Converting 110 to 220 electrical question

[exeter_acres]

Boy, I sure am asking quite a bit lately!
Have a room addition with a baseboard heater in it that barely runs. It is capable of running 110 or 220 but is running at 110 now.
It is the only item on the circuit run with 12awg wire.
Can I just mark the nuetral (white) wire and connect it to a second breaker ( I have an available 220 double gang breaker from an old electric water heater that is unused.)
Would this work. I have read that this is an option.

Awaiting your knowledge!

Curtis

[lblair]

I would think you want 3 wire for 220. Two are hot one is ground. 220 has 3 wires in it plus a ground. Im no electrician but that dont sound right. Just my 2-cents worth
good luck Larry

[beenthere]

You can make this work, but it is not code. The problem being (IMO) that if anything happens that causes a fire in your house, the insurance co. will find this non-code method and may deny you any coverage.

My advice would be to run another wire from the service entry to the heater. At least make it meet the code for your own protection. There are good reasons for having the neutral and the ground wire along with the two hot wires. But they are not necessary to get the 220 to work, just more sensible.

But, just my opinion.

[exeter_acres]

I do have a ground wire, so that should be fine.. but I have read that 220 wiring has no neutral wire. Now I am confused...
Thanks for the inputs though.
Any more thoughts?

[lblair]

You right and you will acomplish the same thing with another wire. But as long as your running the other wire. You might as well run the right one instead of introduceing another 110 line into the box. Ive ran a new line for 220 from the panel but never doublin up 110 or doing other cob jobs to get it to work. But then again im no electrician or speller for all that matters [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Larry

[lblair]

the reason there is no neutral wire is because it does'nt matter what hot wire goes on either hot wire of your appliance. like a dryer it doesnt matter what hot wire you put on either side of the receptical. Hopes this dont confuse ya more. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[RobS]

I'm confused now too. If I run a 12-2 wire for 110 I've got a hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (bare). Can't I use that same wire for 220 with hot + (black), hot - (white) and ground (bare)? Is there a neutral with 220? [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[DUMBDOG]

First of all, what is the amperage of the heater, make sure that the 12 gauge is adequate, when some people have wired they sometimes take shortcuts. In addition make sure that the breaker is adequately suited for the purpose intended, it is not to wise to use a 40 amp breaker when a 20 amp is called for.

On your 220 connections on your heater, how many connecting points are there? If there are only for the two hot and the ground, that is all you need. If this is the case, make sure that you wrap black tape around the white at the fuse panel and at the heater so that there is no mistake that this is a hot wire.

If there are 3 connecting points for the 220, plus the ground, then you will have to run another wire that has 3 strands plus the ground. More than likely you will only have the two hot and the ground unless the heater is designed to run off of 110 and 220 at the same time.

If you are used to 110 and start doing 220 it is like trying to wire a 3 way switch.

[exeter_acres]

Thanks for all the input..
The heater only has two wires (plus ground.) and the wire was a relatively new 12awg 12-2 wire with ground and the one heater was the only thing on the circuit. I marked the white as hot and put it in a 20 amp breaker ( as that is what I was told is the max for 12awg wire. All works great. Only trouble is the heater smelled for a half hour cuz it never had come up to temp before on the 110!
Found a ton of info here Handyman wire in the forums.

Thanks all!
Curtis

[Inspector507]

Curtis,
You're absolutely on your right thinking. It only takes 2 hots and a ground for the 220V heater to work. Actually, ALMOST ALL of them are wired that way. I see no need for the comment to be safer with the neutral wire being there.....there's nothing to connect it to. Make sure the white wire is re-identified as a hot wire, change the outlet if there is one, put in the 2 pole breaker and you're all set.

Chief Electrical Inspector