Water – Modifying electric water heater for easy temperature control

water-heater

I have an electric water heater. It has a top and bottom thermostat. In the summer I turn these down and in the winter turn them up. It's a real hassle because I have to unscrew the plates and then adjust the thermostat. If I get it wrong I have to do it again and would like to do micro-adjustments until I get it right. There are 2 modifications that I want to consider for this tank and need your input for.

  1. Is it possible to attach a knob on the outside of the tank that could control this thermostat without me having to unscrew that plate each time?

  2. Is there a way to control this wirelessly? I would absolutely consider a Raspberry Pi or equivalent project to get this working.

The purpose of this question is to find a way to easily way to adjust the two thermostats on the tank so the answers aren't limited to 1 and 2 above.

electric water tank

thermostat

Best Answer

Making it easy to adjust is defeating the purpose of the cover. But since this is what you want, here is a way to do is make it easier to adjust without removing the cover.

  1. Replace the adjustment screw or bolt with one long enough to stick out of the cover approximately 1/2 in. The screw head type could be hex, flat blade or Phillip head. A hex nut could be used on the lower thread to clamp down the adjustment knob with the upper part extending out past the cover.
  2. Where the screw would protrude through the cover, drill out a 1/2" hole in the cover so the screw can protrude through.

That said, It is strange that you are trying to set an exact/precise temperature. I would just mark the two points that you want to set for winter and summer. The installed thermostat is not designed for setting to a precise temperature.

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