How to wire a 240V electric baseboard Heater.
Natural air convection, also known as hot air rises, cold air drops, is used to circulate heat into a room through electric baseboard heaters.In some climates, baseboard heating can provide all the heat required by a home, but it's more common for it to provide supplemental heat for spaces where the central heating and cooling system isn't enough.In a basement or attic room conversion, it can be hard to extend the central forced-air heating system to heat the space, and electric baseboard heaters are an easy way to serve those areas.
120 or 240-volt circuits can be used to power electric baseboard heaters.240-volt heaters use less power and are more energy efficient than 120-volt ones.A new 20- or 30-amp double-pole circuit breaker and new circuit wiring is required to add a baseboard heater.This circuit only serves the heaters.
An advanced home wiring project is usually done by a licensed electrician or heating contractor.This project involves running electrical cables and installing a new circuit breaker in the main service panel, so it's important for DIYers to have a lot of wiring experience.
The heating needs of the room can be matched by baseboard heaters.The rating or heating capacity of a baseboard heater is determined by the length of the heater.A rule of thumb is to provide 10 watt of heat for every square foot of space in the room, though this may vary depending on the configuration of the space and details such as ceiling height, wall insulation, number of windows, and other factors.
Baseboard heaters come in standard lengths.A 96-inch heater is rated for 2,000 to 2,500 watt, which is enough for a 200 to 250 square foot space.Two or more heaters combined to provide sufficient heating can be used to meet heating needs.
Wattage is a measure of heating capacity, but the actual output is measured in Btu.The Btu rating can be used to compare electric heater size to other types of heating equipment.
Baseboard heaters are usually located under or near windows to take advantage of natural convection currents in the room and to offset the heat loss through the glass.Building codes do not allow baseboards to be installed beneath wall outlets, and they require a minimum of 1 inch of air space under the unit for the convective air to work properly.They should have at least 12 inches of clearance from window coverings.
The most accurate Thermostat reading can be found on an interior wall away from other heat sources.Wall switches are mounted at the same height.No wall thermostat is required for some baseboard heaters that have thermostat units built into them.
Attach a wall box and make a cutout for the thermostat.A standard "old work" switch box works well on finished walls.A simple drywall saw can be used to cut the hole in the box.
You will need to make a hole in the wall for the electrical cable to go into the wire connection panel.
There is a dedicated 20-amp or 30-amp electrical circuit for the baseboard heater.A 20-amp circuit can provide 3,800 watt of power, while a 30-amp is suitable for up to 5,700 watt.12-gauge cable is the standard for 20-amp circuits.Black and white wires serve as hot wires in the circuit cable.
There are two lengths of NM cable that need to be run from the main service panel to the thermostat location.Since the wire connection panel on the heater serves as an approved box, there is no need for a wall box.
It can be difficult to run cable through finished walls, requiring saws, a drill, and electrical cable fish tape.
There is a knockout on the back of the box that needs to be removed.6 to 8 inches of extra cable can be extended beyond the wire connection panel if the circuit cable is fed through the cable clamp.Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the end of each conducting wire in the cable after removing the entire cable sheathing inside the connection panel.The cable must be tightened onto the cable.
A stud finder can be used to locate walls.Attach the heater to at least two wall studs with 1 1/2-inch drywall screws.If the unit is not floor-mounted, use a torpedo level to level it.If you have a floor-mounted unit, you may have to cut out the baseboard to fit the unit against the wall.
The factory wiring connection on the heating element can be found in the connection box.The wire nut that holds the connection together needs to be disconnected.
You can connect one factory wire to a hot power wire from the circuit cable.Since there is no neutral wire in this kind of circuit, the black and white wire serve as hot wires.A hot wire can be marked with a band of black electrical tape.
The bare copper wire needs to be connected to the green grounding screw.The panel cover needs to be installed.
The thermostat box has conducting wire in it.The wire leads marked "line" should be connected to the wires entering the box from the service panel.The wires running to the baseboard heater need to be connected.The bare copper wires in the box should be joined together.The wall box should be grounded with a pigtail wire if it is metal.