How To Test Hot Water Cylinder Element

How to test a Hot Water Cylinder Element to ensure it is the component responsible for lack of hot water. Always test an element before removal.
Tools required - Mulitmeter and screwdriver.

[@grogsmooth]

Wondering if the future video on fault finding a hot water cylinder is going to happen, love your content by the way. Very helpful.

[@simonsutherland814]

Excellent 👍🏻

[@aucklanddjservice]

Good video, my HWC has stopped working and I'm heading to investigate in 5 mins following your video tips (which is the only reason I can confidently do so now :) just checking how to tell if the thermostat is no good? Thanks Sparkydave - thumbs up!

[@H_o_g_a_n]

nice info. thanks

[@bhaveshbarot186]

i think u have measured ZE line side of main switch which dose not decide your main siwtch
protection rating.that Ze is for upstream fuse at boundry box. and also if u dont open men link and measure LN will give you same result as L-PE , which u got.

[@rakselectric7390]

Hey Sparky Dave since there is asbestos material present, would you still change the element since you could disturb the asbestos or would you just through away the whole cylinder or just rip out the element with a mask on.

[@sparkydave]

Good question, if it was my own I would still remove the element with a proper mask by surrounding the material near the element with either shaving cream or vaseline to minimise the chances of any asbestos material becoming airborne during removal. If it was a customers, I would tell them to phone a plumber :D

[@rakselectric7390]

@@sparkydave Thanks for the reply sounds like a good idea using vaseline or shaving cream.

[@joewrltech2110]

Hope you will do a new vid on diagnosing the whole cylinder heating circuit. Thanks all your vids are helpful.

[@skarena7411]

If its damaged can it cause leaking up in the ceiling? Also can it cause increase of power usage?
My power consumption has increased from usual $130-$150 to $240-$380 a month. Its been like that for that past 4 months which is the same time our hot water cylinder and ceiling started leaking water.

[@skarena7411]

@@nev-lj7tb thank you very much for the info. Appreciate it.

[@inhopeofabettername]

I realise this was a couple of years ago and I hope you have since fixed your problem, but generally an electrical issue like this will not cause a water leak (there are exceptions to this if something has gone seriously wrong, but the water heater and everything else in the house is unlikely to still work in these situations). A leaking hot water pipe however will cause your water heater to run for more time, as it has to constantly warm the cold water coming in to replace the water hot water that is leaking out. This will cause the higher electricity bill, the extra is probably just paying to heat the water that is leaking out

[@skarena7411]

Faulty water cylinder. Has since been replaced. It was also causing leaking water pipes in the ceiling. I had eventually got a reimbursement/ refund from property owner's ​@inhopeofabettername