Breaker Size For Electric Hot Water Heater

Rheem tankless electric water heaters make it easy to enjoy instantaneous continuous hot water space saving design and significant energy cost savings.

Breaker size for electric hot water heater.

First lets start with the nec code for this water heater application. I agree with you that this water heater circuit is not a typical configuration and the common circuit for a new home is 10 copper wire protected by a 2pole 30amp circuit breaker however lets look at this application carefully. Multiply the value for current by 125. Just follow the three simple steps below to choose the right model and size you need.

You can estimate the necessary tank capacity in gallons based on the number of people in the house. Some large heaters draw up to 50 amps requiring 6 gauge wire. Electric water heaters require a 240 volt dedicated circuit which serves only the water heater and no other appliances or devices. Wire a hot water heater with wire that s sized to accommodate the heater s current requirement.

In the above example we would require a 15 6 amp circuit breaker for our us readers. Multiply the current rating of the water heater with 125. This happens because 20 amp from the water heater is more than 80 of the breaker capacity. Thus the current draw for a 1 500 watt heater is 12 5 amps.

The circuit wiring typically includes a 30 amp double pole breaker and 10 2 non metallic nm or mc cable. So it won t work as effectively as it needs. Choose the right tankless electric water heater for you. Instead you need at least 25 amp.

If you can plug the heater into a regular wall outlet the specified voltage should be 120 volts. For example a 20 amp hot water heater needs 12 gauge wire a 25 amp hot water heater requires 10 gauge wire and a 30 to 40 amp hot water heater requires 8 gauge wire. For a tank style heater household size is a simple indicator of hot water needs. Now in order to choose an electric breaker multiply the current draw of the water heater with 125 per cent in order to determine the size of the breaker you will need.