Want to find out how many watts your electrical panel can handle? First, open the door to your electrical panel and look for the description written next to each breaker. Look for “hot water”, “water heater”, or any other term that could refer to hot water.

If your panel has fuses, it will have to be replaced to comply with current residential building safety standards.

To determine the load capacity of your electrical panel, look for the number written on the breaker labelled “water heater”. It may read 15, 20, 25, 30 or 2 x 15. For instance, if the number is 30, that means the breaker can support 30 amps. For a 40-gallon or 60-gallon water heater, you’ll need 20 amps, or 3,800 watts, whereas some 60-gallon water heaters may require 30 amps, or 4,500 watts. These are the standards set forth by the Régie du bâtiment.