Water heater problem

[R.Smyth]

I have an electric water heater. It's probably nearing the end of its life although it still seems to work fine. There are two 30 amp fuses in a box near the heater and another in the main panel upstairs. Every six months or so, one of these fuses will blow. They are all time delay fuses. Fuses don't blow without a reason. But it seems to me if there were a problem, the new fuse would blow. Yet if the past is any example, it won't happen for another 6 months. ??? ds

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

When someone says what you say here , usely it is the fuse clamps or the connection from the clamps to the wire has a loose connection and it arks out very little bit and you can't see it but it will get hot. It will take it 6 months to heat the fuse and start to make the fuse get hot and then gets to a point of busting the fuse with not high amps but high heat in a long run time. Now it can be the clamp it'self not clamping the fuse hard enough and letting it ark at times and burn the fuse the same way.

Look at the fuse and you will see one end with the paper on the outside burnt looking. this is a sign of this happening. If the appliance was high amping. the fuse would not last a day but about 30 minutes. The loose connections will burn the fuse over several months and not hours.

TURTLE