Quote:
Originally Posted by Patofnaud
The hardest part of changing elements is draining the stupid tank :P But yeah,, only do if you feel comfortable, else hire someone.
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It
truly is simple. The hardest part is wrestling the element from the plastic packaging!
Heating elements are pretty standard, so before starting to turn a wrench, I've walked into the hardware store with a cellphone picture of the element. (Buy the element, about $13.)
If you don't have one already, buy a fat cheap-looking $8 1½-inch "socket". Turn off the circuit breaker, (or, if fused, remove the fuse), remove the wires, and unscrew the element and pull the piece out. To finish, reverse the process, fill the water heater with water, flow it out at a "hot water" faucet to free it of air, and flip the circuit breaker back on.
Our water heater was newly installed in 1992, and the only repair has been replacement of the element—twice.
Element pictured below—by cellphone—before removal.