Electric Water Heater: Why does my water heater's heating element fail often?
If you install a new heating element to fix a lack of hot water and the cold-water blast returns again...and again...the problem isn't defective heating elements. Often, frequent failure of the bottom heating element is because there's too much sediment inside the tank. Disconnect power and shut off the water supply, and then drain the tank to flush out sediment. Refill the tank before restoring electrical power to an electric water heater to avoid damaging the heating element.
If the heater doesn't have built-up sediment, high voltage could be damaging the heating elements. Have an electrician check the voltage supply for your water heater if you suspect this problem.
THESE REPAIRS MAY HELP SOLVE YOUR ELECTRIC WATER HEATER PROBLEM
Drain water heater tank sediment
Maintain your water heater by regularly draining the tank to flush out sediment. Every year, empty all the water from your water heater to prevents mineral sediment in the bottom of your tank that could reduce the water heater's effectiveness and possibly damage the heating elements. For instructions, see How to drain the tank on an electric water heater video.
Drain water heater tank sediment
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