Electric Hot Water Heater on my 2002 Islander Just Stopped Working

[Toothpick 10]

The Electric Hot Water Heater on my 2002 Islander just stopped working. Do these units have replaceable heating elements?

 

[DennisG01]

Check the element like you would a home's hot water heater, but note that it's 120V, not 240V when you check for power. Checking for resistance is the same idea as checking a home setup, too.

 

[Toothpick 10]

Check the element like you would a home's hot water heater, but note that it's 120V, not 240V when you check for power. Checking for resistance is the same idea as checking a home setup, too.

Thanks for the input. I have always had gas-fired hot water heaters at home, but if the GW unit has removable heating elements, I'll see if I can figure it out.

 

[DennisG01]

It's pretty straight forward - certainly not rocket science. Anything you find via google about a home's hot water heater element will apply. In a nutshell... test for voltage (make sure breaker is on)... then test for resistance by removing the leads (breaker off), looking for just a few ohms - maybe 10 or so. Anything higher is bad. Typically a shot element will come in at "k" ohms or higher. Often times, you can get a replacement at HD or Lowes.

 

[Toothpick 10]

I went to the boat today and brought my multi-meter along to do some trouble shooting. I discovered that the high temperature shutoff was stuck off. I gave it a few taps with a screw driver, and the hot water heater is working again.