How To Install Garrison Convection Heater
Calculate a baseline for total watts of electric heat required to heat the space. Most spaces require 10 watts per square foot of space for homes built since the 1970s. A 12 foot (3.7 m) by 12 foot (3.7 m) room has 144 sq/ft. Assuming a ceiling height less than 8 feet (2.4 m), this room should be heated comfortably with 1500 watts of heat. 1500 watts of heat is a total of 6 feet (1.8 m) of heat, assuming 'standard density' baseboard heaters are selected for installation. Standard density heat is rated at 250 watts per foot.
There is one other type of heat called 'high density' (HD). HD heat has more than the 250 watts per foot that the standard density heat has, but does not heat quicker nor is operated for any less. HD merely provides more heat with a smaller footprint. Determine how much (if any) more watts of heat over the baseline watts to install. All of the considerations above (windows type and number, insulation, etc.) will come into play when purchasing heaters.
The baseline wattage should be increased by up to 100% if the room suffers from all of the considerations. It is important to note that adding additional heaters will not increase the cost of operation. Additional heaters allow the room to maintain desired temperature during the colder days, as opposed to having the minimum heat (or baseline) installed.
If only the baseline calculated amount of heat were installed, it would not be able to replace the heat as quickly as it was lost due to lack of insulation, single pane windows, etc. A room that ideally requires 1500 watts of heat might need as much as 3000 watts if it suffers from all the issues listed above.
Convection Space Heater
This applies to ALL types of heat (and cooling in the summer for that matter), regardless of fuel type or technology. Insulation is inexpensive over the long run. Decide if / or how to break up the heaters. The heat can be installed one of two ways. In the example room, install (1) 1500 watt heater or install 2 or more heaters totaling 1500 watts. The latter method can be employed for rooms at the corners of a building - having 2 exterior walls.
Typically, heaters are installed below windows, where most of the heat loss occurs. Adding more watts of heat will allow the room to reach the desired temperature faster than if no additional watts of heat were installed. Determine size and number of circuits required to serve the heating load.
Installing 240 volt heaters is best as wire sizes and number of circuits are significantly reduced. The National Electrical Code allows a 15 amp circuit to carry up to 12 amps, and a 20 amp circuit may carry up to 16 amps. The total watts allowed to be connected can be determined simply by multiplying volts by amps only because this is a purely resistive AC circuit (AC wattage calculations are much more complex for inductive and capacitive reactant circuits that exist in appliances and electronics). The 15 amp circuit is 240 x 12 = 2880 watts.
The 20 amp circuit is 240 x 16 = 3840 watts. This is a maximum of 14 and 19 feet of 240 volt, standard density heat, respectively.
Provide a 2 wire circuit (#14 for 15 amp circuit or #12 for 20 amp circuit) of NM type (Romex) or similar cable from the electrical panel to the thermostat location. This may require fishing or snaking of the cable between the points, and will probably be most time consuming. For this reason, many times a single heater sized to heat the entire space is often selected so that fishing or snaking is minimized. Indicate this cable as the 'LINE' so it can be determined as such after it has been installed in the box for the thermostat.
This diagram from the, shows how to correctly wire multiple baseboard heaters to one thermostat. Sometimes we get calls from people who want to know if they can wire multiple heaters to one thermostat. The answer to that question is yes, you can wire multiple heaters to one thermostat — if you’re using 240-volt heaters and a 240-volt breaker.
But that doesn’t mean we always recommend it. Steve in our Tech Support Department says most of the time people want to wire multiple heaters to one thermostat for the sake of convenience. That makes sense if you have a larger room with multiple heaters in it or maybe an open-concept living space where a living room and dining room are one large area. Having one thermostat to control both heaters will work just fine because you’re dealing with one larger space. It doesn’t work with one thermostat in a bedroom controlling a heater in that room plus another one in a different room. Factory stairways ladders and handrails handbook.
The temperature in both rooms would be determined by the temperate of the bedroom with the thermostat. That just defeats one of the advantages of electric heat: heating rooms independently to maximize individual comfort and minimize the electric bill. Still reading?
That probably means you’re wanting to know how you can hook up multiple heaters to one thermostat. Here’s what you need to know: Rule #1: The number of that you can safely wire to one will depend on the size of your breaker in the electrical box, what type of wiring you are using and the wattage of the individual heaters. So a 240-volt circuit running on a 20-amp, double-pole breaker, can have any combination of heaters up to 3,840 watts. For example, using just one thermostat, you can install:.
Two 1,500 watt heaters, or. Three 1,000 watt heaters, or. Five 750 watt heaters This helpful chart provides more information.
Volts Size of breaker Wire size Maximum watts on circuit 240 20 Amp Double Pole 12/2 with Ground 3840 240 30 Amp Double Pole 10/2 with Ground 5760 Rule #2 All heaters must be wired in parallel. You can either do that by connecting each heater to the thermostat directly, or by connecting each heater to the next — just be sure that each heater is connected to the source wires. (You can also check out the wiring diagram at the top of this post — it shows how to wire multiple baseboards together.) This photo shows how you would connect wires to use multiple Com-Pak heaters to each other. One of the building wire lines (a.k.a. Romex) is going to the next heater, the other is coming from the wall thermostat. The looped copper wire would be connected to the green grounding screw in the heater wall can.
I know that’s a lot to take in. If you’re at all confused, leave a comment and we will get back to you.
They’d be more than happy to walk you through the process over the phone or through an e-mail. I am replacing an 10ft old Federal Pacific baseboard (240V) heater in my dining room. It was installed by an electrician in the late 1970’s (before I bought the house). There is a wall thermostat, but only 12-gauge romex is coming into the heater. I replaced and wired a 6F1500W (cutting only one of the factory connectors on the left side).
Can I simply add a 36” 240V heater from the right side of the one I just installed to the left side of the 36” one by wiring directly using the wires in the heater and adding a ground wire between them? Hi Jeremy, Could you tell me a little more about the room you’re heating? 5,000 watts should heat about 500 – 600 square feet of space in most cases. You could need more or less than 10 watts a square foot depending on factors like your insulation. You are correct that a 240-Volt 30-AMP breaker will work for these heaters but 5000 watts is too much heat to be controlled by one line-voltage thermostat. You could look into using a relay and low-voltage thermostat to control those heaters. For some more information on that, please call our tech support team: 855.223.3887.
Thanks, Jeremy. That information helps a bunch. What’s the climate like where you are? Keeping in mind the 186 square feet, higher ceilings, 3 outside walls and limited insulation, you’ll need about 1,500 – 2,000 watts to keep your room warm.
If you’re in a colder climate then we’d recommend sticking closer to 2,000 watts. That wattage will fit onto your 240-volt breaker and on most thermostats. If you have the room, we recommend you use two 1,000-watt baseboards hooked up to one thermostat.
If not, a single 2,000-watt baseboard should do the job too. We would also suggest an electronic thermostat, like this one:, because it is going to be more accurate than a mechanical thermostat. We hope that helps, and if you have any further questions, please let us know. Richard, Thanks for reaching out. Our tech team says that a 20-amp, 240-volt breaker with 12/2 wire will be perfect for this installation. As far as how to wire, you have two options: 1.
Run wires from your circuit to a junction box and then run wires to the three heaters from there. Run from the circuit to the first baseboard, then to the second, then the third. Just be sure to install them in parallel.
We’re in the process of updating our baseboard owner’s guide with better instructions on how to wire multiple heaters on one circuit. I’ve posted a screenshot of that section since the PDF isn’t on our website just yet: If you have any questions, please reach out to our tech support team:. Paul, I’m remodeling a studio apartment and installing baseboard heat. Since it’s an open floor concept I wanted all heating units on one thermostat (with the exception of the bathroom, I ran a direct line to that). Because of the size of the space the number of necessary heaters (and wattage) was in excess of what your chart recommended for 12/2 wire but fell easily in the 10/2 30 amp range. I ran 10/2 wire to all units (starting with the t-stat) but now I’m having trouble finding a thermostat that can handle 30 amps.
Any recommendations? I did an upstairs renovation where I turned 2 rooms and a bathroom into one larger open concept master bedroom. I want to wire 3 baseboard heaters to one single thermostat. The easiest way for me to do that is to send the wiring from each heater straight down to the basement.
My question is regarding the wiring of the heaters to the thermostat. My thought is Ill install the thermostat in a central location on the upper floor, wire it to the basement panel. Send another 12/2 wire from the thermostat to a junction box back down in the basement. Then send the wiring from each of the heaters to the junction box and connect them all together. Would that be ok?
My thought is that the thermostat will turn on all 3 of the heaters that way, and of course turn them all off. Hi Paul, nice site I remodeled and converted a family room to a bedroom. It is an old house. There is one (apx 6ft) 50,000BTW Gas wall heater sharing a common wall, with one thermostat. Question is, can I replace the existing 50Kbtu with two (6ft) wall gas 35,000BTU in the same opening sharing the same exhaust. I will have to have a custom 2:1 exhaust made(easy) into the existing 4″ oval exhaust. This will allow privacy (I can see and hear through the existing one) and will also allow a thermostat in each room.
I’m considering Home Depot Williams 35,000(or 25,000). The (new) Bedroom side is 12 x 13 x 9ft ht. The dining room side is 14 x 17 x 9ft ht which is open to a similar size living room. I know it is imbalanced that is why I would like two separate thermostats, again, a 100yr old house, inefficient layout. Bottom line is sharing the “proposed new” 4in oval exhausts into the existing single 4″ oval exhaust. Maybe it is best to just put a single electric wall heater on the bedroom side and put a 35,000BTU single sided replacement on the Dining room side. Thanks for the question.
You can get away with using two thermostats for this install if you’re using 240-volt power. You’d have two heaters on one circuit, controlled by one thermostat and another two heaters on a second circuit, controlled by a second thermostat.
How To Install Garrison Convection Heater
Just make sure that the thermostats can handle 3,000-watts of power each. You can install the thermostats side by side if you like. We always suggest you go with electronic thermostats for better comfort and to save a little energy. If you’d like a programmable thermostat, we’d recommend the TH115: For a basic thermostat, go with the TH114: If you have any other questions, please let us know. I’d be happy to connect you with one of our tech support people on the phone, through-email or live chat. Can i install 2 heaters on one circuit, each with their own built in thermostat? I purchased 2 – 48 in.
Convection Heaters Reviews
1,000-Watt 240-Volt Electric Baseboard Heaters. I have a 12-2 supply connected to a 20 amp double pole breaker. The heaters are going on either end of a finished attic space. I prefer not to wire them together on one thermostat because i really only ever need to keep half that space warm at any given time (one half of the room is a home office – during the day, and the other half is a guest bedroom that we’ll only need to heat at night, occasionally.) Should I have simply run two 120v/20amp circuits up there, one for each baseboard?
Thanks in advance. Hi Joe, Sorry for the delayed response. I ran you question past Thomas in our Tech Support department. Here’s his answer: Yes you can install two basebaords on one circuit and have each one independently controlled, you’ll just need to make the connections on the line side (the line that directly connects to the circuit) of one of the thermostat so each can work independently. If you have any other questions, or want more clarification you can e-mail Thomas directly (tjones@cadetheat.com). He also included this diagram, which may help explain what I’m saying. It is not necessary to run a wire from each heater unit back to the thermostat.
This would create quite a bit of box fill in the thermostat box. There’s no reason they cannot be daisy-chained. It is still a parallel circuit. In order for the circuit to be wired in series, the current path would have to go through the heating element phase-to-phase. No one wires them like that! In any case wiring anything above 24V to ground in a home should be done by a licensed electrician. DIY is great for putting in ceramic tile or some built-in cabinets, but not when life safety is on the line.
At least if you’re going to offer DIY advice, it should be accurate. Were the electricians installing a Cadet heater?
We’re going to need some more information to know for sure, but it sounds like they may be talking about two electric pieces that are sometimes referred to as a jumper: added wire to make the connection or the piece that helps connect the wires. If you have a question about the heaters or what they’re referring to as the jumper, we’d recommend asking the electrician or getting in touch with our tech support team:. We’d be happy to learn more about your specific situation so we can answer your question!