Step 3 · Testing the Heating Element (Electric Water Heaters)

This is the step most people slow down on. Take it one move at a time — there’s no rush, and you can rewind the clip as many times as you need.

For electric water heaters, use a multimeter to test the heating element's resistance. Set your multimeter to ohms and measure the resistance across the element's terminals. A reading between 10 and 30 ohms (typically around 12, 16, or 18 ohms) indicates a functional element; an 'OL' (open line) reading suggests a faulty element requiring replacement.