Breaker Size For Electric Hot Water Heater

Multiply the current rating of the water heater with 125.

Breaker size for electric hot water heater.

The circuit wiring typically includes a 30 amp double pole breaker and 10 2 non metallic nm or mc cable. You can estimate the necessary tank capacity in gallons based on the number of people in the house. 1 or 2. Wire a hot water heater with wire that s sized to accommodate the heater s current requirement.

For example a 20 amp hot water heater needs 12 gauge wire a 25 amp hot water heater requires 10 gauge wire and a 30 to 40 amp hot water heater requires 8 gauge wire. In the above example we would require a 15 6 amp circuit breaker for our us readers. Choose the right tankless electric water heater for you. But with a 25 amp breaker the 20 amp water heater will only cover 80 of the total capacity of the circuit breaker.

Some large heaters draw up to 50 amps requiring 6 gauge wire. Just follow the three simple steps below to choose the right model and size you need. Rheem tankless electric water heaters make it easy to enjoy instantaneous continuous hot water space saving design and significant energy cost savings. First lets start with the nec code for this water heater application.

Thus the current draw for a 1 500 watt heater is 12 5 amps. Multiply the value for current by 125. Instead you need at least 25 amp. I agree with you that this water heater circuit is not a typical configuration and the common circuit for a new home is 10 copper wire protected by a 2pole 30amp circuit breaker however lets look at this application carefully.

Electric water heaters require a 240 volt dedicated circuit which serves only the water heater and no other appliances or devices. This happens because 20 amp from the water heater is more than 80 of the breaker capacity. For a tank style heater household size is a simple indicator of hot water needs. So it will work consistently and in a stable way.