Feb 16
What is under the top of an electric water heater that can short out when it gets wet?
Maintenance Repairs Add commentsdsreed asked:
We have one of those short 20 something gal water heaters and there is a small hole on the top(came that way) that you can see the insulation through. Well my cat just peed on top of the water heater and it went in that hole and shorted something out. What is up there electrically that blew and made a loud POP sound? Will the heater work when everything dries out?
We have one of those short 20 something gal water heaters and there is a small hole on the top(came that way) that you can see the insulation through. Well my cat just peed on top of the water heater and it went in that hole and shorted something out. What is up there electrically that blew and made a loud POP sound? Will the heater work when everything dries out?
4 Responses to “What is under the top of an electric water heater that can short out when it gets wet?”
February 19th, 2009 at 7:35 am
The pig tail wires which connect to the heating element(s.)
The main supply power cable goes in thru the knockout hole on the top of the WH. The incoming power cable and the heating element supply lines are supposed to be connected together using wire nuts.
There may be a small cavity which contains all the wires. Your cat probably shorted the hot and either the neutral or ground wires together. (Hope he or she is ok, and learned not to do that again. It’s kind of funny.)
Shut-off the circuit breaker protecting the WH, disconnect the wires and wipe everything down with several shop towels. You can probably finish with a clean damp towel, then dry it out and reconnect the wires, then re-energize your ckt breaker.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Probably not. Generally speaking when you hear any household electrical appliance pop and short out that means one of the components either cracked or shattered. What may have happened is the heating element shattered because of the rapid localized cooling on that element from the cat ***.
Best thing is to have someone look it at before you turn it on. Most likely nothing would happen but their is a risk of fire or electrocution with a damaged water heater.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
You better check your circuit breaker box and make sure that the…..ummm…”moisture”… didn’t flip your breaker off, or you definately won’t have any hot water. Even if it looks like it is still on “On” flip it to “Off” and then “On” again. I don’t know anything about the smaller electric water heaters really, but I always clean out, change elements, etc, on our larger one. It sounds pretty dangerous though to have an opening like that with power right there. What if a kid stuck their finger in it? I think I’d check with the manufacturer and make sure there isn’t suppose to be some kind of plug or something there:) Good Luck!!
February 26th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Replace it with a bigger water heater. You will be more happer with it.