Water Heater Breaker Trips? 5 Fixes (You Need to Know)

Experiencing a water heater breaker that keeps tripping can be frustrating. A common cause often involves the heating element within the water heater. When the water heater breaker trips, homeowners frequently contact a licensed electrician to diagnose the electrical issue. Furthermore, the National Electrical Code (NEC) provides guidelines for proper circuit sizing and installation, ensuring safety regarding your water heater breaker. Addressing this problem promptly ensures hot water availability and protects your home’s electrical system.

Water Heater Breaker Trips? 5 Fixes (You Need to Know)

A tripping water heater breaker is a common household problem. It can be frustrating, especially when you’re looking forward to a hot shower. Before calling an electrician, there are a few things you can check yourself. This guide provides five potential fixes for your water heater breaker tripping issue. Always remember to prioritize safety and turn off the breaker completely before working on any electrical components.

1. Understand Why Your Water Heater Breaker Trips

The water heater breaker trips because the circuit is overloaded with too much current. This is often due to a fault or excessive demand in the water heater system. Before attempting any fixes, it’s crucial to understand the common causes.

Common Causes of a Tripping Water Heater Breaker:

• Overload: Too many appliances drawing power from the same circuit.
• Short Circuit: A damaged wire allowing current to flow outside its intended path.
• Ground Fault: Current leaking to ground due to damaged insulation or a faulty component.
• Faulty Heating Element: The element is damaged and drawing excessive current.
• Bad Thermostat: The thermostat isn’t regulating temperature correctly, causing continuous heating.
• Loose Wiring: Connections are loose and causing intermittent power surges.

2. Check for Obvious Overload Issues

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the right one. If other high-power appliances are running on the same circuit as your water heater, it could be overloading the breaker.

Steps to Check for Overload:

1. Identify other appliances on the same circuit. Unplug them.
2. Reset the water heater breaker.
3. Monitor the breaker. If it doesn’t trip after a few hours, the overload was likely the problem.
4. Gradually plug in the other appliances, one at a time, to see if you can identify the culprit causing the overload.

3. Inspect the Water Heater Wiring

Loose or damaged wiring is a frequent cause of tripped breakers. Carefully inspect the wiring connected to your water heater and inside the breaker panel.

Steps to Inspect Wiring (SAFETY FIRST! TURN OFF THE BREAKER):

1. Turn off the water heater breaker completely at the breaker panel. Double-check with a voltage tester to ensure the power is off.
2. Locate the access panel on your water heater (usually near the bottom).
3. Remove the panel and carefully inspect the wiring connections.
4. Look for:
   • Loose wires
   • Corroded wires
   • Burned or frayed insulation
5. Tighten any loose connections.
6. If you see any damaged wiring, it needs to be replaced by a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to repair damaged wiring yourself if you are not comfortable working with electricity.
7. Replace the access panel.
8. Turn the water heater breaker back on and monitor.

4. Test the Heating Elements

A faulty heating element is a very common reason for a water heater breaker to trip. The element might have a short circuit, causing it to draw excessive current.

How to Test a Heating Element (SAFETY FIRST! TURN OFF THE BREAKER):

You’ll need a multimeter for this test.

1. Turn off the water heater breaker completely.
2. Drain the water heater. Important: Never energize a heating element without it being fully submerged in water. Draining the water heater to below the level of the element prevents this from happening.
3. Disconnect the wires from the heating element.
4. Set your multimeter to the Ohms setting (resistance).
5. Place one probe of the multimeter on each terminal of the heating element.
6. A good heating element will typically show a resistance reading between 10 and 20 Ohms. A reading of 0 Ohms indicates a short circuit, and the element needs to be replaced. An infinitely high reading indicates an open circuit, and the element also needs to be replaced.
7. Repeat the process for the second heating element (if your water heater has two).

5. Check the Thermostat

The thermostat controls the temperature of the water in your tank. If it malfunctions, it can cause the heating element to run continuously, which can overload the circuit and trip the water heater breaker.

Checking the Thermostat:

While testing the thermostat isn’t as straightforward as testing the heating element, you can visually inspect it for signs of damage.

1. Turn off the water heater breaker completely.
2. Remove the access panel(s) to access the thermostat(s). There are typically two, one for the upper element and one for the lower.
3. Look for:
   • Burned wires or components
   • Corrosion
   • Any visible damage to the thermostat itself.

If you notice any of these issues, replacing the thermostat is advisable. You can also test the continuity of the thermostat with a multimeter. Consult the thermostat’s documentation or a qualified electrician for specific testing procedures.

So, next time that pesky water heater breaker trips, you’ll be ready to tackle it! Hopefully, these tips helped you understand what’s going on. Stay safe and keep that hot water flowing!