Water Heaters - are the water heater wires reversed

i just put a heating element in a water heater. The water still wont heat. Is it possible I reversed the red and black wires.

You may have reversed the wires but it wouldn't make any difference if you did.

Your problem is more likely a thermostat has gone bad.

You did turn the power back on, didn't you? Did you try pushing in the red reset button on the upper thermostat?

I pushed the reset button but it did not push all the way in. Is there anything else that could be wrong with it ?

Agree with Furd. In my experience, thermostats fail more often than the elements. Change both stats and you will likely be good to go.

If the thermostat reset switch does not depress, it could be 2 reasons.

1. The thermostat isn't tripped

2. The thermostat burned up and the reset is non-functional.


Did you measure continuity across the elements to see if they were still good or not before changing them?

Thermostats are usually the first to go as mentioned, always replace upper and lower at the same time; they are too inexpensive not to and the upper controls the activity of the lower.

Rarely will I have a customer let me replace the entire electrical components which is upper and lower elements, upper and lower thermostats.

On the cost perspective the money is better spent on replacing the water heater along with having a implied warranty of the product for a number of years when they are replaced. You will not find a plumber that will guarantee that tank to operate without error just because the stats/elements were replaced, I wouldn't.

You spend that money and two months later, tank leaks......now all that money trying to rebuild a dinosaur is chucked out to the curb.