Electric water heater problems

You got a multi-meter?

Is an element grounded? It's rare, but instead of shorting open, then can short to ground and stay on constantly. Usually that would trip the breaker, but it can happen.

Electric water heaters are really simple. Not much to them.

You really need a multimeter or at the minimum a continuity tester.

I do not have a multimeter. (Had to Google what it was)

when it shorts out I have to go in the attic and unscrew the top panel to press the reset button. Upon doing this it comes right back on every time.

I also never have to mess with my house circuit breaker box.

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Do you know it's shorting out or is that an assumption? Most people who say shorting are actually wrong. 

What do you mean by "turning off"? Is the the display going blank? Is it tripping a breaker? If it's truly shorting, it will certainly blow a fuse or trip a breaker.

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To be honest I'm not really sure, I just assumed. But I do know that my water scolds then later on is not even warm. Although this isn't the case every time it goes out.

The circuit breaker box in my garage is never tripped, but the reset button inside the top panel of the heater is.
Also, no dick to knock off and I really appreciate all the advice.

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Yes there are two. How will I know which is bad or if that is the problem? A multimeter?

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I think there is a reset button and thermostat on each element, if I remember right...I would suspect the one that you keep having to reset.

Hate to say it, if you don't have a multimeter the only way you can fix is to be a "parts changing monkey" and just change parts and hope it fixes it. A multi-meter like a power drill or a hammer is a tool that any man should own. Especially with increasingly electric machinery.

You check the continuity of the elements (power off) if they have continuity they are good, if not they are bad. Be sure to check for continuity between each terminal and ground.

It's going to be an element or the thermostat control. There isn't much else.

A water heater is only junk when it rusts out, other than that it should always be repaired.

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Also, no dick to knock off and I really appreciate all the advice.

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So, pics?

Anyway, elements can be tested by disconnecting the two leads, retightening the terminals, then testing continuity/resistance across those two terminals.

Also, if your water temp fluctuates that much, I suspect your lower element or t-stat. The lower element is what heats most of the tank. The top element can't keep up with demand if the lower element is INOP.

Seconding Napoleon's advice: Test with POWER OFF, unless you know what you are doing.

Chances are it is either the element or the thermostat, Both parts you should be able to pick up at lowes or HD, bring the model number in with you, both are fairly simple to replace and cheap. Instead of going through the trouble of diagnosing the problem, just change both parts out, if it does not fix the issue then you need an electrician

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Also, no dick to knock off

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sorry for the assumption!