Electric Water Heater Ground Wire

Many of the older 30 amp 240 volt dedicated water heater circuits consisted of a 2 wire with ground cable which consisted of a ground wire a black wire and a white wire and in these circuits the white wire was normally connected to the red wire of a 240 volt water heater however as described in the preceding the circuit must be.

Electric water heater ground wire.

Wrap the ground wire around the ground screw and tighten it down securely. Connect the other wire from the water heater to the white wire. It should be noted that the national electric code does not require a bonding wire on a water heater. Cold water is supplied to the heater usually through a pvc pipe.

In the above diagram i shown that the upper water heater element is switched off and lower heater element is switch on. The ground wire is attached to the green ground screw which is in the same wiring junction box compartment which is built into the top of the water heater. If the heater is badly installed there may be a short between the live wire and the tank causing a short circuit. Take the black wire from the circuit and any wire from the water heater and connect them twist together and secure with a wire nut.

All very simple and straight forward. Inside the tank is an electric heating element which is connected to a standard electrical 3 core cable which has live neutral and earth wires in it. A conventional electric water heater will come with a black wire and a red wire which are connected to the wires of the same color as described above. The two poles means it is a stated 240 volts or an actual 230 volts.

Secure them with a wire connector and wrap electrical tape around the connection for additional safety. Fix the ground wire to the ground terminal and secure it tightly in place. Take one of the wires on the water heater and connect it to the black wire from the circuit use a wire connector and wrap electrical tape around the wires. Note that these element is 220 volts ratings and you can also 440 volts heater elements but you need to provide the line supply my mean to lines or two hot wires supply 440 volts.

Connect the water heater to the circuit back within the junction box you will wrap the ground wire around the ground screw and secure it. Next take the black wire from the feed circuit and one wire from the water heater it doesn t matter which wire and twist them together. Understanding electric water heater wiring most hot water heaters are on a 30 amp two pole breaker. As long as your water heater is not too far from the panel it will be wired with 10 wire.

By bonding the hot water pipe to the cold water pipe at the water heater it is thought that this helps to ensure that the entire plumbing system will be electrically grounded.