my 30 gallon electric hot water heater wasnt making hot water so i went
downstairs to take a look and when i started to unscrew the acess panel
for the thermostat/heating element i got a slight shock. so i turned off
the breaker and took off the panel. the water heater if fairly new, less
than 5 yrs. old and the wiring to the thermostat looks good, tight
connects, and no corrosion/discoloration. the green groung wire is
corroded at the tank connection. could that be the source of the
problems..no hot water/getting shocked? i did not exaime the inside of
the power supply but i guess i should. would a bad heating element cause
a shock? also, are replacement elements expensive? the manufactures name
is State and the model name is select...model number is p63010m5972k
many thanks, cj

With the electric off, check each wire connection. Then push on the red
button on the thermostat. (If you have two elements, it could be under
either one of the covers.) If you hear or feel a click, turn the electric
back on. If you hear crackling, then the water is heating up. This probably
means that either the thermostat is weak, or you have mineral buildup in the
bottom of the tank. If the water isn't heating up, turn the electric back
off and remove the two wires going to the element(s). Put an ohm meter on
the element. If you don't get continuity, then the element is bad. You can
buy the elements anywhere, but drain the tank, take it out, and take it with
you.



"cj" wrote in message
...
my 30 gallon electric hot water heater wasnt making hot water so i went
downstairs to take a look and when i started to unscrew the acess panel
for the thermostat/heating element i got a slight shock. so i turned off
the breaker and took off the panel. the water heater if fairly new, less
than 5 yrs. old and the wiring to the thermostat looks good, tight
connects, and no corrosion/discoloration. the green groung wire is
corroded at the tank connection. could that be the source of the
problems..no hot water/getting shocked? i did not exaime the inside of
the power supply but i guess i should. would a bad heating element cause
a shock? also, are replacement elements expensive? the manufactures name
is State and the model name is select...model number is p63010m5972k
many thanks, cj

If you got a shock just by touching the access panel, you have two
problems: 1. a current leak, and 2. water heater is not properly
grounded. Disconnect power until both problems are fixed. Current leak
could be from a corroded heating element, loose connection, problem with
thermostat, or insulation problem on wiring.

The poor grounding needs to be addressed too. The corrosion on the
ground connection could be the cause. Once you fix the corroded
connection, check that the ground is adequate. This can be done several
ways. Safest is to use an ohmmeter between ground terminal on water
heater and service entrance ground electrode (i.e. ground rod) [should
read zero ohms]. If it doesn't read zero ohms after fixing the corroded
connection, you (or an electrician) will have to trace back the ground
wire to find the location of the break and fix it.

If you have metal pipes, there should be a copper jumper between the
hot and cold pipes near the water heater. This is a code requirement in
most areas and provides a second ground path (assuming the cold water
piping is properly grounded, something that can also be checked with an
ohmmeter). It is not a substitute for having a functional ground wire
to the water heater.

Mike

cj wrote:
my 30 gallon electric hot water heater wasnt making hot water so i went
downstairs to take a look and when i started to unscrew the acess panel
for the thermostat/heating element i got a slight shock. so i turned off
the breaker and took off the panel. the water heater if fairly new, less
than 5 yrs. old and the wiring to the thermostat looks good, tight
connects, and no corrosion/discoloration. the green groung wire is
corroded at the tank connection. could that be the source of the
problems..no hot water/getting shocked? i did not exaime the inside of
the power supply but i guess i should. would a bad heating element cause
a shock? also, are replacement elements expensive? the manufactures name
is State and the model name is select...model number is p63010m5972k
many thanks, cj

Had an electric water heater heater unit - called a Calrod unit back
then - short out - everything metal in the whole basement was hot.
This is really dangerous - don't try to use it before fixing the short
problem - the life you save could be your own - only takes a few milli
amps to depolarize your heart muscle.