Water Heater Elements

[ote]

water heater elements

water heater elements

Just found my answer- Water heater manufactured by American -Mor Flo- found them on website and they had toll free number open til 10pm EST. Called them and they said they never manufactured a WH with both elements on at the same time...........................................Thanks Guys for all the great posts!!

 

[hurk27]

Just found my answer- Water heater manufactured by American -Mor Flo- found them on website and they had toll free number open til 10pm EST. Called them and they said they never manufactured a WH with both elements on at the same time...........................................Thanks Guys for all the great posts!!

look for a jumper between terminals 1 and 4 on the upper stat, this is the only way both elements could come on without removing the blue wire from terminal 4 and moving it to the terminal 1 on the stat or to terminal 2 on the high limit, I would print that wiring diagram Dennis posted in post 10 and take it with you, as it is a standard wire up of about almost all brands.

 

[LarryFine]

How can I tell if this water heater was designed to run both elements at the same time or not without any nameplate?

If you find one terminal with no wire, and another terminal with two wires, it's a safe bet it was rewired.

 

[hurk27]

Back about 15 years ago, I was tired of running out of hot water in my trailer, had a 40 gallon, tank about 2 months old, I was trying to find an Acu-temp brand tankless I liked, that I had used in my house in Florida, but was having a hard time locating one, (no Internet back then)

I decided to experiment a little, I replaced the original elements using two 5500 watt 240 volt elements, picked up another Hi Temp limit, had to use a thermo epoxy to attached to the tank, and I wired each stat independent of each other, fed the water heater with two 30 amp circuits from my panel that was right next to the water heater, well it worked, had hot water in less then 5 minutes from cold, and could take a shower for over an hour, wash clothes, do dishes all the same time, then I got my first electric bill $785.00 Needless to say I ramped up my search for the tankless, cost for it, $865.00 gas fired, so much for my fast recovery idea, now maybe if I had put a flow switch on it and a contactor, it might have not been so bad, except if we had to pay for water in that park. the next full month utility bill (gas/electric) with the tankless, $35.00 but I also got rid of my electric dryer and went gas on it too.
Electric cost here is ridicules

 

[LarryFine]

... could take a shower for over an hour, wash clothes, do dishes all the same time, then I got my first electric bill $785.00

In theory, it's the usage that did that. It takes a given amount of energy to heat a given amount of water a given amount of rise.


In theory.

 

[hurk27]

In theory, it's the usage that did that. It takes a given amount of energy to heat a given amount of water a given amount of rise.


In theory.

and the fact it will cycle as needed to keep the water hot whether your using water or not, tankless only run as you need it.

 

[Mgraw]

Just found my answer- Water heater manufactured by American -Mor Flo- found them on website and they had toll free number open til 10pm EST. Called them and they said they never manufactured a WH with both elements on at the same time...........................................Thanks Guys for all the great posts!!

How strange. Their website says they are available "Interlocking or Simultaneous Element Wiring".

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Just found my answer- Water heater manufactured by American -Mor Flo- found them on website and they had toll free number open til 10pm EST. Called them and they said they never manufactured a WH with both elements on at the same time...........................................Thanks Guys for all the great posts!!

Could they have meant that they never manufactured a water heater with one T-stat for both elements?

From your description it sounds like there could be 2 sp T-stats. When the unit initially starts both elements come on. When one is satisfied then the amps drop until the last one is satisfied.

Water is drawn from the top of the tank and enters cold on the bottom so the bottom stat would kick on first when in use then the upper would engage. Never seen one like that but that is what it sounds like. Of course they could have jumped, as suggested, the standard spdt t-stat.

 

[broadgage]

The fact that the current dropped after a while, and then fell to zero certainly suggests two elements each with its own stat, and nothing to prevent both running at once.
If the owner requires a lot of hot water, perhaps the internal wireing could be left "as is" but the supply wires, breaker, and disconect upsized to handle the extra load, presumably to 40 amps.

 

[broadgage]

Around here the POCO will not allow both elements on a residential to be energize. If the unit is designed that way then you obviously have the wrong wiring for it. I suggest you look closer and see if someone didn't replace the upper thermostat with the wrong one. The upper T-stat should be a spdt. I bet it is just a sp like the bottom one.

Why do the POCO prohibit both elements on at once ?
How would they know ?

I can see that they might wish to limit maximum demand, but there is presumably nothing to stop the HO installing two water heaters, perhaps one for each bath.
How do they know the difference between one water heater with both elements energised, and two units each with only one element in use.

(presuming that the wireing is done to code)

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Why do the POCO prohibit both elements on at once ?
How would they know ?

They don't know but they used to require the install of a water heater to minimize demand-- I assume they still do. Manufacutered water heaters are done this way for a reason so... Nothing illegal about 2 water heaters but even then they are not likely to be always on together.