Water Heater: Fuse Wire Fuss
 

I have a Horstmann Electronic 7 Maxistore water heater in my home and I've been having fuse problems as of late. We've been living here for about 7 months and never once had a problem but the other day I went to disconnect a storage heater and had to cut off the main power. When I turned it back on, the 15 amp fuse wire for my water heater blew. It was merely broken but I went out and got some new 15 amp fuse wire and replaced it. A few hours later I hear a loud pop and when I switched off the power and checked the fuse box the wire was completely gone except for the melted bits attached to the screws. Again I replaced it and again it happened. Fuse completely melted and gone. Is too much power flowing through? Is it safe to use a 30 amp wire? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Tim W. wrote:
I have a Horstmann Electronic 7 Maxistore water heater in my home and
I've been having fuse problems as of late. We've been living here for
about 7 months and never once had a problem but the other day I went
to disconnect a storage heater and had to cut off the main power.
When I turned it back on, the 15 amp fuse wire for my water heater
blew. It was merely broken but I went out and got some new 15 amp
fuse wire and replaced it. A few hours later I hear a loud pop and
when I switched off the power and checked the fuse box the wire was
completely gone except for the melted bits attached to the screws.
Again I replaced it and again it happened. Fuse completely melted and
gone. Is too much power flowing through? Is it safe to use a 30 amp
wire? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Not familiar with your particular water heater, but if you turned off the
power, and somehow the water level got low...did someone turn off the water
supply as well?

In that scenario, the upper element of a normal U.S. style water heater
might blow out...causing the exact symptoms you describe. Perhaps the
element blew from thermal shock of being powered on while immersed in cold
water. It shouldn't, but since it's old....

In any case, something's wrong. You ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT replace the fuse
with something larger! In fact DO NOT replace the fuse again! You'll have
the same result. There's something wrong, and since you obviously do not
have the technical knowledge to troubleshoot--much less repair--the fault;
I'm afraid that you need professional help.

Diagnose and fix the problem before you cause a bigger problem, like a fire.

jak

"Tim W." wrote in message
...

I have a Horstmann Electronic 7 Maxistore water heater in my home and
I've been having fuse problems as of late. We've been living here for
about 7 months and never once had a problem but the other day I went to
disconnect a storage heater and had to cut off the main power. When I
turned it back on, the 15 amp fuse wire for my water heater blew. It
was merely broken but I went out and got some new 15 amp fuse wire and
replaced it. A few hours later I hear a loud pop and when I switched
off the power and checked the fuse box the wire was completely gone
except for the melted bits attached to the screws. Again I replaced it
and again it happened. Fuse completely melted and gone. Is too much
power flowing through? Is it safe to use a 30 amp wire? Any help would
be much appreciated. Thanks


NO! Absolutely under no circumstances use a higher than rated amperage fuse!
You will very likely set the house on fire and insurance will *not* cover
it. Find out what's wrong with your water heater and have it fixed.

"James Sweet" writes:

"Tim W." wrote in message
...

I have a Horstmann Electronic 7 Maxistore water heater in my home and
I've been having fuse problems as of late. We've been living here for
about 7 months and never once had a problem but the other day I went to
disconnect a storage heater and had to cut off the main power. When I
turned it back on, the 15 amp fuse wire for my water heater blew. It
was merely broken but I went out and got some new 15 amp fuse wire and
replaced it. A few hours later I hear a loud pop and when I switched
off the power and checked the fuse box the wire was completely gone
except for the melted bits attached to the screws. Again I replaced it
and again it happened. Fuse completely melted and gone. Is too much
power flowing through? Is it safe to use a 30 amp wire? Any help would
be much appreciated. Thanks


NO! Absolutely under no circumstances use a higher than rated amperage fuse!
You will very likely set the house on fire and insurance will *not* cover
it. Find out what's wrong with your water heater and have it fixed.

The failure sounds like an intermittent short. Could be a heating element
or something external. But absolutely agreed you should not run it until
the cause is determined. Whatever happened the first time could have just
been a tired fuse. But when it happened again, and by the description,
rather violently, there is definitely something very wrong.

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"Tim W." wrote in message
...

I have a Horstmann Electronic 7 Maxistore water heater in my home and
I've been having fuse problems as of late. We've been living here for
about 7 months and never once had a problem but the other day I went to
disconnect a storage heater and had to cut off the main power. When I
turned it back on, the 15 amp fuse wire for my water heater blew. It
was merely broken but I went out and got some new 15 amp fuse wire and
replaced it. A few hours later I hear a loud pop and when I switched
off the power and checked the fuse box the wire was completely gone
except for the melted bits attached to the screws. Again I replaced it
and again it happened. Fuse completely melted and gone. Is too much
power flowing through? Is it safe to use a 30 amp wire? Any help would
be much appreciated. Thanks

Where are you? Down under? My guess - you have a bad element - may have a
crack in it. Don't up the fuse rating. A 1500 W heater on 230 V is 13 Amps.
Don't exceed 15.

N