[360]

Electric Aquahot did not want to come on today on 458.  Got as far as the fact that I don’t have power to my switch.  Breaker is not tripped.  Assuming there is something in between the breaker and my switch that is hanging me up?

[Richard]

Yes, there is something. There is a breaker just below the AC breaker cabinet in the rear closet. That breaker is activated by the AC or Aquahot switch above the microwave. First check to see that the AC switch is on Aquahot. If that doesn’t fix it, then start at the small breaker (enclosed in a grey box) located just south of the main breaker panel.

[360]

I’m confused. I have no power at the Aquahot/AC switch above microwave. But you’re saying that the switch itself is what controls the power to the little breaker in the back and not the reverse where the little breaker in the back is what is sending power to my switch?

[Richard]

Yes. No way the current for the AH or AC’s would flow through the little switch.

The breaker in the back is not really a breaker, it is a special relay switch. The little switch above the microwave controls the position of the relay below the breaker box.

Electric AH will only work if on the generator or plugged into a 50 amp plug. That is because the element is 220 V.

[johnkosir]

Every Newell is different on 712 2004 I have 1550 watts on 120v and I think  6500 watts on 240v when I turn on my electric Aquahot it turns of 2 of my AC units

[360]

Problem solved. There are two of those relay boxes that Richard was talking about, one in the closet under the main breaker and one in the Aquahot bay directly above the Aquahot. After a bunch of troubleshooting with Gurus and Newell we narrowed it down to a bad relay in the bay.

When I went to remove that relay from the bay wall low and behold what did I find? One of the 12v wires had broken right at the spade so 5 minutes later I was back in business. For an electrical novice it was quite a learning experience.

[Richard]

Thank you for posting the outcome and the root cause.

[bikestuff]

Here is a picture of the contactor (relay) that Brad is talking about.

Notice the control wires (with blue spade connectors) that are about half way up.

   

Be careful!  One end of the contactor likely has 120/220V on it.  Use your voltmeter to verify that your power if off before you start messing with this.  

[360]

Thanks Bill, I meant to post that last night and forgot to.