Replacing An Existing Electric Wall Buyer's Guide


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Replacing An Existing Electric Wall Buyer's Guide

Your electric wall heater is dead, dying or it's just about time to buy a new one. I have found you can watch or browse online the “How To and D.I.Y shows” on how to install a new electric wall heater. But installing is one thing - replacing it with the wrong voltage can be costly to wallet and your time management. If you buy the wrong voltage the following will happen:

	* If you wire a 240 volt heater to a 120 volt circuit, you will only get about ¼ or 25% of the heat output /wattage the heater was designed to deliver.
	* If you wire a 120 volt heater to a 240 volt circuit you will overheat and be destroyed! The heater will try to deliver four times its rated wattage, causing the element permanent damage. So its VERY IMPORTANT you know your voltage.

Follow these easy steps before you start the shopping process to make sure you get the right electric wall heater. If at any time you don't feel comfortable with the steps below please consult an electrician or handyman.

When we are doing a consult one of the first things we ask is “Are you or have you ever been happy with the amount of heat the old heater put out? ”

	Or was is oversized and overheating the room?
	Was it undersized and the room was cold in the dead of winter?

	Now is you chance to fix this problem with a larger or smaller heater, you'll want to contact an electrician. An electrician will not only install one for you, but will be able to determine what unit will best meet your needs and if you have adequate power to upgrade to a large size wall heater )
	If you are happy with current heat output go to step below

Identifying the older heaters voltage and wattage

1. Turn off the power to the heater in the circuit panel or fuse box. Start by shutting off the circuit that services the heater and double check for power by using a voltage meter. When you are sure that the power is in the off position,

2. Look at your panel: Is the heater's circuit breaker a single or double pole breaker? Look at the picture below to tell the difference. A single pole breaker works with 120 voltage products and a double pole breaker works with 240 volt products. You will also find a number on the actual switch. This number tells you how many amps the breaker can handle.

Single Pole Breaker (120v) Double Pole Breaker (240v) check amps

3. Step: Go back to your wall heater and take the screws off the heater's grille (Do Not Skip Steps One and Two) Look for the name plate inside the unit for the voltage and wattage of your current heater the name plate.

Once you find it should give you the voltage and wattage

Voltage FYI: over the years the power companies have been raising the voltage to your home or office.

o 110 volts, 115 volts, 120 volts, 125 volts

(All four voltages will work with the same heater)

o 220 volts, 230 volts, 240 volts, 250 volts

(All four voltages will work with the same heater)

o 208 volts is NOT the same as 240 volts - it's a total different voltage

If the name plate is worn off and you can't read it, resort to step two which is the breaker size and if it's a single or double pole, and the number on the switch, it should say, 15, 20, 30, 40 or 50 the number is about of amps it can handle.. Feel free to call us or consult an electrician if you get stuck.

Step 4: Once you know your voltage & wattage most likely you will want to find a new wall heater that is close in the same dimensions as your current wall heater. The secret is measure the hole in your wall and not the grille. The grille can be one to two inches bigger then the hole size.

If you have any question feel free to call or email us

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