How to Reconnect the Wires to a Heating Element on a Water Heater

Each heating element in an electric water heater wires to its own thermostat. In a two-element water heater, each thermostat and its heating element work independently of each other. This increases the energy efficiency of the unit because both elements only heat the water during periods of high demand. Electric water heaters use resistance-style heating elements. Applying voltage to an element creates electrical resistance that heats the element, which warms the water around it.

• 1

  Turn the electricity to the water heater off at the circuit breaker. The correct circuit breaker's label reads "Water heater."

• 2

  Loosen the two terminal screws on the heater's element. Elements mount to the water heater's tank below the thermostats.

• 3

  Route the wire from the thermostat's bottom left terminal, labeled "2," to one of the heating element's terminals. The black rectangle-shaped thermostat has several wire terminals with a numbered label printed next to the terminal.

• 4

  Route the wire from the thermostat's bottom right terminal, labeled "4," to the element's second wire terminal. On some water heater models, the wire that leads to the bottom element connects to a second "4" terminal on the upper thermostat. If so, then connect the wire from the top thermostat's "4" terminal to the top element, and the wire from the bottom "4" thermostat terminal to the bottom element.

• 5

  Wrap one of the wire ends from the thermostat around either of the element's wire terminals. Tighten the terminal's screw.

• 6

  Wrap the second wire from the thermostat around the second wire terminal. Tighten the terminal screw.