My Water Heater Burst Open (help)

[Spongebob]

One morning as a kid, going down to breakfast in my pj's, I put my hand on the fridge handle and the other on top of the stove, only to discover that there was a shocking ground leak in one of the two.  Upon telling my dad about this, his only comment was, "Is that a fact," and he went about his business and never did anything about it.  In hindsight I suppose that's reasonable, but I was rather alarmed at the time.

That's not surprising.  Many people take such things lightly and that's the reason people get electrocuted at home and home fires occur when these things are very easily avoided with proper use of electrical components.  What you described can easily be avoided using GFCI and ACFI breakers and this has been demonstrated to government officials, but quite often those officials are not interested in making these devices part of electrical building codes.  The average person doesn't know about them, so how would you know to ask an electrician to install them?  Codes are better now but there are still a lot of older homes/buildings out there that don't have proper protections in place.

[Ferrocyanide]

Okay. New water heater installed. Someone who knew what they were doing helped me. (Or, better put, I helped them.) But there is hot water in my house once again.

You really should install a breaker at the water heater.
It is also a good idea to have a valve for the copper pipe that brings water to your heater, so that you can turn the water off just for the water heater.

In summer time, I cut the power to the water heater.
I place a bucket outside in the sun. I place a glass sheet over the bucket. It gets hot enough to burn skin.
I add some cold water and I shower with it.
Free energy!

[Anomalocaris]

So, my water heater busted open at the seam and water was going everywhere. I turned off the valve and the leaking has stopped.

I'm going to call a plumber come in a few days (when I can scrape up the $$$) to replace the heater. But I'm gonna be using just cold water until then.

Anyway, here's the issue/question: There is no "off" switch on the hot water tank that I can find. I can turn the breaker off, but that also turns off half the appliances in my kitchen, including the oven. Is it okay to leave the hot water tank's power on? That would be much more convenient, especially considering I need to the stove to take a hot bath.

Is it dangerous to have the power on with the tank busted open? (It's off now.)

if your water heater is electrically heated then it certainly can be unplugged.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

So, my water heater busted open at the seam and water was going everywhere. I turned off the valve and the leaking has stopped.

I'm going to call a plumber come in a few days (when I can scrape up the $$$) to replace the heater. But I'm gonna be using just cold water until then.

Anyway, here's the issue/question: There is no "off" switch on the hot water tank that I can find. I can turn the breaker off, but that also turns off half the appliances in my kitchen, including the oven. Is it okay to leave the hot water tank's power on? That would be much more convenient, especially considering I need to the stove to take a hot bath.

Is it dangerous to have the power on with the tank busted open? (It's off now.)

if your water heater is electrically heated then it certainly can be unplugged.

It can be disconnected, not necessarily ‘unplugged’.

Boru

[Anomalocaris]

So, my water heater busted open at the seam and water was going everywhere. I turned off the valve and the leaking has stopped.

I'm going to call a plumber come in a few days (when I can scrape up the $$$) to replace the heater. But I'm gonna be using just cold water until then.

Anyway, here's the issue/question: There is no "off" switch on the hot water tank that I can find. I can turn the breaker off, but that also turns off half the appliances in my kitchen, including the oven. Is it okay to leave the hot water tank's power on? That would be much more convenient, especially considering I need to the stove to take a hot bath.

Is it dangerous to have the power on with the tank busted open? (It's off now.)

Most electrical water heaters uses 240v instead of typical household 120V.    Electric range, electric ovens and electric dryers also typically 240v.    It sound like your house wired most of the 240v appliances on a single breaker.     That is why flipping the breaker turns off the oven in addition to the heater.   I believe that is against code in most states.

This is because 240v appliances are typically high load and can draw a lot of current.    Have a breaker with the capacity to handle the current draw of several 240 appliance at once means it will probably not trip if one appliance develop a serious fault and starts to heat up.     You are typically required to have a separate breaker for each 240v appliance so the breaker capacity can be reduced and trip when a dangerous fault develop in one appliance. 

You may wish to consult a licensed electrician.

But that said, in my experience 240v appliances are not usually wired into the house.  There is usually a big circular 3 prone plug that the appliance plugs into.   At least in my state, it would also be against code to wire a 240v appliance directly into the house wiring without a plug.    Appliances are not meant to last as long as the house, and if something goes wrong with it, such as it shorting out, being able to unplug it is a wonderful option, especially if you have a high capacaity breaker on that circuit that also handles the current from several other appliances.      So you might look to see if your hot water heater can be unplugged.

If by any chance your hot water heater is wired into the house and share a breaker with several other 240v appliance, then I think it is a accident waiting to happen so definitely consult a licensed electrician.

[Jackalope]

IME, electric water heaters are hardwired on a dedicated 240v circuit. It's also my experience that homes can have some sketchy wiring.

Having more than one large 240v load (range, water heater, dryer) on one circuit is not code, and may be unsafe, I would definitely have a licensed electrician take a look at it.

[Jehanne]

IME, electric water heaters are hardwired on a dedicated 240v circuit. It's also my experience that homes can have some sketchy wiring.

Having more than one large 240v load (range, water heater, dryer) on one circuit is not code, and may be unsafe, I would definitely have a licensed electrician take a look at it.

I'm no electrician, but "unsafe" is an understatement; it's a future inferno just waiting to happen. My mom's house almost burned to the ground here 2 weeks ago; she's 72, and she lives with her life partner, another 72-year old man who is medically fragile and can't walk without assistance. Her main circuit breaker was fried; fortunately, they smelled it just in time.

[Goosebump]

STOP BEING THE SCARE POLICE.

A hot water tank that is leaking has no electrical worry. Your fine. Unless there is a live line downed in water in your basement near the leaking there is nothing to worry about.

The heating elements in the tank aren't exposed to the water, that would be silly. The tank is heated and then the water indirectly. There is very little electrification worry from a hot water tank failing. The real issue is it exploding out of the top of your house. But seeing as it can't hold water, your in the clear. The chances of your being electrocuted by a hot water tank are less than it exploding through your roof. In fact the vast majority of heated water tanks fail in a similar manner. Leaking water in a way that doesn't jepardise any electrical equipment with them what so ever.

Ignore the worry, trust the science. Your fine.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

STOP BEING THE SCARE POLICE.

A hot water tank that is leaking has no electrical worry. Your fine. Unless there is a live line downed in water in your basement near the leaking there is nothing to worry about.

The heating elements in the tank aren't exposed to the water, that would be silly. The tank is heated and then the water indirectly. There is very little electrification worry from a hot water tank failing. The real issue is it exploding out of the top of your house. But seeing as it can't hold water, your in the clear. The chances of your being electrocuted by a hot water tank are less than it exploding through your roof. In fact the vast majority of heated water tanks fail in a similar manner. Leaking water in a way that doesn't jepardise any electrical equipment with them what so ever.

Ignore the worry, trust the science. Your fine.

‘You’re’.

And I dunno what kind of water heaters you’re familiar with, but every one I’ve ever seen has the heating elements directly in contact with the water.

Boru

[Ranjr]

Yes, the heating element(s) is(are) in direct contact with the water.  And I agree with not freaking out over household electricity.