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Electrical Questions

victorj19victorj19 Member Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭
edited March 2015 in General Discussion
We've always had natural gas water heaters in our homes and I want to add a circuit for a hot water heater in out cottage since gas is not available. The tank will be about 15 to 20 gallons. The wire will run about 50 feet.

What amperage breaker and size cable is needed? Does the cable need to be 3 wire with ground like electric stoves?

Thanks,

Jim
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Comments

  • victorj19victorj19 Member Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am building a combination 2 buffing wheels and a 2X72" belt grinder. I have a 3 HP motor and plan to run both the buffing station and grinder station by this 3 HP motor. I have the below cutoff switch and the 2 speed switch. These came off a wall in a utility room in a warehouse I remodeled. The Square D switch ran a huge 200 gallon hot water. The 2 speed switch ran a 2 speed exhaust fan. I am thinking of using the 2 speed switch since it will be turned off and on as needed. The question is, would the 2 speed switch work better than the cut off switch and how would I wire the 2 way switch? Also I have some 10 gauge strand wire, white, black and green I want to wire the motor with. I am thinking 10 gauge is large enough.



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  • toolmaniamtoolmaniam Member Posts: 3,213
    edited November -1
    30 amp 10-2 with ground.
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  • montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 60,240 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by toolmaniam
    30 amp 10-2 with ground.
    yep,,
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  • victorj19victorj19 Member Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks guys! Now I can buy the supplies and pull the wire next week.
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  • MercuryMercury Member Posts: 7,840 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, you can install that, ASSUMING that adding a 30 amp breaker won't overload your 100/200 amp main breaker. You may have to upgrade the main.

    Merc
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  • pistoljimpistoljim Member Posts: 967 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Everyone missed step one.
    You need to check the amp draw of the water heater you buy before you can size the breaker and wire.
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  • toolmaniamtoolmaniam Member Posts: 3,213
    edited November -1
    A small water heater like that is going to most likely going to have a quick recovery element. 30 amp breaker would be fine. A 100 amp service will never have 100 amps of draw at one time, most realistically 30-40 at one given time. Just don't put your dryer on the same circuit.[:)]
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  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pistoljim
    Everyone missed step one.
    You need to check the amp draw of the water heater you buy before you can size the breaker and wire.


    Some what true.

    While I have never seen a 20 gal or even a 30 gal heater that needed more than 10 gage and 30 amp breakers, you may have a 120volt unit that could use 12 gage and a 20 breaker.

    BUT if you are pulling wire and installing breakers, pull the 10's for 240 volt {2 hots and one ground}. If you ever go to a smaller
    amp /volt unit,
    just tape one of those hots "white" and use it as a neutral and install a smaller {20 or 15 amp breaker on the other 10 gage hot.
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