Old Electric Water Tank Element

Hello all, this is my first post in this forum, and it is a question about an old electric hot water tank. This particular tank is not heating at all, and I have reason to suspect the heating elements need changed, considering they are the original elements from many years ago. I opened the tank panels to reach the elements, but I found that these particular elements are not shaped like the replacement elements, and therefore can't be removed with a 1.5 inch socket. I have attached a picture of these for reference. Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? Can these still be replaced? I am an amateur at best, so I apologize if my questions seem ignorant. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Because of the many types of tanks, you will need the manufacturer, model & serial numbers, voltage and watts to get started on finding the proper replacement. Checking the print on the element for wattage could also come into play if modifications to the electrical have been made in the past.
Be sure to shut power off at the breaker before removing the cover to the elements and thermostats.

Thanks for that starting point. I will shut off power and removed these elements and thermostats and try to gather this information. The tank is very old...probably from the 70's or earlier...it may just be better to replace the entire thing...

Trumpeterb said:

...it may just be better to replace the entire thing...

Click to expand...

This was my thinking as well.

Removing the elements should not be necessary for this info. The information should be on the tank and printed outside of the element.
I do agree that it may be time for a new one.