Electric heat

[Robert E Lee]

This afternoons inspection had (2) 20 amp breakers labeled for electric heat. The bonus room over the garage had a thermostat and there was a relay box alongside the main panel. When I turned up the thermostat I was never able to get a reading of current flow on the wiring, nor did there seem to be any activity in the relay panel. I expected to find cables in the ceiling, but the textured ceiling spray seems to be too thin of coat to cover radiant ceiling heat, nor was there any evidence of baseboard units that had been removed. Anyone have experience with this type of electric heat, and what could I be missing.

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[John Kogel]

40 hits and no replies.

I doubt that you missed anything.

There may have been an intention to install electric heat that never materialized. We see that now and then.

There is electric heat in other rooms, right?

[hausdok]

Should have used a tic tracer. It gives you instant verfication with electric radiant heat but waiting for a system to come up to temp takes a while and unless you know where the panels are you could be looking in the wrong place.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Robert E Lee]

The only room with electric heat was this bonus room that had been added above the garage. The seller indicated that the system does work, but takes several hours to warm the room, will then hold the temperature once it reaches that point. Didn't think to use the tic tracer to locate the wiring, will remember that for next time.

[John Kogel]

The only room with electric heat was this bonus room that had been added above the garage. The seller indicated that the system does work, but takes several hours to warm the room, will then hold the temperature once it reaches that point. Didn't think to use the tic tracer to locate the wiring, will remember that for next time.

Most likely radiant ceiling heat then, but we still can't be sure.

It is too old to be a radiant in-floor system, I think, at least from systems I have seen. The modern infloor systems are 15 amp and only 120 volt.

A question is why 2 20 amp circuits? One circuit should be plenty for one room, and you only found one thermostat. Something isn't adding up.

If you saw 2 120 volt 20 amp breakers, they should be joined with a tie-bar.

If that is the case and the breakers are installed incorrectly on the same bus, that would explain the slow reaction time of the heater. It would then be only getting 120 volts.

[Robert E Lee]

The only room with electric heat was this bonus room that had been added above the garage. The seller indicated that the system does work, but takes several hours to warm the room, will then hold the temperature once it reaches that point. Didn't think to use the tic tracer to locate the wiring, will remember that for next time.

Most likely radiant ceiling heat then, but we still can't be sure.

It is too old to be a radiant in-floor system, I think, at least from systems I have seen. The modern infloor systems are 15 amp and only 120 volt.

A question is why 2 20 amp circuits? One circuit should be plenty for one room, and you only found one thermostat. Something isn't adding up.

If you saw 2 120 volt 20 amp breakers, they should be joined with a tie-bar.

If that is the case and the breakers are installed incorrectly on the same bus, that would explain the slow reaction time of the heater. It would then be only getting 120 volts.

I didn't make myself clear, there were (2) 20amp 240V circuit breakers for the system. The room was good sized, which was built over a large 2 car garage.

Stopped back after my morning inspection to check the ceiling with my tic tracer, and found that there is radiant heat in the ceiling. I was going by the thin layer of ceiling texture that convinced me there wasn't any wiring in the ceiling. But using Mike's suggestion I was able to verify that there appears to be panels as the tic tracer glowed when going all across the ceiling (and then went out when tripping the breaker) instead of going off/on as you pasted by a wire.