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Code Q&A: Electrical Requirements for Water Heaters

March 4, 2020

Test your NEC knowledge.

Q. What are the NEC branch circuit requirements for storage water heaters?

See the answer below.

A. An electric water heater having a capacity of 120 gallons or less is considered a continuous load for the purpose of sizing branch circuits [Sec. 422.13].

Branch-circuit conductors must have a rating of at least 125% of the ampere rating of a continuous load [Sec. 422.10] and the overcurrent protection is sized in accordance with Sec. 422.11(E)(3).

These materials are provided to us by Mike Holt Enterprises in Leesburg, Fla. To view Code training materials offered by this company, visit www.mikeholt.com/code.

About the Author

Mike Holt

Mike Holt is the owner of Mike Holt Enterprises (www.MikeHolt.com), one of the largest electrical publishers in the United States. He earned a master's degree in the Business Administration Program (MBA) from the University of Miami. He earned his reputation as a National Electrical Code (NEC) expert by working his way up through the electrical trade. Formally a construction editor for two different trade publications, Mike started his career as an apprentice electrician and eventually became a master electrician, an electrical inspector, a contractor, and an educator. Mike has taught more than 1,000 classes on 30 different electrical-related subjects — ranging from alarm installations to exam preparation and voltage drop calculations. He continues to produce seminars, videos, books, and online training for the trade as well as contribute monthly Code content to EC&M magazine.