Baseboard Heater Wire Protection

I have 2 baseboard heaters in my garage about 10 ft apart joined by conduit. See pic.

They started the first heater conduit/wire in from the left end, then tried to tape/hide the wires up and out of the way en route to the right end, which goes out to the conduit joining the second heater.

As you can see the wires are now dangling. (They are either #12 or #10) I know this isn't Kosher, and will get flagged one day when we sell the place.

My idea would be to disconnect the wires on the right side and get them into MC flex conduit and appropriate transition couplings .How does this sound for a start? Or what should I do?


Left Side Wiring Start



Wire Junction to Right Side, then to out to conduit and Second Heater

 

Yup, not kosher at all. Any way you can protect them using more conduit or branching off to the first one with Mc from the end of the conduit and then back out with MC to the next heater and in to it with the MC should be fine just so long as the wires are not free standing in the air like that.

Also, I don't know if an inspector may want the circuit to be protected via GFCI breaker as the environment looks to be damp in that area. I don't know what the codes are presently for a garage for a baseboard heater. Someone more up to date on codes can chime in here. But definitely take care of those exposed wires. Even if the inspector did not catch it it should be done for safety.

 

Would it be easy to raise that heater a few inches? If so, I'd add a conduit tee at the end of that conduit. Then elbow into the now-raised baseboard heater. Then run nee 1/2" conduit under the baseboard onto the next heater.

Basically keeping everything in EMT conduit.

There are of course other ways to do it. MC is possible... but IMO, it's a bit messier.

 

Another option might be to create a "shelf" underneath the heater to enclose the bottom and protect the wire. I would make it out of a strip of metal. Or, you could cut a strip of Hardie backer/siding into a strip of the right width and support with shelving angle brackets.

 

Thanks for the replies. (AFJES: It looks wet, put it's just messy in the photo.)

Pic 1 shows the existing layout for clarity. Pic 2 shows the right side of the first heater. Perhaps I can understand better if someone sends me a modified drawing on where to put things?

Ideally I'd like the least obstruction along the wall. Thanks!

 

Something is not right there. Every heater is designed to carry wires from one to the other safely.
Take the front cover off and look where the factory wiring is run. Follow that.
There should be no need to build anything.

 

Great thanks Pete. I took the end covers off and see where wire is run in the upper area. So I'm thinking I'll fish 12-2 tri wire from end to end through the existing wire hole. It seems odd though that there's no protective bushing in that hole, which is about 3/8". Does anyone have a suggestion for that?

(BTW, the other end ground wire is terminated. Which, I guess, is why they didn't connect it on this end.)

 

It seems that the hole has rounded edges from what I can see so no bushing would be needed.

 

Thanks AFJES. Yes I just checked closer. The hole indeed does have a rounded edge.