Water Heater Heating Element, 5,500-watt 9000396015

Yes easy to install

Just follow the direction Nothing complicated It so easy

Ease of Installation

Very Easy

Duration of Installation

Less than 30 minutes

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Wrong parts

Give the model # and still got the wrong parts .wrong size & watts

Ease of Installation

Moderate

Duration of Installation

30 minutes - 1 hour

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Hard to install.

This is the part that was recommended. It did not work, so it will be returned.

Ease of Installation

Very Difficult

Duration of Installation

More than 2 hours

Sent the wrong part

The online chat associates suggested the wrong part in spite of the websites saying that's the wrong part

Ease of Installation

Very Difficult

Duration of Installation

More than 2 hours

good help in ordering and quick delivery

consider on how you are going to empty the hot water heater.The valve at the bottom is a very slow way.Make sure you have the correct size socket to remove the element

Ease of Installation

Very Easy

Duration of Installation

1 - 2 hours

Watch out for your parts

The 3800 watt element that is shown that was supposed to be able to work as the bottom element did not work. Online it shows that part for the top element could be also used on the bottom. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. The top element thread diameter size was 1 3/8" and the bottom element diameter is 1 1/4". First time I ordered the part, thought they sent me the wrong one, then received a second with the same issue. There was also a note in the manual that said that the bottom element that comes factory installed is an element that you can convert from 3800 watts to 5500 watts. It also says that if you need to replace it, you can't purchase a convertible element. So in the part listing, it shows an alternate 5500 watt element you can use. I thought I would take a risk and order the 5500 watt. When it came, I immediately compared it to the original element and found that it was indeed the correct size. The part listing that searspartsdirect shows is INCORRECT. That was even after they "researched" the part and told me that that 3800 watt element is the one that should fit. On the part listing, it shows that the 3800 watt replacement element can be used in both top and bottom. That is not the case!!! Beware!! Once I got going on the 5500 watt element, it was a snap!! Follow the instructions. We had a snafu that we were able to navigate through regarding a bad new upper thermostat that wouldn't allow electricity to go down to the bottom element. Ended up putting the old one back in (which worked) and now it works like a champ! When troubleshooting heating issues, I did all the electrical troubleshooting with trying to test to see if the element is good. What happened with my bottom element is that it had mineral buildup at the base which compromised the element. The current flow just arced at the base allowing electricity to pass through but would not engage the element. My readings were a false positive. I replaced both upper and lower thermostats because that was the cheapest way to go first. After I replaced the bottom element with the right part, it still didn't work like it should. The next day I performed tests with a voltmeter and found that the upper thermostat wasn't kicking off. It was bad. The original thermostat was still good because ultimately it was the bottom element that went bad. So after reinstalling the original thermostat, everything was good. When installing, the longest part is waiting for the water to drain out of the hot water tank. Make sure all the hot water faucets in the house are turned to full when doing this. The gravity drain takes a while. After that, using a special socket, I was able to quickly remove and install the new element.

Ease of Installation

Easy

Duration of Installation

Less than 30 minutes

Difficult To Install

Getting curved element through hole very difficult.

Ease of Installation

Difficult

Duration of Installation

1 - 2 hours