Fredthebeagle
New User
- Location
- Michigan
- Occupation
- Delivery
Hey! So I was googling for a problem I'm having and I saw a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum. I'm hoping someone will be able to help me address my situation.
I am a homeowner in Michigan. I have pulled a permit for installing my own electrical heat and electrical circuits, panel - everything basically. The home I moved into had no furnace before the winter started. Currently I have two 2000w heaters on a 240v circuit. They are connected directly to a thermostat and panel by some 6 gauge wire that I had spare from installing my circuit for my stove. They are on a 40amp breaker. Now I know about the continuous load thing where its considered continuous as its a heater, and so the calculated amp usage is currently 20.83 amps. I believe that this means the wire required for this circuit would have to be a 10/2. I was thinking though that perhaps the 10/2 is required if only one heater is connected to the thermostat and the heaters are wired in parallel. Basically what I want to know is this: If I have both heaters connected directly to the thermostat, and I have the thermostat connected to the panel with the 6 gauge wire (40amp breaker), Can I use 12/2 wire on the branches leading from the thermostat to the heaters?
The reason I want to do this is because both heaters are currently in one area, because I lack enough wire to put them on opposite sides of the room. Or perhaps even put one in another room. Even with fans, the heat doesn't really spread out in the home too well.
I'm basically rebuilding this entire house, so suffice to say, I'm broke. I can't really afford to go out and buy even a short run of 10/2 wire. I do, however, happen to have enough 12/2 wire to do the job. The last thing I want though is to burn down the house that I'm trying to rebuild.
Thanks in advance for any advice. And if anyone is also in mid-Michigan and wants to trade me some 10/2 wire for some 4-0/4-0/4-0/2-0 aluminum service entrance wire (about 20-30 feet, 200amp) that would solve my problem as well. : ) Hopefully I'm posting this is the right category.
I am a homeowner in Michigan. I have pulled a permit for installing my own electrical heat and electrical circuits, panel - everything basically. The home I moved into had no furnace before the winter started. Currently I have two 2000w heaters on a 240v circuit. They are connected directly to a thermostat and panel by some 6 gauge wire that I had spare from installing my circuit for my stove. They are on a 40amp breaker. Now I know about the continuous load thing where its considered continuous as its a heater, and so the calculated amp usage is currently 20.83 amps. I believe that this means the wire required for this circuit would have to be a 10/2. I was thinking though that perhaps the 10/2 is required if only one heater is connected to the thermostat and the heaters are wired in parallel. Basically what I want to know is this: If I have both heaters connected directly to the thermostat, and I have the thermostat connected to the panel with the 6 gauge wire (40amp breaker), Can I use 12/2 wire on the branches leading from the thermostat to the heaters?
The reason I want to do this is because both heaters are currently in one area, because I lack enough wire to put them on opposite sides of the room. Or perhaps even put one in another room. Even with fans, the heat doesn't really spread out in the home too well.
I'm basically rebuilding this entire house, so suffice to say, I'm broke. I can't really afford to go out and buy even a short run of 10/2 wire. I do, however, happen to have enough 12/2 wire to do the job. The last thing I want though is to burn down the house that I'm trying to rebuild.
Thanks in advance for any advice. And if anyone is also in mid-Michigan and wants to trade me some 10/2 wire for some 4-0/4-0/4-0/2-0 aluminum service entrance wire (about 20-30 feet, 200amp) that would solve my problem as well. : ) Hopefully I'm posting this is the right category.
