What Size Breaker For A Hot Water Heater? (Find Out Now!)

You have come to the determination that you need to install a new water heater. It presents new possibilities for certain, but it also presents challenges that must be met. Like what kind of circuit breaker you need for your new electric water heater.

Choosing the right breaker is of the utmost importance. Fail to provide the right power level and you will constantly be tripping the breaker. You may even do damage to the appliance or your electrical system. So, when you go to install your electric water heater, make sure that you go with a 30-amp breaker. This is your guide for better understanding amperage, voltage, and wiring requirements for your new electric water heater.

Your home’s electrical system is tied to an array of breakers. Each of these breakers handles a specified electrical load. For the larger appliances that consume more energy, they may require their own dedicated breaker.

When you have a breaker that is ill-equipped to handle the workload, there are multiple issues presented. For one, the breaker could become damaged. Frequent usage from an appliance that is in need of more power could damage the breaker, requiring complete replacement.

Furthermore, the wrong breaker could wind up damaging the appliance. Inconsistent energy output can lead to surges and spikes, the kind of inconsistencies that can do damage to the internal components of your new water heater. All of which can be avoided by choosing the right breaker.

There are a ton of different circuit breaker examples to choose from, each fit to serve a different level of need. For the most part, your typical electric water heater will have about 15 amps of power to it. That can vary based on the model that you choose, but that is the industry standard.

So, you could probably get away with using a 20-amp breaker but it is likely that your electrician will suggest a 30-amp system. That is because your water heater is a high current appliance. Since it draws more energy than most of the other things in your home, it needs to be graded to handle those power surges more effectively.

Amperage is one of the primary ways of identifying the necessary breaker size. When in doubt, though, you can also refer to the voltage of both the water heater and the breaker to find the right match. You can even find a handy conversion chart online should you want to see the comparison between voltage and amperage.

As stated above, most standard electric water heaters are in the 15-amp range. That equates to about 110 volts. That said, 20-amp breakers are equipped to take on 220 volts of power. If you still aren’t sure, consult a local electrician before doing anything.

Let’s say that you opt for an electric water heater instead of a tankless. In this instance, you would have to choose the size of the tank. The industry standard is about 40 gallons as it serves most average-sized homes.

In the case of a 40-gallon water heater, a dedicated 20-30 amp breaker would be required. You might be able to get away with a smaller appliance on a 30-amp breaker, but even that is not recommended. A 20-amp breaker leaves less room for error and could leave you more susceptible to power spikes and surges.

Ultimately, it comes down to the requirements on the service tag to help you determine breaker size. But there is one important thing that you should keep in mind when it comes to finding the right breaker size for your electric water heater.

You can’t switch from a breaker that is too small to a larger one as easily as you can in the reverse. That means you can’t change the circuit breaker as easy if you have a water heater that needs 30 amps on a 20-amp system. But if you are going from an appliance that needs 20 amps to 30 amps, the transition is much easier.