Repair Electric Water Heaters
Electric water heaters that either leak or fail to produce hot water should be repaired promptly. A do-it-yourselfer with a moderate amount of experience on home repair projects can expect to fix a water heater inexpensively in less than three hours.
Instructions
1. Replace the water heater's pressure relief valve if it is leaking. You will also need to install a new drain pipe along with the pressure relief valve (see Resources).
2. Replace the water heater's heating element if the heater produces only lukewarm or cold water. There are two heating elements located in an electric water heater: one at the top of the tank and one at the bottom. Replace the top heating element if the heater produces lukewarm water; replace the bottom heating element if the heater produces cold water (see Resources).
3. Replace the water heater's thermostat if the heater continues to produce lukewarm or cold water after replacing the heating element (see Resources).
4. Set the thermostat at 120 to 125 degrees after completing all repairs. Fill the water heater's tank completely before restoring power to the heater.
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