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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > October 2007 > Burnt Electrode
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| Any ideas as to why my son's electric hot water heater electrode burned
open? It was cathastrophic!
Go to alt.binaries.schematics.electonic for a view.
Al
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| Gerald Newton 2007-10-13, 5:25 pm |
| On Oct 13, 11:22 am, Al <no.s...@wanted.com> wrote:
> Any ideas as to why my son's electric hot water heater electrode burned
> open? It was cathastrophic!
>
> Go to alt.binaries.schematics.electonic for a view.
>
> Al
I used to maintain many hot water heaters on Alaska's North Slope at
the two 500 man construction camps, CC2 and CC1 and later at the 1500
man camp, Prime Camp from 1976 to 1982. Almost all hot water tanks'
electrode failures were attributable to a buildup of sediment in the
tanks. We finally started a routine flush down process to remove the
sediment.
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| In article <1192305213.196694.106290@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
Gerald Newton <electrician@electrician2.com> wrote:
> On Oct 13, 11:22 am, Al <no.s...@wanted.com> wrote:
>
> I used to maintain many hot water heaters on Alaska's North Slope at
> the two 500 man construction camps, CC2 and CC1 and later at the 1500
> man camp, Prime Camp from 1976 to 1982. Almost all hot water tanks'
> electrode failures were attributable to a buildup of sediment in the
> tanks. We finally started a routine flush down process to remove the
> sediment.
>
This one was about a year old. Could the sediment build up that fast?
Al
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| Long Ranger 2007-10-14, 1:25 pm |
|
"Al" <no.spam@wanted.com> wrote in message
news:no.spam-7A90AD.11034014102007@news.verizon.net...
> In article <1192305213.196694.106290@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
> Gerald Newton <electrician@electrician2.com> wrote:
>
>
> This one was about a year old. Could the sediment build up that fast?
>
> Al
Yes, it can. I lived where the water "ate" my elements in less than a year
sometimes. You might check out the manufacturer "Watlow" and some others for
a stainless or coated version. Flushing the tank periodically will help, but
your element is still suspended in a chemical bath no matter what you do.
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| **THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** 2007-10-14, 5:25 pm |
| Maybe someone turned the water supply off, allowed the tank to drain and
left the power applied to the element. That would burn it out quickly.
Al wrote:
>Any ideas as to why my son's electric hot water heater electrode burned
>open? It was cathastrophic!
>
>Go to alt.binaries.schematics.electonic for a view.
>
>Al
>
>
--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©
"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."
"Follow The Money" ;-P
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| Gerald Newton 2007-10-15, 5:25 pm |
| On Oct 14, 12:36 pm, **THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** <rhyol...@nettally.com>
wrote:
> Maybe someone turned the water supply off, allowed the tank to drain and
> left the power applied to the element. That would burn it out quickly.
>
> Al wrote:
>
>
>
> --
> Joe Leikhim K4SAT
> "The RFI-EMI-GUY"=A9
>
> "Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
> For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."
>
> "Follow The Money" ;-P
There are several questions that need answers.
1=2E Did the top and bottom elements burn open or just the bottom?
2=2E Are they using treated water or well water without a softner?
3=2E Was sediment found in the bottom of the tank?
Sediment that surrounds a element will cause it to over heat and burn
open.
However, if the water level dropped below the elements both should
overheat and burn open.
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| In article <1192479133.787982.184030@q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Gerald Newton <electrician@electrician2.com> wrote:
> On Oct 14, 12:36 pm, **THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** <rhyol...@nettally.com>
> wrote:
>
> There are several questions that need answers.
> 1. Did the top and bottom elements burn open or just the bottom?
> 2. Are they using treated water or well water without a softner?
> 3. Was sediment found in the bottom of the tank?
>
> Sediment that surrounds a element will cause it to over heat and burn
> open.
> However, if the water level dropped below the elements both should
> overheat and burn open.
>
I think he poster who suggested that the unit was turned on before it
was filled with water was correct. The fusing would have prevented an
immediate failure, but the element must have suffered some damage which
eventually became catastrophic.
Both elements as well as the controller were replaced just to be safe.
The symptom was that the hot water temperature had declined. I suppose
it was running on just one element. And, unfortunately, this all
happened after the one year warrenty. grrr!
The water is city water and dunno about the sediment.
Al
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