ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Homeowner WH instal

You'll see a lot of British water heaters with our equivalent of NM run straight into the unit, but it's not the accepted method.

The standard approach is to terminate the fixed wiring to a box next to the tank, then use a flex outlet plate and use heat-resistant flexible cord for the hookup (generally butyl rubber).

Occasionally you'll find one with a standard plug/receptacle combination, but hardwired is the norm.

[Insert best Napoleon Dynamite Voice here]
Isn’t it obvious, you are supposed to disconnect that with a pair Kleins…\Gosh\.

Flex sleeve is common in Indiana also.
334.15(A) NM is to closely follow the surface of the building, or running boards.
Some contractors try to go direct with NM to garbage disposals, instead of using 3 ft cords.
Both are violations.

I don't know much about the NEC but I thought that :

1. It has to be terminated with 90 degree wire. (I got red tagged for using NM, sleeved in flex, to a water heater in 1979)

2. It must have a disconnect (relativly new requirement)

3. Has to be protected from physical damage.

I am certainly hijacking this thread, but I can't help myself:

You know, I may be starting a debate here, but I have to wonder if some code items aren't getting to be a bit ridiculous. I've never seen a garbage disposal, dishwasher, cook top or water heater that wasn't simply hard-wired with Romex in my 30+ years in this business. My own house, albeit 15 years old, has the same setup and nobody has been injured as a result of this "dangerous" practice.

I will agree that it sure looks safer and more professional to use flex or even conduit for these installations, but that ain't happening in high-volume (new home) construction. It's code-minimum or less. We know that as contractors in this industry.

Aren't some code items simply becoming a means for manufacturers to market their wares? Most manufacturers have representatives on code boards or at a minimum, provide presentations to the members of the boards.

Arc Fault Breakers for example: How about renaming them "stupidity sensors"? These add about $200.00 per new home built (at a minimum). They are designed to trip when people run extension cords under the feet of beds to feed heaters that are rated twice the capacity of the cord. How far does the system have to go to protect people from their own ignorance?

Everyone knows that gasoline is dangerous. Most people are smart enough to treat it with respect and store/handle it safely. Electricity is just as dangerous, if not more, yet people don't understand that they need to treat it the same way.

I'll never forget a helper working with me who used to complain of hearing about house fires being caused by "an electrical malfunction". This was usually on the TV news to generate sensationalism. I'll bet that it wasn't the electrical system in the house that was fully code-complaint, it was the 28 feet of seven extension cords feeding a coffee maker that caused the "electrical fire".

Every electrical appliance sold in the United States comes with an instruction manual that advises the purchaser what they should and should not do. What happens? They yank the air conditioner out of the box and throw away the instructions and enjoy the "cool". Two months later, they are suing the manufacturer because the 18/2 extension cord they used to connect it overheated and burned their house down.

If you get pulled over by the cops and get a ticket for a law that you didn't know about, they don't allow ignorance as an excuse. How come everyone else has to put costly stop-gap measures in place to make even something as simple as one's home "idiot-proof"?

Back to the original matter at hand: If anyone can tell me that they've seen a 10/2 piece of Romex ripped loose from the top of a water heater to the extent that it created a shock or fire hazard, well a six-pack on my tab might be in order.

I suppose that I should stop here before I develop a reputation. Wow, what a hijack!

Is 10/3 NM stranded or solid? If it were solid I'd say there are good reasons for NOT wiring devices like water heaters with NM. Reason why it is illegal in all European countries I know of: the cable is not continuously fixed to a solid surface. Thus, if the cable gets moved the wire might break, creating a huge fire risk. I admit that's unlikely with items like a water heater (gas boiler controls are usually hard wired using solid wire here too even though it's strictly speaking illegal).

14,12, and 10 AWG have solid conductors used in NM sheathed cable.

Good luck finding a house in this area that doesn't have 10/2 going right to the water heater or 14/2 right to the furnace.

Of course that means a modified Levittown House or any house in Fairless Hills. And then it's hidden in a closet, not a basement.

Ian A.

I hate to 'stir the pot,' but, as this pic shows, the use of an NM 'whip' too strongly resembles this extension cord installation for my comfort:




Just what is the difference? Why is one OK, and the other so bad?

Well, that black iron street elbow doesn't exactly help matters. My guess is that the other connection behind the roll of toilet paper is done the same way. What a total no-no in the world of plumbing. Black iron fittings are only permitted for gas or steam.

From the angle of the picture, there may be enough slack left so that even if the tank tips over, and twists around, the connection will still remain intact and the overturned mobile home will still have hot water. Of course, this assumes that the edge of the knockout doesn't cut into the conductors' insulation. Obviously, I am joking.

There's no doubt that this installation includes the use of an orange extension cord. At first, I had to zoom the image just to make sure since #10 Romex is orange now. Those flexible connectors for the water connections are also a dead give-away of a "Harry Homeowner" installation.

Please tell me that this is a joke and that you set this picture up to mess with us!