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Electric water heater temp. fluctuations

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Jared
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Joined:	Sat Jun 21st, 2008
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Posted: Sat Jun 21st, 2008 07:08 am

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I apologize for the length of this message but there is some background that might help identify the problem. I have a two element 40 gallon (I think) electric water tank that recently quit working. The day before it was discovered that it did not work, I had some plumbers install new supply lines in a bathroom remodel, they replaced copper with PEX. I was not home during the installation but was not made aware of any problems. The next day my wife informs that the hot water is not hot just luke warm. I have no evidence of a leak that would have caused the tank to drain to a point where an element would have burned up. I checked breakers they are fine. I pressed the red high limit button did not hear a click or get any indication that it reset itself. I tried turning up the thermostat and after a while it seemed to work. With acceptable water temperature I was going to let things go and see what happened, thinking it just reset itself when the water got turned off. Now on two seperate occasions the water has turned very hot for a short amount of time and then back to being just luke warm. I did not bring this to my contractors attention or the plumber because I didn't see any reason why shutting off the water and replacing supply line in a bathroom should affect my water heater. After reading some posts I'm wondering if they didn't cross connect my hot and cold line in the bathroom. The bathroom is still unfinished, everything is capped with just the shower valve installed but no supply valves for the lavatory or toilet. The problem is since the water heater stopped it has been about a week and the bathroom is now drywalled and textured. Please help me figure out what is up. And could you please explain cross connection a little better. I read the section in tanklets but am still confused. I just remembered something else to add, both the cold inlet pipe and hot outlet pipe on the top of my tank are hot. I originally thought this was just due to convection but now I don't know.

Thanks

Last edited on Sat Jun 21st, 2008 07:19 am by Jared

Ej
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Posted: Sat Jun 21st, 2008 02:17 pm

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I had simular problem on a service call I made for no hot water. It seems the contractor/plumber capped the shower head off and the mixing valve was left on to pressure test the line and was never closed. This passed the cold water to the hot side which gave him results like yours.

Jared
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Posted: Sat Jun 21st, 2008 07:00 pm

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EJ-

Thank you so much I am almost onehundred percent positive this is my issue. I came home this morning and shut off the supply to my heater then ran the hotwater at my kitchen sink. Sure enough the water flowed endlessly and cold. I went to the roughed in shower valve and am pretty sure I can hear water flowing through it and the metal is colder than it should be. Now I just have to get the plumbers to come and put a plug in or something because right now It is just the rough in with no handle or valve assemby. I wil write back after the wekend and let you know but ir loks like you might have saved me a big headache.

Thanks,

Jared

Jared
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Posted: Tue Jun 24th, 2008 12:01 am

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Fixed the problem. Tho contracter came over on Sunday, and put in a spare Delta Cartridge that he had. Problem fixed hot water works and I don't need a new water heater.

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