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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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I'm beginning to believe I could live without hot water.
Sep 1, 2020, 10:12 AM
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I think its been a week now and haven't had any, and the cold showers are beginning to be normal. They might not be so normal for the new owner though, so I guess I need to fix it ASAP.
It wasn't the thermostat. There is simply no power getting to the heater at all. I checked it with a multi meter yesterday.
All I can figure is that somehow the 3 year old breaker in the main breaker box has gone "bad", so I am replacing that today because it was only $10.
When that's not it, WTH else would cause power to just stop going to the water heater? I looked at the breaker box at the unit and it appears ok; wires are tight, there's just no power coming from them. Nothing else was worked on or changed AFAIK.
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All-In [31545]
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Did you check the
Sep 1, 2020, 10:23 AM
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Lint trap filter?
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Oculus Spirit [85515]
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Honestly
Sep 1, 2020, 10:26 AM
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This reads kind of poor.
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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You're an engineer, do what ya'll do best.
Sep 1, 2020, 10:34 AM
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Tell me what I'm doing wrong!
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Oculus Spirit [85515]
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Nice
Sep 1, 2020, 10:51 AM
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Really, that's just my degree. I'm an estimator/pricer IRL.
I would think after 2 days of not hot water, you would just pay someone to fix. But people are not very reliable these days and it is respectable for a man to fix hims-self.
I'm about to attempt to upgrade my 12v trolling motor to 24 v trolling motor. I think the wiring is sufficient to handle the load, butt I'm also installing a 3 bank on board. Little nervous something won't work out, but should be good.
So like you, not paying anyone to do the work... unless of course I screw it up.
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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It's a little diffferent this time.
Sep 1, 2020, 11:59 AM
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The house has a warranty because I have it listed under a realtor, so I was using the warranty company to save some money. And then we went under contract a few days later, so I felt compelled to use someone else and not have to pay for it.
But the warranty people are in zero hurry to do anything, and they had a mr. fix it come out and determine its the thermostat, and that took 4 days to come in.
But I just found the cause a few minutes ago -- was a tripped external GFCI receptacle. I would have never even thought to look there, because the water heater should be on its own circuit, but obviously, it's not entirely. I can't even comprehend how the GFCI is wired. It controls all the outside receptacles (except the one closest to the water heater, figures) and ONE out of the three porch lights (all three lights are on the same switch).
As for your trolling motor, it should be fine in that the wire size req is going down because you are going up in voltage. Neg to pos on all three batteries and then trolling motor goes to the "leftover" pos and neg(1st and 3rd battery). Battery charger has internal diodes so you should connect its banks as usual, pos to pos, neg to neg on each battery.
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Oculus Spirit [85515]
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Ahhh, that makes more sense....glad ya found it
Sep 1, 2020, 1:21 PM
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Wiring should be like this, right?
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Somehow you typed 24v and I read 36 volt.
Sep 1, 2020, 1:25 PM
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But yes, that will work perfectly.
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All-In [31938]
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you mean paragraph 3??....
Sep 1, 2020, 2:18 PM
[ in reply to It's a little diffferent this time. ] |
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Glad you got it fixed. GFCI breakers have been around a long time now. I think not have GFCI on the breaker might be a deal breaker on future house purchases for me. I had a problem recently where outside string lights weren't working. No power in outlets...checked every GFCI outlet I could find. Then, after many weeks, remembered previous owners had a water heater under the house that they replaced with a tankless system before we bought the house. Our inspector had noted that the old water heater was still under the house, so we made them take it out...but what do you know...the outlet under there was a GFCI outlet. Under the eff'ing house!! Sent son-of under there and reset it and everything works now. Yeah, putting a GFCI outlet under the house is a lot easier than replacing the dang breaker. I was pizzed for days.
Anyways, you should have just asked me and saved yourself some time!
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All-In [31938]
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sorry, wrong spot...but you get it***
Sep 1, 2020, 2:18 PM
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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I'm still not understanding the wiring here.
Sep 1, 2020, 3:30 PM
[ in reply to you mean paragraph 3??.... ] |
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There are 3 external GFCI receptacles. The water heater has its own separate 120/20 breaker. The GFCI receptacle that tripped, controls power to the water heater (on the opposite side of the house), it's own outlet (duh), the front porch receptacle (also GFCI), and 1 out of 3 front porch overhead lights. The porch lights have 1 switch that controls them, and their own separate breaker listed under "front inside" or something like that.
Perhaps they are all on the same breaker, but just labeled as "water heater", and the GFCI receptacle that tripped is first in the loop. There is another breaker that is labeled "Outside GFCI"; I'll assume it's the breaker for the external GFCI receptacle near the water heater. One would think the receptacle 3 feet from water heater would be on the same loop as the water heater, under one breaker. I guess not.
But then that leaves the 1 porch light that is on that first loop. Makes zero sense to me.
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All-In [31938]
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Yeah, sounds like someone did some crazy wiring or...
Sep 2, 2020, 7:52 AM
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there was stuff added in later or some need to change around circuits to control loading. How old is the house?
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Just turned 4***
Sep 2, 2020, 10:49 AM
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Is it plugged in?***
Sep 1, 2020, 10:41 AM
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Well, uh..technically, no***
Sep 1, 2020, 10:42 AM
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Then plug that #### in
Sep 1, 2020, 10:44 AM
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duh
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CU Guru [1163]
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Check the house side of the breaker inside the box
Sep 1, 2020, 10:43 AM
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That will tell you if the breaker is bad. They do fail. Some years ago, I had one side of a 220 breaker fail. Easy enough to swap out. It would be rare that the wiring failed somewhere between the box and the water heater. Good luck and be careful. Inside the box, electricity don't play.
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Nothing like a couple of home repair questions to bring out
Sep 1, 2020, 10:45 AM
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the lurkers.
HEY LURKER CAN YOU POST SOME TIDS PLEASE? ALSO, HOO IS UR FAVORITE JUNGER AND Y IS IT ME?
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Did that.
Sep 1, 2020, 11:48 AM
[ in reply to Check the house side of the breaker inside the box ] |
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But figured it out a few minutes ago.
Was talking to a friend and he told me to check my GFCI's outside the house.
I have 2, and the one furthest away had tripped, I guess from all the rain we had.
So I've had cold showers for a week because of tripped external GFCI.
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All-In [43871]
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You don't live with a woman do you?
Sep 1, 2020, 11:53 AM
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Cuz she'd ##### 24/7 without hot water, and she'd be right for doing so.
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Oh yeah
Sep 1, 2020, 12:17 PM
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She was too busy bitchingg about all the other stuff I do that makes me the worst person in the world. Had the hot water shortage lasted much longer, I'm sure I would have heard about it.
And I don't know if you live with any women that work from home, but they don't shower much.
Women, generally, are pretty gross.
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Did you tell her how you fixed it?
Sep 1, 2020, 12:24 PM
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If so what was the reaction and post pigs of her tids
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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We've gotten past the point
Sep 1, 2020, 12:47 PM
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of really doing either.
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All-In [43871]
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Well hey, if maybe back before you got past that point
Sep 1, 2020, 1:43 PM
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you had tidpigs, it's ok to go ahead and put them in here now even if we are post got to that point.
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Oculus Spirit [78919]
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noice
Sep 1, 2020, 11:54 AM
[ in reply to Did that. ] |
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just trip it again and enjoy those cold showers!
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Re: Did that.
Sep 1, 2020, 12:04 PM
[ in reply to Did that. ] |
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Oculus Spirit [79304]
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Tried to tell you to plug it in***
Sep 1, 2020, 12:10 PM
[ in reply to Did that. ] |
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All-In [46869]
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Lick the wires before putting them in the
Sep 1, 2020, 10:43 AM
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new breaker to be sure you have a good connection
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Heisman Winner [105717]
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probably should just tonguepunch everything just to be
Sep 1, 2020, 10:56 AM
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safe.
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All-In [31545]
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Re: probably should just tonguepunch everything just to be
Sep 1, 2020, 1:13 PM
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TP the FB?
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Heisman Winner [105717]
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CU Medallion [60244]
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Saying that in August, yeah, easy. But in February?
Sep 1, 2020, 1:09 PM
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that might be a little different song you sing.
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Legend [16733]
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Re: I'm beginning to believe I could live without hot water.
Sep 1, 2020, 1:26 PM
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Assuming no one cut the wire going from breaker to the water heater the only thing it can be is a bad breaker/connection in the electric panel or bad connection at water heater.
Did you put a meter on the line coming out of the breaker that feeds the water heater?
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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All-In [31938]
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Is the breaker GFCI? In not, then you likely have...
Sep 1, 2020, 2:07 PM
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a GFCI outlet on that circuit protecting that circuit. Find all your GFCI outlets and make sure one isn't tripped. If you don't see any GFCI breakers, than means you might have GFCI outlets outside too. Most are going to be located in bathroom, kitchen, utility room, and outside.
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Oculus Spirit [78919]
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I would check the GFCI outlets***
Sep 1, 2020, 2:22 PM
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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Maybe I'll check the GFCI outlets***
Sep 1, 2020, 3:05 PM
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CU Medallion [66246]
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I think the same thing every summer
Sep 2, 2020, 10:07 AM
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then when we get a 29 degree January night, I forgot about it
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Oculus Spirit [81188]
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It was nice this morning to have a warm shower***
Sep 2, 2020, 10:49 AM
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Replies: 39
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