Testing Electric Furnace Elements

R v x v p where v is the voltage powering the element p is the power the element uses and r is the resistance an example calculation is shown in the tips section.

Testing electric furnace elements.

Look at the top and bottom of the oven to find your elements. Water heater not heating. If you find some clean the terminal ends with a fine sandpaper or a piece of steel wool. Turn the oven on and see if the heating elements glow red or orange.

Turn your oven off and let it cool if necessary. Check to see if the element is physically. Performing basic checks 1. In this video i show how to use basic electrical troubleshooting methods to diagnose problems with electrical furnaces.

If the water heater is hot run hot water in the building with the water heater electrical power off until water flows lukewarm or colder. Testing a conventional element 1 know the resistance of the element should be this can be calculated using known values. This is so whether testing upper or lower heating element. Inspect the burner element for any damage which can include warping bubbling or damage to the insulation sheath.

Remove the insulation and disconnect the electrical wire at the terminal and use either a multimeter or an ohmeter to test the electrical flow. I show how to test fuses elements s. Check fuses element sequencers thermostats and transformer duration. Heating element testing duration.

How to diagnose electric furnaces. If the meter needle does not move or remains at infinity the heating element is no longer working and needs to be replaced. Disconnect the electrical wires at the heating element terminals. After 30 to 90 seconds the current draw should jump to 42 amps.

What you should see assuming a 6 element furnace is the following.