It may say on the side of it also. How many watts? Your average residential 30 or 40 gallon water heater is 4500 watts and usually goes on a 30 A breaker.
Likewise, what size breaker do I need for a 4500 watt water heater?
A water heater of this type is required to be considered a continuous load meaning that the branch circuit needs to be calculated at 125% of the heater’s rated ampacity. 4500/240 = 18.75 amps, will work on a 20 amp OCPD but, 18.75*125% = 23.4 amps, requires a 25 or 30 amp circuit.
One may also ask, what size breaker do I need for a 50 gallon water heater? The standard for water heater circuits is #10, two conductors with ground (10/2) and a 30 amp circuit breaker for a water heater.
Just so, what size breaker do you use for a water heater?
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 a 50 gallon water heater pull?
Most 50 amp water heater will come with 4500 watt elements. On a 240 volt circuit that is 4500 / 240 = 18.75 amps, so, no, that will not trip a 20 amp breakers, however, it will be operating the breaker nearly 95% of its 20 ampacity rating and most breakers are not rated for that.
19 Related Question Answers Found
What size wire do I need for 30 amp breaker?
Any circuit fused for 30 amps must use a minimum of 10 ga copper or 8 ga alu. Longer runs may require an upgrade of wire size. In your case, use at least 10 copper for your welder regardless how far it is from the breaker panel.
What size breaker do I need for a 3000 watt water heater?
A 3000 watt 240 volt can be operated on a 14/2 cable, 15 amp double pole breaker.
What size breaker do I need for a 240 volt water heater?
Since this is a purely resistive load 5500 watts at 240 volts is 23 amps, breaker is sized at 30 amps and 10 awg wiring is used. In your case if the elements are strapped for 4500 watts draw is 18.75 amps, permanent draw loads should be sized at 80% of breaker capacity so a 20 amp breaker is limited to 16 amps.
What size breaker do I need for a 6000 watt water heater?
So, if you have a heater using 6,000 watts in total in a 240-volt connection, the operative ampere total would be 25 Amp. In this case, you need no less than 35 Amp. Because it will use 25 Amp in total, getting a 30 Amp breaker will cover it safely, but a 35 Amp unit will cover more than just a heater if needed.
What wire do I use for water heater?
Common Current and Wire Gauge Sizes 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.
How many watts does a 40 gallon water heater use?
The Rheem Performance 40 Gal. Electric medium water heater provides an ample supply of hot water for households with 2 to 4 people. This unit comes with two 3800-Watt elements and an automatic thermostat which keeps the water at the desired temperature. A 240-Volt electrical connection is required for installation.
How many amps is a 4500 watt water heater?
A water heater of this type is required to be considered a continuous load meaning that the branch circuit needs to be calculated at 125% of the heater’s rated ampacity. 4500/240 = 18.75 amps, will work on a 20 amp OCPD but, 18.75*125% = 23.4 amps, requires a 25 or 30 amp circuit.
What size breaker do I need for a 2000 watt water heater?
The bottom line is, a 2000 watt 120 volt water heater should be on a 30 amp circuit consisting of #10 wire and a 30 amp single pole circuit breaker.
How many wires does a water heater need?
Electric hot water heaters typically require a dedicated 30-amp, 240-volt breaker. The wire supplying power from the breaker panel to your water heater will usually be a 10/2 Romex cable (Blk wire- hot, Marked White wire – hot, Bare copper wire – ground).
Is a 5500 watt water heater better than a 4500 Watt?
These powerful 5,500-watt elements provide 20 faster water heating. 4500 Watt elements are plenty adequate. The purpose of 5500 watt would be to heat water faster, So the water heater delivers more hot water.Do not install 5500 watt element to replace 4500 watt element.
Can I replace a 3800 Watt water heater with a 4500 Watt?
You can buy 3800 watt elements to replace the 4500 watt units. This is commonly done when the electric is NOT 10 gauge wire with 30 amp breaker. If it is 12 gauge and 20 amp you are limited to 3800 watt elements.
What size breaker do I need for a 1500 watt 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. Include the current draw of any other devices on the circuit when calculating the breaker size.
How many amps is 240 volts?
20-amp 240-volt circuit: 20 amps x 240 volts = 4,800 watts. 25-amp 240-volt circuit: 25 amps x 240 volts = 6,000 watts. 30-amp 240-volt circuit: 30 amps x 240 volts = 7,200 watts. 40-amp 240-volt circuit: 40 amps x 240 volts = 9,600 watts.
What is a 2 pole 30 amp breaker?
Question: Are both sides of double breaker 30 amp or 15 amp ? Answer: Both are 30 amp. You can use a double breaker as two single breakers to supply 120 volt to two separate circuits.. If you have a 30 amp double breaker, you can connect a single 10 gauge hot wire and it will work for 120 volt.
Can I use a 40 amp breaker for a dryer?
It is not OK to use a 40 amp breaker for a dryer outlet. The receptacle is rated for 30 amps and cannot be protected by a larger amperage breaker. The manufacturer also requires a 30 amp breaker. The breaker is sized to protect the wire,the receptacle,and the dryer.
What size breaker do I need for a 5500 watt water heater?
The math shows that 5500 watt water heater is well within the safe maximum for a 30 amp breaker and 10 gauge wire. When heat exceeds circuit breaker rating, then the breaker trips. A 30 amp breaker with 10 gauge wire has 80% safe maximum = 24 amps. 24 amps x 240 volt = safe maximum 5760 watts.
What is a 40 amp breaker used for?
Product Overview. The Square D by Schneider Electric Homeline 40 Amp Two-Pole Circuit Breaker is used for overload and short-circuit protection of your electrical system. This breaker is compatible with Homeline load centers and CSED devices. The ANSI-certified and UL-listed unit is rated for 120/240 VAC and 10,000 AIR
What size breaker do I need for a 4500w water heater?
The wiring requirements are less stringent for 3800 watt elements than for 4500 watt elements. A 4500-watt element requires 10/2 wire and a 30 amp (220volt) breaker. The 3800 can be wired with 12/2 wire and a 20 amp breaker.
How do I know what size circuit breaker to use?
To find the current draw, you just divide this number by the voltage at which it operates, which is either 120 volts or 240 volts. Then, multiply this number by 125 percent. An easy way to do this is to divide it by 100 and then multiply it by 125. The rating of your circuit breaker must be larger than this total.