Hot Water Tank / Woodworking (1 of 2)
Hot Water Tank / Woodworking (1 of 2)
.... Just about the time when you think you have some free time to spend in the shop along comes something else that will ensure that you will NOT spend time the way you would like. Life tends to be like that for some reason or another, most of the time, it seems. About two weeks ago my wife said the hot water ran out too soon. So being the good husband that I am I checked it out and sure enough she was right! So I did some investigating and found that in the area in which we live there's a problem with lime deposits. In our other house it was acid water and rust which I eventually got under control. I also learned, it is usually the bottom element that becomes encrusted with lime and becomes hot and the water can't get around it to cool it down, thereby heating the water at the same time, and eventually explodes the element from all the heat, and it doesn't work anymore.
.... So yesterday afternoon was the day to replace the element. First thing I did was to open the lower element door and put my volt meter across the two terminals of the element and sure enough I had 241 volts, which told me I had power at the element (check point #1). After this I turned off the power at the breaker of the main electric box. Then I checked again with the meter to make SURE there was no power across those terminals, and it read “0” (check point #2).
.... I had decided some time ago that if I ever had to fix or replace this hot water tank that I was going to place a catch pan under it with an outlet so if a leak does occur the water will have a path to the drain rather than all over the cellar floor. I picked one up at LOWES.
.... Next, I turned off the water at the holding tank from the well and drained the hot water tank. Disconnected both the hot and cold copper lines running to the tank. Removed the three bricks from under the empty tank and wiped the floor clean with a rag. Placed the new catch pan, and the bricks in the pan, in position. Mounted the hot water heater on the bricks in the proper alignment also. Note: in reattaching the one copper pipe connection, whoever installed it had it so tight I had to cut the floor joist with a Sawzall just to give me a little stress relief so I could make the reconnection of the piping, (see pics) tighten everything up and proceed to the element.
.... Removed the lower element with a 1 ½ inch socket on a ¾” drive ratchet. A bit difficult getting it out but I got it all, I had to be careful (see pic) of the remains. Connected approx one inch clear diameter short, two feet, hose to the extension of the wet / dry vacuum and for the next (about) three hours removed lime from the bottom of the hot water tank through the 1 ½ inch element hole in the side of the tank, turning on the water,on occasion, so as to pick it all up with the vacuum. If you can imagine this: about a 14 inch diameter 6-8 inches high of nothing but lime is what came out of that tank.
... From past hot water tanks in my life I had removed and saved elements for possible future use in a pinch. Picked one of the two elements on the left side (see pic) and reinstalled it. Connected the element electrically, turned off the drain from the tank, filled the tank with water then turned on the breaker. Put the volt meter on bottom element terminals again and the meter read ZERO. To my surprise, I immediately checked my meter and found it was responding correctly. Puzzled by this, I talked to a fellow I know and he explained that the bottom element does NOT come on until the top element has heated the top half of the tank up to temperature then the bottom element cuts in and heats the bottom half of the tank and apparently it goes back and forth until there is a call for hot water. I did take notice, on the label, on the side of the hot water tank, it said: top element 4500 watts, bottom element 4500 watts, total 4500 watts. When I saw the total I thought it strange that the total was only 4500 watts and not 9000 watts and as you can see I made a mental note of it only to discover later why.
.... So anyway this is were my shop time went, thanks for reading.
Boyd
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