shuswapcruisers

Hello all.
Been on vacation the last 5 months and started up the water system after winterizing it and all is well except for... NO HOT WATER.
This is what I have.
A standart John Wood 50 gal tank
Drained it completely and turned off the power before winter.
Today after firing up the system, removing all air from taps and turning on the breaker... no hot water.
The reset is not out and with a current tester is getting power to BOTH heating elements. Tank is 1.5 years old and I have never run into a problem after winterizing before. We are remote so any ideas will be appreciated.
thanks

Nestor_Kelebay

Run some water out the drain valve and I expect you'll find it hot.

Residential hot water heaters will have BOTH the cold water inlet and hot water outlet located at the top of the heater. However, there has to be some way for the cold water to get to the bottom of the tank to displace the lighter, hotter water above it. Otherwise, when you were to draw hot water, the cold water coming it at the top of the tank would travel directly to the hot water outlet, and you'd get luke warm water (at best) coming out.

That "some way" is called a dip tube, and it's broken on your hot water heater.

A dip tube directs the cold incoming water to the bottom of the tank so that gravity keeps the colder heavier water at the bottom of the tank and the lighter, hotter water at the top of the tank. That way, you get ALL of the hot water out of the tank before it runs cold.

Run some water out of your drain valve and see if it's hot. If it isn't, then maybe your elements aren't working. But, if the water in the tank is hot, and yet you're not getting equally hot water out of the faucets, then your dip tube is toast.

shuswapcruisers

Hey Nestor
Water at the drain (bottom) is ice cold.
Power is to the heating elements (2)
Guess it has to be I burnt out the elements when I drained and winterized the tank?

MACPLUMB

it is your upper element is burnt out,
what we call dry fired it only takes about 10 seconds to burn
out if enough water is not covering it when it comes on
to help prevent this always bleed the water out though the tub/shower valve plus all other faucets in the cabin before turning the power back on ,
also it helps if you can get elements that are made with "incloy"
this is the black type stuff that works on electric stove tops
thats why they don't burn out

MACPLUMB
35 yr master plumber
with a ph.d. In water heaterolgy

Nestor_Kelebay

Shuswap:

Do you have a multimeter to check for continuity? If not, is it possible to turn off all the electric appliances in your house, and then turn up your water heater's thermostat and watch your electric meter to see if there's any watts being used by the only thing left; the water heater?

The material MACPLUMB says to get is incoloy, which is apparantly more resistant to corrosion or scale forming on it.

shuswapcruisers

I think your right.
Just drove two hours to get new elements.
Draining tank now.
Will let you all know later tonight
Thanks

shuswapcruisers

Would I have burnt out both and if not... how can I tell?

shuswapcruisers

NOW DO I FEEL DUMB
Got the top one out... or whats left to it.
Still waiting for the bottom to drain before I pull out the bottom to check it.
With all the scale I see I might as well change it anyways.
Update later!

Redwood

Stubs huh?

shuswapcruisers

Yup
Just call me stubby!
Thanks MacPlumb
Id type more but Im going to take a nice long HOT shower
Goodnight