The Right Wire and Breaker for an Electric Water Heater

An acquaintance has an older mobile (galvanized branch water lines), and his water heater: 40-gal/240v/dual 4500w (18.75A), connected to the circuit breaker panel Double Pole-40A breaker with a #12/20Amp cable.

How to Wire a Hot Water Heater | How to Wire an Electric ...

In cases where you are replacing a gas tank with an electric, you will likely need to run cable (2-pole, 30-amp breaker with 10-2NM cable) from the circuit to the tank. If the circuit breaker is already running a line to the water heater's location, you can proceed to step 1. One last tip before we get started: do not fill the tank with water until the tank is completely wired and do not turn the circuit on until the tank is full of water.

How to Wire an Electric Water Heater | Hunker

Wrap the ground wire around the ground screw and tighten it down securely. Next, take the black wire from the feed circuit and one wire from the water heater (it doesn't matter which wire) and twist them together. Secure them with a wire connector and wrap electrical tape around the connection for additional safety.

What is this box connected to my electric water heater?

I found this box connected between the 240v line from the fusebox and the water heater and I'd like to know what it's for. The 240v line is coming in just fine but breaks down to 50v when it comes out of the box and into the water heater. I can bypass the box completely but I feel like it's there for a reason.

Water Heater electrical installation to breaker box

For a typical 240V tank style water heater you will need a 30A/240V circuit. No neutral is required. You CAN use the white wire as a hot going to the breaker for a straight 240V circuit such as this. You just need to mark it as a hot conductor with a permanent marker or such. You can use any typical hot color such as black, red or blue.

Wiring Connections for a Tankless Water Heater

David, from the information you have provided, make sure to keep the wire sets from “circuit breaker A” separate from the wires from “circuit breaker B”. Each set will need to be kept separated to prevent mixing up the sets of wires. Attach the black and red wires of circuit breaker A to the corresponding terminals on the water heater, and the same for circuit breaker B. More about How to Wire a Water Heater. Guide to Home Electrical Wire. Electrical Wire for the Home