you see 4 screws arranged in a
>> square around the element, it's bolt in. If there are no screws,
>> it's screw in. That is, the whole element screws in.
>>
>> The easiest way to check the element to see if it is bad is to turn
>> off the breaker for the water heater, use the scale of the voltmeter
>> that is higher than 220 volts AC to measure the voltage between the
>> two screw terminals on the element (always measure voltage before
>> measuring resistance, to see if it is safe for the meter to measure
>> resistance).
>>
>> When you see that there is no voltage, use the continuity setting,
>> the buzzer, to see if the heating element is continuous from one
>> screw to the next. Aha, but since the water is fairly cold by now,
>> both thermostats may be on, so if one heating element is bad, it is
>> still in parallel with the other heating element maybe, probably, so
>> you need to disconnect one wire from the heating element, and then
>> measure the continuity of the heating element. It will show as bad
>> now if it is bad. You can also use any of the ohm scales, especially
>> the lowest one, to measure ohms. If the heater is good, it will show
>> zero or close to it. If the heater is bad, it will not change from
>> when the probes are not touching anything. The reading will be
>> blank, or dashes, or something like that. You can verify the meter
>> is working by connecting its two probes right together and it should
>> say zero or very close to zero.
>>
>> If it is not the heating element, again (remember that the power is
>> still off. At least you were supposed to have turned it off) then
>> put the two probes on the two screw connectors of the thermostat,
>> which is a square thing with a dial on it right next to the element.
>> Same thing as above. Since the water is cold now, at least cold
>> enough that the heater should be heating, the thermostat should be
>> closed.
>>
>> >can someone just tell me what to get and where to get it? Pretend I
>> >am your stupid son and feel sorry for me and hook me up. My dad just
>> >says "Buy a new hot water heater, they dont cost much" but I dont
>> >have time for all that, guests arrive in about 10 days.... I know
>> >all i will have to do is turn the breaker off, let the water cool,
>> >drain the tank, and
>>
>> Because I didn't know I could get heating elements at a hardware
>> store, I got up early and went to the AOSmith dealer in town (I had
>> an AOSmith heater iirc) and he sold me what I needed, and because I
>> talk a lot (as you can see here) I said something like this, and he
>> said there was no need to drain the tank, which is time-consuming and
>> wastes water and hot water. IIRC, he had me turn off the main water
>> supply to the house, hot and cold, then open the lowest HOT water
>> faucet in the house, the basement sink. Some water will come out,
>> but after a few minutes, no more will. Because if new water can't
>> get in the other end, water can't come out this end. Air pressure,
>> growing vacuum, etc.
>>
>> Then go to the water heater, have the new element ready, the wires
>> disconnected from the old element, remove the element and as quickly
>> as possible put the new element in and start screwing it in or
>> bolting it on.
>>
>> That's what I did and I didn't lose more than 2 or 3 tablespoons to a
>> quarter cup of water. Not positive because some went into the
>> insulation inside the water heater, but it was very little. Because
>> of turning off the water to the house and opening the hot water
>> faucet, there was no pressure so the water idn't come out with force
>> and there was no problem putting the new element in, which there
>> would have been I guess if the water pressure were on.
>>
>> >pull (or twist, or unscrew) the element out and slap a new one in
>> >there...
>> >
>> >However, I dont have an ohm meter.... i mean, does the average guy
>> >have
>>
>> You could use the USB port. Just go into DOS, or Command I guess it
>> is called, and type "voltmeter". That will measure the voltage at
>> the first USB port. Wait a second.... No, that was just a dream I
>> had once. You need a separate meter.
>>
>> >one of these lying around? Ive replaced light fixtures and ceiling
>> >fans, but the more i read the more people seem to freak out about
>> >the water heater still haveing power in it even after turning it off
>> >at the breaker... what gives?
>>
>> It's the air conditioning where this happens because there are two
>> breakers powering the AC, but you really shouldn't be doing anything
>> electrical more than changing a lightbulb wihtout a meter. Maybe you
>> turn off the breaker and a helpful family member turns it back on.
>> Maybe you develop geriatric dyslexia and turn off the wrong breaker.
>> You need someway to see the electricty, and the meter is the best
>> way.
>>
>> Never measure ohms until after you have measured voltage. There
>> should be no voltage when you are measuring ohms.
>>
>>
>> >anyway, thanks in advance!
>> >Jazz Mann
>
> Yeah, my dad told me about the "quick draw" mehtod, but all the same i
> think I will drain it, in case there are any sediments...
Saw a guy change a pressure relief valve doing "quick draw" as you call
it. Neat. With risk of soaking stuff due to lack of personal experience,
I drain. And like said, suppose to periodically drain from valve anyway
to extend lower element life.
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