Jinx wrote:
> The electrician did ask if power bills had been unusually high lately
>   
If any current was leaking through the water, it would cause the water 
to heat up with the same efficiency as the heating element.  A watt is a 
watt, no matter if it is from the heating element or the water 
resistance. Once the water is hot enough to satisfy the thermostat, the 
thermostat switch will open and the current will stop. No unusual power 
bills will result.

I suspect that the conductance of the water is much less than the 
conductance of the heating element.  My water heater element is rated at 
5000W at 240V, which is about 21A, and is fused (circuit breaker) at 
25A.  If the water was very conductive, the extra current should trip 
the breaker.

--Don--


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