Electric Water Heater Not Heating? Your Step-by-Step Fix

Your electric water heater quit making hot water. Let’s figure out why and get it working.

We will cover checking for power, testing the thermostats, inspecting the heating elements, and knowing when a repair is over your head.

I’ve pulled and replaced more heating elements than I can count. Start by shutting off the breaker to the heater; it’s the only safe way to work on it.

Grab Your Tools and Turn Off the Power

Before you touch the heater, get your tools together. You will need a multimeter to check for voltage and continuity. A set of screwdrivers is necessary to remove the access panels. Keep a garden hose and a bucket handy for draining, just in case.

The first and most critical step is to shut off the power at your home’s main breaker panel. Find the double-pole breaker for the water heater and flip it completely to the OFF position.

Do not trust the breaker label or your memory. You must verify the power is off. Use a non-contact voltage tester on the wires entering the top of the water heater. I keep one in my toolbox at home for this exact reason. Working on a live 240-volt circuit can kill you and is a direct violation of electrical safety codes.

As a general safety step, also turn off the cold water supply valve on the pipe leading into the heater. This prevents a flood if you accidentally loosen a connection. If your valve isn’t labeled, now is a good time to tag it for future you.

How Do You Know If Your Electric Water Heater Is Working? Start Here

The signs of a problem are usually obvious. Completely cold water at all taps is a clear failure. Lukewarm water that never gets hot is another common symptom. You might also notice your hot water runs out much faster than it used to, even with normal use.

Start with the simplest check. Go back to your breaker panel. Look for the double-pole breaker (two switches tied together) labeled for the water heater. If it has tripped, the switch will be in a middle position, not fully ON or OFF. Reset it by flipping it fully OFF, then back ON. If the breaker trips again immediately, you have a serious electrical fault and should call a professional.

Understanding how the heater works makes troubleshooting easier. Think of the tank as a two-story building. Cold water enters and stays on the bottom floor. The lower heating element warms that water. Hot water rises to the top floor and leaves through the hot water outlet pipe. The upper element mainly keeps the top layer hot for immediate use. This is a quick look at how electric water heaters work. A deeper explanation of the heating elements and thermostats follows.

Most electric water heaters have two independent heating elements, and it is very common for only one to fail. This is why you often get lukewarm water. The working element can’t heat the entire tank on its own, so you get a short supply of mixed-temperature water.

How to Check If the Thermostat is Set Correctly

Your electric water heater has two thermostats, one for the upper heating element and one for the lower. You find them behind the access panels on the side of the tank. Knowing the water heater thermostat location helps you identify which control is which. In the next steps, we’ll reference this location for quick model-specific pointers.

Turn off the power to the heater at the circuit breaker. Use a screwdriver to remove the panel covers. You’ll see a layer of insulation. Peel this back carefully to expose the thermostats and their wiring.

Set both thermostat dials to 120°F (49°C). This is a safe, standard setting that provides plenty of hot water while saving energy and reducing scalding risk. If your dial only has words like ‘Hot’ or ‘Very Hot,’ consult your manual for the temperature equivalent.

To test a thermostat, you need a multimeter set to measure voltage (AC). With the power still OFF at the breaker, carefully disconnect the wires from the thermostat terminals. Turn the power back on briefly. Touch one multimeter probe to each terminal screw. You should get a reading of 240 volts (for a standard two-pole system) or 120 volts. No voltage means the thermostat isn’t getting power and is likely the problem.

Think of a faulty thermostat like a broken light switch. Even with power in the wires, the switch won’t complete the circuit to turn on the light-or in this case, tell the heating element to warm up.

If you need a replacement, the new thermostat must match the voltage and wattage of your heating elements. This information is printed on a label on the water heater or on the element itself. Using the wrong one can cause immediate failure or create a fire hazard. Replacing a faulty water heater thermostat requires careful attention to these specifications.

What Are the Signs of a Faulty Thermostat?

Several clear symptoms point to a thermostat failure.

• No hot water at all is a primary sign.
• You get inconsistent water temperature, swinging from lukewarm to very hot.
• Only one heating element seems to work, so you run out of hot water very quickly.

A tripped high-limit switch, often called the ECO (Energy Cut Off), on the upper thermostat is a major red flag. This safety switch trips if the water gets dangerously hot, often because a lower thermostat has failed in the ‘on’ position. If the ECO button is popped out, it means a deeper problem caused it to activate. Simply resetting it is not a fix; you must find and replace the faulty component, usually a thermostat.

What to Do If the Circuit Breaker Has Tripped

A tripped breaker is a warning light, not the actual problem. I have seen too many service calls where someone just kept flipping the breaker back. That is a fast way to burn up wiring or start a fire.

The breaker trips to protect your home from an electrical fault inside the heater. The most common reasons are straightforward.

• A heating element has failed and is shorting to the water tank.
• A thermostat is malfunctioning and pulling too much amperage.
• Wire connections at the element or thermostat have come loose or corroded.

Your first move is to reset it correctly. Do not just flick it.

1. Find the correct double-pole breaker in your panel. It is usually a 30-amp or 40-amp switch.
2. Push the handle firmly to the full OFF position. You will feel it click.
3. Wait a solid three seconds. Then, snap it decisively back to ON.

If the breaker trips again the moment you turn it on, you have a hard electrical fault. The heater is unsafe to use. Stop resetting it.

Diagnosis means checking the components. First, kill the power at the breaker. Then open the access panels on the heater. Every wire connection must be rock-solid tight and clean, which is a basic rule of the National Electrical Code. A loose wire gets hot, melts its insulation, and causes the trip. On my own heater last year, I found a corroded terminal that was the entire cause of the issue. A five minute fix saved a big repair bill.

How to Test the Heating Elements for Continuity

Testing the elements is the only way to know for sure if they are the problem. You will need a multimeter set to measure resistance (ohms, Ω).

Follow these steps carefully to test your water heater’s elements safely and accurately.

1. Shut off the power to the water heater at the circuit breaker. Do not skip this step. For a 240-volt heater, you will likely need to turn off a double-pole breaker.
2. Turn off the cold water supply valve at the top of the water heater.
3. Attach a hose to the drain valve at the bottom. Open the valve and a hot water faucet in the house to drain the tank just below the level of the element you are testing. This prevents a flood when you remove it.
4. Remove the access panel(s) and insulation to expose the element’s wiring. Take a picture of the wiring first for reference.
5. Disconnect the wires from the element terminals. You may need to use a socket or wrench to loosen the mounting nuts holding the element in place.
6. Set your multimeter to the ohms (Ω) setting. Touch one probe to each of the element’s two screw terminals.

A good heating element acts like an unbroken wire. A reading between 10 and 16 ohms is normal and means the element has continuity. If your meter shows “OL” (open loop) or infinity, the wire inside is broken and the element is dead.

You must also check for a ground fault. This is a safety test. Next, you’ll perform a water heater element continuity test to check for an open element. This step helps verify element health before replacement. With one probe on an element terminal, touch the other probe directly to the metal water heater tank or the element’s metal mounting flange. The meter should read “OL.” Any other reading means the element is shorted to ground and must be replaced immediately.

Remember, most electric water heaters have two elements, an upper and a lower. You must test both elements individually, as one can fail while the other continues to work. This often leads to lukewarm water instead of no hot water.

Signs of a Faulty Heating Element

Sometimes you can spot a bad element before you even get the multimeter out. Look and listen for these clues.

• Visible damage like burning, cracking, or blistering on the metal surface of the element. I pulled one from my own heater last year that was swollen and split open.
• A hissing or sizzling sound coming from the tank before it failed completely. This is the sound of water contacting the hot, exposed wire inside a cracked element.
• Discolored or smelly water. If the element’s sheath has corroded through, water is touching the internal wiring and can cause a metallic taste or rotten egg odor.

If you see any of these signs, the element is almost certainly bad and needs to be replaced. Always install a new gasket with the new element to prevent leaks.

How Do I Reset the High-Temperature Cutoff (ECO)?

When your electric water heater goes cold, the high-temperature cutoff, or ECO, is a common culprit. Think of it as the safety circuit breaker for your heater’s temperature.

It’s a small red button located on the upper thermostat. You’ll find this thermostat behind the metal access panel on the side of your tank, hidden under a layer of insulation. Always shut off the power at your home’s breaker box before you remove this panel.

Locating and Understanding the ECO

Once the power is off and the panel is removed, you’ll see the upper thermostat. Carefully peel back the insulation to find it. You’re looking for a small, round, red button. Its job is critical. If the water temperature in the top of the tank rises to a dangerous level (usually around 180°F or higher), this button pops out and cuts all power to the heating elements. This prevents the tank from becoming a pressure bomb and is a non-negotiable safety feature. If it trips, it means something caused the water to overheat.

How to Reset the ECO Button

Resetting it is simple, but you must do it correctly and safely.

1. Ensure the power to the water heater is OFF at the breaker.
2. Remove the upper access panel and insulation to expose the upper thermostat.
3. Locate the red ECO reset button. If it’s popped out, you’ll see it clearly.
4. Press the button firmly inward until you feel or hear a click. It should stay depressed.
5. Replace the insulation and the access panel securely.
6. Restore power at the breaker.

Listen for the heater to kick back on. If the button won’t stay pressed in, or if it trips again immediately, stop. Do not keep trying to force it.

What a Tripped ECO Really Means

A reset button that won’t stay is telling you the problem is still there. The ECO itself rarely fails. It’s reacting to a fault.

A tripped ECO is a serious warning sign that usually points to one of two major issues.

• A Failed Upper Thermostat: This is the most common reason. The thermostat is the brain that tells the heating element when to turn on and off. If it gets stuck in the “on” position, it will overheat the water until the ECO trips to stop it. A thermostat that causes an ECO trip is defective and must be replaced.
• A Severely Sediment-Clogged Tank: In areas with hard water, mineral sediment (like limestone) builds up at the bottom of the tank. This layer can trap heat underneath it, insulating the lower heating element. The element then overheats the sediment, which transfers extreme heat to the water above it, fooling the upper thermostat and tripping the ECO. If your hot water recently got scalding hot before it failed completely, sediment is a likely suspect.

On a service call last year, I found a heater where the ECO had tripped. The homeowner kept resetting it. The upper thermostat had failed closed, and the relentless overheating fried both heating elements. A simple $25 thermostat replacement turned into a $200 repair because they ignored the warning.

Why Might the Dip Tube Be Causing Issues?

Your water heater has a simple but critical piece of plastic plumbing inside it called the dip tube. Its job is straightforward: it guides incoming cold water straight down to the very bottom of the tank. This keeps the cold water from mixing with the hot water at the top that you’re trying to use. Think of it like a long straw in a drink. A good straw sends your sip from the bottom. A broken straw just stirs the top.

Over many years, the plastic in older dip tubes can become brittle and disintegrate. If the tube cracks or breaks off, that incoming cold water no longer gets directed to the bottom. Instead, it enters at the top of the tank where your hot water outlet is. This cold water immediately mixes with and cools down the hot water you’re trying to draw. You’ll get lukewarm water, not the hot water you expect.

The telltale sign of a failed dip tube is full hot water pressure that goes cold or lukewarm very quickly, often in just a minute or two. Your heater is working, but it can’t deliver the hot water it made because cold water is rushing in at the wrong place.

How to Confirm a Dip Tube Problem

You can’t see the dip tube without taking things apart, but the symptom is very specific. Check your water heater’s age. If it’s over 10-15 years old and you’re experiencing this rapid cool-down, the dip tube is a prime suspect. Another clue is finding small white plastic chips in your faucet aerators or showerheads. Those are pieces of the disintegrated tube.

Fixing a Broken Dip Tube

Replacement dip tubes are cheap, standard parts you can find at any hardware store. The repair itself, however, is a medium-difficulty DIY job. You must completely drain the water heater tank and partially disassemble the cold water inlet connection at the top of the unit. Here’s the basic process for replacing a water heater dip tube:

1. Turn off power to the electric water heater at the circuit breaker.
2. Shut off the cold water supply valve to the heater.
3. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve and empty the tank completely.
4. Disconnect the cold water inlet pipe or flex line from the top of the heater.
5. Remove the old nipple fitting; the dip tube is attached to or is part of this nipple.
6. Insert the new dip tube into the opening, ensuring it goes all the way to the bottom.
7. Reconnect everything, refill the tank, purge air from the lines, and restore power.

The hardest part is often dealing with old, corroded connections. Have penetrating oil and the right pipe wrenches ready. If you’re not comfortable with this, it’s a straightforward job for a professional plumber.

How to Inspect and Replace Heating Elements and Thermostats

If you’ve confirmed a bad heating element or thermostat with a multimeter, you need to replace it. This is a straightforward job if you follow the steps exactly.

Step-by-Step Heating Element Replacement

Doing this repair requires you to fully drain the tank below the element you are replacing; there is no safe shortcut. Here is the process for replacing a single element, which applies to both upper and lower ones.

1. Turn off the power to the water heater at the circuit breaker. Use a non-contact voltage tester on the wires at the heater’s access panel to double check power is off.
2. Close the cold water inlet valve at the top of the heater.
3. Attach a garden hose to the tank’s drain valve. Run the hose to a floor drain, bucket, or outside.
4. Open a hot water faucet in a sink or tub upstairs to relieve vacuum pressure in the tank.
5. Open the tank’s drain valve. Let the tank drain completely. The water level must be below the element you are removing.
6. Remove the access panel and insulation to expose the element. Take a picture of the wiring before you disconnect anything.
7. Use an element wrench or a large deep socket to unscrew the old element. It will be tight. Pull it straight out.
8. Clean the opening in the tank with a rag. Insert the new gasket that came with your element onto the new element’s flange.
9. Carefully thread the new element into the tank by hand until it is snug. Use your wrench to turn it a final quarter to a half turn only; over-tightening will strip the threads in the tank, which is a major repair.
10. Reconnect the wires exactly as they were.
11. Replace the insulation and securely fasten the access panel.

The Critical Gasket Detail

You must use the new rubber gasket provided with your element. The old one is compressed and hardened. A reused gasket will almost certainly leak, causing water to short out the electrical connections and trip the breaker. Make sure the gasket is centered on the element flange before you screw it in. If it pinches or rolls, you have to drain the tank again to fix it.

Choosing the Correct Thermostat

Thermostats are not universal. You must match two things: voltage and amperage. The voltage (120V or 240V) must match your system. The amperage rating must be equal to or higher than the heating element it controls. You can find the amp rating printed on the face of the old thermostat. Using an undersized thermostat will cause it to fail quickly or become a fire hazard.

Refilling and Purging Air

Before you flip the breaker back on, the tank must be full of water. An element powered on in air will burn out in seconds.

• Close the drain valve completely.
• Ensure the hot water faucet you opened earlier is still open.
• Slowly open the cold water inlet valve. Let the tank fill. You will hear air and water sputtering from the open hot faucet.
• Once a steady stream of water with no air sputters flows from the faucet, turn it off. The tank is now full and purged.

Only then can you safely restore power at the circuit breaker. The heater will now start its heating cycle.

Keep It Working: Simple Electric Water Heater Maintenance

Fixing a broken heater is one thing. Keeping it from breaking is smarter. A little regular care saves you from cold showers and expensive repairs down the line. This isn’t a complicated monthly chore. Think of it as a quick annual checkup, like changing your furnace filter.

Annual Tank Flushing

Sediment is your tank’s worst enemy. Minerals in your water settle at the bottom like sand in a glass. This layer insulates the water from the heating elements, making your heater work harder and burn out faster. Flushing the tank once a year clears this sediment out and can significantly extend your heater’s life.

Here is how you do it:

1. Turn off the power to the water heater at the circuit breaker. This is non-negotiable.
2. Connect a standard garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Run the other end to a floor drain or outside.
3. Open a hot water faucet somewhere in the house (like a sink) to prevent a vacuum from forming.
4. Slowly open the tank’s drain valve. Let the water flow until it runs completely clear. If it’s never been done, the first water out will look rusty or muddy.
5. Close the drain valve, remove the hose, turn the power back on, and let the tank refill and reheat.

A common mistake is not letting it flush long enough. If you still see bits in the water, keep going. The water should look as clean as what comes from your cold tap.

Testing the Temperature & Pressure (T&P) Relief Valve

This valve is a critical safety device. If the tank pressure or temperature gets dangerously high, this valve opens to release water and prevent a potential explosion. A stuck valve is a dangerous valve. Testing the T&P valve once a year ensures it will move when your family’s safety depends on it.

Testing is simple but can be startling. Place a bucket under the discharge pipe connected to the valve. Firmly lift the valve’s test lever all the way up for a few seconds. You should hear a rush of air or see a blast of hot water into the bucket. Release the lever. It should snap back to its original position and the water flow must stop completely.

If no water comes out, or if it continues to drip after you release the lever, the valve is faulty and must be replaced immediately. Do not ignore this.

Inspecting the Anode Rod

This is the part most homeowners never see, but it’s the most important for preventing leaks. The anode rod is a long metal rod screwed into the top of your tank. It’s made of a sacrificial metal like magnesium or aluminum. The rod attracts corrosive elements in the water, dissolving itself to protect the steel tank lining from rust. Once the rod is gone, the tank starts to rust from the inside out.

Check it every 3 to 5 years. You’ll need a 1-1/16 inch socket and a long breaker bar or impact wrench. Turn off the power and water supply first. Drain a few gallons from the tank to lower the water level below the rod’s location. Unscrew it from the top of the tank.

Inspect it. If the rod is less than 1/2 inch thick at any point, or if the steel core wire is visible, replace it. A new rod costs a fraction of a new water heater. If the rod is heavily coated in hard calcium, your water is very hard, and you might consider a powered anode or need to check it more often.

Insulating Pipes and the Tank

This is a pure efficiency upgrade, not a repair. It keeps the heat you paid for in the water, not in the air around your pipes and tank. Adding insulation to the first few feet of hot water pipes and the tank itself reduces standby heat loss, which can lower your energy bills.

For pipes, use pre-slit foam pipe insulation. It’s cheap and snaps right on. For the tank, you must use an insulating blanket specifically rated for water heaters. Never cover the top, the thermostat access panels, the T&P valve, or the drain valve. The blanket should not touch the floor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely.

One warning: if your heater is in a small, enclosed space or is very new and already well insulated, adding a blanket might void the warranty or cause overheating. Check your manual first. In my basement, insulating the pipes and an older tank made a noticeable difference in how often the heater kicked on.

When to Call a Professional for Water Heater Repair

You can fix a lot yourself. I’ve replaced countless thermostats and heating elements. But some problems are a hard stop. They’re a sign to shut off the power and water and pick up the phone. Knowing the difference saves you money, time, and keeps you safe.

You smell burning or see scorched/melted wiring.

This is not a drill. Shut off the breaker to the water heater right now. Do not just turn off the switch on the unit. Go to your main electrical panel.

Burning smells or melted wire insulation point to a serious electrical fault. The problem is often at the connection point where the wires from your house attach to the water heater’s terminals. A loose connection creates high resistance, which creates intense heat. This heat can travel back along the wire, damaging it inside your wall.

A pro needs to assess the damage at the heater and possibly inside your wall before power is restored. They will check the terminal connections, replace the damaged wiring, and ensure the circuit breaker is properly sized. This is a fire hazard you do not want to guess on.

There is any sign of water leaking from the tank itself (not from a valve connection).

Water on the floor? Find the source. First, check the pipe fittings, the temperature and pressure relief valve (TPR valve) discharge pipe, and the drain valve. If those are dry, look at the tank. Rust streaks or a constant bead of water running down the steel tank shell means it’s done.

The glass-lined steel tank has finally corroded through. This is not repairable. The heater must be replaced. Continuing to run a leaking tank can lead to catastrophic failure and major water damage. I learned this the hard way years ago on a service call where a small leak the homeowner ignored for a week later burst and flooded a finished basement.

The breaker trips repeatedly after you’ve replaced the elements and thermostats.

You did the common fix. You installed new upper and lower thermostats and heating elements. You refilled the tank, purged the air, and turned it on. Then the breaker trips. You reset it, and it trips again.

This tells you the short circuit or ground fault is still present. The issue could be:

• A wiring problem in the unit you didn’t see (a pinched wire against the shell).
• A failed new component (even new elements can be defective).
• A problem with the electrical circuit in your home, not the heater.

A technician will use a multimeter to perform insulation tests on the elements and check for continuity to ground. Diagnosing this requires systematic electrical testing that goes beyond simple part swapping.

You are not comfortable working with high-voltage electricity or basic plumbing.

This is the most important rule. An electric water heater uses 240 volts. That’s not the same as the 120 volts from your standard outlet. It can kill you.

If you are unsure about safely shutting off the correct double-pole breaker, using a non-contact voltage tester to confirm power is off, or making tight, proper wire connections, stop. The same goes for plumbing. If you’re not confident you can drain the tank completely or properly reconnect the water lines without leaks, call someone.

Paying for a professional repair is always cheaper than a hospital visit or repairing water damage from a failed fitting. There is zero shame in this. I call an electrician for work inside my main panel. It’s about knowing your limits.

The heater is very old (12+ years); repair costs may approach replacement value.

Let’s talk numbers. A common repair like replacing both heating elements and thermostats might cost $200-$400 in parts and your time. If you pay a professional, the labor could push that to $500-$700.

A brand new, reliable 50-gallon electric water heater often costs between $600 and $1,200, plus installation. If your heater is 12-15 years old and needs a major component, you are investing in a machine at the very end of its typical lifespan. Putting a $700 repair into a 14-year-old heater is often poor economics, as another part could fail next year. A pro can help you weigh the repair cost against the value and remaining life of the unit. Sometimes, replacement is the smarter long-term fix.

Common Questions

What are the top reasons my electric water heater suddenly stops heating?

The three most common culprits are a tripped circuit breaker, a failed heating element, or a tripped high-temperature cutoff (ECO). Always start by checking your home’s breaker panel for a tripped double-pole switch before moving on to internal diagnostics. These cover the majority of sudden no-heat situations.

How can I tell if my thermostat or heating element is broken?

A faulty thermostat often causes no heat or wildly inconsistent temperatures. A single bad heating element typically results in a very short supply of lukewarm water. The only definitive way to know is by testing with a multimeter for power at the thermostat and for continuity on the elements, as outlined in the guide.

What does it mean if my hot water runs out in just a few minutes?

This is a classic sign of a single failed heating element, usually the lower one. The upper element heats a small amount of water at the top of the tank, which depletes quickly. In older heaters (10+ years), a disintegrated dip tube mixing cold water at the top can cause the same symptom.

What safety step is absolutely non-negotiable before I open the access panels?

You must shut off the dedicated 240-volt circuit breaker for the water heater at your main panel and then verify the power is off with a non-contact voltage tester. Never assume the breaker is correctly labeled or that flipping it is enough; testing the wires directly is the only safe confirmation.

What are the immediate red flags that mean I should call a professional?

Call a pro if you see scorched/melted wiring, any water leaking from the tank body itself (not a valve), or if the breaker trips repeatedly after you’ve performed basic repairs. These indicate serious electrical faults or a tank failure that are beyond safe DIY repair.

Your Next Move for Hot Water

Always turn off the power at your home’s main breaker before you open the water heater’s access panels. Start your troubleshooting with the circuit breaker and the heater’s reset button, as these simple fixes solve the majority of no-heat problems.