Whirlpool Residential Electric Water Heater Installation Instructions And Use & Care Manual page 18

TROUBLESHOOTING
WARNING! Working near an
energized circuit can result in severe
injury or death from electrical shock.
WARNING! When you are fi nished,
be sure all covers are secured to
reduce the risk of fi re and electric
shock.
No Hot Water
The most likely reasons for an electric wa-
ter heater to produce NO hot water are:
• No electric power—a common prob-
lem with new installa ons
• Burned out upper element (Dry
Fired) — a common problem with
new installa ons
• Tripped Energy Cut Off (red bu on
on upper thermostat)
• The water heater's inlet and outlet
connec ons are reversed (usually
only in new installa ons)
• Broken upper thermostat (or wiring)
• A leak in the hot water side of the
plumbing system that exceeds the
water heater's hea ng capacity and
makes it appear that the water heater
is producing li le to no hot water
Follow these steps to diagnose and
correct common electrical problems:
Check the electric power to
1
the water heater. No hot
water is o en caused by a
problem with the home's electrical
wiring or circuit breakers. You'll need a
non-contact circuit tester. Follow these
guidelines:
• Locate the water heater's circuit
breaker and turn it off (or remove the
circuit's fuses).
18 • Residen al Electric Water Heater Use and Care Guide
• Locate the electrical junc on box on
top of the water heater and remove
the cover.
• Iden fy the two power wires. The
power wires are usually black/black
or black/red—the green or copper
wire is the ground wire.
Use a non-contact circuit tester to check for
electrical power.
• Turn the circuit breaker back on
(or install the fuses) and check the
power on both incoming power wires
using a non-contact circuit tester.
• Turn the power off and replace the
cover on the electrical junc on box.
If the water heater is not ge ng
power, contact a qualifi ed person to
have your home's wiring or circuit
breakers checked.
Check the upper hea ng
2
element. If the water heater is
ge ng electrical power, check
to see if the upper hea ng element has
burned out. If the upper element is
burned out, you'll have no hot water.
To check the upper element, you'll
need a mul meter capable of reading
resistance.
• Turn the power OFF at the circuit
breaker or remove fuses.
• Remove the upper access panel.
• Remove the insula on to access the
upper thermostat and hea ng ele-
ment.
Check the top two screws of
3
the upper thermostat using a
non-contact circuit tester and
confi rm that power is off (screw
terminals 1 and 3 in photo on next
page).
• With the electrical power off , remove
the two power wires from the upper
hea ng element.
Use a mul meter to check the resistance of the
upper hea ng element.
Check the resistance of the
4
upper hea ng element using
a mul meter. Measure the
resistance between the two screw
terminals on the upper hea ng
element. A good element will have a
resistance ranging between 5 and 25
Ohms. If the resistance is:
Outside this range. Replace the ele-
ment (see the Rou ne Maintenance
sec on on page 22). On a new water
heater, a burned out upper hea ng
element is almost always caused by
turning the power on before the tank
was completely full of water (Dry Fire).
(See Step 8 in the Installa on sec on.)
Within this range. Rea ach the power
wires, making sure the wires are in
good condi on and the connec ons
are clean and ght. Next, check the
following: