I am installing a sears kenmore electric hot water heater,240 volt . The problem I am having is I have black & white 240 line coming to the heater & coming out of the top of heater is a black -blue & yellow wire they say the yellow is if you have a timer. How do you hook this up

Need to know the model number of the water heater, or provide a link to it, so the specs and wiring diagram can be reviewed.

"I have black & white 240 line coming to the heater " No other wire, this looks like a 110 blk/hot and wht/ neutral to me. Where is your third wire for the 220?

I would verify nameplate voltage. You can also look closely at heater element and if you look real close and not turned the wrong way, you might read the Element voltage(and watts). If it says 240, then Put 240 to black and white. Equipment and fans use odd colors.
Green may be a control on fans?
I tried to find info on Kenmore with built in timer? 3 wires? If it is 220 it probably needs 2 connections. The 3rd wire makes me think there is an option for timer functions.
May need to connect yellow with one of the other 2 conductors to bypass timer?
These 3 wires are from the Water Heater and not a separate timer?

Ballenger, two wire cables, with only black and white, are frequently used for straight 240 volt circuits, esp water heaters.

Please keep this in mind, as your question looking for a third wire will be confusing to some.

Still waiting for the model number from Ken, to eliminate guessing.

If it's 240V... and it likely is... the white wire should have a black identification mark (tape, permanent marker, etc.) on the end of it. However, I have seen many instances where this wasn't done.

The relabeling of a white conductor of a multiwire cable as a hot (ungrounded) conductor began with the 1999 edition of the National Electric Code, Section 310.12(C).

Most installations before 1999 that use a two wire cable with black and white for 240 volts will not be relabeled.

Two wire cables with 240 volts are popular electric baseboard heat, air conditioners, and water heaters.

Still waiting for the model number, so the diagram can be reviewed and the purpose of the black, blue, and yellow wires can be determined.

Best to review the diagram before any advice is given.

I know this post is a little old but I'm having the same problem. This is my heater a Kenmore Power Miser 6, 40 gallon Electric Water Heater Sears item# 04232646000 Mfr. Model# 32646 Kenmore Power Miser 6, 40 gallon Electric Water Heater - Model 32646 at Sears.com
I have the same black,blue and yellow coming out of the heater. My hook up is a black and white(the tip of the white wire someone painted red.) Plumbing is easy but I know very little about electric. Please help sears had me on hold for 25mins and then read out of the manual to me. Not much help.

Well, the model number is a great thing. It's a shame they don't provide manuals online. Most companies do.

Can you scan in the electrical page(s) from the instructions?

I don't have a scanner but I took pics of the manual hope this helps. Its this timer thing that really confuses me. I don't have a timer just want some hotwater.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e...x/HTWH6-01.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e...x/HTWH6-02.jpg

OK!

See box #3. This is your diagram.

You have L1 & L2 coming in. Line 1 and Line 2.
Colors do NOT matter from the house circuit. Either color can be L1 & L2.

L1 to Yellow
L2 to Black and Blue

Thank you so much I kind of thought that but electric kind of scares that H*LL out of me. Just wanted to be sure.

I'm not an electrician, but I just disconnected a Kenmore PowerMiser water heater with the same wiring issues. Here's how it was connected:
Black from service panel to Yellow of water heater
White from service panel to Black AND Blue of water heater (Use Red wire from service panel, if available)
Bare ground from service panel to ground of water heater (Use White for ground IF Red wire is present from service panel.)

BARE IN MIND--my house was wired for 240 by using the Black for 120, the White for the other 120 = 240 total, and a bare wire for ground. THERE IS NO RED (Three-wire) FROM MY SERVICE PANEL. If there were, the Red would act as the second 120 line and the White would be the Ground. Hope that helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sidetrack4449

BARE IN MIND--my house was wired for 240 by using the Black for 120, the White for the other 120 = 240 total, and a bare wire for ground. THERE IS NO RED (Three-wire) FROM MY SERVICE PANEL. If there were, the Red would act as the second 120 line and the White would be the Ground. Hope that helps.

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First off, the way it is wired is perfectly correct and typical. One wire is not one 120v and the other the other 120v. It is 240v, period. There is NO neutral for a 240v water heater.
You DO NOT need a red and black for a 240v circuit. Black and white in a cable are fine for a 240v circuit. The white should be re-marked to a hot color though.
WHITE IS NEVER a GROUND!

Second, this thread is well over two years old. So not only is your information wrong, it is untimely.