This may be confusing, but I am describing it the best I can.
I have Honeywell single-line break electic baseboard wall-mounted thermostat receiving power on a 15A breaker from the panel. It feeds a wire running to baseboard heater (bbh) # 1. The wire connects with bbh # 1, and then I have another wire leaving bbh # 1 running to bbh # 2.
Great. I hook everything up - nothing works!
I have "Uniwatt" 500 W bbhs in which the installation instructions say another heater can be placed in series.
I fiddled around, trying different wire combinations and I found the only way I could get a heater to work is to completely disconnect bbh# 2, and wire in only bbh # 1 - then it will work. Strangely, if I use a circuit tester to test my original wiring configuration, I get do get power going to bbh # 2.
Can you wire bbhs in series, or do they have to be parallel? Is a single pole thermostat ok? What is the best way to wire this setup so it works? Thank you...
Each of the bbhs have two junction boxes, a right and left. Each box has two wires: a blk and a red, and a place to ground. In the original state the blk and red wires are tied together on one end. Disconnecting the bbh # 2 and tieing the blk and red wires together on the "dead end" of bbh # 1 - that's how I got it to work.
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What is the voltage rating of the heaters? What is the supply voltage?
If you have 120 v heaters and a 240 v supply then hooking them up in series is the correctly way.
If they are 240 v heaters and connected in series each one will only produce 1/4 of their nominal power and the 2 together will produce 1/2 nominal power of ONE unit.
If you have 120 v heaters and a 240 v supply then hooking them up in series is the correctly way.
If they are 240 v heaters and connected in series each one will only produce 1/4 of their nominal power and the 2 together will produce 1/2 nominal power of ONE unit.
I assume the heaters are 120 V since there are only two wires feeding them (one red and one blk). It does not say on the box what the voltage is. The supply voltage is 120 V, on a single pole 15 A breaker.
Any more ideas?
I was able to get both of them working by running a wire from the hot connection of the first heater, to the hookup for the second heater, and ignoring the wiring diagram they came with. I am not 100 % they are producing a normal amount of heat, but if I touch the radiant heater coils in the unit, they are hot and I can't leave my finger there for too long.
Any more ideas?
I was able to get both of them working by running a wire from the hot connection of the first heater, to the hookup for the second heater, and ignoring the wiring diagram they came with. I am not 100 % they are producing a normal amount of heat, but if I touch the radiant heater coils in the unit, they are hot and I can't leave my finger there for too long.
240 volt heaters would still only have 2 wires. You only need 3 wires for 120/240 volt loads such as stoves and dryers.
Almost all heaters require a single voltage.
There should be a nameplate on the unit that gives the model number and amps (or watts) and voltage rating.
Almost all heaters require a single voltage.
There should be a nameplate on the unit that gives the model number and amps (or watts) and voltage rating.
The heaters are 240V / 500W.
I have 12/2 red wire with a blk wire, a red wire, and a ground wire. In the breaker box, it is hooked up to a single-pole 15A breaker...I guess a single pole breaker only gives me 120V, so I need a double pole? Is that correct?
Thank you.
I have 12/2 red wire with a blk wire, a red wire, and a ground wire. In the breaker box, it is hooked up to a single-pole 15A breaker...I guess a single pole breaker only gives me 120V, so I need a double pole? Is that correct?
Thank you.
Yes, to get 240 volts you need to replace the singple breaker with a 2 pole breaker.
And remove the white wire from the neutral. "Remark" it at both ends and connect it to the other pole on the breaker and at the heater to the red wire.
To remark the wire you need to "color" it with a color other than white or green. You can use electrical tape, which you can get in colors, but black is also OK. Or something like a magic marker.
That is to alert other that the wire is no longer a neutral, but is now a hot leg.
And you want to wire the two heaters in parallel.
And remove the white wire from the neutral. "Remark" it at both ends and connect it to the other pole on the breaker and at the heater to the red wire.
To remark the wire you need to "color" it with a color other than white or green. You can use electrical tape, which you can get in colors, but black is also OK. Or something like a magic marker.
That is to alert other that the wire is no longer a neutral, but is now a hot leg.
And you want to wire the two heaters in parallel.
