Hot water heater

[dottieshusband]

For anyone interested, the model number of my new hot water heater.

 

[MadHatter53]

I could never understand why someone would heat already hot water.

 

[Boatsb]

That's a lot of watts.

I'd never be able to run it on my little boat.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Same guy that made that sticker; Upper and lower elements don't ad up to the same wattage..

 

[jim rosenthal]

I don't think I've ever seen a 9000 watt water heater, though.

 

[Beachcomber]

Water heaters running on 120-volt power have a long recovery time, which is impractical for most households; 120-volt elements consume 1125 watts, while residential 240-volt heaters use 4,500 watts. If a heater has two elements, people sometimes assume that they should add their wattage to get the total power consumption of the heater. This isn't correct, because both elements don't come on at the same time. A heater with two elements and a label that specifies a power usage of 4,500 watts for each element uses a maximum of 4,500 -- not 9,000 -- watts.

 

[oscarvan]

If a heater has two elements, people sometimes assume that they should add their wattage to get the total power consumption of the heater. This isn't correct, because both elements don't come on at the same time.

Specifically, the upper element comes on first, and heats the upper half of the column which stays up as it's lighter, and sits next to the "exit" for first use. Once that's heated, it shuts off and the lower element comes on to heat the lower half of the column.

 

[Photolomy]

Another difference often overlooked between 120v and 240v is the wire gauge. Not only does 240v offer the ability of twice the power (watts) on the same gauge wire as 120v at the same amps, but usually the 240v wire is a heavier gauge which allows it to carry even more amps, thus allowing 3 or 4 times the amount of power that a typical 120v circuit can handle.

 

[Chasemmc]

Started process of removing old waterheater. PO had wired both hot legs, but clipped off the neutral wire. Ground was clamped to cold water inlet pipe. This can't be right.....

 

[Jammin']

Here's the neutral wire that fell out of the electrical tape when I started probing the electric feed to my hot water heater. The ground wire was also clamped to a copper water pipe.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Sounds like a ‘land’ plumber installed it. Used to be common to ground houses to inlet water line. I have a plumber friend who forgot to use jumper cables when he cut an iron pipe under a house—damp of course. He was fortunate that someone heard him and killed the power—couldn’t let go.

 

[dottieshusband]

Started process of removing old waterheater. PO had wired both hot legs, but clipped off the neutral wire. Ground was clamped to cold water inlet pipe. This can't be right.....

Mine is 240v and the wiring was odd, but wired it like the old one. It had a green ground wire attached to the WH at the cover screw for the WH wiring.

 

[dottieshusband]

Started process of removing old waterheater. PO had wired both hot legs, but clipped off the neutral wire. Ground was clamped to cold water inlet pipe. This can't be right.....

Mine is 240v and the wiring was odd, but wired it like the old one. It had a green ground wire attached to the WH at the cover screw for the WH wiring. PS, mine cleared the ER doors by a hair, but I had to remove the PH door.

 

[Jammin']

Are you tying the outer housing to the bonding system?

 

[dottieshusband]

Are you tying the outer housing to the bonding system?

I don't know where the green wire went, disappeared into flex conduit. I just wired it like the old one.. looks neat, don't leak.. makes hot water and hasn't been a shocking experience!