Tankless Water Heater Panel Connection


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Old 07-16-17, 06:55 AM
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Tankless Water Heater Panel Connection

I'm installing a tankless water heater that requires one 60 amp breaker and #6 wire to serve it. I have installed breakers and new circuits in panels before but this panel is inset into the wall of the garage which presents an issue. Here's some info and my plan:
- Run individual #6 conductors (& ground) in PVC conduit from the heater to the panel along the surface of the garage wall (about 12 feet).
- The water heater has a 3-foot pigtail coming out of it with 2 #6 wires and one #8 ground.
- I plan to have a junction box to connect my new #6 wires to this pigtail, then run the new wires in conduit the 12 feet over to the panel.
- (for code purposes, I'm in Jacksonville, FL)
- (panel is a Siemens with 150 amp service)
- (I'm removing the old 30 amp breaker that served the old tank-style water heater)
- (a local electrician told me that my panel could definitely handle the new 60 amp breaker provided I took the old 30 out of service)

My question is, well.. first, does this sound ok so far, and then how do I route the three individual #6 wires the last 5 or 6 inches from the surface conduit run into the wall (through the drywall) so I can enter the panel though a knockout? I'm not sure there's enough room for a 90 degree sweep elbow to make that turn. Or can I just use a small 90 inside the wall from a junction box next to the panel (the box would provide a point for the surface conduit run to terminate).

Thanks.
Eric
 
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Old 07-16-17, 08:49 AM
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Cut out the drywall, make your connections, replace the drywall.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 09:54 AM
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You plan sounds fine. The only change you need to make is if the tankless is direct wired you need to have a disconnect instead of a junction box. An easy/cheap disconnect would be a 60 amp A/C non-fused disconnect. They run about $8.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 10:15 AM
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Isn't the disconnecting means the breaker in the panel? Since it's just 12' away and in the same room (garage) within sight?
 
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Old 07-16-17, 10:54 AM
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Yes, if the water heater is within sight of the panel, then the circuit breaker can act as disconnecting means. I was under the impression the water heater was in another room.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 11:10 AM
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I was under the impression the water heater was in another room.
I suppose it might be, but he did say surface conduit. Whenever I try to run surface conduit into another room it seems to interfere with the door closing!
 
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Old 07-16-17, 11:49 AM
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It is is the same room within sight of the panel (no conduit through doorways - haha). My main concern was how to make the connection to the panel from where I punch through the drywall at the end of the conduit (j-box). I didn't want to just have my 3 individual wires in the wall even for just 5 or 6 inches. So, I will run the conduit from the water heater over to just beside the panel, put in a junction box, then do 1 of 2 things:

1. Wire nut the #6 wires to 6/2 Romex and run it into the panel behind the drywall.

2. Use a short 90 degree elbow connecting the back of the j-box to the panel knockout for that last 6 inches behind the drywall.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 12:02 PM
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Option #3: Smurf tube for that last 6 inches
 
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Old 07-16-17, 02:10 PM
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I didn't want to just have my 3 individual wires in the wall even for just 5 or 6 inches
That is good because it is a code violation. There quite a few ways to fish into a panel. As Core mentioned, you could ENT, but also Flexible metal conduit (FMC or Greenfield) NM cable, MC cable does cone in larger sizes but you will need to get it from an electrical supplier.

Use a short 90 degree elbow connecting the back of the j-box
90 degree elbows for raceways are now allowed to be concealed in a wall. Straight connectors will normally work just fine for both conduit and cables.

Option #1 is how I would likely do it.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 02:13 PM
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Thank you everyone for the help. I appreciate it.

Eric
 
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Old 07-17-17, 04:16 AM
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I would agree,remove some of the drywall and bring the pipe directly into the panel,no need to make any more splices.
Geo
 
 

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