Our seniors center has a 10 gallon water heater for our hot water use. It has a 1500 watt single element.The 15amp breaker kept tripping so checked it out. Element was badly coroded, so installed new heater element.Heater heats water but still trips breaker sometimes. Would it hurt to put in a 20amp breaker.
- Thread starter FWB in SK
- Start date
Janicholson
Well-known Member
Yes it would. The breaker is probably tripping at 10 amps instead of 15. It might also have a poor connection at the wire terminal. The heater might have been OK. The wiring must be rated for the breaker or bigger. If you replace the breaker put in the same amp breaker, or make sure the circuit wires and connections end to end are rated for the larger breaker. Jim
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
No, the breaker is sized to the wire gauge.
A 15a breaker works with 14ga wire, a 20a needs 12ga wire.
Are you sure the new element is 1500 watt?
Is there anything else plugged in on the same circuit?
A 15a breaker works with 14ga wire, a 20a needs 12ga wire.
Are you sure the new element is 1500 watt?
Is there anything else plugged in on the same circuit?
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
If it has 12 ga wire to the receptacle that it's plugged into then it should be OK, or if it's hard wired with 12 ga. We have a small water heater that's been running fine on a 15 a breaker for years without tripping. I would check for loose connections on the breaker, that can cause them to trip. If that doesn't fix it I would try a new breaker. Let us know what fixes it!
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
Does it have bunch of lime build up in the tank?? If it does that can be part of the problem and the element is over heating and then shorts out.
As for the breaker it depends on what gauge wire it has going to it. 14 gauge 15 amp breaker. 12 gauge then yes you can up the breaker to 20 but as I said if it has a lo of lime build up that will not help
As for the breaker it depends on what gauge wire it has going to it. 14 gauge 15 amp breaker. 12 gauge then yes you can up the breaker to 20 but as I said if it has a lo of lime build up that will not help
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Unless it is a motor load . Then a 50 amp breaker on 12awg is normal .
Needs a test instead of guessing . What is the actual current draw , measure it . Is the breaker a GFCI ? Did you measure the heater element ohm to chassis ?
Your local water jurisdiction will have a report called the Consumer Confidence Report, the CCR, and it will tell you how much hardness is in the water. They will be glad to furnish one to you. They might even be mailing one to you already. For example, in our area, the water is very 'hard' and deposits lots of calcium carbonate [lime] inside water heaters. The buildup will keep the water from circulating around the heater element, and burn them out. You might pull the element again, and probe around underneath the element, and see if there is a buildup of lime. It will be a white / gray hard crusted deposit. If you can scrape it out, do so. But if it an older model, 10-gallon heater, might just be simpler to get a new one. Won't be too expensive.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
50 amp on 12 ga wire????? Hope it's a typo, you better correct it!
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
You had better read the code book .
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
If I am remembering it right as per code 15 amp is 14 gauge. 20 amp is 12 gauge and 30 amp is on 10 gauge. 40 amp is 8 gauge ad 50 amp is 6 gauge but it has been a couple of decades since I worked as a maintenance electrician
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
When we built a new home in 1977 I ran a 200 amp service with copper wire?? It was 2 ga.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Lookup the charts for motors . Not wiring electric heaters or such .
If you have hard water, do what I did. I removed my 30 gal electric water heater, took it out into the yard, removed both elements and the relief valve and took my garden hose and squirted it inside the heater. Got a lot of lime gravel out of the bottom, used a wire coat hanger to pull the larger pieces out of it. Took a coupla hours, but it's been fine since. I use a water softener, the PO did not. The lime gravel was all the way up to and around the bottom element. If your elements in the gravel, you'll have problems. As the water heats up, the lime precipitates out of the water and falls to the bottom of the heater.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Rather light on the copper . Should be 2/00 iirc.
The very FIRST thing should have been to check the Amp draw. If not equipped to do that, or as the next step I would have unplugged the breaker and looked for overheated parts where it plugs onto the bus bars in the breaker box and overheated terminals where the wires connect to the breaker.
If apparent issues in those areas, also check/tighten the heck out of the terminals wire the wires attach to the breaker and give it another try.
If it still trips, replace the breaker.
Janicholson
Well-known Member
I had that feeling! Jim
dr sportster
Well-known Member
Wire size dictates breaker size. Only place a 20 amp breaker if you have 12 AWG size wire . You can't protect 14 gauge wire on a 20 amp breaker.
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