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charlesg
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat

For those who read the other post, I dropped the recessed wall heaters
idea.

I am planning an addition where I would indstall two plain 4 ft.
electric baseboard heaters controlled by their own thermostat (one
thermostat for both). The rest of the house has hot water radiators. I
figured I would by two 750W 3' units from QMark or Comet (the room is a
little over 100 sq. ft.)

First, I am wondering what the big difference is between 120V vs. 240V
(beside the obvious). What would make me pick one over the other?

I am also having a hard time figuring out the wiring. On the wall, I
should have one wire going to the unit #1 and one wire down to the
basement. Do I need a relay box of some kind down there? I was also
gonna put both units on one breaker, daisy chained together if you
will. Is that a bad plan?

Since we're contracting the work out ourselves, I am trying to be as
prepared as possible when the electrician comes by to quote me on the
work.

Thanks.

  #2   Report Post  
RBM
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat

There is no functional difference between 120 volt and 240 volt heaters and
if all you want to run is a total of 1500 watts, the size of the wire is
pretty much the same as well. You can run a 20 amp 120 volt cable from your
panel to the wall thermostat (single pole line voltage), then run a twenty
amp cable from the stat to each heater



"charlesg" wrote in message
oups.com...
For those who read the other post, I dropped the recessed wall heaters
idea.

I am planning an addition where I would indstall two plain 4 ft.
electric baseboard heaters controlled by their own thermostat (one
thermostat for both). The rest of the house has hot water radiators. I
figured I would by two 750W 3' units from QMark or Comet (the room is a
little over 100 sq. ft.)

First, I am wondering what the big difference is between 120V vs. 240V
(beside the obvious). What would make me pick one over the other?

I am also having a hard time figuring out the wiring. On the wall, I
should have one wire going to the unit #1 and one wire down to the
basement. Do I need a relay box of some kind down there? I was also
gonna put both units on one breaker, daisy chained together if you
will. Is that a bad plan?

Since we're contracting the work out ourselves, I am trying to be as
prepared as possible when the electrician comes by to quote me on the
work.

Thanks.



  #3   Report Post  
Mikepier
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wiring Thermostat

If I am reading your post correctly, you want to put 2 electric
baseboards with their own T-stat in a 10' by 10" room. Why not just put
a single 6 foot or 8 foot baseboard with one T-stat? If you go this
route, then you will probably need 220V. There is no relay needed since
the T-stats you will be using are line voltage types. But you
definately have to run a new circuit to the breaker panel for the
electric heat.

  #4   Report Post  
Paul Franklin
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat

On 12 Nov 2005 16:08:36 -0800, "charlesg"
wrote:

For those who read the other post, I dropped the recessed wall heaters
idea.

I am planning an addition where I would indstall two plain 4 ft.
electric baseboard heaters controlled by their own thermostat (one
thermostat for both). The rest of the house has hot water radiators. I
figured I would by two 750W 3' units from QMark or Comet (the room is a
little over 100 sq. ft.)

First, I am wondering what the big difference is between 120V vs. 240V
(beside the obvious). What would make me pick one over the other?

I am also having a hard time figuring out the wiring. On the wall, I
should have one wire going to the unit #1 and one wire down to the
basement. Do I need a relay box of some kind down there? I was also
gonna put both units on one breaker, daisy chained together if you
will. Is that a bad plan?

Since we're contracting the work out ourselves, I am trying to be as
prepared as possible when the electrician comes by to quote me on the
work.

Thanks.

If you use a line voltage thermostat (common for this situation) you
would just run the feed from the panel into the junction box of the
heater, and two wires from the thermostat there as well, and make the
proper connections in the junction box.

If you use a low voltage thermostat you will need a control
transformer and a relay.

Most baseboard units have a chase so you can run extra wires along the
unit to daisy chain them together.

Are you sure you will need 1500 watts to heat 100 square feet? Sounds
like a lot...guess it won't hurt though, will just cycle faster if you
have more watts than you need.

If you go with 240 units the current will be half (doh!). For your
application it won't make much difference since one 12 ga circuit will
be enough for the two heaters. Half the current will be a little
easier on the thermostat if you go the line voltage tstat route. 240
is a tad more efficient since you get less voltage drop in the wire
due to half current...but unless you've got a really long run it won't
be much.

HTH,

Paul


  #5   Report Post  
Mikepier
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat


Mikepier wrote:
If I am reading your post correctly, you want to put 2 electric
baseboards with their own T-stat in a 10' by 10" room.


I guess I did not read your post correctly, sorry. You just want to put
1 T-stat. I thought you wanted to put 2 T-stats.



  #6   Report Post  
charlesg
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat

Thanks everyone for the replies. Very helpful. Just to double-check one
thing, heaters should always be in parallel when on the same 20amp line
correct? So the thermostat goes in series on the feed, and than both
thermostat in parallel with that. Correct?

  #7   Report Post  
RBM
 
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Default Wiring Thermostat

I think you mean both heaters in parallel. Yes that is correct. You can
either run individual lines off the thermostat to the heaters or one line
and bounce it from heater to heater, but definitely connect them in parallel



"charlesg" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks everyone for the replies. Very helpful. Just to double-check one
thing, heaters should always be in parallel when on the same 20amp line
correct? So the thermostat goes in series on the feed, and than both
thermostat in parallel with that. Correct?



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