albee wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:49:19 -0400, albee <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:19:55 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> "albee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Thanks. I just re-checked just to make sure, and still the same,
>>>> although I did confirm that it's 240 between both poles. Actually,
>>>> fwiw, it's 237, and going from each to the neutral is 118 and 117 (I
>>>> think; could've been 118 and 119). But, clearly not zero.
>>>>
>>>> I was measuring at the breaker by touching the screws, but thought it
>>>> possible that the wires weren't screwed in tightly. I tried testing
>>>> behind the screws, but couldn't get a reading. Am I right that
>>>> touching the screws won't necessarily give me what's coming OUT of the
>>>> breaker? I wiggled, or tried to, the wires, but didn't note any
>>>> looseness, and re-checked at the heater, still with no voltage.
>>>>
>>>> I guess next step is to undo and re-attach the wires at the breaker?
>>>> Haven't done that yet, and hesitate to if not needed.
>>> There is no use to worry about a couple fo volts differance.
>>>
>>> Cut off the breaker and test to make sure the voltage is really off.
>>> Switch the meter to ohms and see what the resistance is to the heater. It
>>> should be very low on the two wires and almost an open circuit to the ground
>>> wire. If the resistance is low on the two wires in the breaker box comming
>> >from the heater, the breaker must be bad. If it is almost an open circuit,
>>> go to the heater and measuer the resistance of the wires going to the
>>> breaker. If low, you have a bad wire. If high, the element is probably
>>> open, you can measuer that.
>>>
>>> You may also want to make sure the power is off, then hook both hot wires to
>>> the ground at the water heater. Then go to the breaker box and check each
>>> wire to ground. If one is low and one is ooen, you have just found your
>>> open wire and will have to trace the wiring and maybe replace or splice it.
>>>
>> Thanks for the great, specific advice! In exchange, I have a feeling
>> I'm going to be asking a stupid question.
>> So, I turned the breakers off (two 30 amp ones), and pulled the wires
>> out of the breakers to measure the resistance between them. Right? I
>> get 1. Likewise, when testing from each wire to the neutral bar
>> holding all the white wires, that earlier I used to measure the 120 v
>> coming into each main wire to the box.
>> I went to the heater, and also measured the resistance between the
>> same wires coming out of the wall, and also got 1. likewise when I
>> went from one of the wires to a ground (metal part of the heater).
>>
>> Did I do this right? what does this tell us? Sorry for my ignorance,
>> and thanks so much for the help.
>
> UPDATE: LOL... okay, very well could be some "user error" in place
> here; what a shock, huh? I replaced both breakers, just in case. I get
> 120 between each and neutral. Went to where the wires came out of the
> wall and joined with the wires going into the heater... and realized
> that one was white (flesh tone), and the other black. Duh... So,
> obviously the black is coming from one of the breakers; not sure
> where the other black goes into the heater, but it isn't this
> off-white one coming out of the wall.
>
> Still no reading between the black and off-white wires coming from the
> wall; 120 between the black and ground; nothing between off-white and
> ground.
>
> A Black and Red wire are attached to the top two poles of the upper
> thermostat, coming in from above. No voltage between them. This should
> read 120 or 240, depending on system, right? I do get 120 between each
> pole and ground, though.
> Pushing the reset button does nothing, so it apparently wasn't
> tripped.
> Does the lack of voltage between the two top poles, L1 and L3,
> indicate a bad thermostat and it's as simple as that?!

This may sound simple, but did anyone happen to turn off the switch for
the water heater? I don't know when they started using them but I found
one in my house, it looks just like a light switch. I took a permanent
marker and labeled it on the cover plate.

On Aug 15, 11:41*pm, Tony <tony.mik...@gmail.com> wrote:

> This may sound simple, but did anyone happen to turn off the switch for
> the water heater? *I don't know when they started using them but I found
> one in my house, it looks just like a light switch. *I took a permanent
> marker and labeled it on the cover plate.

Maybe just turning off one leg of the supply. Letting power still
exist at the device. Something for the amateurs to discover the
hard way.

Michael B wrote:
> On Aug 15, 11:41 pm, Tony <tony.mik...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This may sound simple, but did anyone happen to turn off the switch for
>> the water heater? I don't know when they started using them but I found
>> one in my house, it looks just like a light switch. I took a permanent
>> marker and labeled it on the cover plate.
>
> Maybe just turning off one leg of the supply. Letting power still
> exist at the device. Something for the amateurs to discover the
> hard way.

Actually it's a double pole single throw (DPST) switch so it turns off
both legs. Years ago I pulled it out to check it, I forget what the
current rating is but by the feel of it you can tell it's not a little
light switch.