[dwill49965]

I have an electric baseboard heater in a bedroom with a built in thermostat on the heater itself. Heater is 240V. I want to bypass (or remove) the built in thermostat and install a wall mounted thermostat (single pole line voltage) on the opposite side of the room. I will use 12/2 NMD 90 red wire for the extension to the thermostat.



My main question is do I need to have the thermostat between the electrical panel and the baseboard heater, or can it be wired so that the wall mounted thermostat is at the end of run? I have wired lighting circuits where the switch is at the end of the run (a switch loop). Is there an equivalent for electrical baseboard heating?



I can disconnect the built in thermostat no problem and bypass it. My original intention was to connect the new extension wire to the source wire (at the baseboard heater junction box), run it under the room to the other side and up the wall to the thermostat, then run another extension wire from the thermostat back under the room and back to the baseboard heater junction box, and connect the heater as normal.


This seems to me to be unnecessary extra wiring, but it may be required due to my setup, and convenience. Maybe a switch loop type circuit won't work with 240 because both sides are already hot.


I obviously don't want to install the wall mounted thermostat above the heater!

 

[joed]

Running two cables will be fine. You will be switching both hot lines.

 

[surferdude2]

Sounds OK. I suggest leaving both thermostats connected and setting the one in the baseboard unit at some value higher than the wall one will ever be. That way you would have a defacto anticipation effect when doing an initial warm up while having full control once it levels out. That might prevent overshoot the way the anticipator does in an HVAC thermostat. Besides that you will be above reproach if the unit fails.

 

[dwill49965]

Thanks Joed and surferdude2. I don't think I'll keep both thermostats connected, will just use the wall mounted programmable one. Will try wiring it up this weekend at the cottage, although my main source of heat will be a nice big woodstove fire.

 

[Missouri Bound]

You didn't mention the wattage of the heater.
I suspect that 12 ga. will be fine but without knowing the heater draw one can't be certain.
And changing out the thermostat is a good idea. Heater mounted stats are difficult to adjust properly and tend to overheat the room way before it is satisfied.

 

[joed]

If it was me I would just install it as is and turn up the onboard thermostat to full.