"herlihyboy" wrote in message
oups.com...

Toller wrote:
Did it ever not blow them? Blowing a fuse is a sign something is wrong.
Water heaters don't have surges (like motors) so they should never blow a
fuse.

Yes. It had been fine for the 4 years we have lived there. Then, it
blew one fuse [my shutoff currently has two, 30 amp fuses in it].
Then, a few months later, it blew another one. Then, a few weeks
later, another one. It's always the same side, and it has become more
frequent.

First check the heater nameplate to see how many amps it draws. If it
only
give watts, divide by 240v. If it is below 30a, a new service will
probably
be a waste of money. If it is above 30a you have discovered why it is
blowing fuses.

I currently have two, 30 amp fuses. If I upgrade the shutoff and put a
breaker box in instead, I will check the plate to see what amp breaker
I need. Thanks. Do I need to be concerned about how much power is
coming from the meter outside with regard to the amperage or is it
determined by the water heater itself? Currently, I have two meters.
One is for the panel for the house, the other is dedicated to the water
heater and comes in directly to the shutoff that I am replacing.

The meter has to be for more than 30a; the smallest feed I have ever heard
of is 60a (but your utility could tell you for sure). The power used is
entirely determined by the heater, as long as the feed is adequate.
I don't know how your utility works, but here it would be pretty expensive
to have two meters. If you upgrade you might want to look into combining
them. It will be expensive but maybe a good long term investment.

Second, check your wiring. It had better be #10 to go with the 30a
fuses.

Will do. Thanks for the info.