Okay, so this is my first house and I'm trying to keep my costs to a minimum by doing all repairs by myself. That said, I've gone to the local orange box to pick up 2 thermostats and 2 elements.
When I first discovered I had a problem, I couldn't get any hot water to come out. I took the two panels off the tank and felt the tank; it was hot. Anyways I ended up replacing the upper thermostat and that worked for about 2+ days.
This morning I awoke to find little/no hot water. I took the upper panel off again and hit the reset button. My shower 10 mins later was lukewarm at best. I came home from work for lunch to find the water scalding hot. I checked the water heater and steaming water was coming out the pressure release valve.
So now I've decided to replace the other thermostat and 2 elements in hopes that I won't have to replace the hot water heater. The only trouble is I can't get the elements off.
So now my question is: Does the description above sound like an element problem or does it sound like a thermostat problem? Both? I'll go buy a special element wrench if need be, but before I do I'd like to get some opinions on the matter.
I'd appreciate any feedback!