Project- Adding Electric Element to Gas Water Heater

Section for discussion of Chinook interior and appliance issues, repair or installation.
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HoosierB
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Re: Project- Adding Electric Element to Gas Water Heater

Post by HoosierB »

Blue~Go wrote: If it were me I'd use the microwave circuit, but then I removed the microwave so that's too easy.Thoughts based on your usage?

Usage: I think tapping into the microwave circuit seems to be the better option.
The microwave is usually a planned use scenario and can be worked around. Plus, I could always just switch with off the "electric" and use the LP only for light hot water uses.
Can the microwave circuit lug be "shared" at the brown box and a wire run be made along the couch wall to the WH?
"Wanda" – '01 Chinook Concourse XL V10
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Blue~Go
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Re: Project- Adding Electric Element to Gas Water Heater

Post by Blue~Go »

Okay, so to start, I'm not an "AC person," generally. I know the basics and don't have any problem doing those things (running wires is always fun :D), but if things are outside the box...

But, I did think about using something like a source selector switch. These are high-rated rotary switches that you use to choose an incoming AC source (shore vs. gen, for example). You still have to have breakers elsewhere though, and they are expensive, so I'm not sure there's a good reason to re-purpose one as a "load selector" switch.

And I don't think just jamming two sets of wires into one breaker is probably a good way to do it. I also wouldn't use the fairly-heavily-loaded outlets circuit.

So I think probably the way to go is to add a breaker. Then, as you say, you can just run a wire up along the wall behind the couch (appropriately loomed/secured) to the water heater. I don't have my brown box to look at anymore, but I did just help a friend remove his and it was the same type as ours and did have five AC breakers (we have four). The fifth one was for the electric water heater, in fact. So perhaps there is expansion room in the brown boxes in general. This would likely also be much less expensive than a source selector type switch, and more correct anyway.

You'd still have to manage your 30 amp total, but both the microwave and water heater circuits would be legit.

Generally 14 gauge wire is good for 15 amps and 12 gauge for 20 in the AC world, from what I know.

If you decide to do this and want some intel on how the brown box comes out/is wired, just say the word.
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chin_k
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Re: Project- Adding Electric Element to Gas Water Heater

Post by chin_k »

I don't think it is legit to have more than one wires on the breaker. Unless you have floor heating, there should be room to add an extra breaker. I added a 30A breaker on mine to let me tap into the genset directly if I lost power in the house. I can replace it with a 15A or 20 A breaker and use it for a water heat, for example. You also can add a subpanel (when I was thinking about getting a 3kW inverter), but that is a lot of work.
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