Electric Water Heater Wiring

Electrical wiring never fails to stump us. But actually, it might not be that tough an ask. All you need is to be a bit careful and have an eye for detail. In keeping with what I mentioned earlier about electrical wiring, let met tell you that, if you are considering how to do the wiring of an electric water heater, it is not very difficult. You would normally not be required to change the wiring unless you are installing, either a new one or replacing an already installed water heater. The text coming up would give you a low down on that.

Requirements for Electric Water Heater Wiring

• Screwdrivers
• Wire strippers
• Needlenose pliers
• Voltage tester
• Electrical tape
• Wire connectors
• Electrical wire connector (for a new installation)

These were the things you need for an electrical water heater wiring. Now considering that you have the main wiring unit or the circuit for the heater, here is the method.

How to Wire an Electric Water Heater

Step 1
Before you do anything else, turn off the electrical power leading to the wires and conductors which are involved. In case you are unsure which ones are getting the electric current, use a voltameter for verifying that the electricity is off.

Step 2
Now you need to find the factory installed water heater wires. Use an appropriate screwdriver for removing the electrical junction cover of the water heater. You would find 2 insulated wires of different colors. They can also be something like a green surrounding wire or green grounding screw.

Step 3
The power source wires have to be routed through the hole in the electrical housing designed for a wire connection. This whole unit is on top of the water heater. Now get the ends of all the source wires and all factory water heater wires ready for connection. This can be done with the help of wire strippers for removing around ¾ inch of the insulation on the outer side. It will expose the wire in the process of wiring.

Step 4
Once you strip the wires, place a partially stripped, insulated source wire and one of the partially stripped insulated factory water heater wire in the wire nut. Then twist the wires clockwise till they are secure. There should be no naked wire exposed beyond the bottom edge of the wire nut. Do the same for the other set of wires. This is a very important step. If you encounter any electric water heater problems at any point, it would be a good idea to get in touch with a professional.

Step 5
It is time for getting the grounding connection right. In a situation where the grounding connection on the water heater is a wire, place the partially stripped green grounding water heater wire and the grounding power source wire into a wire nut and twist them in the way the wires were twisted earlier (clockwise).

Step 6
If there is no wire, for the grounding connection on the heater, instead, there is a screw, wrap the grounding source around and underneath the screw once. Then tighten the screw to fix and secure the wire. Finally, after all this is done, Gently place all the wires back in the electrical junction box.

That's it! But remember, this was keeping in mind the situation where there is an electrical circuit present. If you are starting from scratch, you would have to run the circuit yourself. Then you would need a 2-pole, 30 amp breaker and 10-2 NM cable for making the circuit operational.

There is one last thing you should be careful about when it comes to wiring an electric water heater, regarding electrical safety. Never fill the tank with water till the unit is completely and properly wired and do not turn the circuit on before you fill the tank with water. This is where I sign off. All the best!