How Many Amps Does A 4500 Watt Water Heater Draw

what size breaker do i need for a 4500 watt water heater

To answer the common homeowner query, "What size breaker practice I demand for a 4500 watt water heater?", you'll need either a 25-amp or 30-amp excursion breaker. This reply is in accordance with the 125% rule set past the National Electric Code for circuit breakers, which requires using the breaker for no more than than eighty% of its rated current for continuous loads.

Are you curious almost how to arrive at this respond? Read on to know how you can calculate it, as well. Too, I've fabricated information technology articulate once and for all why in that location are some cases when CBs are fine to size at 100%, while in that location are others when this isn't applicable.

How to Calculate the Correct 4500-Watt Water Heater Breaker Size

The breaker size has always been calculated past dividing the full wattage past voltage. Then to know what size breaker for a 4500-watt h2o heater, nosotros need to divide four,500 past 240. The reply to this is the exact effigy y'all get when you convert 4500 watts to amps: 18.75.

Since a water heater is a continuous load device, nosotros need to multiply that value further by 125%. The upshot is 23.four amps. The right circuit billow for this appliance with 4500 watts at 240 volts is either 25 amps or 30 amps.

If the water heater isn't rated as "continuous load", so it would have been fine to use 100% of the circuit breaker's rating. As far as circuit breakers go, it'southward either 80% for continuous loads or 100% for noncontinuous loads.

If you have the time, delight watch this video that expounds on diverse other calculations related to using the proper circuit breaker size for any kind of awarding:

Remember: Information technology'south important to know whether your device is a continuous load or non, especially if yous don't want your breaker to constantly trip. Using the wrong size ups the risk of short circuits equally well!

Don't Forget Virtually the Right Wire Size, Too!

The appropriate breaker and wiring size e'er get together, after all. The correct 4500-watt water heater wire size is a 10/ii wire or a 10-gauge not-metallic wire. If y'all already know it, we promise this information about what size breaker do I demand for a 4500 watt water heater confirms it for y'all.

Conclusion

To sum it upward, you can either utilize a 25-amp or xxx-amp breaker for a iv,500-watt heater. For wiring, yous tin cull between a ten-guess wire or a 10/ii wire for this setup.

Now that you know the right breaker size and wire gauge for a 4500-watt electric hot water heater, we hope you won't stop educating yourself nigh correctly handling your own electric systems. Even an ounce of know-how tin can make the departure in ensuring you practice it properly and safely.