Replacing Electric Water Heater Heating Element

A typical electric water heater uses two heating elements to heat and maintain hot water.

Replacing electric water heater heating element.

Replace a broken heating element with the manufacturer approved replacement part. The lower element is typically the one that needs to be replaced. The upper heating element really only contributes when there is a high hot water demand and only serves to heat water in the upper portion of the tank. Electric water heaters have 2 heating elements.

A broken heating element produces no heat causing the water heater to produce very little hot water or to run out of hot water quickly. Electric water heaters have one or more heating elements that look very much like one of those heaters you put in a cup of cold water to make an instant cup of hot tea. In an electric water heater the bottom heating element is the workhorse since it is at the bottom of the tank where cold water enters from a dip tube that extends down through the tank. Follow the steps in this repair guide.