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Diagnose Upper Heating Element — Inspect and Test the Heating Elements

Beginner2 hours

Part of project

Electric Water Heater Troubleshooting: No Hot Water? · Step 2 of 3

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In this video

To test the upper heating element, first remove the access panel and the insulation behind it. Then, remove the plastic cover over the thermostat. Disconnect the two wires from the element's screw terminals. Set your multimeter to the lowest resistance setting (Ohms, Ω). Touch the probes to the two element screws. A good element will show a reading between 12-20 ohms (the video shows 17.2 ohms). Next, set the multimeter to the highest resistance setting (e.g., 200kΩ) to check for a ground fault. Touch one probe to one of the screws and the other probe to the metal tank body. Repeat for the other screw. A reading of infinity (often shown as '1' or 'O.L.' on a digital meter) indicates the element is not grounded and is good. If you get a resistance reading, the element is faulty.

Goal: Test the upper heating element

  • A faulty thermostat can cause the water to overheat and trip the high-limit reset, but a faulty element shorting to ground is the most common reason for a circuit breaker to trip.

Used in this video

  • Screwdriver (brand: Husky) — Removing access panel and disconnecting wires.
  • Multimeter (brand: Craftsman) — Testing the element for continuity and ground faults.
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FAQs

What are the absolute first steps for safety before I even touch my water heater?

Always turn off the power to the water heater at your home's main electrical breaker panel first. Additionally, shut off the cold water supply valve to the water heater to prevent scalding if you need to drain it. Failing to do so risks severe electrical shock or burns.

Do I need a specific type of multimeter for this project, or will any one work?

You need a digital multimeter capable of measuring resistance (ohms) to test heating element continuity and AC voltage (at least 240V) to check the thermostat. While the Klein models are recommended for their reliability, any multimeter with these functions will suffice for troubleshooting. Ensure you know how to operate it safely.

What if my heating elements test fine, but I still have no hot water after troubleshooting?

If both elements show good continuity (10-30 ohms), your next step is to test the thermostat itself. Use your multimeter to verify it's receiving 240V and correctly supplying power to the elements when hot water is called for. Also, ensure the high-limit reset button hasn't tripped.

The project is rated 'beginner' and '2 hours.' Is it really that easy and quick for someone new to DIY electrical?

While rated beginner, this project involves working with high voltage, so careful adherence to safety protocols is paramount. The 2-hour estimate is for troubleshooting; actual repair time can vary. Take your time, follow the video guides closely, and don't rush any steps.

Transcript
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no voltage, you can then go on to the next step. Okay, now that the plate is back on top of the water heater, we're going to be opening up the panels on the side. In this case, there's an upper and a lower. Your water heater may only have one. So let's unscrew this. Now the most common problem why a water heater trips the circuit breaker is because of a faulty heating element. So let's pull this out of here. And this is a reset. If the water gets too hot due to a faulty thermostat, usually this will pop out. You can push reset, and it's a temporary fix until it overheats again, and then it will also pop out. Now over here's the heating element. In order to test the heating element, you're going to want to remove the wires connected to the element. The purpose of removing the wires is to eliminate any chance of a false reading during the two tests that I'm about to show you. So let's remove this one. Okay, push this down out of the way, and let's remove the upper one. The next thing you're going to do is take your digital multimeter, set it to the lowest resistance range, in this case 200, and you're going to measure between the two screws. And right here you can see it's 17.2 ohms. Usually this will be between 12 and 20 ohms. That's an indication that this continuity between this screw and that screw. For the next test, you're going to take your digital multimeter, and you're going to put it on the highest resistance range, in this case 200 k ohms, and you're going to measure between the screw and the body of the tank. You should not get any reading. Go between this screw as well. And this element here tests good, so you know that this one here is not a problem. So

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