Electric Hot Water Heaters

Maintaining Electric hot water heaters

Electric hot water heaters differ from Gas heaters, and so maintenance is different, but you can turn the power off and inspect all the fittings and open the element ports, and the port for the power cord on top of the tank.
First Make sure the power is really off! Then look for signs of leakage and longtime corrosion. The Anode looks right, the ports look OK. What next? Pulling out the anode will give you some idea of how much life your tank has left.

Here is how to pull the Anode.

1. Shut off the power to your electric water heater.
2. Close the cold-water valve to prevent leaks when you open things up
3. Open a hot-water faucet somewhere inside the house to relieve the remaining water pressure.
4. Open the drain valve and let out a few liters of water to make sure there is no water pressure in the tank. If necessary shut off the water at the mains, as if there is pressure in the tank when you unscrew the anode it will not only soak you and the room, but you might end up wearing the plug.
5. If nothing comes out of the drain valve, it may be clogged with sediment or rust or it might need replacing. Opening the pressure relief valve may help let out some water. To replace the valve you will first need to make sure that there is no pressure in the tank by opening and leaving open a hot water tap until no water comes out, then unscrew the valve and replace it with a new one.
6. Next unscrew the anode and inspect it to see if it is still at least 3/4″ long, If not unscrew the anode and replace it. replacing the anode can be an exasperating experience, especially if you do not have the right tools. A prudent choice might be to call Drain Savers ® on  1 800 80 80 50 and let our professional plumbers do a thorough inspection of your heater including changing that pesky anode.

And when you’re done, put everything back together the way you found it and don’t forget to turn the power back on or you’ll have a cheap thrill the next time you take a shower!