How to Reset a Water Heater

Opening the Water Heater

Disconnect the electricity to the heater. Never tamper with a water heater that's still powered on. Before you begin opening the heater, figure out where it's plugged into the wall and turn off the electricity. Most heaters are plugged into a wall with a cable. You may have to unscrew the cable or turn a knob near it to shut off the electricity. If your water heater is wired in directly you'll need to turn it off at the breaker box.

Remove the cover plates. Near the bottom of your water heater, you should find a metal plate that's held in with screws. Use a screwdriver to unscrew each screw and then lift the plate off the heater using your hands. Many water heaters have a second cover plate near the top, underneath this plate is usually where you will find the reset button. Whether you need a Phillips or flat head screwdriver depends on your plate.

Remove the insulation pad. There will be a foam installation pad just inside the heater. This conceals the buttons you'll need to access to reset the heater. Simply pull the pad out with your hands and set it aside for now. If there is any moisture on the pad or near the reset button, it is likely that an element gasket is leaking, which will need to be fixed before resetting the water heater.

Pressing the Reset Button

Locate the red reset button. There should be a red button in the center of the control panel. In some cases, this button is actually labeled as the reset button.

Press the button firmly. The reset button can sometimes be sticky, especially if you haven't reset the heater in a while. Press down very firmly with your fingers to get the reset button to push inward.

Wait to hear the button click. Usually, a click indicates the heater has been successfully reset. Keep your finger pressed against the button until you hear a clicking noise. If you don't hear a click when you press the button, or if it pops right back out, check all the heater's wiring for nicks or loose wire nuts. If the wiring is fine, then the controller probably needs to be replaced. Every heater is different. Some heaters may not click when you press on the reset button. If you don't hear the click even after pressing on the button for about five seconds, reassemble the heater anyway. It will probably still restore hot water.

Reassembling the Water Heater

Put the insulation pad back in place. Take the insulation pad that you removed earlier. Use your hands to put it back in the heater in the exact place where you removed it earlier.

Screw the door back in place. Place the door back over the control panel. Screw it back in place.

Turn the power back on. Plug the cable back in or flip the necessary switch to restore power. Your water should be running as usual within a few hours.