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Author:
idreos (MD)
I have a 60 gallon State Select electric water heater that is 4 years old.
Recently it started putting out scalding hot water. I shut off the breakers and looked at the top and bottom thermostat and set both to the lowest temperature. It worked okay for two weeks,
but the scalding water problem started again. Has one or both of the thermostats gone bad?
Any other suggestions on what the problem may be? Thanks for you help
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Author:
hj (AZ)
MOre likely one of the elements, probably the bottom one, has failed and is overriding the thermostat.
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Author:
Shoemaker2 (MA)
I concur, I just had one today with the same problem. Since you have to drain the tank I would suggest changing both elements.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
Yes, one of the thermostats is probably bad and running the temperature up past setpoint. It is best to replace them both at the same time.
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Author:
mrh (IN)
Faulty stats. Replace both of them. What were the readings on the elements, ohm?
Indiana Plumber
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Author:
hj (AZ)
quote; Faulty stats. Replace both of them. What were the readings on the elements, ohm?
FIRST you check the elements, then the thermostats. DO NOT "replace both of them", until you find out what is CAUSING the symptoms. If you are going to start replacing things you THINK are bad, you might as well just change the heater and be sure you have solved the problem, (and even that does not always cure it).
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Author:
idreos (MD)
When shutting the double breaker I noticed the breaker was loose on the clamp side..I shut main and fixed the loose clamp on the breaker..is it possible the loose breaker somehow caused the intermittent scalding water????
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Author:
dlh (TX)
no. it may cause colder water from the unit not getting power but the breaker has nothing to do with any part of heating the water
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
Your problem seems to be a t-stat failure to shut the power off to the element after the temp,/ as set\ is reached.It is possible to have a intermittent problem with a stat.when this heater is over temp see if one of the two elements is still energized.The controlling stat would be the one to change.
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Author:
mr leak (CA)
I believe it is a thermostat problem not a heating element as the elements are heating to the point of scalding. What is interesting is that the heat thermostat/s have a internal breaker most likely a small red button that should have tripped when water got that hot?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
A burned out element CAN bypass the thermostat, and it usually DOES trip the ECO, but since the water is so hot, the user may not realize the unit is not heating for a couple of days if they do not use a great deal of hot water.
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
HJ.I would need proof.
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
HJ.I would need proof.I will give you half amperage but it would need to be seldom used.The upper stat would still cut the power over temp and the high limit /reset would second the control failure even at short 120/110 burn.
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