Try turning of your power to the water heater, then remove the wires from the elements, test with meter on OHMS and see if you first get a reading from one screw to the other, if you don't get a reading, the element is bad,. If you get a reading the then check see if you get a reading from each screw to the tank, if you get a reading there element is bad ( water heater must be full of water for the last test to work ).