very hot water

[Herb Eneva]

Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling. I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

 

[Jeff The Drunk]

Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling. I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

Did you ever watch the TV show Mythbusters? They contested a myth that a
hot water tank could explode with so much force that it would launch like
a rocket through several floors and out the roof. They disabled the
thermostat and safety relief pressure valve and at about 320 degrees F
inside, the tank launched as expected. And this was using only the
heating elements in the heater, no external heat source.

My point is; If you don't know how to change a thermostat you should
probably seek local professional help and not trust the advice from the
lunatics in this news group.

 

[RBM]

Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling. I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

It could, it may also be a loose thermostat or rust between one of the
thermostats and the heater. You can kill the power to the heater, verify
that it's dead, then open the two thermostat covers and inspect them, then
decide how to proceed

 

[Smitty Two]

Did you ever watch the TV show Mythbusters? They contested a myth that a
hot water tank could explode with so much force that it would launch like
a rocket through several floors and out the roof. They disabled the
thermostat and safety relief pressure valve and at about 320 degrees F
inside, the tank launched as expected. And this was using only the
heating elements in the heater, no external heat source.

My point is; If you don't know how to change a thermostat you should
probably seek local professional help and not trust the advice from the
lunatics in this news group.

I heard you can put your eye out with a screwdriver, or kill your whole
family by using a candle without proper training. But since I'm one of
the lunatics, I don't rely on professionals to operate those things for
me.

 

[Jeff The Drunk]

I heard you can put your eye out with a screwdriver, or kill your whole
family by using a candle without proper training. But since I'm one of
the lunatics, I don't rely on professionals to operate those things for
me.

Good boi! <pats you on head>

 

[Jeff The Drunk]

I'd really like to have their job.

So it was 350 PSI not degrees. So much for my memory. I never saw that
video. They redid the myth bust by building a two story structure with a
roof. And not some small shack, this was a fairly good sized structure to
better represent a real house. This is what was complained about by their
fans prompting them to redo the stunt. The heater blew around the same PSI
and went through the first floor and through the roof. It would have gone
through more floors than that considering the heater rose to a few
hundred feet after it left the roof. And yes I would give up drinking to
have their jobs.

 

[ransley]

  Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling.  I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

Almost boiling, so you mean steam is spitting out, you used a
thermometer and its near 212f, or is it just hot like maybe 140f. If
near 160-212 turn it off at the breaker now, Is the saftey valve
leaking. There are 2 thermostats by turning them you should be able to
feel which one is cutting off at to high a temp, turn both down. If
you have a gas supply now is the time to consider switching as Ng for
me is 60% cheaper. There have been units that the saftey valve froze,
the unit would not stop heating and it went through a ceiling, roof
and landed far away, that is fact. If its old and in fact near 212 I
would junk it as its had alot of extra stress.

 

[Jeff The Drunk]

That wasn't a nice thing to write.

It isn't when the sarcasm wasn't received by the reader (as in your case).

Besides that, there really are some lunatics in this group including me.
But I'm a lunatic with a lot of work history in HVAC and home repair/
remodeling.

 

[Stormin Mormon]

I agree, not all that nice. But, I agree with the general message. If
not the "tone".

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

My point is; If you don't know how to change a thermostat you should
probably seek local professional help and not trust the advice from
the
lunatics in this news group.

That wasn't a nice thing to write.

 

[LSMFT]

Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling. I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

It's a total waste of energy to store 40 gallons of hot water 24/7/365.
Multiply that by 300 million people. Americans are the most wasteful
pigs on earth.

Get an oil or electric tankless demand water heater. I have 2 small
electric point of use electric tankless and love them. They only run
when you draw water.


--
LSMFT

Those who would give up Essential Liberty
to purchase a little Temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Benjamin Franklin--

 

[tmclone]

  Yesterday while running hot water it was very hot --almost boiling.  I
have a 40 gal. electric water heater. Does this mean a stuck thermostat
and how do I change it?

In my experience, when that happens, one or more of the elements is
toast, and the unit is about to fail. The heater boils the water, then
shuts off. If restarted, same thing happens after a few hours. It's
happened to me twice, both times at around 16 years (age of
waterheater), so I replaced the water heater. However, it might just
be the termostat. Easy to replace, but how old is the water heater?

 

[tmclone]

pigs on earth.

PLONK! Oh wait. Already did. Back in the bozo bin with you!

 

[LSMFT]

PLONK! Oh wait. Already did. Back in the bozo bin with you!

The truth hurts the guilty!

--
LSMFT

Those who would give up Essential Liberty
to purchase a little Temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Benjamin Franklin--

 

[Jeff The Drunk]

The truth hurts the guilty!

Really? How so?

 

[ransley]

It's a total waste of energy to store 40 gallons of hot water 24/7/365.
Multiply that by 300 million people. Americans are the most wasteful
pigs on earth.

Get an oil or electric tankless demand water heater. I have 2 small
electric point of use electric tankless and love them. They only run
when you draw water.

--
LSMFT

Those who would give up Essential Liberty
to purchase a little Temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty  nor Safety.
Benjamin Franklin--

2nd most wastefull , China is the #1 user, so we need to be #1 again.