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-   -   Electric Base board heaters, wiring/thermostat question (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=535536)

  • Dec 17, 2010, 10:54 AM
    citrineaux
    Electric Base board heaters, wiring/thermostat question
    I have three rooms in a large house that do not have hot air vents so I installed electric base board heaters. The heaters I bought are Fahrenheat 96 In. Electric Baseboard Heater, and also a 72 inch and a 48 inch. I also purchased the on-unit thermostats for the units. The 96 inch and 48 inch are on the same circuit and the 72 is on its own. I roughed in the wires and have hired an electrician to finish the wiring. I used 14/2 romex wire. The question is, the electrician is refusing to do the wiring stating that the unit says that it is 22 amps, which is printed on the unit. I looked into it and the box says that the units are all under 10 amps each (96 In. Length, 240Volts, 2500 Watts, 8533 BTU/HR, 10.4 Amps, 72 In.Length 240Volts, 1500 Watts, 3413 BTU/HR, 4.1 Amps, 240Volts, 1000 Watts, 3413 BTU/HR, 4.1 Amps) it is the thermostat says 22 amps. He he right or do I need a new thermostat? Or am I completely wrong?
  • Dec 17, 2010, 12:23 PM
    tkrussell

    First, the 1500 watt heat at 240 volts should draw 6.25 amps, so seems you have a typo.

    The stat can handle 22 amps, but that does not mean the circuit needs to be rated that.

    However, in any case, your both wrong.

    The circuit with the 2500 watt and 1000 watt units totals 14.58 amps.

    Electric heat circuit rating is sized by increasing the circuit amps by 25%, so, 14.58 x 1.25 = 18.225, needs #10 wire and a 30 amp circuit breaker.

    The circuit with only the 1500 watt unit can be #14 wire and a 15 amp CB.

    1500/240=6.25 amps x 1.25=7.81 amps.

    A #14 wire for heat circuit can only carry 12 amps.

    So, you need to stop doing electrical work without consulting an electrician that knows what HE is doing.

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