Hot water heater causing breaker to blow

Here is the story.

Idiot here shut off the main water valve to go on vacation for 5 days. I did not shut off the water heater breaker.

Came home from vacation and turned on main water valve.

Next morning took a shower and the water was scalding hot. Also noticed that the water would spurt out fast then go dry and vice versa. I figured it was air from my stupid shutting off valve. Later that day we had no hot water so went to water heater and pressed reset button above thermostat. Heard water heater come back on. Later that night same problem, reset it again.

Kept having spurting and no hot water. Now the breaker was tripped, so I reset breaker. I was just trying to get thru the memorial weekend until I could get a plumber out here.

Well I just went to redo breaker to get some hot water for a while and the biggest spark, surge, mini explosion happened at the breaker. I assume I have now cause electrical damage and made my issue worse.

Should I get a new water heater or let a plumber work on this rheem that is still under parts warranty?

I wonder if a new water heater would cost just as much as a plumber to do labor on this rheem.

thanks for any help/

you need new elements and thermostats...

the heater is probably full of sediment

you need it clenaed out and new elements and
thermostats put on the unit...

master plumber mark said:

the heater is probably full of sediment

you need it clenaed out and new elements and
thermostats put on the unit...

Click to expand...

is that cheaper than a new unit?

While the water was off could the heater somehow have partially drained down? I.E. A fixture below the tank was opened.

At a minimum you are probably looking at new thermostats & elements.

The water heater will have to be troubleshot to see exactly what is wrong with it.

It is cheaper than a new unit!

thanks.

what is the deal with the breaker blowing so loudly with such a flash?

You have a dead short... The amperage it was opening under was substantially higher than the 30 Amps the breaker is listed at.

The breaker may be damaged.

A Circuit Breaker may take 1/60th of a second to react to a current over 30 amps.
With a dead short current flow accelerates well past 30 amps. in that 1/60th of a second. Circuit breakers in fact have a second capacity that is lesser known (the small print) it is the maximum current interruption capacity. In a typical home circuit breaker this may be in the region of 10,000 amps.

When a in a high current situation is called upon to open there is an arc that is created. The arc travels across the gap between the opening contacts on ionized air. The maximum current interruption capacity is the maximum current that the circuit breaker can have flowing and safely extinguish the arc.

You were probably very close to that maximum and the breaker may be damaged and require replacement in addition to the water heater repairs.

Redwood said:

You have a dead short... The amperage it was opening under was substantially higher than the 30 Amps the breaker is listed at.

The breaker may be damaged.

A Circuit Breaker may take 1/60th of a second to react to a current over 30 amps.
With a dead short current flow accelerates well past 30 amps. in that 1/60th of a second. Circuit breakers in fact have a second capacity that is lesser known (the small print) it is the maximum current interruption capacity. In a typical home circuit breaker this may be in the region of 10,000 amps.

When a in a high current situation is called upon to open there is an arc that is created. The arc travels across the gap between the opening contacts on ionized air. The maximum current interruption capacity is the maximum current that the circuit breaker can have flowing and safely extinguish the arc.

You were probably very close to that maximum and the breaker may be damaged and require replacement in addition to the water heater repairs.

Click to expand...

thanks again

How old is your heater.

Cass said:

How old is your heater.

Click to expand...

mnfg 4/2006, moved into new home 6/2006, I believe the warranty starts when we moved in, I think parts are under warranty

Water heater elements are cheap. Labor is not. But elements are not warranteed against running dry. Leaving the heater on while the water was shut off probably voided your warranty. But the cost of the elements and thermostat will not be a deal breaker either way. There is no reason not to just repair this 3 year old unit.

jimbo said:

Water heater elements are cheap. Labor is not. But elements are not warranteed against running dry. Leaving the heater on while the water was shut off probably voided your warranty. But the cost of the elements and thermostat will not be a deal breaker either way. There is no reason not to just repair this 3 year old unit.

Click to expand...

waiting on a plumber now, will post the results later

$137 to change the upper element only. He claimed bottom element was not burned out by using a meter. He showed me top element and it was corroded so I don't think that corrosion happened in 5 days but I could be wrong.

He said the parts were under warranty. He spent 20 minutes here so $137 for 20 minutes work is pretty good for him.

He gets $45 service call and one hour minimum of $92. Found a handyman with many years experience who offered to change out both elements and thermostat for $50 labor should have waited