Rowland wrote in message ...
It's ten years old, it just stopped heating the water, and I'd like to
try to repair it myself before paying a repairman. But where to get the
part in a reasonable time frame? Home Depot says they don't carry it.

It's a Craftmaster model E1E4ORDO45. If I have to buy a whole new one,
I'd want a plug-in replacement. I don't want to fiddle with welded
copper pipes.

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10 years seems to be pretty close to operatioal life of an average HW
heater.

I'd check a plumbing supply company - not HD?lowes, etc. - they should
have a HW rebuid kit which includes upper and lower thermostats and
heating elements. Just make sure you have the correct wattage for the
elements (you shuld be able to fine the info on the info tag on the
tank itself). Spend the extra five bucks for the element
wrench...it'll save you a substantial amount of aggrevation and
cursing at the HW heater...

As for welding the copper pipe it is fairly easy. Sometines you can
find beginners classes at a local home center. If not, a good DYI
book on basic plumbing should have all that you need. Practice
sweating joints with about $10-$15 of copper pipes and fittings.
Afterwards, you should be pretty proficient doing your own soldering.
Another possibility is using compresasion fittings. They are a bit
more expensive than soldered fittings, but no soldering is involved.
You need is a wrench or two, some joint compound, and a pipe cutter to
cut out the original soldered fittings.

Cheers

Steve