[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On 30 Dec 2005 08:26:20 -0800, "herlihyboy"
wrote:

I currently have fuse box with two 30 amp fuses in it. It keeps
blowing a fuse [always the right side] and lately, has been blowing
them almost weekly. My father-in-law thinks it may be sediment
build-up and the bottom element needs to be changed out.

I'm going to try this first. However, I'd like to also upgrade and put
a standard breaker box in instead. I have a separate meter/service
dedicated to the hot water heater. It's a 50 gallon heater. An
electrician said they typically put in a 30 amp breaker for this size
water heater.

Does this sound right to you all? Any other advice would be
appreciated. I'll have public utility turn off the service before I do
the work. I'm also getting estimates on having an electrician do the
work. If it's reasonable [so far, between $100 and $150], I'll
probably have them do it. Not because I'm not able, but because I'm
not as familiar with codes on this sort of work.


The problem is in the water heater.

If 30A fuses blow, a 30A breaker won't help! It will just trip.

It sounds like a bad heater element with a short to ground in the
element. That would load one leg more than another unless the short was
dead center.

In this case, blowing fuses is a safety issue! That shorted element is
feeding current back the safety ground and/or water pipes.

Repeated blowing of fuses or tripping breakers is a sign something is
wrong! In this case, it also suggests a safety issue should the safety
ground also fail.

Remove the fuses, drain the tank (will solve sediment) and change both
elements why you are at it. The labor is such the cost of elements is
minimal.

Fill the tank before replacing the fuses.

A defective thermostat can cause fuses/breakers to blow/trip if it fails
to disconnect the lower element when powering the upper one. This is used
for fast recovery of a little water at the top, then slow heating of the
whole tank via the lower element. Higher power elements are used in this
case such that the circuit can't power both at the same time.

If it happens to be the thermostat, that can be tested, switch the left
and right fuses and see if the same side blows. If the fuses are of
different manufacture/vintage the one "that never blows" may just have
slower blow characteristics.

One final possibility is someone replaced a heating element with one of
too high capacity. Check the elements vs the nameplate.

You need to fix the water heater, not the power entrance.

gerry



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