1 turn off the circuit breaker to the water heater.
Water heater upper lower thermostat settings.
Thermometer for testing the water temperature.
The majority of electric water heaters have two thermostats.
According to the u s.
As a safety precaution shut off the electricity to the water heater before removing opening the panels.
The upper thermostat controls both the upper and lower element.
When it goes bad you don t have any hot water at all.
Adjusting an electric hot water heater temperature thermostat setting is a little more involved but still relatively easy.
The upper element stays off because there is still 140 degree water at the top of the tank.
I m guessing that setting your top thermostat to a 150 would give you small amount of really hot water rather quickly while setting the upper and lower thermostats evenly to a moderate temperature 115 125 would be your quickest way to get a full tank of hot water.
Department of energy for each 10 degree reduction in water temperature you can save between 3 and 5 percent in energy costs.
It s not necessary that both thermostats will do the same work their work can vary according to the water heater unit.
Although manufacturer s usually set water heaters at 140 degrees f you can reduce your carbon footprint and save money by adjusting your water heater thermostat.
When power is initially turned on to the unit the upper element is energized and heats the water in the upper third of the tank see figure 1.
Most manufacturers recommend changing the lower thermostat setting while leaving the upper thermostat at the factory setting.
This article deals with thermostats on electric water heaters.
An upper and a lower located under two control panels.
Hot water heater settings are easy to adjust although electric heaters will require a screwdriver and possibly a small wrench or socket.
The cold water turns on the lower element and begins preheating the lower tank.
The upper thermostat is the primary one that contains the high limit switch and the lower thermostat is used to detect the change in the temperature of the water.
Keep in mind that the thermostat is factory preset to a recommended temperature and changing the setting may increase the potential for serious burns.
The standard residential electric water heater control circuit consists of a manual reset high limit switch an upper thermostat lower thermostat two heating elements and wires.
Testing water heater thermostats is important in locating water heater problems.
Marker to mark the setting on your thermostat.
