Wiring a electric water heater

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

01-19-03, 05:36 AM

cfuller

Visiting Guest

Posts: n/a

Wiring a electric water heater

Does anyone know how I would wire an 80Gallon electric water heater? The book that comes with it just says to read the plate on the water heater for wiring specs. The plate only lists "240/208 volts". Right now I have a 12/2 wire running to it from a 1 pole 20 amp breaker. I am wondering if this is adequate or if I need to increase the connection? i.e should I run a two pole 20 amp breaker. If so how would I make the connections to the tank? It only has a red and black wire coming out of it, no neutral? Any detailed info on amperage, wiring and connections would be appreciated. It doesn't seem like I am getting a full 80 gallons of hot water from the tank.

Upvote

01-19-03, 06:58 AM

John Nelson

Member

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: United States

Posts: 17,733

Upvotes: 0

Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post

The normal wiring for water heaters is 10/2 wire and a 30-amp breaker. This is certainly true for 40-gallon and 50-gallon heaters. It is probably still true for 80-gallon heaters too, but you should check the specs. Your water heater will have a lot of stickers on the side. Look for the wattage, a number followed by "W".

A 20-amp 120-volt circuit with 12/2 is nowhere near enough. Neither is a 20-amp 240-volt circuit. There will be no way to make use of the 12/2 wire in any way. A 20-amp 120-volt circuit is providing only one fourth the power that this thing needs, which is why you're getting so little heat.

You may connect the red and black of your heater to the white (marked at each end with a black marker) and black of the new 10/2 you run. Use a double-pole 30-amp breaker. Your water heater needs no neutral. The white is a hot. Although this is probably correct, post back with the specs from the sticker.

Upvote

01-20-03, 02:31 PM

cfuller

Visiting Guest

Posts: n/a

John- The wattage indicated on the sticker is 4500/3380 for total.
There is an upper and lower element and the combined rating is this.

So to wire this I would use a 30A - 2 pole breaker. Then at the tank I connect the black from the 10/2 to the black wire from the tank and the white from the 10/2 to the red from the tank? Disregard neutral connections and just ground the bare copper wire from the 10/2. Easy enough.

Thanks for your help.

Chuck

Upvote

01-20-03, 04:36 PM

John Nelson

Member

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: United States

Posts: 17,733

Upvotes: 0

Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post

You got it.

Upvote

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Show Printable Version

Email this Page

Electrical - AC & DC
Garage door opener

G

gamer on Jan 20, 2003

I am having some trouble with my garage door opener. The door rises about three feet and then gets stuck. If I manually help the door as it is going up it will go to the top. The door works fine in the down direction. I received a few suggestions, check to see if the springs are working, check to see if the cable is off the wheels. I don't know how to check the springs, the cable is on the wheels. Could the weather have anything to do with it? It has been below freezing for some time. I don't know if greasing the track will help for example.
Electrical - AC & DC
GFCI outlet

S

simcikj on Jan 20, 2003

I have a ground fault circuit interrupt outlet in my family room that I was told by the previous owner has wired to it the powder room box (2 light switches for light & exhaust fan and a double outlet) located in the main entrance hallway, as well as, an outlet in my master bath on the 2nd floor. When I first moved into the house the powder room electricals worked fine and always had power. Same with the outlet in the MBR bath. Recently though, the power for the powder room switches and outlets and the MBR outlet has cut off. I tried to reset the GFCI and it reset itself OK, but that did not restore power to the powder room or the outlet in the MBR bath. Thinking that the GFCI had gone bad I replaced it with a new one (20 AMP 125 volt I think). It also resets itself just fine but no luck with restoring power to the areas in question. The outlet at the GFCI works fine as I have a cordless phone and a floor lamp plugged in there. How can I go about determining what may be causing the loss of power to the powder room and the MBR bath outlet assuming they are indeed tied to the GFCI. The only thing I did over the last year was replaced the light fixture in the powder room with a similar but updated unit. It was just a strip light with 5-40 watt clear round bulbs. It worked fine after installing it and up until the power was lost to the room. Am I looking in the right direction?