I have a Rheem hot water tank from 1999 that's giving me a hard time. After some initial issues with a corroded wire that kicked the breaker, I managed to fix that by cutting the wire and reconnecting it. However, I'm still not getting any hot water. I checked the elements for resistance, and the bottom one was out of range, so I replaced both elements, ensuring they were good beforehand. Power is reaching both elements (about 124 volts each side), and since I couldn't pinpoint another issue, I also replaced both thermostats after testing them with a multimeter. Everything seems in order, yet the hot water tank still won't produce hot water. The top thermostat activates the bottom thermostat and both elements show they're working fine. What could my next steps be?
3 Answers
Quick question: is the water flowing through the tank but just coming out cold, or is it completely stagnant? You might want to grab a clamp meter to check if it’s drawing current. Sometimes an open circuit can show 120 volts but if there's no current, that could be your issue.
Honestly, it might be time to throw in the towel on that 26-year-old heater. Most people wouldn’t even bother trying to repair something that old; they’d just swap it out for a new unit, especially with the rebates for heat pump water heaters that some utilities offer. But if you’re determined to fix it, maybe double-check your voltage measurements. Something doesn’t seem right if everything appears functional but there's still no heat at the water.
Have you confirmed that you’re actually getting the right voltage across both elements? Just measuring 120V to ground from each leg doesn’t quite cut it; it's important to verify if you're actually seeing a true 240V. Maybe one leg at the breaker has given up?
I hear you! I triple-checked the voltage – I’m seeing around 122 to 125 volts at the elements, and all wires seem good. I even measured resistance again, and they’re both around 18 ohms. It's just odd that everything seems okay but still no heat.