I bought a 120v Whirlpool 19 gallon electric water heater as that was the only voltage I could find. The wiring going to the heater is 220v. About 19 yrs ago I had bought a Ruud water heater and switched the 120v element for a 220v element and it worked fine.
Now everyone I talk to, the water heater people, the plumbing supply people and the guy at the hardware store all are completely unable to tell me why this would be a problem. No one could give me a concrete answer to whether this is possible or a good idea. One told me there would probably be a problem with the thermostat. However looking for thermostats online, none are rated for volts or wattage so I'm guessing that's not a problem.
So my question is can I just switch out the 120v element with a 220v element? Is there anything else that would need to be done?
Thanks in advance.
Now everyone I talk to, the water heater people, the plumbing supply people and the guy at the hardware store all are completely unable to tell me why this would be a problem. No one could give me a concrete answer to whether this is possible or a good idea. One told me there would probably be a problem with the thermostat. However looking for thermostats online, none are rated for volts or wattage so I'm guessing that's not a problem.
So my question is can I just switch out the 120v element with a 220v element? Is there anything else that would need to be done?
Thanks in advance.