Water Heater- electric element removal?

[JMCFAN]

Okay I traced a GFCI problem down to a blown electric element on my water heater. Screw in type. Bought a replacemt but I cannot get the old one loose. Have a 1 1/2 socket on it but it wont budge. I am afraid I am going to damage the tank.  Any ideas?  Do I really need it?  Can I just tape up the wires and use the propane. I am 1 1/2 weeks away from a 2 week trip in it and I dont want to cause more damage?

 

[Ned]

You can leave the electric element disconnected and just run the heater on propane.  The two are independent.

 

[rovinsteve]

You probably need to use a breaker bar on it.  That's what I did a while back.  Maybe someone has an air impact wrench you can use if that fails.

Running on Propane all the time is a pain.

--Steve Crouch

 

[fredethomas]

Shoud be a small electric switch right on the face of the heater.  The switch has a hole through the button part to put a lockout pin.  It is there to keep someone from turning on the electric from inside the coach before the tank has water put in.  Also save to disconnect the wires and tape them or turn off the breaker in the electrical distribution box. 

 

[Carl L]

Have a 1 1/2 socket on it but it wont budge. I am afraid I am going to damage the tank.

Get some LPS-1 or similar light lubricant.  Give the unit a spritz, and tap it lightly with a ball peen to encourage the fluid to wick into the threads, repeat a few times.  Get the wrench on the unit and tap the wrench handle, lightly again, a few times.  What you are trying to do is break the corrosion welding on the thread.