Electric Water Heater with two feeds and relay

[T74]

Does anyone have insight into what this relay is doing in this water heater set up?

Its an Omron G7L-1A-TUB-CB

Water heater has 2 separate 240 volt 30 amp feeds. Thermostats and elements are not connected except one of leg of each feeds through the relay.

Lower element was originally controlled by a timer (by utility co I'm guessing)

Having trouble attaching pics but will as soon as make files smaller

 

[LarryFine]

I'd need to see a wiring diagram.

 

[T74]

photos

 

[T74]

I'd need to see a wiring diagram.

that would be nice, right? Here are pics...

 

[T74]

Water heater stopped working after a panel change. After opening water heater I realized legs were "crisscrossed" meaning upper element had a leg of each of the feeds connected to it and lower element had the other 2 legs.

I'm guessing the panel was wired this way too but we missed it and wired it "normal". Meaning black/white black/ white

 

[kwired]

Does anyone have insight into what this relay is doing in this water heater set up?

Its an Omron G7L-1A-TUB-CB

Water heater has 2 separate 240 volt 30 amp feeds. Thermostats and elements are not connected except one of leg of each feeds through the relay.

Lower element was originally controlled by a timer (by utility co I'm guessing)

Having trouble attaching pics but will as soon as make files smaller

Guessing utility control operated this relay which looks to control the lower element. As is the relay no longer needed, it is enabled by the upper thermostat which at same time disables the upper element.

Might been at one time independent control of each element and possibly could both run at same time but since timer was removed and wired like it is now the second circuit is not necessary as only one element will run at a time as it is wired now.

The presence of the second high limit also suggests they could run independently at one time.