Need a water heater/electrician Guru

[ChopperBill]

Thought I did a correct diagnostic on my water heater that quit working on 120v. Installed a thermostat and it did not fix it. I have a heater element that I was going to install but you need a special socket. Did and ohm test on the elements both new and the the one installed. The new one is 10.3 ohm and the installed one is 10.7. Figured they were close enough. So I figured neither the thermostat or the element is bad. Problem is that is they are the only 2 thing that it can be because they are the only things in the system to operate it on 120v. I have 120v all over the place. I show 120v from the black wire to ground and 120v from the white wire to ground on the element but nothing going through the element from black to white. Confused! I think it could still be the element but it passed the ohm test. Help!

 

[branson4020]

Sounds like you have an open neutral. You should be reading 0V from white (neutral) to ground. You should be reading 120V across the terminals of the element (black to white).

 

[JohnDar]

Try working the little black switch on the face of the water heater a few times. Granted, it's a new rig, but who knows. You should be able to pry the switch out and check its connections. If it's fubar'd, nothing works.

 

[hoefler]

I would check both the Ground and the Neutral, like said above, sounds like an open neutral.

 

[ChopperBill]

Sounds like you have an open neutral. You should be reading 0V from white (neutral) to ground. You should be reading 120V across the terminals of the element (black to white).

Bingo! You are on my hero list! Took of the wall plate and switch and the neutral wire just flopped out. The screw was not tight. Hooked them up and turned on the heater. Oops! Same readings on the test meter. Got myself cramped in the storage compartment to look at the wires there. No room for a screw driver to take off the plate to the connections. Finally got a pair of pliers in there and got the screw out and grabbed hold of the wire nuts and they just slipped off the wires. The wire nut connecting the neutral wires was some what melted. Could not get to the wires that good so extended the heater wires and connected them to the romex with crimp on connectors. Have HOT WATER. THANKS!
Now I wonder how many water heaters and hour the dealer would put in to fix this deal!

 

[Bob&Patty]

I HATE WIRE NUTS. They are fine in house....not in a rolling earthquake. Been changing mine a little at a time.

 

[watchthebox]

I HATE WIRE NUTS. They are fine in house....not in a rolling earthquake. Been changing mine a little at a time.

What do you replace them with?

 

[ChopperBill]

What do you replace them with?

They make a connector that look similar to a wire nut but you have to crimp it on. They only way to go, but they are rareley used. Takes too much time, and time is money.