Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Mobile home water heaters

Mobile home water heaters are different than standard water heaters. When replacing a water heater in a mobile home, several things are needed to consider.
  1. Check the measurements for the space in which the water heater is to be installed
  2. Check the ampacity of the circuit breaker
  3. Check the wire size of the circuit
A standard water heater provides 4500 watt elements. According to National Electric Code, you need to multiply any circuits ampacity if it can run for more than 3 hours. So, if a 4500W element pulls 17.75 amps, multiply that by 125% and you get 22 amps. Thus you need a minimum 25 A breaker.

If you have a 20 amp breaker and #12 AWG wire size and you don't want to change the circuit you will need to remove the 4500 watt elements and install 3500 watt elements- a simple fix.

The main thing is you want to be safe! Don't make a mistake that could cost you more $ down the road. When in doubt call a professional.

If you live in Greenville/ Simpsonville area, feel free to give me a call at TWH Plumbing & Electric, 864-449-5790, and I can take a look at your water heater situation.

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