How to Test Continuity on a Hot Water Heater With a Multimeter

While you can’t test your water heater itself for continuity, you can test the heating elements for continuity. Water heaters come with two heating elements; a bottom and a top element. If the element has no continuity, it could affect the temperature of your water. To test for continuity, you’ll use a multimeter and check the element’s resistance. If the element has resistance, it has continuity.

Screwdriver
Multimeter

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off power to the water heater.
- 2
  Remove the top or bottom heating element access panel. Most hot water tanks have two access panels on the front of the tank; one at the top and one at the bottom. Removing the panel will reveal the heating element.
- 3
  Use a screwdriver to loosen and disconnect each wire. Most wires are screwed in place, so you cannot remove them without loosening them first.
- 4
  Turn on the multimeter. Set the dial to the lowest Ohms of resistance. Connect the black and red multimeter probes to the multimeter, if they’re not already connected. Touch one probe to one terminal on the heating element and the second probe to the other terminal.
- 5
  Review the multimeter display. If the heating element has continuity, it will show some resistance. If it does not, a “1,” known as infinity, will appear, indicating that the element has no continuity. If either element has no continuity, it must be replaced.

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