What Gauge Wire For A Baseboard Heater?

A baseboard heater is an effective way to warm your room during the cold season. However, its functionality depends on the gauge wire that it is using. Now you may wonder what's the ideal gauge wire for your baseboard heater. You're a moment away from learning the answer below.

The standard American Wire Gauge or AWG for your baseboard heater circuits is 12 gauge. This size of wire is sufficient in most residential and commercial installation settings. However, it would be best if you also referred to your local electrical code for further details and better knowledge.

Knowing the correct gauge wire for your baseboard heater unit is essential. Please keep reading and follow us below to learn the other vital queries relating to this topic. With that said, let's start discussing them!

Furnace maintenance man worker repairing wall heater on the basement room, What Gauge Wire For A Baseboard Heater?

 

What Size Wire Should You Use For Baseboard Heater?

The amount of electrical charge a wire can carry increases significantly with its size. Yet, the American Wire Gauge (AWG) numbers appear to run backward. For this reason, many people find it confusing.

Typically, many houses use a 12-gauge wire, which is bigger than a 14-size wire and shorter than 10 gauge. Even so, most homes have 10 to 12 wire gauges, which is what baseboard heaters would ideally need.

In addition, it is safer to use a double-pole heater since you cannot completely shut off a single-pole heater. Electric current still flows through a single-pole heater even when it doesn't produce heat. That said, safety always comes first!

How Does A Baseboard Heater Works?

Plug in when the temperature drops

The baseboard heater provides a heat source using the principle of hot air rising and cold air falling. In some regions, a baseboard heater can supply your home with all the heat it needs. However, it usually works to deliver heat to rooms where your central HVAC system falls short.

For instance, it can be challenging to lengthen your central HVAC's airflow transition in your basement or attic crawl spaces. The baseboard heater comes in handy in offering a simple solution to warm those areas.

The baseboard heater comes in 120V or 240V; it requires proper wire installation to keep its optimal operation.

Can You Wire A Baseboard Heater Directly To An Electric Outlet?

It is not safe to connect your baseboard heater to an electrical outlet. The wiring and outlet might not be able to handle the heat load in the wire and receptacle.

Furthermore, connecting a baseboard heater to an outlet makes it impossible to plug in any other devices on the same circuit since the United States limits the total load in each outlet to 20 amps.

The Potential Risks Of Wiring Your Baseboard Heater To A Power Outlet

Generally, the circuit serving a single outlet has many other plug outlets. So, wiring a baseboard to the outlet increases the susceptibility of the breaker tripping or the fuse blowing. Additionally, it potentially exposes you to several risks listed below:

Improper Grounding Installation

Poorly installed grounding increases the risk of damaging your baseboard heater and electrocuting you.

Although the three-prong plugs of some baseboard heaters can work with grounded outlets, today's proper grounding code states that you should use two pieces 8 foot by ⅝-inch size copper ground bars.

Electrical Overload

An electrical overload can occur if you plug many power-hungry devices into various outlets shared by one power source. So, because the baseboard heater consumes more energy than an electrical outlet can provide, it causes an overload.

Electrical Spark

An electrical spark could arise from a short circuit due to insufficient wire insulation. Additionally, the cables could likely become hot and eventually melt, thus igniting a fire.

On fire electric wire plug Receptacle wall partition,Electric short circuit failure resulting in electricity wire burnt

The increasing power demand may be too much for the wiring, leading to overheating. Hotels have a mandate about not wiring their baseboard heater into the same power source that other appliances utilize.

Lower Voltage Rate

The amount of energy available to transport heat decreases as the voltage falls. So, when the wiring system in your house cannot supply adequate power for all your appliances and gadgets, it compensates by running at a lower voltage level.

Some non-240V devices may not function correctly in this condition, or they may simply shut off.

Risk Of Electrocution

Since many low-quality plugs are not safely grounded, electricity may choose your body as the path of lower resistance.

If your home's wiring is correctly grounded, it can provide enough power for the heater. However, if you attach other equipment into those sockets without sufficient grounding, you risk getting shocked.

Use a GFCI outlet to avoid the risk of electric shock, which could result in injury or death.

Does A Baseboard Heater Use Too Much Electricity?

There are drawbacks to using electric baseboard heaters; their benefits notwithstanding. The primary disadvantage is the use of electricity. Electric baseboard heaters typically use 250 watts per foot of space.

So, a 6-foot baseboard heater in your home would use around 1500 watts of energy (250 watts per foot x 6 feet). 

The heaters convert all electricity into heat because they are resistive heaters. Although baseboard heaters are often said to convert 100% of energy to heat effectively, they are less efficient in reducing your energy expenditure than heat pumps. 

Does A Baseboard Heater Need A Separate Circuit?

A dedicated circuit is a wise decision that will spare your home's electrical system from damage by the baseboard heaters. Baseboard heaters can operate on either 120 or 240-volt circuits, depending on the specific equipment voltage.

The energy efficiency will be higher on a 240-volt circuit. Only qualified electricians should build specific baseboard heater circuits because of the many risks involved.

According to code 8-104, each heating appliance that requires an input of more than 30A must have a dedicated switchboard. The code also adds that in a residential setting, using more than two heating appliances will require a switchboard rated 60A.

What Size Breaker Do You Need For A 240V Baseboard Heater?

Knowing the proper size of the breaker for your 240V baseboard heater determines its overall efficiency. A 120V baseboard heater needs a single-pole 15 amps power breaker. In contrast, a 240V baseboard heater will require you to use 30 amps double-pole power breakers.

Furthermore, use two cable wires, including the ground wire. We recommend using a Romex™ or BX type of wires.

Heating circuits need to be derated by 25% since the National Electric Code considers them continuous loads - this means that if you're using a 20 amp power circuit, its actual capacity is not more than 16 amps.

Therefore, it is necessary to adjust your power breaker size for future consideration.

See this Romex™ wire on Amazon.

Can You Use A 12-Gauge Size Wire With A 30 Amps Breaker?

Copper cable wire used in electrical installation

Electrical wirings are very critical in securing your baseboard heater's optimum performance. Wire amperage is a unit of measurement for the amount of electricity a wire can transport before overheating.

A 12-gauge wire cannot safely run with a 30-amp breaker. The smallest gauge of wire you can use with a 30-amp breaker is 10.

Moreover, a wire with a lower gauge has a bigger diameter and can carry greater current safely. When using circuit breakers that are 20 amps or less, a 12 gauge wire is suitable.

A 20 amps circuit breaker is sufficient for appliances such as lighting fixtures, outlets, and kitchen devices. But larger equipment like 220-volt air conditioners, ovens, and water heaters require 30-amp breakers.

To Wrap Things Up

Furnace maintenance man worker repairing wall heater on the basement room

Following the ideal gauge size of wire in your baseboard heater offers safety precautions. It is crucial to use a proper gauge wire to ensure your safety and the safety of your household.

Throughout this post, we've discussed several topics, such as ideal wiring size, the risk of wiring your baseboard heater in the outlet, and more. We can now set off with confidence that you can safely and securely apply this information to your advantage.

Before you go, please take a moment to read our other informative article below!

What Size Breaker For A Mini Split Air Conditioner?

Does Adding C Wire To Thermostat Blow The Fuse?

Share this article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *