[cyndasu]

I bought a new hot water heater last month and when the guy installed it and switched on the power, he said it didn't immediately work (second try it worked).. that maybe there was a breaker problem... now it's been a month and every now and then there isn't enough hot water... it has never run out but is only luke warm sometimes. The next day it might be hot again though. Or not. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. The guy who installed it says the problem is the breaker switch. Is that possible? It has never tripped the breaker... can there be a "bad connection" at the breaker but not bad enough to trip it? Is this something that an electrician would fix or is it something the hot water heater installer guy would fix? Or does it sound like a problem with the hot water heater installation... please advise. Thanks.

[tkrussell]

A loose connection or a defective breaker will not necessarily cause a breaker to trip.

Yes, an electrician should be called in to check and repair any loose connections in the panel or replace the breaker. Ask him to check the entire water heater circuit for any other problems, as the loose connection can be anywhere in the circuit. A good electrician will be able to check the water heater for proper operation.

If there is any problem found with the water heater, then that contractor can be called in to fix that problem under warranty. If there was no electrical problem found, then he should foot the bill for the electrician.