Know anything about water heaters?

[edro]

Our apartment is really 2 old apartments with a few walls taken down to make one Big 4 bedroom apartment.
We have 3 bathrooms and 2 water heaters. One water heater works perfectly, but the other works only HALF as good.

When taking a shower, the hot water lasts about 4-5 minutes, then ICE COLD. I checked it out and there are 2 "tanks" or sections on the water heater. The top one is very hot to the touch (there is hot water inside), the bottom one is ice cold. This leads me to believe that the heating element is bad. The problem is, I have no idea what is actually bad on it. It is like jumping off of the top one (note the wires on the second picture).

Here is the top section that is hot: Here

This is the one that is COLD: Note the wires going up. They connect to the top element

Anyways.....I could just call the maintnence guys, but I would feel "defeated", so I wanna try to do it myself.

Anyone know what exactly I would have to replace? All the wires are connected tightly.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

It just sounds like the bottom element is dead. I never new of a water heater with two tanks though, are you sure about that? . Its not something you want to mess with unless you know what your doing. It will involve draining the tank.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: Antisocial-Virge
It just sounds like the bottom element is dead. I never new of a water heater with two tanks though, are you sure about that? . Its not something you want to mess with unless you know what your doing. It will involve draining the tank.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I think the element is inside the actual water, so when you would replace it, all the water would fly out.....

I better just let them do it.

 

[Hoober]

One of the water tanks I've dealt with had the element inside with the water. You had to drain the tank and then replace the element. It wasn't a real big deal at all. Just turn off the power to the heater, close the intake valve, drain the tank. Replace the filter and then you're all through.

 

[etech]

Let the maintenance guys do it. You could be violating your lease if you attempt a repair you are not qualified for and flood the apartment or worse get someone hurt.

I am pleased to see you wanting to learn how to take care of repairs like this. An apartments appliances is not the place to start learning IMHO.

 

[thomsbrain]

NO! don't give in! you can fix it. all you need is a pocketknife and some used sugarless chewing gum.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

I think the element is inside the actual water

In your pictures, you see that big nut thing with the wires going into the center of it? Thats the element. Not really much to them actually.

 

[olds]

What usually happens when you drain older water heaters is that sediment will clog the drain making it impossible to completely shut off. You have to keep playing with it trying to flush it out or just replace the drain valve. Seeing as how you are paying for maintenance, I would just let them do it.

 

[monckywrench]

I second that. While elements are simple, if the heater is rusted you may wring off the screws that hold the element to the case. Replacing those is no joy., although I do element swaps on the ones I own.
(When assembling put some anti-seize on the thread to avoid future suffering.)

 

[flot]

You don't have two tanks, you have two heating elements inside the same tank.

They are basically like the elements on top of your stove, except that they literally just stick into the tank full of water.

It really isn't worth your effort to fix this yourself. Especially in an apartment, the hassle is that you have to drain out all the water, then TURN OFF POWER AT THE BREAKER, then unhook the power wires to the element, and finally remove and replace the element itself. But there are way too many things that can go wrong in that process. Call the apt people.

 

[Mutilator]

I don't see why anyone would pay an apartment complex thousands of dollars each year and then even consider doing repairs to their apartment themselves. Let them do it. That's what you're paying the hundreds of dollars each month for.