There are typically two thermostats and two heating elements in an electric water heater. The elements don’t heat up simultaneously; the top element goes first and then the bottom one starts heating. Each thermostat signals its corresponding element when to start heating up.
If your water is not getting hot enough, one potential reason is that you have a malfunctioning thermostat. If you want to check yours, make sure the water heater is turned off, both at the unit itself as well as the breaker as an added safety precaution. Each will have a reset button. If you still have the same problem after pressing each one, then you’ll need to replace one or both thermostats. This is the type of job that can be handled by most do-it-yourselfers, but you’ll need to make sure that you are as careful as possible. You’ll still be dealing with electricity, and if you are not completely sure of what you’re doing you could hurt yourself or cause a large amount of damage.
Call Radiant at (512) 772-5082 and we can take care of your water heater thermostat replacement.
