What Are The Main Causes of Burnout in the Electric Water Heater Elements?

by Sophia Anderson Blogger

Any household size in Perth will need continuous hot water flow, and so the inevitable need for electric water heaters. Primarily, the electric water heaters depend on a pair of lower and upper metal heating elements so their functionalities are intact. Whenever the electrical current is passing through them, the heating elements start to get hot. This, in turn, helps in water temperature regulation. A separate thermostat operates these heating elements to ensure their accurate and flawless control.

The heat amount concentrated in square inches is termed watt density. It is possible for the elements belonging to the same wattage input to be shorter or longer compared to their counterparts due to low, medium, and high watt density construction.

Certain lengths elements are generally used to fit within the water heater tank diameter constraints. Typically, the low watt density elements are long-lasting compared to the high watt density elements. It is because the heat is spread over the large surface area in the high watt density elements.

Regardless of the case, the heating elements are likely to burn out eventually due to varied reasons, and it is when you have to hire specialists for water heater repairs from a licensed company in Perth.

Let us now look into the reasons responsible for the eventual burnout of heating elements.

i. Sediment Build-Up:

The water's condition from the plumbing systems could vary based on the location, but most of it is having sediments coating the heating elements. As the coating becomes severe, eventually, the heating elements will stop heat transference to the water and thus undergo burnout. This very condition largely takes place to the bottom element as the particulate matter precipitating from the heated water eventually gathers and accumulates on the bottom of the tank. Once the water conditions start becoming harder, the chemical reactions start occurring faster with the heating elements.

ii. Occurrence of Dry Fire:

Dry firing is the most common cause of burned-out heating elements. A dry fire takes place when the new water heater's installer fails opening a hot water tap while water is filling the water heater tank, and it subsequently causes bleeding air from the system. If this situation is let to continue, then most likely an air pocket will possibly develop in the tank’s top portion that exposes the upper heating element to the air. In an air pocket, whenever the heating element is burned, then they will be generating abundant heat that will be melting the copper and gradually cause severe damages to the water heater.

iii. Disruptions in Electricity:

As electricity decides the heating elements, so they will be subjected to any occurring changes on their power source. A few electrical problems are likely to affect the heating elements directly, that includes the presence of the high voltage and power surge generated by the electric utility company.

There is yet another electrical situation likely to affect the heating elements, that is when the lightning has stricken the power lines, and has resulted in spikes into the electrical systems. But this situation has a frequent solution, that is energizing of the heating elements at the lower voltages.

The main involved factor that makes the hot water supply based on the preferred temperatures are the heating elements. You have to hire the water heater system specialists, for necessary repairs and replacements for solving the burnout issues on the heating elements. Hiring professionals is the legal way to fix the issues.