Breaker breaker there are three possible explanations for a breaker being tripped by a hot water heater.
Hot water heater breaker box.
Has this ever happened to you.
Breaker is warm to the touch re.
Does warmth indicate a possible fire hazard.
Water dripping on the electrical lines a problem with the unit s thermostat or a problem.
Having an electric breaker is extremely important to protect your water heater from any damage.
So why s this happening.
You noticed your electric water heater tripped the circuit breaker.
So you go and reset the circuit breaker.
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Your water heater trips the circuit breaker in your house.
If after replacing the circuit breaker it is found that the water heater trips the breaker then the circuit wiring and breaker should be increased and replaced as long as the water heater is working properly and without fault.
Standard breakers should get no hotter than 90 degrees fahrenheit or 50 degrees celsius above the ambient temperature.
A gas water heater needs a 30 inch by 30 inch area per international residential code irc m1305 1 2 and an electric water heater has the same 30 inch by 36 inch requirement as an an electrical panel per national electrical code nec 110 26 a.
And this is when a breaker comes to the rescue and stops the flow of current in water heater as a safety precaution.
The most likely causes are.
20 amp breaker in inside box which controls power to 110 hot water heater only is warm to the touch.
There service areas of panel and water heater can overlap of course.
In normal conditions the sides and back of the breaker get warmer than the knob.
No other breaker in this box or the outside box is warm to the touch.
The heat inside a breaker is generated by electrical resistance as power passes through the contacts and the bimetal trip device.
So you went to your electrical panel and reset the breaker.
Then after a few.
Burnt out heating element.
Many water heaters especially traditional electric ones require changes to your wiring and potentially the breaker box.