Was / is this method .... Romex straight to the WH, no disconnect ... ever allowed, anywhere?



Personally, I'd rather see a cord & plug used.

John, I have done it when the panel is with in sight of the water heater, as a matter of fact, my own house is done this way.

Panel and water heater are both in the basement.

Roger

This is typical in my area. Most appliances are hardwired with romex.

This may be unusual in "cord land" (Western US states) but it's normal here.

Thats a standard installation in FL in sight of the panel

Glad to hear it ... I've been accustomed to using MC or flex for these sort of connections.

Standard in Canada for residential and commercial. No local disconnects are required for water heaters, just the breaker. AC90 or a sleave of flex for mechanical protection is often required. Why do you think a cord and plug would be better? I think it would just add another uneccessary connection, expense, and failure point.

A piece of Romex, sailing through the air, just doesn't seem right to me- even when proper connectors are used.
Many times, there is no box at all - just a piece of wire coming thrugh a hole in the wall.

IMO, some kind of metal flex would be better.

I really think that anything that will need replacement ought to have some means at the appliance to disconnect. If nothing else, it reduces the temptation to work hot, and is much more convenient when troubleshooting.

I like cords & plugs, simply because there is less opportunity for the plumber, the HVAC guy, whoever to touch the electrical system. I really don't want them to begin to think they're electricians, too!

I've seen flex, EMT or PVC nearly everywhere that I have been in Florida, but here in Virginia, they are still hardwired with Romex like in the original picture. Mine even had the Romex secured to the cold water line with electrical tape.

I agree with you about having a disconnecting means for servicing and physical protection. When I finished my basement, I went ahead and installed a disconnect and ran PVC to the HWH from the ceiling. I only did this because I wanted to. I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure that it's still not required here, even if the panel isn't within sight.

Of course, ranges and dryers must be cord/plug connected, but hardwired Romex to wall ovens, cooktops, dishwashers, disposals and water heaters are still quite the norm here.

I again stress that I posted this as a 'discussion' topic .... meaning I wasn't sure at all that there was any violation - but I was sure we all had ideas about making it better!

really, I don't see any problems with this install, in this kind of setting I just don't see much, if any, possibility for physical damage severe enough to damage romex. In Seattle we do have to sleave in flex.

Just my $0.02
Will

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!

But.....you will.

Well flexible cords are not typically allowed for taking the place of premise wiring systems.

Also connectors are a nice added feature that cord is missing but the NM in your early picture has one.

As others have said NM directly into a water heater is a fairly common install and I have yet to see one fail or be damaged.

I think the flexible cord wears two hats here. It was intended to be a toilet paper holder as well as a power cord to the WH. This works much better when changing the roll than NM does

Roger

BTW, Happy Birthday Bob.



Roger

Well, Ed, ... while I've been accused of creating things like this before ... this ia actually something I posted at ECN quite some time ago. That thread was packed with pics of some amazing hackwork in an illegal 'apartment' built within an industrial rental / storage facility. The occupant was evicted, and the apartment dismantled.

I will agree that I have yet to see any problem resulting from the proper connection of an NM whip to water heater. At least, any direct problem ... the wall tends to have a large hole where the cord exits, and I often see water damage, drywall breakage, and signs of vermin at that point. Using a box seems to eliminate these issues.

Yet, the use of a box almost always results in the box being too small, and the free wire ends being about an inch long. That's not good, either.

I must have either missed that one or it was before my time. I love those kinds of posts, in fact I just posted a thread of vacation photos chock-full of violations. You may have already seen them elsewhere.

I agree with you about doing it right. Here's how I reworked mine at home. Sorry about the mess in the utility room, we were cleaning it out at the time. I just ran a piece of PVC straight up from it. The disconnect is on the wall to the left of the heater. By the way, I had nothing to do with that horrible plumbing; it was done when the house was built.

Ed I don't have any issue with your solution I think it will work fine.

That said your PVC is no more code legal than running NM all the way.

Both are missing the required supports.

That plumbing looks to be polybutlene and was subject to a huge recall a few years ago, the electrical was already commented on, no need to say anymore...

As far as cord connection of water heaters go, 422.16(A) requires the WH to be "intended or identified for flexible cord connection."

I have always taken this to mean cords cannot be used to connect water heaters unless they come from the factory with a cord attached.

Earlydean, there is merit to your reasoning. Another site has gone round-and-round on that very point, as applied to dishwashers. Even UL had been brought into the fray, with pronouncements worthy of the Oracle at Delphi.

The major failing of uses of flexible cords is the inadequate connection of the cord to the appliance. The cord does not have sufficient strain relief, or protection from abrasion.

I must admit that I have never seen a 'full size' electric water heater connected using a cord and plug. I have seen many small under-sink models so connected. I believe these small 120v 'hand wash' water heaters are sold with the pigtail installed.

Gas water heaters are another thing; I have seen electric igniters connected only with cord & plug.

Europe uses a flexible cord and wall connector unit for large appliances. Basically those connection units are a terminal strip, a strain relief and a cover that fit a standard switch box (UK connection units add a fuse and switch to that).

How about some pictures from you folks in Europe?

Sure ... send your WH pics to me .. renosteinke@yahoo.com

You can't use a Cord and a Plug for a Fixed Hot water heater the way I read it ,422.16 Felexible Cords.
YoopersUp

Romex where Not subject Physical harm OKbut where the disconnect within sight??

If you come to san antonio, better down load chapter 10. LMAO wont happen here.