Features:

  • Low Watt Density heating element
  • 240V/4500W
  • UL Listed
  • Easy to Install
  • Minimum tank diameter 13"
Hard water made our hot water more expensive and harder to get.

Our water comes from a deep well and it has a high mineral content so it slowly but surely builds calcium sediment (ours was like concrete) up on the elements and, over time, they use more current to heat the water to the same temp, they’re on longer to do so and our shower time gets shorter. There are three types of elements: high watt density, low watt density and ultra low watt density with high watt most likely the one that comes in a new water heater. They all have the same wattage but the lower density ones spread the heat out over a larger surface area and don’t have to get as hot as a high density to achieve the same heating effect. The additional surface area and lower overall temperature reduces the amount of sediment buildup and the elements tend to last longer. This is the first replacement on our 5-year old water heater so we went with the low watt density and we’re back to normal on the hot water… using less electricity, greatly shortening the wait time between showers and getting more hot water to extend the length of a shower. The initial problem was with the top element not being able to heat the replenishing water fast enough to deliver it hot to the showerhead so if I had to replace one it was easy to do both. At about 7-bucks each they’ll pay for themselves in about a month and we really like those hot showers in the winter. Sediment buildup and the problems they cause can take a long time to reach a point that you actually notice it and ours was likely bad this past summer but we tend to take cooler showers in our hot desert summers so it’s much less noticeable. These are heating rods and they’re not perfect so they can fail at any time without and warning signs but once you drain the tank they’re easy to replace. Try not to touch the element with a bare hand because the oil on your skin can sometimes be a problem and never turn the heater back on until you’re absolutely sure the tank is completely full of water. The price here was about half the price at the home center for a comparable item. We have a pan with a drain outdoors so sticking a hose in the tanks to flush out the sediment in the bottom was easy and will add some years to the rusting out of the bottom issue that usually ends up in a flood. Lastly, don’t waste money on a specialty tool to remove/install an element without checking your toolbox first because I’ve used Vice Grips, a large wrench, an adjustable wrench, a small pipe wrench, a socket and even a pair of adjustable pliers but I like the 1-1/2” socket the best but if you’re careful almost anything that fits can be made to work. If you prefer to buy a specialty wrench I also have one of those inexpensive ones for about 5-bucks but it does tend to slip off so that’s why I prefer the socket from my large socket set. I did have a filter assembly on the water tank, and a good one at that, but it was impossible to not have at least a dribble of a leak every time I replaced the filter and, in the long run, it’s less expensive to replace the elements every few years than mess with a canister style water filter that needed a filter replacement several times a year. In all the years I’ve had an electric hot water heater tank style I think the only thing that’s really changed is the price and it didn’t seem all that long ago you could get one for about 100-bucks but now they’re much more expensive some some inexpensive repairs are more than cost effective,

Lasted

I purchased these to replace identical make and model elements that were installed in a Richmond water heater about 8 years ago. The previous elements held up well, despite being supplied with softened water that was originally 400ppm (24 grains) hardness. The existing elements did have a 3/16 inch heavy coating of mineral deposits when I removed them (and they still functioned, albeit not as well has they would have if I had replaced them earlier). Related comments about water heater maintenance: 1. I replace the sacrificial anode in my water heater with a new magnesium rod about every 5-7 years, as needed. Heating elements can corrode and fail quickly if the anode has been consumed. 2. The actual wattage supplied by these "4500w 240v" elements is about 3700w @ 240v. For those who are inexperienced with the conventions used in nameplate ratings, heating elements typically perform at a wattage about 82% of nameplate value to account for installations where the supply voltage may be up to 110% of nominal (i.e. by design, the elements actually supply 4500w of heat at 264v and only 3700w at 240v).

good, inexpensive fix/upgrade for your old water heater

i grabbed two of these to replace in my *old* water heater. the top one was leaking around the gasket, and the bottom one had burned out. these two tightened right into place, sealed up perfectly, and got to work as soon as i powered the heater up. i even turned down the thermostat on each element by about 15 degrees, and yet they seem to heat the water up to a higher temperature than the old ones. it's been almost a month, and i think at this point it's safe to say they'll continue to work until the 15-year-old heater rots or fills with lime.

Works Fine so far!!

I bought these because I figured mine were needing replaced. Turns out mine were ok. Was able to use on father-in-laws though and He is very happy water hasn't been that hot since He bought the heater in 2001. He had replaced before but never had the results these did.

Great element, works as described

Great element, works as described. However, do not purchase this for use in a brewing setup. The plating on the element cannot handle acid well and as wort is very acidic, it will break down over time and when the plating comes off it will burn your wort. Took 6 brews to happen to me. And the last 3 brews had a very odd off flavor so I can only assume that the plating was slowing coming off and flavoring the beer. Go with the darker ULTRA low watt density elements.

Water Heater Elements

I installed two. Perfect threads, no leaks and now hot water again. Tank is like new, albeit 12 years old. Recommend folks think of wet-dry vacuum to remove calcium deposits when lower unit is removed (be prepared). With that, your tank will last years more. Installed on GE Smart Water 40 gallon unit (both top and bottom replaced albeit bottom is what failed).

Yay! Hot water again!

These elements fit great into our old but bulletproof water heater. We bought the Camco adapters found here to adapt these elements to the old square fitting, the elements for which are harder to find these days.

Quality product for a great price...got nice hot water back.

Changed out the upper and lower heating coils. Great price. Easy do it yourself fix on a heating issue with my electric hot water tank. Looks like all or most use standard parts. This worked for mine. Probably saved me a couple hundred bucks by not calling a "plumber" / "crook".

Work how they're supposed to

We have an out dated fifteen years old water heater, and it's elements needed replacing. We couldn't find elements that we're less than sixty dollars each, except for these. These are great! They were easily installed and they're working exactly how they're supposed to. And they were less than $20 for the pair.

Hot Water is Back! Wife is Happy, Life is Good!

Installed two of these over the weekend... now almost endless hot water! Packaging suggests this is their 'Good' grade, which was a little disappointing because I would have liked to know about their better grade or best grade heaters. Do yourself a favor and get the heavy duty socket rather than the sheetmetal type tool. These heaters can be tough to unscrew. Look at Camco 9953 for the socket.

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