LESLIE: Mike in Oklahoma is dealing with a water heater problem. What happened? What’s going on?
MIKE: Well, I don’t have a problem but I am unable to have one of these tankless water heaters because I do not have gas or propane.
TOM: OK.
MIKE: And what I have kind of thought through on my own was kind of cycling my electric one on and off by using my circuit breaker when I’m gone. I’m gone quite a bit, so the circuit breaker is by the back door and I just flip it when I leave.
TOM: OK, are you gone for, you know, like more than a day at a time, Mike?
MIKE: Yes.
TOM: OK.
MIKE: And my main question is am I maybe doing more harm to the electronics or anything in there by flipping it?
TOM: Absolutely not. You’re doing exactly the right thing. If you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time, turning off the 240-volt circuit breaker to the water heater is the right thing to do. If you were gone only like a day or two here and there what we would be telling you to do is to put a 240-volt timer on the water heater. But your job takes you away for several days at a time. The right thing to do is to turn it off at the circuit breaker panel.
MIKE: OK, well thank you so very much. I appreciate that.
TOM: You’re welcome, Mike. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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