Learn how to test the bottom heating element on a water heater using amperage readings. Daniel shows how to confirm power is reaching the element (18–22 amps), explains how the top and bottom elements cycle separately, and helps you verify your system is heating correctly. Great for maintenance and troubleshooting in the field!
So here's water here. We're just gonna check the bottom element to see if we got how we're going to that bottom element. And so we're gonna turn up the thermostat on the bottom down here, make sure it's saturating. Then we're gonna pull the first line and we're gonna check it and amps. And so what you wanna see is between 18 to 22 amps on the bottom element to make sure you're getting full power to it.
Then we're gonna turn it back down.
And that tells you that you got power to that bottom element and lets you know that the actual heat is running to that bottom element, and that means your top element has been saturated. When you check the top one, you should get no power to that, and that tells you the top one has already called and the bottom one is going to be calling.
So they both don't work at the same time. They work at different times. What happens is, is. The bo, the fir, the top one calls saturates, gets all the way to temperature. Then it'll call to the bottom one so you don't run out of hot water. Thank you guys. You guys have a great day.
