Changing Water Heater Element

I'm getting ready to change lower water heater element. Never done this before. I know basically what to do. Any words of advice or do's or don'ts i should know about?

Take a picture of how things are connected before you mess with it!

Make sure you turn the breaker off. It is possible to do it without draining down the heater but it depends. expect to get alot of minerals pouring out. You might try to flush the heater out first. turn the breaker of attach a house to the drain and open the drains and let is run till the water is clear without gunk. the close the drain and shutoff the valve to the heater and then drain it down. then replace the element. If it was me i would do the upper element while i was at it.

Use a breaker bar and a 1 1/2" 6-point socket. Don't bother with those cheapo stamped steel sockets similar to the faucet sockets... While that type works great for faucets they are useless on water heaters.

element

Unless the old element is a high watt density with a single loop, do not be surprised if the old element is twisted when you get it loose. You will just have to bend and pull it to remove it.

I replace elements, lower and upper all the time without draining the heater down. Even in finished areas. It rarely takes more than 30 seconds and that is if there are problems.

If the mineral build up is so high that it can't be done I cut the element that is there and screw in a element nut that I have ready and tell the client that they need a new heater.

1 Recient one was so packed with minerals that the element broke off at the nut and when the nut was removed no water would come out of the heater.

True I don't usually drain the heater down either but for someone that hasn't done them it may be less messy.