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View Full Version : Electric baseboard heat conundrum


wwatson
Oct 29, 2008, 09:08 PM
OK, it looked simple.

I am replacing old clunky thermostats in the house we just bought with nice Honeywell digital programmables for electric baseboard heat. Two rooms out of three, fine, everything is ticketyboo. The third thermostat apparently controls two baseboard heating units on separate walls. ONe baseboard heater is working and the other is not.. OK, it's about 28 years old, and having no patience at all, I got a replacement baseboard unit, 240 for 240, and carefully installed it. Still not working.

Here's the part that's making me throw the breaker overnight so I can sleep without worrying: I'm showing electrical current flowing to the "cold" baseboard.

There don't seem to be any moving parts, but is there something in there that can trip off? Is it conceivable I have two defective baseboard units, one bad old one and one bad new one?

Does kicking it help?

stanfortyman
Oct 30, 2008, 04:06 AM
Here's the part that's making me throw the breaker overnight so I can sleep without worrying: I'm showing electrical current flowing to the "cold" baseboard.Just how are you measuring this current?

tkrussell
Oct 30, 2008, 04:31 AM
I was wondering the same thing.

Maybe it is voltage that is being measured.

Some clairification will be helpful.

Also, what is the model number of the new stat. Is it a single pole? And was the old stat a double pole? I suspect this may be part of the problem.

Or the high temp limit cutout built into the heater may be bad.