Disconnect All The Piping System
Check the hot water tank piping system before you disconnect it. Its an essential step on how to wire a hot water heater. If any of the pipes used are made of copper, you might need to cut them off. Otherwise, other materials are more comfortable to disconnect from the tank.
Using a wrench, remove the pipes connected to the tank and check for any that need replacement. If all are in good condition, you can save on costs and reuse them when installing the new water heater.
Disconnect Electric Supply To Wire Hot Water Heater
Before you touch the water heater wiring, turn off the water heater. You will most probably find an electric water heater junction box located at the top of the water heater, but you might find it on the side of some models. Use the screwdriver to remove one screw to uncover two lead wires and a ground screw.
Its best to double-check if power is running through the appliance. Messing with live wires can void the warranty and be quite dangerous. Use a voltmeter to check. If the power is running, interrupt it by tripping the GFCI breaker in the plug. If you cannot find it, locate the breaker in the power supply box and switch it off.
Understanding Water Heater Wiring
Electric water heaters require a 240-volt dedicated circuit, which serves only the water heater and no other appliances or devices. The circuit wiring typically includes a 30-amp double-pole breaker and 10-2 non-metallic or MC cable. At the water heater, the black circuit wire connects to the black wire lead on the water heater, and the white circuit wire connects to the red or white wire lead on the water heater.
The white circuit wire should be wrapped with black or red electrical tape near the connection at both ends of the circuit , to indicate that it is a “hot” wire, not a neutral wire. Unlike standard 120-volt circuits, a 240-volt circuit carries live current in both the black and white wires. The circuit ground wire connects to the green ground screw on the water heater or to the water heater’s ground lead, as applicable.
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V Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Sample
220v hot water heater wiring diagram What is a Wiring Diagram? A wiring diagram is an easy visual representation of the physical connections and physical layout of the electrical system or circuit. It shows what sort of electrical wires are interconnected and may also show where fixtures and components could be connected to the system.
When and How to Use a Wiring Diagram
Use wiring diagrams to help in building or manufacturing the circuit or electronic device. They are also useful for making repairs. DIY enthusiasts use wiring diagrams but theyre also common in home based building and auto repair.For example, a home builder may wish to what is geographic location of electrical outlets and light-weight fixtures by using a wiring diagram to avoid costly mistakes and building code violations.
Electric Water Heater Element Wiring Instructions & Repair Manuals
Watch out: Improper installation, adjustment, alteration, service or maintenance of any water heater can cause death, serious bodily injury, or property damage.
- AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL ELECTRIC WATER HEATER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS AND USE & CARE GUIDE, American Water Heater Co., October 2001, American Water Heater Co., Johnson City, TN, , Tel: 800-999-9515, web search 1/12/2012, original source: americanwaterheater.com/support/manuals/res-elect.pdf
- AO SMITH ELECTRIC WATER HEATER WIRING INSTRUCTIONS A. O. Smith Water Products 500 Tennessee Waltz Parkway Ashland City, TN 37015 USA Phone: 800-527-1953 A. O. Smith products, technical support, warranty or service needs Website: www.hotwater.com
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See The Electrical Wiring Video #2 Below:
Electric Water HeaterElectrical Question: How should I wire a 50Gal Water Heater?
Im connecting an electric water heater to the electrical junction box. I have a A. O. Smith 50 Gal Water Heater that has a red and black wire. The electrical junction box has red, black, white and ground. Please give advise.
Background: Perry, a Handyman from El Mirage, Arizona.Additional Comments: Great.
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Perry.
How To Wire A Hot Water Heater To Breaker Box In 8 Steps
Fact checked by Andrew Wright
Are you noticing that your water heater starts to build up rust in crucial areas of your tank? Do the visible signs of wear and tear affect your heaters performance? If yes, then you need to replace the device immediately.
Learning how to wire a hot water heater to breaker box requires simple skills. Mostly youll need to execute neat wirings when connecting your hot wires and ground wire to their corresponding places in your heater and designated circuit breaker.
However, if youre not comfortable working around pipelines or electricity, please leave the responsibility to a professional plumber or electrical contractor.
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Electric Water Heater Thermostat And Heating Element Wiring Diagram
Be sure that any electrical wiring that you disturb or disconnect is reconnected as it was originally.
We label parts or make a sketch to avoid confusion later on. Check for proper water heater thermostat and heating element wiring connections by reviewing the installation manual that pertains to your water heater.
Abbove we show a typical wiring diagram for a two-element electric water heater at which both heating elements operate simultaneously.
Below we show the water heater thermostat and element wiring details from a Plumber’s Pack Water Heater Repair Kit using Thermo-o-Disc thermostats.
This electric water heater repair kit includes two electrodes and the upper and lower thermostats as well as replacement plastic covers for those devices.
The kit fits most models of electric water heaters made by American Water Heaters, A O Smith, Bradford White, Craftsmaster, General Electric or GE water heaters, GS Wood , Kenmore, Lochinvar, Maytag, Mor-Flo, Reliance, Rheem, Richmond, Ruud, Sears and State – in other words many major water heater brands.
But your electric water heater wiring may differ in that it may have only one heating element, or the two-element heater may operate the heaters individually , or your unit could be a 120V heater or even a three-phase installation .
Continuing with the steps in replacing the heating element for a typical electric water heater: re-connect the electrical wires
Dual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram
Dual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram from www.waterheaterhub.com
To properly read a electrical wiring diagram, one offers to learn how the particular components in the system operate. For instance , if a module is usually powered up and it sends out a new signal of half the voltage and the technician will not know this, he would think he has a challenge, as he would expect the 12V signal. Following diagrams is fairly simple, but making use of it inside the scope of how the device operates is a new different matter. The best advice is not necessarily only look from the diagram, yet understand how the components operate when in use.
Dual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: cdn11.bigcommerce.comDual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: cdn.statically.io
Read electrical wiring diagrams from unfavorable to positive and redraw the signal being a straight collection. All circuits are usually the same : voltage, ground, individual component, and switches.
Dual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: i.ytimg.comDual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: static-assets.imageservice.cloudDual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: www.electricaltechnology.orgDual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: static-assets.imageservice.cloudDual Element Hot Water Heater Wiring Diagram Source: baxi-public.partsarena.com
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Electric Water Heater With Storage Tank
We take the Bosch Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater Tronic 3000 as the sample to demonstrate the electric tank water heater diagram.
Installation Diagram
Electric Tankless Water Heater
We take the EcoSmart electric tankless water heater as sample for this type of water heater.
Wiring Diagram
The number of circuit breakers are equal to the number of heating elements inside the water heater.
Parts
Water Flow
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Turn On The Main Breaker Box
Switch on the main electrical panel and the dedicated circuit breaker for the water heater. For safety measures, use the voltage tester to locate any electrical leaks outside your tank. Checking includes metal parts like junction covers and screws.
For a few reminders, always check the tanks water heating element, top, and bottom. In a worst-case scenario where frozen pipes occur, the heating element will run even with a depleted water source. This neglect results in damage due to overheating. If you need a replacement, make sure everythings the same as the previous setup.
How To Replace & Wire An Electric Water Heating Element
The sketch at left of the parts surrounding an electric water heater heating element is modified from illustrations provided by American Water Heater Co. These parts are identified in order as shown in the sketch as
1. Access door covering the heating element, typically held in place by two sheet metal screws
18. insulation
2. plastic cover over the thermostat assembly
3. Thermostat assembly
5. Electric heating element
6. Electric heating element gasket
No number: yellow arrow points to the heating element mounting location. Clean this area and its threads during heater element replacement.
Watch out: as manufacturers of water heaters point out, you can be killed or seriously injured if you do not follow instructions provided by the water heater manufacturer and described in the water heater’s installation, usage, and maintenance manual.
Below we describe the general procedure for replacing and wiring electric water heater heating elements. Be sure you consult your individual water heater’s installation guide for details.
Other electric water heater elements may be secured with a bracket, shown in our sketch above.Remove the sealing gasket that prevented leaks between the heating element face and the water heater tank face.Watch out: keep this gasket until you have confirmed that your new water heater element came with a new gasket.
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Reader Question: Replacement Water Heater Element Not Working
Amiti said:
My hot water heater only has one element in it, we replaced that element today and hooked everything back up the way it was before.
Now we still have no hot water and i tried to push the reset button on the thermostat butit was already pushed in. I dont know what to do now please help me!!
Reply:
Amity,
IF that you didn’t make the common but fatal mistake of turning on the electric water heater when it was not absolutely full of water ,
THEN I’m guessing either a wiring error or a bad thermostat.
Start by checking that the unit has electrical power.
Watch out: Be sure the person testing knows how to do so safely as live voltage could kill someone. See DMMs VOMs SAFE USE OF.
Then one of the electric water heater diagnostic articles listed below at “Continue Reading” will help you find the trouble.
Replace An Electric Water Heater Heating Elementhow To Remove Install & Wire A Water Heater Element Step By Step Guide
- about how to remove and replace a burned out heating element in an electric water heater
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Electric water heater heating element replacement guide:
How to remove and replace a bad electric hot water heater heating element or electrode – details.
Having completed testing electric water heater components in the previous article, this article explains how to replace a bad electric water heater heating element.
This series of articles describes how to inspect, operate, diagnose, and repair electric hot water heaters.
We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.
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Have The Right Tools Handy
Just like any other DIY job, you want to ensure you have the right tools to do the job. They can include a multimeter, a non-contact voltage detector and a blend sheath and wire ma?e. Being equipped with the right tools will help you be prepared for anything throughout the electrical switch wiring process.
Shut Off The Primary Sources
As all electrical maintenance should be, shutting down the main source of electricity is the primary step. This procedure is necessary for getting a free hand on the wires without the risk of electrical hazards. On the other hand, to conserve water, turn off the crank of the main pipe that supplies your home.
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Wiring A Hot Water Heater In 7 Steps
Understand The Water Heater Wiring
In general, electric water heaters require a 240-volt dedicated circuit. While considering the water heater wire size, the circuit wiring includes a 30-amp double-pole breaker and 10-2 non-metallic or MC cable. You will find some black, red, and white wires when you open the box.
The black circuit wire connects to the black wire lead on the water heater, and the white circuit wire connects to the white or red wire lead on the water heater. The white circuit wire is the hot wire. A 240-volt circuit carries live current in both the black and white wires instead of standard 120-volt wires. Notice that it is covered with black or red electrical tape near the connection at both ends of the circuit.
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Locating The Electrical Connections
The electrical wire connections for a water heater are made at a built-in junction box on the top of the water heater tank. This is enclosed by a cover plate, which you can remove to inspect the wire connections inside. Typically, the wire conductors leading to the heater are enclosed in flexible conduit or are made with flexible metal cable, such as metal-clad cable. This flexibility provides a little wiggle room, making it easier to replace the water heater, and it is a required feature in many earthquake areas.
With the cover plate removed, you can test for power simply by holding a non-contact voltage tester next to the wire connections if the circuit has been properly shut off, the tester will not light up.
Single Element Water Heater With Thermostat Wiring
A single element and one thermostat are generally used in smaller and point of use water heaters designed for single phase 120V or 230V AC.
The thermostat used in a single element electric water heater is different from the double element water heater. In other words, there are two screws on the right side in a single element thermostat switch which is fixed to the heating element while a dual element thermostat has 3 screws on the right side.
Lets see different wiring diagrams for single element water heater thermostats as follows.
120V AC Single Phase Single Element Water Heater Thermostat Wiring
In this wiring connection, the phase line from 120V/240V main panel is connected to the L1 screw on the thermostat and then leaving the T2 terminal which is further connected to the single heating element. On the other hand, the neutral is directly connected to the second terminal of the heating element. The earth or ground G is connected to the junction box of the water heater.
The rating of the water heater element is 3kW. Since the supply voltage is 120V, hence it draws the maximum of 25 amperes current . This way, a 30A circuit breaker and 8 gauge wire for both line and neutral is suitable according to the rating. The safe maximum current of the circuit breaker is 80% i.e. 30A x 0.8 = 24A. In other words, the circuit breaker should be rated about 125% of full load current i.e. 25A load current x 125% = 31.25 A. So the nearest 30A breaker can be used.
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