If it has the original NoFault6000 heater it has a reset button on the top of the heater itself. There is a small square box on top of the heater. The button is under tape (if the tape is still there). Poke through the tape with a small screwdriver and push the red buttton down.
To get the lock off I believe you press both the temp up and down arrow at the same time for five seconds or so until the lock icon disappears.
Let me know if you have a different heater with stainless tubes. It could have been replaced with a few different ones over the years. One has a reset, the others don't.
Thank you so much for the info on the reset button it was there just as you said right under the tape. I reset the heater and canceled out the temperature lock on the heater by holding down the plus arrow on the temp switch and the plus arrow on the light switch. I heard 1 to 2 seconds of water gurgling which indicated that water finally got inside the heater and then it began to heat the water.
Thanks again for sharing you saved me a service call.
The reset button was found and I reset it, the breaker tripped, the heater led light on the board went out, I turned power back on. I found out to unlock the heat temp. I held both plus marks one on the light and one on the temp and the temp setting was cleared. When I done this I heard water gurgling for 2 seconds I am hoping that something allowed water to enter the heater to activate it.