Both of them control their respective heating elements.
Water heater thermostat location.
Adjusting an electric hot water heater temperature thermostat setting is a little more involved but still relatively easy.
Don t worry we are here to explain to you one of the most important components of the water heater that is none other than the thermostat.
2 remove the access cover panels located on the side of the tank.
The exact location is different with each manufacturer or model but it probably.
An electric hot water heater has two thermostats controlling two separate heating elements one in the upper half of the tank one in the lower half.
Gas water heaters use a different type of thermostat system.
When you open the door to your water heater you should see a rectangular black section of insulation like the one in the photo below.
The one on the right in the picture above t stat is the actual thermostat that controls the heat of the water.
Turn off the circuit breaker to the water heater.
An electric water heater has two thermostats located under access panels on the side of the tank.
On most gas water heaters the gas control valve which includes both a thermostat and a heat limiting device are located on the outside of the unit near the bottom.
You can test them with the power off using an ohmmeter to measure resistance or with the power on using a voltmeter to measure voltage.
You will find two thermostats in your water heater.
An electric water heater has one or two thermostats depending on the gallon size of the tank.
An upper and a lower located under two control panels.
Each thermostat has two wires attached to it.
The majority of electric water heaters have two thermostats.
If the hot water heater is not working one of the thermostats may be bad.
One is at the top and the other is at the bottom.
Usually when the upper thermostat goes bad you will have no hot water at all while a bad lower thermostat makes itself known when there is only a small amount of hot water before the tap water goes cold.