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For a 40-gallon heater, the average capacity is 4500 Watts with 240 Volts. Again, I = P/V; 4500W/240V = 18.75 amps. Then considering the continuous load (125% x 18.75A), we’ll get a total of 23.4 amps. With our answer, a 40-gallon water heater needs at least a 25-amp breaker, the closest to the amperage value.
What size wire do I need for a 40-gallon electric water heater?
An average 40-gallon electric water heater requires 12 gauges of wire. You cannot use a 6 gauge or 10 gauge wire in that case. The current will overflow and the wire will start melting.
How much power does a 40-gallon electric water heater use?
Now we can start with the calculations: A 40-gallon water heater should have an average 4500 Watt capacity and 240 V emf.
What size breaker do I need for a 220 hot water heater?
You’ll need a 25 or 30 amp circuit breaker. The 30 amp is universally used because the minimum rating of 220 volts exceeds the 25 amp breaker.
Can I use a 40 amp breaker for a water heater?
You cannot put a 40A breaker on #10 wire. If you are sure there is (at least) #8 wire all the way from the breaker to the water heater, you can just replace the 30A breaker with a 40A breaker, but if and only if you have verified the size of the wire throughout the entire circuit.
Is a hot water heater 30 amp?
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 (NM) or MC cable.
How many amps does it take to run a hot water heater?
Most electric water heaters use 18.8 amps with 240 volts and a 4,500 watt heating element. A gas water heater uses less amps—about 12 Amps with 115 volts. The average residential container heater has a 40-gallon tank and usually requires a 30-amp breaker.
What size breaker do I need for my water heater?
Multiply the value for current by 125 percent to determine the size of the breaker you need for the heater. A 1500-watt heater on a 120-volt circuit thus needs a breaker of 15.6 amps. Because a 15-amp breaker would be too small, you need a breaker with the next highest rating, which is 20 amps.
What gauge wire do I need for a hot water heater?
Electrical wires Since the generic breaker size for water heaters is 30-amps, the best wire size is a #10 American Wiring Gauge (AWG). I suggest you use a 10-2 Non-Metallic Cable (NMC) for a 30-amp 240Volt circuit.
Can I use 10 3 wire for a hot water heater?
Can I Use 10 3 Wire For A Hot Water Heater? You can use 10/3 wire. Use the red and black wires as hot conductors. The ground wire will run to the green screw.
What size breaker do I use for a 40 gallon hot water heater?
With our answer, a 40-gallon water heater needs at least a 25-amp breaker, the closest to the amperage value. However, I highly recommend using 30-amps for a safer breaker size. Meanwhile, an 80-gallon heater powered by 5500 watts and 240 volts, will result in 5500W/240V x (1.25 continual load) = 28.64 amps.
Does an electric water heater use a lot of electricity?
Most water heaters typically run for 3 to 5 hours per day. The average wattage of an electric water heater is around 4000 watts, which means if it runs for 3 hours a day at a price of $. 13 per kWh, it will cost you $1.56 per day, about $46.80 per month, and $561 per year.
Why is my hot water heater using so much electricity?
Sediment Buildup When the water heats up, minerals drop to the bottom of the tank and settle there. Over time, sediment can cover the lower heating element, reducing the efficiency of the hot water tank. It requires more electricity to heat the water when the lower heating element isn’t working properly.
What size wire should I use for a 40 amp breaker?
RULES OF THUMB “Twelve-gauge wire is good for 20 amps, 10-gauge wire is good for 30 amps, 8-gauge is good for 40 amps, and 6-gauge is good for 55 amps,” and “The circuit breaker or fuse is always sized to protect the conductor [wire].”Sep 18, 2017.
How many amps is a double pole 30 amp breaker?
A 30 amp double pole or two pole breaker gives you a total of 30 amps on each legbefore it is supposed to trip. In the cases where a double pole breaker feeds a single load, such as for stove, clothes dryer, water heater etc. the majority of the load will be provided across the two halves of the split phase service.
How many amps does a 120v water heater use?
This being said, a 2000 watt water heater operating at 120 volts will draw 16.66 amps, 80% of a 20 amp circuit is just 16 amps. If your voltage runs as low as 110 volts as it does in some areas, the amperage drawn could be as high as 18.18 amps.
Can I use a 40 amp breaker for a 50 gallon water heater?
Yes, if AND ONLY IF the wires from the breakers to the water heaters are sufficient to carry 40 amps (e.g. 8-gauge 90C THHN copper). The largest residential heating elements for a tanked water heater are 7000 watts.
Can I replace a 40 amp breaker with a 50 amp?
3 Answers. In general, no. Installing a 50A breaker on wiring only designed to support 40A is dangerous and can result in a house fire.
Can I use a 50 amp breaker for a 30 amp water heater?
30 amps is where a 30 amp breaker should cut off, and to avoid that, you should only use 80% of the breaker’s capacity. So for a 30 amp breaker, you shouldn’t be using more than 24 amps. Using a 50 amp breaker and a dedicated outlet ensures that you don’t exceed the capacity of the circuit with that appliance.
