1 Electric Baseboard is Out, advice?

Ayuh,.. Is the T-stat, attached to the baseboard unit, or separate, on the wall,..??

It's separate on the wall. It has one red wire and one black wire. I can't seem to find another one like it at lowes or hd. They are all 4 wire versions that say they work with 2 wire setups.

Anyhow. I guess I need to check all the connections on the heater and the thermo.

The heater or a connection in the heater could be open. Measure each wire to ground. I bet one is 120 and the other is near zero.
Nut the wire at the stat together and make some measurements at the heater.

Did you mesure the voltage at the theromast location first ?

You should be able get 120 volts either black to bare or white ( remarked to red ) to bare ?

If so then you have bad thermosat.

The thermosat you have there as you describe single black and single red that is single pole thermosat which it do not have off marking on it.

When you make the testing just watch which pair of NM cable you are testing so you know which one is incomming source.

Merci,
Marc

Gotcha with the good photo you posted.

Here what ya have to do at the moment this will rule out the heater issue is take your voltmeter and have one probe touch either black conductor and bare conductor ( ground ) you should find one of them is " line " or supply and make a note which one if not getting any voltage then do the same thing on white conductor repeat the test as you will do on black if you get both 120 volts on supply then the thermosat is toasted.

With the thermosat you should hear the click sound.(They useally are not very loud.)

That is pretty much straight foward there. If you are not getting anything then you may have to check other location which it have bad splices so check other thermostat location. Belive or not there are some case you may find two thermosat / baseboard heaters on the same circuit.

Merci,
Marc

I was still hearing clicks from the original thermo but nothing was happening with the heat. I tried another thermo just for good measure and still nothing with the heat.

So I do think its something on baseboard.

agentphish said:

I was still hearing clicks from the original thermo but nothing was happening with the heat. I tried another thermo just for good measure and still nothing with the heat.

So I do think its something on baseboard.

Click to expand...

Before you do something with baseboard heater hold that tought for a moment did you actually test at the thermosat location as I tell ya above ?

Retest that again but take your voltmeter probe at one of the two black conductor and second probe at bare copper conductor you should read 120 volts ( you may want to test the other one to make sure which one is incomming source ) If you are not getting any voltage then repeat the test with white conductor you should able get it.

If not you may want to dig in and trace the conductor like if ran under the floor or in the attic. If in attic you may ran into some critter eating the romex cable which I have see it from time to time.

Merci,
Marc

I tested the left black wire above along with the bare copper (ground) wire. I got 110V. I then tested it with the white wire inside the same romex cable (pictured back inside the electrical box) and got 240V, so it looks like the flow from the breaker to the wall here is good.

Though when a thermostat is hooked up (brand new or original), I get no reaction at the heater.

agentphish said:

I tested the left black wire above along with the bare copper (ground) wire. I got 110V. I then tested it with the white wire inside the same romex cable (pictured back inside the electrical box) and got 240V, so it looks like the flow from the breaker to the wall here is good.

Though when a thermostat is hooked up (brand new or original), I get no reaction at the heater.

Click to expand...

Ok then do you understand what ohm function is ?

If so do the testing without the power and have the black and white conductor unhooked at the heater then use the ohm function on heater side not the white and black wire at the moment you should get about 22 to 25 ohms somewhere in that range if good element but bad element or thermal switch is out then it will not read anything at all.

Just make a note that most thermal switch on baseboard heater useally are not resetable but few do so if the thermal switch kick out you may have to replace it or replace with new baseboard heater.

Hope that help ya.

I know it take little more time but I rather do this in the correct way to make sure we cover the bases.

Merci,
Marc

I sincerely appreciate your help. I'm thinking it's time for a new heater myself. The ones in this house are all 20+ years old. I just want to make sure of what the issue is.

agentphish said:

I sincerely appreciate your help. I'm thinking it's time for a new heater myself. The ones in this house are all 20+ years old. I just want to make sure of what the issue is.

Click to expand...

Not a problem at all that what we are here for.

If you have any other issue just let us know we will help ya.

Merci,
Marc

Were you able to measure 240 Volts at the heater between the incoming black and white wires?

The thermostat should be connected with it set to call for heat.

IF you can get 240 Volts AT the heater, then the heat unit may be bad.....

Correct.

You either have a bad element, or hi-temp sensor.

Replace the unit.

agentphish said:

I have attached some photos at this time. I think it's the baseboard unit itself. What do you guys think?

Also to be clear the small amount of voltage I am getting in the one pic is the same as I am getting at the thermostat.

Click to expand...

I think I think some things are better left to the "Seasoned Experts".

bobelectric, what is that supposed to mean exactly? Doesn't sound like a nice comment to me.

I believed the unit itself was bad. It looks like I may be correct based on feedback here.