Water heater element removal is giving me headaches. Help!

[showme]

I've finally gotten around to changing out the bad electrical element in the water heater, and I'm having trouble even getting a socket on the thing. I actually have a WH element removal tool, which works fine in our home water tank, but it's not possible to get a good grip and be able to turn it since it's not made for deeply inset element heads. I have ratchet sockets to fit that I'm sure I can get it off with, but the problem is the outer metal tank 'cover' that the rest of the controls under the outside cover are mounted on. The problem is that the diameter of the hole for access to the element is too small to get any socket on the hex element head except for the thin element tool I have. I went to the property yesterday (where we have the 5th wheel set up) and attempted using a de-burring tool on my drill, then a dremel tool with multiple types of bits (stones and mini-cutting disks), to no avail. I'm guessing this is stainless steel for corrosion resistance. If it's just galvanized steel it sure isn't coming off as expected.
I've sprayed down the fitting with Kroil and PB Blaster because it looks rusty around the edges, but it's more the problem of not being able to get a useable tool onto the nut/head to begin with. Has anybody encountered this before? If so, what was the trick to getting it off? I'd like to put some heat on it to see if that helps with the original tool, but I've got to figure out a way to protect the two leads to the element to keep from damaging them, and from what I can see, pushing them back through their hole in the steel plate is possible, but trying to reach around the tank from the inside to push them back out looks darn near impossible to me. What I'd prefer to do is just open up the hole around the element head so I can put a 'real' socket on there and get it out that way. I can't believe they didn't make that opening big enough to get a tool besides the super thin-walled element tool. Very bad design. I even bought a new thinner walled socket, but it's too big too. I traced the outline of my socket onto the offending steel so I could trim it away, which can be seen in the picture. When I go back down to work on it, I'm going to remove the gas tube, flue and maybe the gas valve and see if i can heat it up and make it move. But I'd rather just trim out the steel so I don't have to fiddle with the thin, short element tool. Thanks in advance for any ideas or comments on this. Lee

 

[bigbAZ]

So it is recessed a bit which rules out a thicker socket like the Camco CMC09951 Professional socket?
I've removed plenty of water heater elements in residential water heaters and for really stubborn ones I had to resort to a chisel and hammer. Angle the chisel to get a bite into the steel so when you hit it in a counter-clockwise direction it gradually breaks loose. You may have to hit it on several flats, choose one where you can get a good swing with control. This method has never failed me. As long as you can get the chisel to bite, and there is room to swing a hammer, you'll get it.

 

[Seilerbird]

If that fails try a strong pair of vice grip pliers.

 

[SpencerPJ]

Take a small torch with you, heat always is your friend loosening rusted stuck issues.

 

[8Muddypaws]

A thin wall socket might be appropriate. And a breaker bar on the ratchet. I'm thinking any hardware store that sells heater elements will have them.

 

[Isaac-1]

This is the socket I used on my Suburban SW6DE electric element Amazon.com

 

[showme]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I was thinking the same thing as a couple of you. Since I had trouble locating a thin wall 1 1/2 locally, I ordered one from Amazon last night, which probably would have worked fine. I also had my propane torch ready to heat it, although, like I said, I was worried about melting the two power wires right next to it. I have a patch of leather I cut out of my old welding leathers I was going to cover it with, but I was still worried about heat behind the cover plate. When I checked that plate today, it's definitely galvanized steel, not stainless. The magnet sucked right up to it. I saw a video of a guy using vise grips on one of the normal element removal tools by gripping the bar that runs through the tool, so i was going to try that to.
I keep saying 'was going to' because I got a wild hair and decided to use the cutting disk on my angle grinder. I was careful to just cut the depth of the plate and avoid the wiring. Anyway, it's not pretty, but it's done. And the cuts will be covered up, so I don't mind that. It's a 25 year old 5'er, and I don't think anyone will want to see the WH element ever. It only took an hour or so for it to heat enough for the thermostat to cut it off. One thing I thought was strange was when I pulled the new anode rod I just put in a month or so ago, it was pretty scaled up and we haven't even used the water heater. I think the bleach in the water that I added to clean the system maybe the culprit. I'm posting pics of the job. The element was completely blown out. And I got a lot more lime out that had settled in the tanks bottom. When I had the rod out I flushed it some more with the fresh water tank pumping through it. Also, I used 100% silicone caulk on the element cover. The gasket was pretty sad and I didn't want to wait for a new one, so I sealed it. Thanks again for all the good ideas. I'm pretty sure that thin wall socket would have done it, but I was impatient. Plus, I got home in time to cancel the $30 socket from amazon before it shipped. This was a good day.

 

[Rene T]

Did you ever think about using a hole saw to open the hole.

 

[showme]

Rene T- no, but I wouldn't have tried it had I thought of it. First, hole saws tend to 'walk' if there isn't a pilot bit involved, and those wires are too close to chance a wondering spinning blade. Plus, it was nearly impossible to wear it down with a dremel, so it would probably eat up my hole saw, which I believe are made for wood. Now, if I had a mag drill (magnetic) with a saw made for steel, I could see that working. But there isn't enough room for a mag drill base on that small panel. And I don't own a mag drill. But I've always wanted to get one. We used them in the Ironworkers before I retired pretty often. But thanks for the idea. I hadn't thought of that.

 

[Rene T]

Some saws are made for steel. You could have drilled a pilot hole in the center of the element . The saw then would not have walked if you took it slowly

 

[gwinger]

Or make a template out of thin plywood using the hole saw and then fitting it around the area. Remove the drill bit and use the template to keep the blade from wandering.

 

[bigbAZ]

Having been an electrician I got pretty good with hole saws. Got to where I could start one when no pilot hole was available by starting at an angle, in reverse and slowly bringing the drill upright till I had a complete starting circle. Went through so many hole saws I have a big bucket of worn ones that I always thought I'd figure out something to use them for, like parts for metal art.

 

[showme]

All well and good, but it's done and finished. As hard as this plate was when I tried the de-burring bit and dremel stones, I still wouldn't have used a hole saw. I don't know if you noticed how close the wires were to the hole, but I'm not willing to take a chance with them being damaged, same as why I didn't want to heat it with a torch. Like I said, I used mag drills a lot in the Ironworkers, mostly with big drill bits, not hole saws. I could have sworn that plate was stainless as hard as it was to dremel off. But, thankfully, it's done and the wh is up and running now. Since we have solar for our electric at the property, I'm not paying for the power to the element which makes it more economical than using propane. But that's working fine, too, so I'm set. I realize not everyone has a 4" angle grinder and cut off disks, but it did work even if it left less than beautiful cut marks, but since the element cap covers up the hole, it's ok with me. It works and I saved the money on a thin wall socket. But the way my luck goes, I'll need that socket for something else any day now. Thank you for all the replies, folks. It's nice to know someone is willing to help and offer ideas. I appreciate it. Lee

 

[whiteva]

I bet you are like me "I'll just swap it out. This should not take more than 20 minutes. Closely followed by AWW $hit!"

The older I get, the more this happens. I blame it on the young engineers with all that "book learnin" and no actual hands on work.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

One of the hard-learned lessons in life is that there are no 20 minute jobs. Mr Murphy will always insure that there will be some complication that makes that easy job into a challenge, if not an outright nightmare. I think I was in my 70's before I fully accepted that as fact. Maybe it was when increased physical shortcomings made me more cautious about tackling those allegedly easy jobs.

 

[showme]

As the saying goes, Every 20 minute job is one broken bolt from being a 2 day pain in the rear. And tomorrow, I load up my tools and drive 40 miles to remove and replace the front wheel bearing in my brothers Honda odyssey van. I've never worked on a Honda, and when I do work on something it's always at my house where my tools and computer are (where youtube how-to videos are available when I hit a snag). I'm bracing for all the possible things that might go wrong already.

 

[whiteva]

Showme, I'll burn some old motor oil to bring the "that turned out easy" saints to help.

Cheers and good luck!

 

[showme]

Ha! Thanks whiteva! I can use all the positive help I can get! It amazes me how the jobs that I think will be a breeze end up being 3 times as hard as i figured. But sometimes, I'm also amazed at what should be a real PITA job turns out way easier than I thought it could be. We'll see. But I'm hoping for the best. Lee

 

[8Muddypaws]

I remember working on a Toyota Truck and thinking "That was too easy". It was the easiest to work on vehicle I've ever had.

Unfortunately it seemed to always need work and became the reason I'd never own another Toyota.

 

[davismills]

One good thing about tough jobs...my tool collection magically expands, much to my wife's chagrin. Good job on the removal!