Power for Heater

[chasineyes]

I'm going to be installing a 45,000 Hot Dawg heater in my garage and was wondering what type of power that needs. Can I just run off of my regular garage power or does it need a dedicated power supply? OR could I tap into my furnace 20amp line dedicated line?

[Surface Tension]

It should be on its own circuit. 15 amp breaker, 12/2 wire to a switch mounted on the wall next to the heater, from there 12/2 in flex conduit to the heater. Can you fish the wire from the panel to the switch or will you need to run conduit? Question, do you have a panel inside the garage or are you coming from the house?

[chasineyes]

Unfortunately I'm coming from the other side of the house in the basement with solid floor joist. What I may do is just cut a slot in the rock and run 2 dedicated wires, one for the heater and one for the garage. Currently I have the garage with a freezer and outside lights on one circuit. Suffice to say when I power up the saw, lights, vac. I tend to flip the circuit. I'm thinking lets just make the mess and do it right.

[Surface Tension]

What size wire is run out to the garage now?

If your going to make a mess you might as well run 220 and a new panel in the garage.

"What I may do is just cut a slot in the rock and run 2 dedicated wires"

Not sure exactly what you mean there but before you get replies saying its not a good idea to do that, we can suggest ways to get that done and be code. Without seeing what you have its hard to say.

[chasineyes]

After looking at my circuits, why would my sump pump need a designated 20 amps. and my furnace 15? I can honestly say it has never been used in our 6 years. Very sandy/all sand soil. Since the mechanical room butts up against the garage, I think I'll run a line from the box for the sump to the heater. This is going to be a very light usage operation in the winter, not a full-blown shop like I wish I could have. By cutting a slot, I trimed in with oak paneling along my I-beam that runs the length of the room. What I was thinking was cutting 6" wide slot out of the paneling and laying in the wire then gluing a new panel back over the cut portion.

[Roofer]

Call your building inspector. You can still do this yourself, just get the correct info and have it documented.

[JohnMickish]

flex conduit

Frank, your killing me here! If your going to run it in flex you might as well just pull MC cable and eliminate a step. Flex and MC have their place in this world but it's best kept hidden 'cause there is no way to make it pretty. Remember, there is a reason that while flexable metalic conduit and MC cable are U.L. listed and legal to use, there are many municipalities and states that severily restrict their usage. I personally hate both flex and MC but then again I might be biased since I get paid to run pretty conduit.

OK, if your going to pull 12/2 wire you might as well put it on a 20 amp breaker. To be legal this receptacle needs to be a GFCI unless its going to be dedicated for the heater then it needs to be a single (not a duplex) receptacle.

[JohnMickish]

I read you are thinking of running a "line" under some paneling and gluing a cover back on? If you plan on using Romex (NMB) you will have to protect the wire from pysical damage by covering it with a nail plate at least 1/16th" thick. This is to protect someone who dosen't know it's there from driving a nail or screw into it. This does not apply if the wire will be at least 1.25 inches back from the surface. Article 334.15 ( and 300.4(A)(1) and (2) will give you more guidance on this depending on your exact situation.

[Surface Tension]

Flex conduit is a beautiful thing and would compliment your conduit!

I was assuming the Heater did not have a power cord. Therefore the flex conduit from the switch to the heater with no receptacle. Thanks btw for the reply and since your looking, is it or is it not code to have a device like that on a switch?

As far as running Romex behind the paneling, thats fine if you use the nail plates and as long as your drilling the studs keeping the 1.25" from the outside of the stud and running the Romex through it. Otherwise no, you can't just cut a channel in the paneling and run the wire in that.

[JohnMickish]

A rule of thumb on disconects. If it has a motor it must have a switch to turn if off for servicing. For a cord and plug connected appliance the plug in counts as the disconnect. Again, that statement does NOT cover 100% of every application out there, but it's a [PoorWordUsage] good reference.

For a hardwire installation I'd go with sealtite instead of flex. It looks alot nicer.

If a guy does do a hardwire installation here is one thing to remember. Run the wire inside the wall to a box. Anybody can do that.

Most guys make a hole in a blank cover for the whip (sealtite, flex or S.O. cord) attach the whip to the cover and splice it up (inside the box) and install the cover. You can't do that. You can't come out of the cover of a box. The correct way to do it is to install an extension ring and come out of the ring and have an unmolested cover on the ring. I'll admit it dosen't look as nice this way but it's the right way to do it.

[BobT]

It should be on its own circuit. 15 amp breaker, 12/2 wire to a switch mounted on the wall next to the heater, from there 12/2 in flex conduit to the heater. Can you fish the wire from the panel to the switch or will you need to run conduit? Question, do you have a panel inside the garage or are you coming from the house?

Why 12ga for a 15A circuit?

Bob