Our electric water heater is working intermittantly in recent weeks.
Sometimes there's not enough hot water for the first person showering
in the morning. The water heater came with the home and hasn't been
changed for many years.

Is it worth draining and/or attempting to change the element? Or
having a plumber check it? Or should we just buy a new one?

wrote:
Our electric water heater is working intermittantly in recent weeks.
Sometimes there's not enough hot water for the first person showering
in the morning. The water heater came with the home and hasn't been
changed for many years.

Is it worth draining and/or attempting to change the element? Or
having a plumber check it? Or should we just buy a new one?

Check the thermostats (there are usually 2 in an electric water heater) -- quite
likely one is now stuck "off". Quick and easy DIY fix.

wrote:
Our electric water heater is working intermittantly in recent weeks.
Sometimes there's not enough hot water for the first person showering
in the morning. The water heater came with the home and hasn't been
changed for many years.

Is it worth draining and/or attempting to change the element? Or
having a plumber check it? Or should we just buy a new one?


More likely a bad (intermittent) thermostat.
Not hard to replace (do shut off the power first...)
As a first step, it may be worthwhile simply setting the adjustment a
bit higher.
Draining would have no effect on this kind of problem.

Jim

Could be a loose connection at the incoming power or at any connection
inside the heater IE the therm or element-s