Installing a cadet softheat hydrondic baseboard heater on 12-2 wire on 20 double switched breaker. Is this possible? I was told I could change the white wire to black giving me one black to each prong of the breaker-losing the neutral. I also have a Honeywell RLV430 programmable thermostat w/ two black wires coming from it. This application was recommended by employees at Homedepot. Please help!?

I agree with the glycol solution but u want to change it every yr if portable

heater shuld have lable telling what max draw is.the breaker protects the wire.short answer is yes, 12/2 will carry 20 amps

hi the heaters are some times filled with glycol which may be what you have , you can look this up on google and see what is in it

12 gauge wire sounds under sized for the application. And 20 amp 240 v breakers might be sufficient if you where wiring the heaters separately. But be sure that your wiring is not romex - because romex is an insulator and is not permitted in conduit. I would suggest that you up size your wire to 10 guage and your breaker to 30 amp as well. Then double check your heater wiring connections to insure that they're wired the same throughout.

is this for a boiler system

from the mod number it looks like you have electric baseboard. these do not have blowers in them they work off natural air movement. but heat up rather quickly. your gonna have to chk if baseboard is getting power to determine weather or not the t stat or the heater is not working. but first chk your circuit breakers. most heaters are 220v (double breaker)

no does not matter but you must have a ground leg

First, is this a 120 VAC or 240 VAC heater? 120 VAC heater will usually have one Black & one White wire and 240 VAC heater will usually have two Black wires or one Black & one Red wire. If it is a 120 VAC heater then you need to supply the white wire at the heater with a neutral (white) wire from the breaker panel. If it is a 240 VAC heater then you need to verify that you have 240 VAC at the heater from Black lead to Red lead. If you are not sure about how to do this please have an experienced electrician look at it so you don't get electrocuted and/or burn up your new heater. Hope this helps!

I am an electrician. You must measure the voltage across the black and red wires. Measuring each wire to the neutral will not cut it. If both your red and black wire are on the same phase the heater will not work.

To double check your wiring, measure the voltage across the two screws feeding your subpanel, they should be 240v or 208v depending on your power company. Then do the same at the breaker feeding your thermostat. Again it should read 240v.

If you have no potential across the screws it is possible that you installed an incorrect breaker. Not all breakers with two screws on them are 240v breakers. There is what is called a twin or split breaker that has two screws that are on the same phase. These are for wiring two 110v circuits, when you run out of spaces in the panel.

Double check everything. This is a relatively easy circuit to wire, even for homeowners. If the heater does not work them something is wrong so do not leave the circuit energized.

I can help you if you still here.