: Three weeks ago my two children were burned while in the bathtub. The pressure had somehow built up behind the wall and blew off the hot water nozzle

Paula,
On electric water heaters, they commonly have two heating elements that work in turns. First the top element heats up the top of the tank, then power goes to the lower element. If the lower element is out, only the top of the tank gets heated. If the top element isn't working, there will be no hot water.

It could be that the top thermostat of the tank malfunctioned and didn't cut the power. Replacement of the top thermostat may be in order. Also check to see if the T&P device is installed on the tank. These are set to 210 degrees and 150 PSI. This should have let the excess pressure out of the tank.

Terry

• Water heater information