Wiring a heat strip

You need to check the current rating of your heat strips. If it is more than 60 amps then you need a bigger breaker. If 60 amps or less then your heat strips are going bad. Also make sure your fan turns smoothly without any wobble.

Hi Pauline, I'm an electrician and can help you with this problem.

The only breakers that are permitted to be installed in any circuit breaker panel are listed inside the door on the label. Introducing any other type or brand is a fire hazard and a code violation. The national electrical code is very clear on this.

If you need to provide a GFCI protected circuit from this panel, you'll probably need to install a smaller panel from this panel - called "sub-panel" of a brand and type that will accept a GFCI circuit breaker. This is done by purchasing a 2P20A GFCI breaker and a smaller circuit capacity / ampacity panel rated for the same voltage as the main panel. You'll also need a ground terminal strip for this panel, too. A 60A main lug panel with 8 or more circuits type panel might be a good place to start. Purchase a 2P circuit breaker with an ampacity no greater than the sub panel is rated at - in my example - a 2P60A would be right. You may use a smaller breaker (2P40A or 2P50A) if you wish - but none greater. Mount the sub panel in a location near the main panel. Remove and discard the bonding screw or lug (if provided and installed already) that may connect the neutral bar and threaded into the panel enclosure. Install the ground terminal strip you purchased separately into the threaded holes provided for it inside the panel enclosure. Install the Ground symbol sticker next to this bar. Run a 4 conductor cable, pipe & wire, etc. feeder sized for 60A based on the location, temperature, etc. between the main panel and the main lug panel. Terminate the cable the sub panel end as follows: black & red or "hot" wires into the the lugs that are connected to the bus bars, white or "neutral" to the neutral bar and the bare or green "ground" wire into the ground terminal strip you installed previously.

Next terminate the other end of the cable. Power off the main panel completely. Terminate the white neutral and the bare or green cable in the neutral bar in separate terminals. Install only one wire per terminal - do not "double up" wires under a single screw. If there is a separate strip for neutral and separate strip for ground - maintain neutral wires to neutral strip and ground wires to ground strip. Also, do not intermix ground and neutral wires in the others terminal strips! Install the 2P60A breaker in an unused space in the main panel. Connect the two hot wires to the breaker terminals. If using aluminum wires, be sure to clean and apply oxide inhibitor to stripped ends of the wires.

Now, you should have a smaller panel with 8 or more empty spaces for circuit breakers that will become live when the 2P60A breaker is in the main panel is turned on. With it still off, install the 2P20A GFCI breaker in the new sub panel. Run your circuit(s) to this panel. Connect them as usual - but any neutral and ground wires installed must be terminated in their respective terminal strips. As mentioned above, never install them in the others strip.

If installing in a 3 phase environment - you may wish to install a 3 phase sub panel so that 3 phase loads can be connected to it. This will require a 3P60A breaker and 5 wires instead of 4 wires to be run between the two panels. The additional wire would be a hot and blue in color for a 240/208/120 panel.

I hope this helps & good luck!

You will need the 2-60A breakers. 11kw is 11,000 watts. Watts = voltage X Current (amperes) If we take this formula and change it around to calculate amperes it is like this. Amperes = watts / volts amperes = 11000 watts / 240 volts This is 45.8 amperes or let us say 46 amperes. The closest breaker that you have would be a 50 amp breaker 2 pole of course . 2 - 50. If you cannot get a 2 - 50 then a 2-60 is fine. I would run with a #6 copper wire, I would check with local code to verify the wire size in your area. Make sure that the unit is grounded as well. Minimum of a #10 wire, I would also check local codes as well. Enjoy the steam!

Its probably not a bad idea. Thats alot for a 100A panel to handle, a range needs a 50A, a water heater needs 30A, and the heat will need a 50A or a 60A breaker... Plus whatever else is in the house will be a bit more than the 100A service can handle. But if you don't have the money it will do for a while because for the most part they won't all be pulling at the same time. Word to the wise get at least a 30 space panel when you upgrade, I always install a 40 space panel because for the cost difference its well worth it for future needs because you'll fill it up quicker than you think and you'll have space for anything else you may want to add later on. Hope I helped

Most likely not.Heating equipment circuit breakers have to be calculated at 100% of the load continuous. That would mean the circuit breaker would have to be rated at 45amps continuous. Most breakers are not. Most breakers are rated at 80% of their rating for continuous loads. So if you installed a 60 amp circuit, 80% of 60 = 48 amps. This would fit your requirement. That would be a 60amp breaker, with #6 cu conductors.

Got to use the 75 amp rating. otherwise you risk buring up your wires from over amping, fire, blowing fuses continiously, and breaker tripping. Not to mention possible damage to unit.

Hi, sounds like you could have a couple of problems. If the breaker is tripping when the strips are calling, they are drawing more amps then they should. The data plate on the unit will tell you the Amperage rating of the heat strip package that is installed and should match that of the breaker. Since the breaker was replaced I would recheck how tight the wiring is at the breaker as they will lossen up do the the heat they are pulling. Make sure they are tight both at the breaker and at the strips, just turn the breaker off and check this. Also, the strips should energize when the thermostat needs them to help out the heating cycle. It is good you can manually turn them on, but you shouldn't have to. I can not guide you through the process of checking T-stat operation as I would need to be on site to see how they wired it at the unit and stat.If it has always worked this way then this is most likely the way the installer wired it. If not, you will need to have the stat checked out. I would consentrate on solving the breaker problem. Just look at the data plate for the strips amperage and see if it matches the breaker amps. Tighten these connections and I bet this will solve the big problem. If you had a clamp around amp probe and with some help from me I could guide you on how to do an amp check to see if its the strips, wiring, or breaker by doing a amperage check. Tighten up all the connections and keep me posted for more help. I will be here to help you solve this.
Good Luck,Shastalaker7

Check the breakers on the unit How many KW--electric heat? Check to see if you have the right wires wired up to the correct breaker cause some units have 40---and ---60 ---amps breakers and your thickest wire could be wired to the 40-amp breakers,, (some 5 KW pullls 19-23 amps respectably some breakers have 7.5 KW heat stips and pulls more and if the wire size can,t cary the amps, then all you have to do is reduce a heat strip.

20kw heat should have 2 separate 60 amp circuits on number 6 wire.

Both, You will need to hook up two separate breakers with two different circuits.