Tom Wiedmaier
New Member
I purchased my older home 2-years ago. We have been having some issues concerning running out of hot water. I purchase a tester to check the elements and the thermostats. All appears to test out OK. In the process, I read in several places online that 10-2 wiring with a double 30A breakers are needed for a heater with 4500 watt dual elements. My heater has 12-2 wiring with a double 20A breaker.
So this is my question:
Does having the lighter wiring create a danger? It seems that the 20A breaker should protect the 12-2 wiring from overheating. Won't the breaker "pop" before allowing the circuit to overload? Doesn't the 20A circuit simply limit how much current is available to the water heater. It may be asking for more but it just isn't available? Hypothetically, if a person had a 1A circuit feeding an appliance rated for 30A it would never receive more that 1 amp, the breaker would immediately trip. Currently my water heater functions without tripping the breaker. Is it a wrong assumption that it is operating within the capability of the 20A circuit?
Thanks for any help,
Tom
So this is my question:
Does having the lighter wiring create a danger? It seems that the 20A breaker should protect the 12-2 wiring from overheating. Won't the breaker "pop" before allowing the circuit to overload? Doesn't the 20A circuit simply limit how much current is available to the water heater. It may be asking for more but it just isn't available? Hypothetically, if a person had a 1A circuit feeding an appliance rated for 30A it would never receive more that 1 amp, the breaker would immediately trip. Currently my water heater functions without tripping the breaker. Is it a wrong assumption that it is operating within the capability of the 20A circuit?
Thanks for any help,
Tom