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How would I go about installing a thermostat for my bedroom's baseboard heater? I've seen lots of articles on how to replace an old thermostat but I'm installing a thermostat for the first time here.

The heater is currently controlled by a dial on the heater, there is no thermostat.

Do I have to rip out drywall to follow the 240 wire? Is there a different way to trace where to 240 wire flows in the wall? Is it as easy as figuring out where the 240 wire vertically climbs the wall and install a thermostat inline?

Tester101
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Shizam
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    How is the heater controlled, now? – HerrBag Dec 17 '13 at 04:35
  • Does it have a thermostat on the actual heater now? The goal is to replace that with one on the wall? – auujay Dec 17 '13 at 15:20
  • There is no thermostat right now, trying to put one in line in the system. – Shizam Dec 17 '13 at 16:58
  • Can you add a picture of the heater and/or the make and model number? – Tester101 Dec 18 '13 at 16:31
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    Most thermostat installation guides, specify installing the thermostat on an interior wall across from the heater. So simply installing the thermostat on the supply conductors above the heater, may not provide the desired results. – Tester101 Dec 18 '13 at 16:42

2 Answers2

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In most thermostat installation guides, it's recommended to install the thermostat on an interior wall across from the heater. If you trace the existing wires, it's possible the thermostat will end up above the heater. This is not ideal, and could lead to a poorly heated room. You might get lucky, but in most cases there are a couple more appropriate options.

Use the heater as junction point

There should be an area of the heater used to make electrical connections. If this area is large enough, you can use it to extend the supply conductors out to the thermostat and back.

Using the heater as a junction

To do this...

  • Turn off the power to the circuit at the breaker/fuse box, and insure it's off using a non-contact voltage tester.
  • Run 2 new cables (4 wires, 6 if the circuit has grounding conductors) from the heater to the thermostat location.
  • Disconnect the supply conductors from the heater.
  • Using twist-on wire connectors (or any approved means), connect the supply conductors to one set of conductors leading to the thermostat.
  • Connect the other set of conductors from the thermostat to the heater.
  • Make the connections at the thermostat.
  • Turn the power back on, and enjoy.

Pull all new cable

The other option is to pull all new cable.

Pulling new cable

To do this...

  • Turn off the power to the circuit at the breaker/fuse box, and insure it's off using a non-contact voltage tester.
  • Pull a cable from the breaker/fuse panel to the thermostat location.
  • Pull a cable from the thermostat location to the heater.
  • Disconnect the existing cable from the heater, and remove the cable.
  • Connect the new cable to the heater.
  • Make the connections at the thermostat.
  • Connect the new cable in the breaker/fuse panel to the breaker/fuse used previously.
  • Turn the power back on, and enjoy.
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Tester101
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The recent studfinders have voltage detectors that are more reliable than the stud detection. Verify you have heater wire with a helper switching off the breaker while you have it under the detector.

You may have to install a junction box to get enough slack or run a new wire from the t-stat to to the heater.

HerrBag
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  • Good idea for tracing the wire. I agree that it seems unlikely that there is already enough slack in the wire to add your thermostat. You will probably need to run a new line somewhere to give you enough slack. – auujay Dec 17 '13 at 15:19
  • Great idea for tracing the wire, I'll look into a stud finder w/voltage detection and hopefully the wire is in a convenient location. – Shizam Dec 17 '13 at 16:59