Hi,
I am a DIY'er and am trying to install a baseboard heater (120V) in my bathroom remodel.
The old heater was 240V but I was told that I could simply cap one of the two hot lines and use the same line to connect the new heater.
The old 240V line looks like its 10/3 and the new heater takes very few amps and has twisted 14/2 (? - I think, its a much smaller gauge).
When I test the old line (1 hot wire capped) with a wire tester I can see its got juice, but when I connect the heater I get nothing. Not only does the heater not turn on, but when I try to test the leads on the old line, I don't see any juice there either. If I disconnect the heater and re-test juice is there!
I know the heater works because I tested it against an outlet with the cord stripped on one end and connected to the heater.
Is there something wrong with capping 1 line of a 10/3? Can you not connect wires of a large gauge to a smaller gauge or something like that?
Help!
Thanks
JW
I am a DIY'er and am trying to install a baseboard heater (120V) in my bathroom remodel.
The old heater was 240V but I was told that I could simply cap one of the two hot lines and use the same line to connect the new heater.
The old 240V line looks like its 10/3 and the new heater takes very few amps and has twisted 14/2 (? - I think, its a much smaller gauge).
When I test the old line (1 hot wire capped) with a wire tester I can see its got juice, but when I connect the heater I get nothing. Not only does the heater not turn on, but when I try to test the leads on the old line, I don't see any juice there either. If I disconnect the heater and re-test juice is there!
I know the heater works because I tested it against an outlet with the cord stripped on one end and connected to the heater.
Is there something wrong with capping 1 line of a 10/3? Can you not connect wires of a large gauge to a smaller gauge or something like that?
Help!
Thanks
JW