Water Heater Element "Leakage"

[augie47]

E/C has an electric water heater on a boat this is tripping the 100ma marina GF protection system.
My first thought is that he has "Leakage" from a bad element, A standard volt-ohm meter shows no problem and he is going to check it with a megger.
The question being, would a non defective water heater element show any leakage to ground on a megger check ?

 

[qcroanoke]

E/C has an electric water heater on a boat this is tripping the 100ma marina GF protection system.
My first thought is that he has "Leakage" from a bad element, A standard volt-ohm meter shows no problem and he is going to check it with a megger.
The question being, would a non defective water heater element show any leakage to ground on a megger check ?

Has he tried taking the wiring off of the element and calling for heat with the t'stat of the water heater? Could be the t'stat. If it doesn't trip it then the element is the problem.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Is the water heater 120V? or 240V?

 

[augie47]

Is the water heater 120V? or 240V?

120v

 

[Dennis Alwon]

120v

I guess I was thinking he was checking the circuit but it should not matter if he is just checking the element. There should be no reason other than a defective element that you would get a reading to ground.

 

[augie47]

I guess I was thinking he was checking the circuit but it should not matter if he is just checking the element. There should be no reason other than a defective element that you would get a reading to ground.

That is my thinking also but I have not actually taken a megger reading on an WH element.
The 100 ma marina requirement (555.3) is become very interesting as so many watercraft have
problems/n-g connections that are showing up.