According to Edwin Pawlowski :

"N8N" wrote in message
oups.com...
More likely 240, but then there would be an individual thermostat in
each room. My parents' house has this, as there were no other
utilities available when it was built. Heat is solely from large
woodburning stove and 240V resistive baseboards.

No, only 120. You need only to break one leg of the circuit to stop the
heater from being "on".

Ah yeah, but, the other wire connecting to the T-stat is 120V the other
direction...

Hint: if you remove the thermostat on a 240V heater without killing
the breaker, there's 240V between the two wires that _used_ to connect
to the T-stat.[+]

You get your choice - touch a ground and either lead, you get a 120V
shock. Touch both leads and you get a 240V shock.

[+] Or indeed any switch in a 240V circuit.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.