Hot Water Heater Help

[JimCo]

I'm helping my son with the hot water heater in his home. It's an olde home probably circa 1925. The heating elements, high temperature limi switch and thermostat have all been replaced. There was a problem wit the fuse box which we replaced with a used one. When every thing wa connected and the power turned on we had hot water for a short time. Where do we go from here since every thing else looks good.

Thanks,
Ji

 

[RBM]

Assuming you have an upper and lower thermostat in the heater, first I'd open the upper cover and check for 240 volts on the line side (top) of the upper, then check for 240 volts going through the stat, then check the lower stat. If 240 volts is passing through upper stat, see that you read 240 volts on the upper heating element terminals. If you do the element is bad (if it's not heating)

 

[barbarow]

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/troubleshootingwaterheaters.html

 

[SQLit]

I'm helping my son with the hot water heater in his home. It's an older home probably circa 1925. The heating elements, high temperature limit switch and thermostat have all been replaced. There was a problem with the fuse box which we replaced with a used one. When every thing was connected and the power turned on we had hot water for a short time. Where do we go from here since every thing else looks good.

Thanks,
Jim

Did you fill the tank and purge BEFORE you turned it on?

Checking voltage is a good place to start. Reading the current draw is the way I find out if the elements are working.

How high is the t-stat set?