WIRING WATER HEATER

kris

i installed a new water heater - turns out i flipped the breaker after some water had gotten into the box on top where the house and heater wires connect - needless to say there was a bit of a spark. i dried it out & rewired it - now there is juice going to the heater & the elements, but the water isn't heating up. any suggestions?

Kal Row

are you getting

full 280/220 to the actuall elements - you might still have a voltage drop long the line -

also from cold the first time - it will take some time to heat up

Matt Undy

If you got an actual spark you probably had something shorted, not just soem water. Most tap water isn't conductive enough to spark, unless its very hard it will just boil. The short may have burned out a conneciton somewhere or some part of the heater. Check the heater with an ohm meter (it should be somewhere in the tens of ohms or so), and check for voltage at the power feed. Needless to say if your askign these questions you may not have the troubleshooting skills and knowledge to do these checks safely or to ensure you haven't made some portion of the heater or wiring unsafe.

Matt