Water Heater Wiring

[Tiger Electrical]

I don't run into many electric water heaters in this area, so I'm wondering if this is wired right. It's a 67 gallon 236VAC with a 2500W upper & a 2000W lower. It's wired with four conductor 12ga flex (BX). The four wires are connected in two pairs on one 30A two-pole breaker. I didn't open the heater JBox to see what the connections are, so I changed the 30A breaker to a 20. I'm curious if this is how they're normally wired. Seems like two 15A 240V ccts would be a better way to go.

Dave

 

[Rewire]

I don't run into many electric water heaters in this area, so I'm wondering if this is wired right. It's a 67 gallon 236VAC with a 2500W upper & a 2000W lower. It's wired with four conductor 12ga flex (BX). The four wires are connected in two pairs on one 30A two-pole breaker. I didn't open the heater JBox to see what the connections are, so I changed the 30A breaker to a 20. I'm curious if this is how they're normally wired. Seems like two 15A 240V ccts would be a better way to go.

Dave

usually we just run 10/2 on a 30A 2 pole breaker to a disconnect by the unit and then to the top of the unit were the connections are made.

 

[iwire]

Usually I just join the pairs in the water heater J-box and run 10/2 back to a single 30.

It sounds like some one had set it up for off peak metering at one time.

 

[Buck Parrish]

usually we just run 10/2 on a 30A 2 pole breaker to a disconnect by the unit and then to the top of the unit were the connections are made.

Save time and money run the 10-2 straight to the water heater. Install a lock out on the breaker.

 

[qcroanoke]

I don't run into many electric water heaters in this area, so I'm wondering if this is wired right. It's a 67 gallon 236VAC with a 2500W upper & a 2000W lower. It's wired with four conductor 12ga flex (BX). The four wires are connected in two pairs on one 30A two-pole breaker. I didn't open the heater JBox to see what the connections are, so I changed the 30A breaker to a 20. I'm curious if this is how they're normally wired. Seems like two 15A 240V ccts would be a better way to go.

Dave

The four wires are connected in two pairs on one 30A two-pole breaker.


Isn't that parallelling #12?

 

[stickboy1375]

The four wires are connected in two pairs on one 30A two-pole breaker.


Isn't that parallelling #12?

Only if they are connected together at both ends.

 

[qcroanoke]

Only if they are connected together at both ends.

True! But,Is the breaker listed for 2 wires under each pole? LOL
I wonder if each element was being fed seperatley?
4500 watt elements is all I've ever seen.
Both of those added up to 4500. Each controlled by it's own t'stat.
Could be.

 

[stickboy1375]

I've never heard of a setup as the OP described, so I really have no idea how the installer wired this thing up...but I think Bob is on the right track.

 

[Tiger Electrical]

I appreciate all your responses very much. It didn't seem like it was right. This is an old unit and I suspect the plumber wired it with whatever he had. The pairs were wire nutted with only one wire on each pole of the breaker but who uses nuts at 30A?...plumbers & carpenters. When I rewire it I'll see if it was a parallel situation.

Dave

 

[mdshunk]

... but who uses nuts at 30A?

Everybody I know. What do you use?

 

[Tiger Electrical]

Everybody I know. What do you use?

Split bolts.

Dave

 

[mdshunk]

Split bolts.

:grin:
Seriously?

Do they even fit in the little wiring compartment of the typical residential water heater after properly insulating them? I use a wire nut certainly up to #10, and sometimes even with #8. Can't say as I've ever seen anyone split-bolting a #10.

 

[iwire]

Split bolts.

To me for 10 AWG that is a serious waste of time and money.

 

[electricman2]

Everybody I know. What do you use?

This