What size 240v breaker do I need for 1 (one) 1500 watt electric baseboard heater the panal is already wired?
Question by Rich: What size 240v breaker do I need for 1 (one) 1500 watt electric baseboard heater the panal is already wired?
with 12/2 wire and 30amp 2 pole breaker?
Best answer:
Answer by linda
1500 watts / 240 volt = 6.5 amps
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Since 240V is dedicated to one circuit, the smallest breaker available may be a double pole 15A, like what you have. It is wired correctly.
1500 divided by 240 = 6.25 Amps
to find breaker size 6.25 x 1.25 = 7.81 (next largest is 15A)
Wire size is 14-2
So, 2 pole 15 amp breaker wire with 14-2. If you want to use 12-2, that is fine. It’s a little more expensive and a little more cumbersome to deal with in the heater.
Your heater will only draw 6.25 amps, but a 30 amp breaker cannot protect a #12 wire. A 15 amp breaker with number fourteen wire would suffice. The 12/2 would work. You can go with larger wire than is rated for the breaker, but not smaller.