I have a 110 20 amp 12/2 end of run line in my basement. iI have just purchased a marley baseboard heater figuring it would just wire in like a light or receptacle. The thermostat has two blacks two reds. Can I use a 110 end of run line or do I need to run a separate line to the box. Does this wire in like a dimmer?
Help!
Can you wire a 120 baseboard heater off an wall outlet?
magnoman; Sounds like you need two 110 feeds to the thermostat. That would be a dualpole breaker in the service panel. Only one 110 hot, usually the black wire, you would only have half the power needed for your heater. I don't think there are any that run off 110.
Thanks for asking my advice, but Inspector 507 is the expert hands down. I'm sure you'll be getting a reply from him. I know what your trying to do, but he explains things much better than I. I'm just a dumb old carpenter. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
Trucks are red, Tractors are blue.
Some heaters come in 120V, but not many baseboard units. Except for maybe 2-3 footers.
How does the remaining voltage return to ground if both the wires running to a baseboard heater are hot? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
BOth wires are hot to thte tune of about 120 volts with respect to the neutral but they are 180 degrees out of phase with each other and so their is 240 volts between the two hot wires. Think of two 112 volt batteries in series. You get 12 volts from either battery to the common connection (one gives 12 VDC positive and the other 12 vdc negative.) across the whole think yoiu get 24 volts.
In the case of 240VAC each wire takes turns supplying electrons and then carying them away. While one hot wire (leg) is going positive the other one is going negative and then they reverse their roles 60 times a second. There is no real difference between the path of flow flow between either of the hots and neutral than between the two hots except for the voltage.
The two hots comprise a complete circuit when something is connected to both of them. The neutral is the center tap connection of the power transformer supplying your breaker box. From the center to either end (hot leg) is 1/2 of the available voltage. Across the entire secondary of the transformer is 240 VAC.
Most residences are wired this way. It is called 240 volt single phase. Sometimes ignorant folks will refer to the two "LEGS" as different phases but it just 'taint so as anyone with an oscilloscope can easily demonstrate. It is SINGLE PHASE power.
I also have single phase 240VAC to my house and shop. I want to run 3 phase equipment so I have to buy a converter (in my case a modified induction motor) to convert the single phase to three phase.
Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
They asked if a baseboard heater could be wired from a 110V outlet. Yes it could but it probably needs it's own separate circuit.
Inspector, I thought it was obvious that I was replying to waradmiral about how two hot wires could be connected across a heater. As far as using 120vac for a hard wired heater, sure you can do it but I bet you wouldn't do it at your house if there was a reasonable alternative.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote