Should upper and lower thermostats be set the same?

If your water heater has two thermostats, adjust both the same amount. The top thermostat should be a few degrees higher than the bottom. The proper way is to have both of them the same. When it reaches a specified temperature, it shuts off, and the lower heating element takes over, heating the rest of the water.

Which element in a hot water heater comes on first?

Lower Element Comes on First When a hot water faucet is turned on, hot water will be drawn off the top of the tank and cold water introduced at the bottom. This cold water near the bottom of the tank will activate the thermostat for the lower element. The lower element will turn on and heat the incoming cool water.

What temperature should I set my hot water at?

A domestic hot water cylinder thermostat should be set at 60-65ºC. This is high enough to kill off harmful bacteria such as Legionella. If you set the thermostat much higher than this the water that comes out of the taps will be too hot and there’ll be a risk of scalding.

What’s the difference between upper and lower thermostats?

The upper thermostat is different from the lower thermostat. The upper thermostat is larger and controls the lower thermostat. Rarely do both thermostats fail at the same time (although I do recommend replacing both when one fails). When an upper heating element or thermostat fails, the entire water heater stops producing hot water.

Where are the thermostats on a water heater?

All modern residential water heaters have two heating elements and two thermostats. There are two panels located on the side of your electric water heater, each of which houses a thermostat and heating element. The upper thermostat is different from the lower thermostat. The upper thermostat is larger and controls the lower thermostat.

Is there a universal water heater thermostat?

No, all water heater thermostats are not universal. There are some variances in thermostats between single element water heaters and dual element water heaters. Also, in dual element water heaters, there is a difference in the upper and lower thermostats.

What happens when the thermostat fails on a hot water heater?

When an upper heating element or thermostat fails, the entire water heater stops producing hot water. When a lower heating element or thermostat fails, the top thermostat and element will continue to heat water in the upper half of the tank, but you will notice the hot water quickly runs out or is only lukewarm.

The upper thermostat is different from the lower thermostat. The upper thermostat is larger and controls the lower thermostat. Rarely do both thermostats fail at the same time (although I do recommend replacing both when one fails). When an upper heating element or thermostat fails, the entire water heater stops producing hot water.

All modern residential water heaters have two heating elements and two thermostats. There are two panels located on the side of your electric water heater, each of which houses a thermostat and heating element. The upper thermostat is different from the lower thermostat. The upper thermostat is larger and controls the lower thermostat.

No, all water heater thermostats are not universal. There are some variances in thermostats between single element water heaters and dual element water heaters. Also, in dual element water heaters, there is a difference in the upper and lower thermostats.

When an upper heating element or thermostat fails, the entire water heater stops producing hot water. When a lower heating element or thermostat fails, the top thermostat and element will continue to heat water in the upper half of the tank, but you will notice the hot water quickly runs out or is only lukewarm.