Electric Water Heater Amp Draw
| Search using    | How to figure Volts-Amps-Watts for residential water heater |
 Multimeter Test for breaks in wire/ Test for voltage Most appliance require 80% rated voltage to function correctly Buy Analog multimeter Multimeters at Amazon Klein multimeter Electric testers at Amazon Clampmeter for testing amp flow on line Resource: How to test and replace element How to test thermocouple Element tests for 120 volts How to test wire |  Safety when testing wires: Never touch wet or previously flooded appliance. Never stand on wet surface when working on electric. Never stand on bare soil, put down dry boards. Tape tester leads to wood sticks to keep hands away from power. Use non-contact voltage tester before touching wires. Never touch or lean into any made of metal. Remove metal objects from pockets. Do not use oxygen or fuel accelerants in same room as electrical repairs Resource: |  Non-contact voltage tester Test for power without touching connectors NEVER assume power is OFF Buy: |
 120 volt 15 amp devices including GFCI, timers, switches, plugs, wifi controls etc can be installed on 15 or 20 amp breaker. 120 volt GFCI, outlet, receptacle that is rated 20 amp can be installed on 20 amp breaker only, but NOT on 15 amp breaker. | Buy Basic electric book Home plumbing/ electrical codes  Or learn about basic household electricity... use and search my site/ Resource Safe electric wiring Basic house wiring |  Use outlet tester to check for correct wiring on any 120 volt straight-blade outlet. Buy: Klein testers Outlet tester Circuit breaker finder Electric usage monitor |
 Non metallic flexible cables must carry ground wire, but do not have hazard of short circuit causing injury from shock. Armored steel cable can be used as a grounded connection, and will protect wires from damage. Metal can be energized from an insulation failure. All conduit ...metal, plastic ... flexible and rigid ... must be attached to structure, and attached to enclosures, boxes. |  Electrical tools must be insulated. Always best to disconnect power, but insulation failure, lack of proper grounding, grounded neutral, lack of GFCI, out-of-code wiring, generator operating without transfer switch, and other problems still pose a risk to anyone working on electric power ... even when breaker is off. Buy: | Connect wire to screw terminal Use only 600 volt solid copper wire. Do not use stranded wire or extension cord. Do not use solder anywhere on residential 120-240 volt wiring. Attach electric installation to structure. Tighten screws very tight against wire.  Buy: NEC books Dewalt plumbing/ electrical codes Basic electric book National electric code guide/ illustrated Resources: |
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 Use nipper instead of pliers or screwdriver for removing staples (and nails). Do not damage cable or wires inside cable. Code -Cable SHALL BE secured without damage to the outer covering. NEC sec. 336-15 Buy End cutting nippers at Amazon |    When removing insulation from wire, do NOT score or put cuts on surface of copper wire. Doing so increases resistances on wire and creates weak point. Buy tools: Wire strippers at Amazon Linesman pliers Pro linesman plier Needle nose pliers End cutting nippers at Amazon |  6" Pull box Junction boxes for conduit and wiring Buy: Bud industries 6x6x4 best value/ no KO Raco 6x6x4 metal pull box Wiegman 6x6x4 pull box Hoffman 6x6x4 pull box Adamax raintight enclosure Raintight 6x6x4 box Pull boxes Buy: Pull boxes Polycarbonite boxes Resource : Enclosures and boxes |
 | Find label on side of water heater / or any appliance Residential water heaters with 2 elements are rated 208-240Volt Homes in US and Americas are usually wired for 120 / 240Volt Basic electric wiring Ordinary residential water heater will work with any voltage, up to 480V ... including 120, 208, 240, 277, 415, 480 volt* ... this is possible because the mechanical thermostats are rated 480 volt and because elements are resistive. *This is possible as long as voltage does not exceed the voltage rating printed on end of each element. CAUTION .... water heaters with electronic controls such as heat-pump, energy smart, tankless, demand-response heaters, factory-made solar units etc must be connected to the rated voltage and no other voltage. A water heater that is rated for 240-208 volt can be connected to 120 volt generator, and heater will function but heat more slowly ... this is possible because elements are resistive ... and 120 volt is less than the 240 volt element rating printed on end of element. Connect heater to generator Resources: Connect water heater to generator Review heat pump Review Solar glycol water heater See inside main breaker box High voltage solar PV Low voltage solar PV Commercial 3-phase water heater |
 Larger image | Volts and watts show on end of element When replacing elements, use same Wattage shown on tank label Higher wattage element can be dangerous if wire size and breaker do not match load. Best to match element wattage with tank label. Generic hardware store elements are good choice. |
 Typical electric water heater label See larger image See another image Always test actual volts at your home first, because that affects actual watt output of elements. -If household voltage is 236 instead of 240 volts, then there is a tiny difference. -If household voltage is higher at 250 or lagging at 215 , then these voltages can affect 240 volt household appliances, causing malfunction. With electric heater, higher voltage can burn out elements, and lower voltage give less hot water. Buy: Multimeter Resource: Is US electricity 110-220 volt or 120-240 volt?... it's 120-240V | Look for Volts and Watts on label Label shows Phase: -Phase 1 or single-phase is household or condo electric service Label shows 208-240 Volts ... heater can be connected to either voltage, but cannot be connected to higher voltage such as commercial 277, 415, 480 etc. Each element is 5500 watts @240V If total connected was 11,000 watts, this would indicate a special-order simultaneous heater. Note about 208 Volt: 5500 Watt rating drops to 4125 watts when tank is connected to 208V. Why? Water heater elements are like light bulbs... When power drops, then light bulbs dim, and produces less wattage output. Same with elements: when voltage drops, the element is less hot and wattage output is lower. Resource: Tank wiring can be changed: |
 See larger image | Different water heater label/ 4500 watts @ 240volts Label shows 4500 watt elements @240Volt Total connected 4500 watts, which means both elements are never ON at same time so the maximum wattage consumed by this water heater is 4500 watts. Houses, and ordinary apartment buildings have 240Volts While commercial apartment buildings and businesses might have 208Volt service Resource: What is 208 volt Note: 4500 watt element @ 240V changes to 3375 watt element @ 208 volts |
 | Other things on label Serial number/ which contains code for date of manufacture/ Gallon size of tank Manufacturer brand Number of warranty years. Warranty is usually from date of purchase. Lacking sales receipt, the warranty reverts to date of manufacture, which might be several years before purchase. Warranty usually covers tank + parts + labor first year, then tank + parts following years. Resource: Find age of water heater Water heater manufacturers |
| Formula for heating water inside tank: Gallon Per Hour (Electric) = (KW x 3413) divided by (temp. rise x 8.25) or (KW x 414) divided by (temp rise.) Let's say you have one 5500 watt element. Let's say incoming water temperature is 65�F and you want to heat tank to 105�, or 40� rise in temperature. 5500 watt or 5.5Kw elements x 3413 = 18771.5 If the tank has 2 elements, then the heating load would be shared by both elements. The exact proportion of heating by each element would be unknown. If you have 4500 watt elements and incoming water temperature is 55�, and you want to heat to 120�, then the temperature rise is 65� This number does NOT consider heat loss from tank, where heat is dissipated through tank insulation due to ambient room temperature etc. | |
| |  Test element: Remove wires from element. Set multimeter to read continuity or ohms. -Element can be partially shorted from melted sections of the resistance wire inside element, and draw more amps than expected... you should be able to see this by measuring ohms across both screws .... replace element. -Element can be shorted to ground and cause overheat water heater in some cases, and this can be determined by testing either screw terminal to steel tank.... replace element. -Element can be shorted out ... measuring ohms across both screws and get 1 or 0 ohms of ... replace element. |
 Larger image Volts and watts are printed on end of each element 480 volt 4000 watt or 415 volt 3000 watt When voltage drops, the element wattage also drops Typically 480 volt is common on 3-phase non-balanced commercial water heaters. The non-balanced 3-phase heater can be converted to single phase but attention must be paid to the element voltage and wattage | How to figure resistive wattage by volts Ohm's laws says: Volts squared� watts = ohms NOTE: The following numbers are based on 'cold resistance.' Ohms is a measure of resistance and heat affects resistance , so if you test element inside a heated tank, the ohm rating will be different. For example 3500W /240V element can vary from 16Ώ hot to 10Ώ cold. Resource: See chart How to test element Remove wires from element to test. Set multimeter to read ohms Ώ . Each element has volt and watt rating printed on end of element. If element is rated 4500 watts @ 240 volts.... then volts squared (57600) � 4500 watts = 12.8 ohms So 12.8 is the ohm rating for the element, no matter what voltage is applied But what happens when voltage is reduced on the same element?? For example voltage is reduced to 208 volts instead of 240 volts. What happens when voltage is reduced to 120 volts on same element? What happens when voltage is reduced on 480 volt, 4000 watt element? So when voltage is reduced to 415 volts: 415 volts squared (172225) � 57.6 ohm = 2990 watts (or 3000 watts as shown in photo) What about increasing voltage instead of lowering voltage? What happens when 240 volts is connected to element that is rated for 2000 watts and 120 volt? POW again |
 Both elements in example are rated for 4500 watts @ 240Volt | Reducing voltage reduces wattage Resistive loads like water heater elements: watt consumption drops when voltage drops. For example light bulb gets dim in a brown-out when voltage drops across large area of homes. Example formula shows that wattage for 120Volts is 25% of wattage for 240Volts Save during peak electric pricing by converting water heater to 120V. Not recommended for ordinary usage. Only for peak hours. |
  Screw-in elements | High and low density elements All calculations shown on this page apply to high and low density elements. Watts � square inches of heating surface = density High density has less square inches of heating surface, so each square inch of element burns hotter. All new water heaters come standard with high watt density elements Low density has more square inches of heating surface, so each square inch burns cooler.If both elements are rated same watts and volts, they will still heat same amount as each other, no matter the density. Purpose of foldback type low density element: they last longer in water that has high mineral content, such as hard water. Rule of thumb: if elements burn out frequently, change to low watt density. Help prevent burn-out by draining tank periodically and cleaning sediment build up in water heater. Resources: How to select and replace water heater element How to test if element is working |
 Formulas: Volt x Amp = Watt Amp = Watt � Volt More Electrical formulas | Calculations Water heater label shows Volts and Watts Volts x Amps = Watts --Same as-- Amps = Watts � Volts Calculate amp size of breaker using formula: 5500 Watt element� 240 Volts = 22.91 Amps or 23 Amps Other examples 40 Watt light bulb� 120 Volts = 0.33 Amps |
 Wire size and breaker must match Use 10 gauge wire with 30 amp breaker | Circuit breaker calculation 10 gauge wire and 30 amp breaker for 4500 watt and 5500 watt elements @ 240Volts safe maximum for breaker is 80% of rated value of breaker ... or to say the same in different way .. breakers should be sized at least 125% of expected heater amperage, per NEC and local codes. 5500 Watt element� 240 Volts = 22.91 Amps or 23 Amps |
 Wire size and breaker must match Use 12 gauge wire with 20 amp breaker | Circuit breaker calculation 12 gauge wire and 20 amp breaker for 3800 watt and 1500 watt elements @ 240Volts 3500 Watt element� 240 Volts = 14.5 Amps |
 Breaker switches must be connected by a bar so both switches operate as one switch | Circuit breaker resources: Circuit breakers respond to heat on wire. When a short circuit occurs, too much electricity begins to flow through wire, causing wire to get hot and tripping breaker. Wire size and breaker amp rating must match for the breaker to work properly. Resources: Figure correct wire and breaker Water heater is tripping breaker How to replace circuit breaker How to wire gfci Difference between gfci circuit breaker and ground Why you need ground wire Can AC breaker be used for DC breaker How to reset circuit breaker Not enough space for circuit breakers Circuit breakers How to install subpanel Match breaker and wire size How to wire subpanel See inside breaker box How to wire safety switch How to wire whole house surge protector Figure volts amps and watts Main breaker stress test |
 Larger image | Wire and breaker chart For ordinary residential non-simultaneous water heater Resource: |
 Use 10 gauge wire for water heaters Orange-colored 10 gauge wire for 30 Amp breakers 30 Amp breaker x 240Volts = 7200 watts => 80% rule applies: 7200 Watts x 80% = 5760 Watts safe maximum 80% rules applies to all household electrical loads Other ratings: | |
 | What does Watt rating mean? Think about the difference between 40 Watt and 100 Watt light bulb. Higher the Watts, the hotter the light bulb, and the higher output of total energy So 5500 Watt element gets hotter than 3500 Watt element, and 5500 Watt uses more total energy Why are elements different Wattage? Think about a light bulb. A closet can be lit with one 40 Watt bulb. But a large room requires more Wattage. So very large water heaters use 5500-6000 Watt element since they heat more water. Most residential tanks have 4500 Watt elements Small 4-20 gallon under-counter water heaters have elements rated for 120 volt and 1500 watt If elements burn out frequently, reduce element wattage, or install low density element. Resource: How to select and replace element |
 | Avoid damage from surge: Most ordinary electric water heaters are not damaged by surge. Exception, water heaters with electronics. However, powerful lightning strike can damage any water heater, especially modern electronic water heating equipment and other appliances. Lightning strike will energize nearby wires, causing power surge. Simple power outage can also cause power spikes when power is restored Install surge protection at the breaker panel or at the location of equipment Surge protectors are single-use. Over time, all surge protectors wear out because of constant variations in electric power coming over the grid. Resource: |
 Larger image | Thermostats and elements Resources: Resources: | |||||
 Meter on water heater The Kwh meter is din rail mounted inside enclosure. Records billable power usage in Kwh. Multiply by rate you pay per Kwh to get monthly/ yearly cost of running electric water heater.Buy Bomain power meter Ketotek power meter 240 volt pass through Kwh meter 2T2502GA beige plastic enclosure 2T2500GA grey plastic enclosure din rails Resource: | ||||||
 Use 10 gauge wire for water heaters Oversized breaker and wire run cooler and save money, but make sure breaker size and wire size match Use only 600 volt wire/ never use extension cord Orange-colored 10 gauge wire for 30 Amp breakers 30 Amp breaker x 240Volts = 7200 watts => 80% safe maximum rule applies: 7200 Watts x 80% = 5760 Watts Safe maximum 80% rules applies to all commercial and household electrical loads, so that amp flow through the breaker and onto the wire is kept low. Voltage is the force that pushes amperage or current of electrons through the matrix or atomic structure of the conductor (wire), causing heat. Breaker trip when the heat exceed the overcurrent rating of breaker. But avoiding heat is the objective of 80% rule. Why? Heat causes power loss, reduces efficiency, increases costs, puts stress on all electric circuits and breakers, and increases risk of fire. Other ratings: Use only 600 volt copper wires... do not use aluminum or extension cord or other non-approved wiring | ||||||
 | Cost to operate water heater How much does it cost to operate gas and electric water heaters | |||||
 | Avg electric price by state Avg state price chart in pdf How much does it cost to run Electric water heater: 3 hours is approximate daily run-time for a water heater [depending on usage and temperature of incoming water] Bath uses 12-15 Gallons hot water <> shower uses 5-9 Gallons hot water > Hot water use chart 5500 Watts x 3 hours = 16,500 watt-hours or 16.5 Kwh per day For a full 30-day month <=> 30 days x 16.5 Kwh per day = 495 Kwh per month for water heater electricity Calculate cost <=> 495 Kwh x $.10 per Kwh = $49.50 + tax As general rule, electric water heaters operate at 99% efficiency with or without water-softener > until sediment reaches bottom element > full efficiency is restored when sediment removed How to remove sediment Read research pdf | |||||
| 3 hours a day @ $.10 per Kwh 5500 Watt tank = 495 Kwh per month = $49.50 per month + tax 4500 Watt tank = 405 Kwh per month = $40.50 per month 3500 Watt tank = 315 Kwh per month = $31.50 per month assuming low usage 1500 Watt tank = 135 Kwh per month = $13.50 per month | ||||||
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| Smaller water heaters are cheaper to run if family can conserve Size chart Read 9 ways to save with a water heater Compare 13 electric water heater timers Electric water heaters operate at 99% efficiency with or without water softener Read | ||||||
 Tempering tank passively pre-heats cold water | Tempering tank passively pre-heats cold water Incoming water to household is geothermally heated since pipes are underground Resources: | |||||
| | Control water heater with Switches and Timers The 80% safety rule applies to 15 amp switches and timers, so .80 x 15 Amp = 12 amps maximum So switch and timer have to be wired to a contactor Resources: | |||||
 Water heater Box timers | ||||||
   15Amp switch is rated for 1440 Watt 14 - 100Watt light bulbs = 1400Watts | How many light bulbs can 15 Amp light switch safely handle? 14 - 100watt light bulbs 15 Amp switch x .80 = 12 Amps 12 Amps x 120 Volts = 1440 Watts, therefore *14* 100-Watt light bulbs can be put on a single 15 Amp switch Ordinary house switch ... can safely control several light bulbs + a desk lamp + a ceiling fan + etc. up to 1400 Watts Add up Watts of each item to calculate the total load on the switch. Same facts hold true for wall plugs which are usually rated 15 Amps and can carry 1400 Watts. You can see that 1500 Watt microwaves and 1500 Watt space heaters should connect to heavy wires and switches Resource: | |||||
| | Difference between 120 and 240 Volts All single phase circuits require 2 wires to complete the circuit 120Volt take 1 hot wire and 1 neutral wire 240Volt takes 2 hot wires No neutral wire is needed to complete 240Volt circuit 240 Volts can deliver energy more efficiently than 120 Volts Resource: | |||||
 See inside main breaker box | What is Kwh or Kilowatt-hour? Kwh is the standard unit for billing used by electric company <=> the cost varies from 10� - 20� per Kwh 1 Kwh = 1000 watt-hours of electricity Average electric price by state | |||||
| 100 Watt light bulb turned on for 10 hours <=> 100 Watts x 10 hours = 1000 watt-hours or 1 Kwh 40 Watt light bulb turned on for 10 hours <=> 40 Watts x 10 hours = 400 watt-hours or .4 Kwh To calculate cost, multiply Kwh x price <=> For example .4 Kwh x $.10 per Kwh = .04 or just 4� for each 10 hours of 60 Watt light | ||||||
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 Big Screen TV: $70-140 per year Satellite receiver: $18 per year TV: 300-500 Watts + 3 watt standby | Look at appliance label > each appliance has Watt rating For example double-oven has a Watt rating of 7.0 KW - that means 7000 Watts The top oven uses 1/2 total wattage or 3500 watts or 3.5 KW >> the bottom oven uses 1/2 or 3.5 KW For every hour the top oven is 'on' uses up to 3.5 Kwh of power When both top and bottom ovens are 'on' for one hour, the appliance uses up to 7.0 KwhWhen buying appliance: Look at wattage printed on label. Take photo of label with phone. Compare wattage with old appliance. It requires same energy to heat water and heat homes and cook food as before. A giant appliance does not lower bills. Energy Star rating does NOT mean new appliance will pay for itself. With Energy Star, expect $2-6 per year on same size appliance. Appliances give off warm air that works against AC in summer, but helps heater in winter. Reducing consumption and buying smaller wattage appliance is best way to lower energy bill. Put your TV and satellite box and computer on a power strip/ turn off power strip when not in use Read more about standby power loss Read1 Read2 | |||||
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Electric Water Heater Amp Draw
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