Electric Hot Water Heater Anatomy

Heat out pipe carries heated water from the water heater to your plumbing system.

Electric hot water heater anatomy. An electric model has no vent. The anatomy of an electric water heater is almost the same as their more powerful siblings. Electric water heaters often have two separate heating elements. The inner shell is a heavy metal tank that holds anywhere from 40 to 60 gallons of hot water at 50 to 100 psi of pressure.

The water heater contains a heavy inner tank that is usually made out of steel insulation around the tank a dip tube exhaust pipe thermostat drain valve pressure relief valve and a sacrificial anode rod to prevent corrosion. The exterior of the water heater is wrapped in an insulation blanket normally made of polyurethane foam. A second heating element may be in the upper part of the electric water heater. Once set to your desired temperature the thermometer component of the thermostat will monitor the water temperature.

The gas unit also has a combustion chamber inside the bottom of the unit. Thermostat as the name suggests the thermostat controls the temperature of the water inside the tank. Electric water heaters usually have heating elements inside the top and bottom of the tank. Electric water heaters contain two heating elements that make the water hot.

Warm water is able to dissolve minerals that are not soluble in cold water. Over the insulation is another shell normally the outer shell wrapped again in insulation. Electric water heater heating element. It will have a thermostat in close proximity inside the tank that regulates how hot the water can get.