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Hatco 9kw booster
Got a booster heater on a 40amp breaker that has been operating fine in years past. The unit says it operates at 38amps. After it runs for @30min it trips the breaker. I think the breaker is probably undersized and weak. I don’t normally work on these things. Am I looking at an element replacement or just replacing a breaker?
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1 Reply
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You are correct that the breaker is undersized for a continuous 38 Amp load. But that may be because the wire is a #8 instead of #6. Continuous loads are calculated at 80%. They build heat over time. Like your 30 min trip. So the circuit should have been calculated to be able to carry 45.6 amps. So that works out to a 50 amp breaker and #6 wire, 8 wire is limited to 40. You’ll need to check the wire diameter before replacing the breaker.
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