Water Heater Loads and Fuses Blowing

[esca9lante]

I recently had a new 50-gallon water heater installed. My home has a fused disconnect in the closet where the heater is, and it is wired to a 30-amp double breaker, and the fuses within the box are both 30-amp, delayed-blow fuses.

Before that, I had a 40-gallon installed last March (I thought the old one in there was 40, and I didn't pull the insulating jacket off to look at it first). It blew a bunch of fuses, always on the "right" side of the disconnect, until the installer came back and replaced all the electrical components, but that worked okay for only a couple of months. Then the lower element thermostat somehow got stuck and wouldn't shut off, so it blew the right-side fuse again.

The nameplate on the current 50-gallon water heater says, in part:

Volts: 240/208

Watts: Upper 4500/3880
Lower 4500/3880
Total 4500/3880

And I think the 40-gallon said the same thing.

So my questions are:

1. How much current is it drawing when both elements are on?
2. Is that 30-amp circuit sufficient? It worked fine for the old heater that sprung a leak and thus needed to be replaced, but based on the number of fuses I've blown, I'm beginning to wonder.

Thanks.

[ June 16, 2003, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: esca9lante ]

 

[tom baker]

Re: Water Heater Loads and Fuses Blowing

The water heater has a thermostat that only allows one element to be on at a time. The top element comes on first for quick recovery, then the bottom.
I suspect the heater is OK, is a wiring problem.
30 amp with 10 AWG is standard for a water heater. Call a qualified electrican there is something else going on. The fuse is blowing to protect the circuit as its overloaded.

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Water Heater Loads and Fuses Blowing

Have an electrician see if the jumper was installed on the bottom element.

Mike P.