Baseboard heater wiring


  #1  
Old 12-03-05, 04:02 PM
Do It Over Don
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Baseboard heater wiring

Will 14/2 wire on 15 amp double breaker be safe to run a 1000W baseboard heater? The heater indicates that with 240 it will pull 4.2 amps and this is the only thing connected to the breaker. The thermostat also shows to wire the supply wires to L1 and L2 and the heater wires to T1 and T2 with the thermostat being in the middle which makes sense, but then next to L1 is reads HOT. I thought on 240, both supply lines were hot. Thanks in advance for any answers to my questions.
 
  #2  
Old 12-03-05, 05:26 PM
J
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Yes to all your questions.
 
  #3  
Old 12-08-05, 04:54 PM
Do It Over Don
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Hooked up black and white to the 15 amp breaker and the bare to ground, turned the heater on and got no heat. I tested both lugs on the breaker with both being about 140v. L1 and L2 on the thermostat are both about 132v so I am getting voltage to the thermostat. I disconnected the lines from the heater and tested each of them. With the thermostat OFF both read about 18v. With the thermostat cranked to 80 degrees, one conductor read 18v and the other went up to 132 but the baseboard never heated up. Are the voltages correct? Is the baseboard faulty or is there something else I need to check?
 
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Old 12-08-05, 05:48 PM
R
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Tested with respect to what? Are these L1 and L2 to ground voltages? You need to test L1 to L2 either at the breaker or at the thermostat. You should get 220 to 240 volts L1 to L2. If not then you probably have installed one of those single pole tandem breakers and not a double pole or you have miswired somehow. How did you connect the thermostat? What colors to what colors? Usually on a double pole t-Stat you will have two reds and two blacks. Line goes to the red and loads to black.
 
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Old 12-08-05, 05:53 PM
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I agree with roger: first question is do you have a double pole breaker ( the two lever are tied together)? If they are independent, then you have the same 120 volt leg going to each side of the system.
 
  #6  
Old 12-09-05, 06:45 AM
Do It Over Don
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On the breaker, there are two screw lugs to connect the conductors. Each of those to ground was 140. L1 to ground and L2 to ground were both 132. I never tested L1 to L2. I wired 1 of the conductors to L1 and the other to L2. I wired T1 and T2 to the heater. Could you please explain the single pole tandem and the double pole breakers.
 
  #7  
Old 12-09-05, 07:09 AM
J
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A double pole 240 volt breaker takes up two slots and connects to both legs of the service.
A tandem, twin, mini breaker takes up one space and only connects to one leg of the service.
If you measure across the poles of the breaker you should have 240 volts on a double pole breaker. If you don't have 240 volts then you have a twin breaker or the double pole is installed in the wrong slot. It is possible in some panels to install a double pole so that it only connects to one bus. Move it up or down one slot to solve this problem.
 
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Old 12-09-05, 07:15 AM
J
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I never tested L1 to L2
Then do so now. It's the only test that matters.
 
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Old 12-09-05, 02:21 PM
Do It Over Don
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I am getting 260 across the the poles of the breaker.

The schematic shows L1(black) and L2(red) which are connected to black and white from the supply lines. T1(black) and T2(red) are connected to the heater wires.

The thermostat is a Honeywell T4398B - Double-pole, single throw with double line break in Off position. Makes heating circuit on temperature fall. With setting know at off position, provides double line break for fuse protected 240V heating circuits.

What voltages should I be getting at the heater connections with it set in th off position and in the 80+ degree setting?
 

Last edited by Do It Over Don; 12-09-05 at 02:58 PM.
  #10  
Old 12-09-05, 02:51 PM
R
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If the thermostat is not calling for heat there is no voltage at the output. If the thermostat is calling for heat you should see 240 volts across the two wires.

Are you certain this is a 240 volt thermostat?
 
  #11  
Old 12-09-05, 03:23 PM
J
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Originally Posted by Do It Over Don
Hooked up black and white to the 15 amp breaker and the bare to ground, turned the heater on and got no heat. I tested both lugs on the breaker with both being about 140v. L1 and L2 on the thermostat are both about 132v so I am getting voltage to the thermostat. I disconnected the lines from the heater and tested each of them. With the thermostat OFF both read about 18v. With the thermostat cranked to 80 degrees, one conductor read 18v and the other went up to 132 but the baseboard never heated up. Are the voltages correct? Is the baseboard faulty or is there something else I need to check?
Based on this test and your later tests for 240 volts I would say you have a defective thermostat. Only one of the two poles is closing properly.
 
  #12  
Old 12-10-05, 07:09 PM
Do It Over Don
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Thanks everyone. I replaced the thermostat and it heated right up. Too bad I couldn't find the same model so I could send it back to the company as defective.
 
 

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