It doesn't look that dangerous on a camera closeup but this caused an electrical fault inside my hot water heater this morning. I'm not sure how you can guarantee that a screw connection on something that thermal cycles as much as the connection to your hot water heater element does never comes loose. I'll bet there is a torque rating on the terminals, but the folks that put this in didn't check for that I guess.
I've replaced the bad wire, the thermostats and elements appear to still be functional so we avoid putting in a more efficient model for a while longer. I wonder if I should check the connections on the other one while I'm still dressed for messing around in the attic...
Ryan McLean (unauthenticated)
Dec 2, 2009 2:32 PM
Yeah...either they weren't using sigma-6 manufacturing techniques, or you are just in that miniscule percentage that makes the 7th sigma. Either way, as soon as you get a polymer involved, things get really complicated. Failure modes of metals = predictable. Polymers? Less so.
James Sentman
Dec 2, 2009 4:53 PM
The seventh Sigma? I think I saw that movie a long time ago...