We have two very old electric baseboard heaters in our basement that are rusty and generally just ugly. Since I'm painting and recarpeting down there and needed to remove them I plan on replacing them with new equipment. After scaring myself by allowing the white wire to touch the metal case and weld itself there I realized the wiring setup they have wasn't what I thought it was. I'm hoping you can help me understand this. I included a diagram of what they have wired up.
The reason I scared myself and didn't realize they were still live is because the thermostat was off and I also checked between the white and gray wires at the heater for voltage. I got 0.0 volts there when I expected to see 220-240. Measuring from the white to the copper I get 120 volts.
Are these wired as 240 volts if I'm not seeing 240 from the white to grey? I assumed that 240 volts would be there and the black and grey wires were out of phase. Regular household wiring (120V) isn't an issue for me but I get a little confused when it comes to 240. I understand now how the wire was live even though the thermostat was off.
Can electric baseboard heaters be installed OVER carpet? The carpet wouldn't be touching the heating element but I want to make sure they are either high enough away from the carpet or I don't put carpet under them.
Thanks!
The reason I scared myself and didn't realize they were still live is because the thermostat was off and I also checked between the white and gray wires at the heater for voltage. I got 0.0 volts there when I expected to see 220-240. Measuring from the white to the copper I get 120 volts.
Are these wired as 240 volts if I'm not seeing 240 from the white to grey? I assumed that 240 volts would be there and the black and grey wires were out of phase. Regular household wiring (120V) isn't an issue for me but I get a little confused when it comes to 240. I understand now how the wire was live even though the thermostat was off.
Can electric baseboard heaters be installed OVER carpet? The carpet wouldn't be touching the heating element but I want to make sure they are either high enough away from the carpet or I don't put carpet under them.
Thanks!
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