Hot water element

bsbeedub wrote:
I was camping with a friend and his second year trailer this past weekend. He could not get hot water using the electric element so he asked me to take a look to see if we could figure it out.

He has a two valve bypass system (mine has a three valve system so I was unfamiliar with his) and we realized it was still in bypass. After opening up the outside panel we saw he still had the plug removed from winterizing so there was no water in the tank. He had the electric heater turned on for two hours and I told him that the element was most likely toast. We decided to give it a try anyway.

We got the bypass valves in the correct position, put the plug in, filled the tank and in 30 minutes he had hot water! We verified that the electric was being used and not propane. He had hot water for the rest of the weekend.

Everything I’ve ever read or heard indicated that this electric element should have been long gone. Has anyone ever seen an element survive two hours of being on with no water in the tank? Could it have been that since the plug was out allowing air into the tank is what saved it? I’m at a loss.

Sometimes you just get lucky.

I wouldn't want to rely on luck though. This is why, whenever I remove the anode rod I turn the switch on the heater itself OFF. Doesn't get turned on until the anode rod and plug are replaced and heate filled with water.

FWIW, a water heater element is a lot like the element in an electric oven that just glows red when energized. I've never believed in the "instant fail" that is passed around on forums. More likely the failed elements were energized for a lot longer than their owner's realized. Even an oven element can burn out if left on continuously for days at a time.