"Charles Bishop" wrote in message
...
I wanted to shut off an electric wall heater so I went to the breaker box
looking for a doubled 20A breaker since the heater is 3000 watts/240V.
Turned off all I could find, but the heater still works. [Long story about
testing this and that breaker omitted] Turns out the heater is controlled
by two 20 amp breakers, but they are not tied together. One is on the RH
side of the breaker box at position #1. The second is at position #6.
(both are split breakers, part of a pair that occupies one space on the
breaker panel)

1. Should these two breakers be ganged together?


*Absolutely. Clearly a code violation and a potential safety hazard.



2. If one trips this effectively shuts down the heater doesn't it? That
is, the heater will no longer provide heat.


*That is correct.




3. Is there still a problem since the 2nd breaker hasn't tripped? I mean
other than a possible danger to someone futzing around in the heater's
innards.



*Possibly. If an element happened to be shorted to ground, current would
flow and the element would put out some heat where it is not supposed to.
Not a likely scenario, but a possible one.