Help!- HWH keeps tripping breaker and reset


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Old 11-04-07, 01:45 PM
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Help!- HWH keeps tripping breaker and reset

2 element hwh. Ive replaced both elements- 4500 with 4500 each. The electric was 20 amp 12 gauge wire, so I put in a 30 amp breaker with 10 gauge wire on Friday. The hwh is probably 7 years old. Im perplexed as to what it can be- help!
 
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Old 11-05-07, 04:12 AM
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What is the rating on the ser # tag???
 
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Old 11-05-07, 05:04 AM
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Im not exactly sure what you mean when you say "rating". My electrician looked at the tag and did a calculation to see the minimum sized breaker- he took the # from the tag and divided by 240(or was it 220?)- and arrived at 20. He said this means it needed a minimum 20 amp breaker, but any ineffiencies would cause the 20a to trip. So, Ive replaced the breaker, wire, both elements.
I even replaced the upper thermostat, but the replacement didnt fit well, and since I wasnt sure the old therm was bad, i put the old one back in. After we had run the new wire and breaker, my electrician tested the upper element and wasnt getting any power. For some reason, he was only getting power at the top of the thermostat, the black and white wires. Below that, nothing. I put the old thermostat back, and everything had power- so im guessing the new therm was either bad, or the wrong one.
So, right now i have a new breaker, 10 gauge wire, and 2- 4500w elements and its still breaking. Other than 2 new thermostats- what could it be? The tag does say 4500w elements.
 
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Old 11-05-07, 06:27 AM
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To clarify- the button on the thermostat is tripping now, not the new 30a breaker. Before, both would trip.
 
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Old 11-05-07, 04:22 PM
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Replace your thermostats, that will solve your problem.

A water heater with a 4500 watt element needs a 30 amp circuit with 10 gauge wire. 4500 watts divided by 240 volts equals 18.75 amps. As a general rule, branch circuits should be loaded no higher than 80% of their rating. In the case of a 20 amp breaker, the load should be 16 amps or less. While the breaker can handle the full 20 amps, its life will be shorter and is likely to trip unnecessarily especially as it gets older.
 
 

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