Immersion Heater Element Questions

[armedcor]

Whats the wattage? You need to be careful with how many amps some of those camcos pull.

[banjobrew]

5500W so 22.9 amps?

[Leann ull]

Domestic circuits in new houses can handle 13A
Please please call a sparks for a dedicated circuit if you intend using that element.

[armedcor]

Yea. Can't just plug that into a socket I'm afraid. You're going to need a special 32amp circuit.

[molc]

Yup, you'll just melt all the wiring. 32A is basically a cooker circuit, which has much thicker wiring.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

The 2800w element from Brewpi or Camco is your man. 

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[banjobrew]

I've read all the internet I can find on the subject and now is the time for someone to jump in before I electrocute myself.

All I need is the right size cable for the job. No special circuits or converters.

2.5mm (27A) cable should do for an element up to 6480W. (Current = Power / Voltage = 6480 watts / 240 V =  27 Amps).

Am I right?

[Ciaran]

You still need to consider your fusing/MCB as you will trip depending on what the MCB is rated to (6/10/16 Amp etc).   For 27 amp you need a 32 amp MCB.  The 2800 will work on a standard 13 amp fuse.

[banjobrew]

Thanks Ciaran. Makes sense. A 3000W element would be alright too then?

[armedcor]

you'll be pulling 12.5 amps with a 3000w element. Not something I would be confident doing for a number of hours on end.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Mk brand sockets and plug tops are a little dearer than the usual cheap Chinese sockets sold by most electrical wholesalers. I'd always use them in kitchens where people are going to be plugging in and out kettles etc. They'll handle 3 kw no problem but be aware most twin sockets are only rated for a combined load of 20 Amps not 2 x 13 amp

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[banjobrew]

I was considering a kettle lead for the job. Then I rediscovered the 2.4kW elements sold in LHBSs. Does anyone know if those elements would bring 23 litres to a good boil?