422.13 Water heaters
What changed in 422.13
Water heaters of 120 gallons or less now simply get conductors and overcurrent protection sized at 125% of the nameplate rating or more.
Point by point
- The continuous-load wording was dropped for fixed storage-type water heaters of 120 gallons or less.
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- 3 more points on exactly what changed
- The 2017 rule next to the 2020 rule, side by side
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This section across NEC® editions
2020 NEC®RevisedYou're here
Water heaters of 120 gallons or less now simply get conductors and overcurrent protection sized at 125% of the nameplate rating or more.
2023 NEC®No change
This section did not change from 2020 to 2023.
2026 NEC®Revised
Storage-type water heaters of 120 gallons (450 L) or less count as a continuous load for both branch circuits and feeders.
Open the 2026 page →More 2020 changes in Article 422
This is a plain-English summary, not the NEC®'s exact wording. Always check the full section in the NEC® edition your area has adopted, plus any local amendments.
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