I am working on wiring up a new 6000W ceiling heater for my garage. The instructions say to wire it with flexible conduit. I am not sure why regular romex wire or rubber covered power cord should not be OK also. The power comes into the back and the heat is blown out the front.
wiring garage electric heater
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Wiring with exposed romex isn't up to code, putting it in flexible conduit is. You're not supposed to use appliance wire in semi-permanent installations either, although the way around that is to put a plug on the cord and put an outlet near it so it's removable. At 6000 watts though, you would need an electric dryer outlet and cord.
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Using flex conduit is probably cheaper than a 30 amp plug and outlet.
Run your romex to a safety disconnect switch mounted on the wall. Then run a flex conduit "whip" from there to the heater. That's how I connected our new water heater.
This is a space heater to heat the garage. Its close enough to the circuit breaker box so no other switch is needed.
I assume I can use blue 1/2" flex conduit? It will fit 10-2 and a ground?
Inside houses, Romex is fine and no extra protection like flex conduit is needed as long as the wiring is at least 5 feet above the floor. I assume code requirements are the same in a garage, so no flex conduit is needed for an overhead heater.
If you do go with flex conduit, three individual 10ga wires (two insulated and one bare) are preferable to using 10/2 romex inside the flex conduit. 1/2 in flex can easily take 3 10ga wires.
If you do go with flex conduit, three individual 10ga wires (two insulated and one bare) are preferable to using 10/2 romex inside the flex conduit. 1/2 in flex can easily take 3 10ga wires.
Originally Posted By: George7941
Inside houses, Romex is fine and no extra protection like flex conduit is needed as long as the wiring is at least 5 feet above the floor. I assume code requirements are the same in a garage, so no flex conduit is needed for an overhead heater.
If you do go with flex conduit, three individual 10ga wires (two insulated and one bare) are preferable to using 10/2 romex inside the flex conduit. 1/2 in flex can easily take 3 10ga wires.
If I go with flex conduit do I need to use solid or stranded wire. While the heater does not really move, I am sure the internal fan will cause it to vibrate ever so slightly.
I bought a 6' whip (to try) that is used for outside A/C but its not really flexible enough for what I need.
Inside houses, Romex is fine and no extra protection like flex conduit is needed as long as the wiring is at least 5 feet above the floor. I assume code requirements are the same in a garage, so no flex conduit is needed for an overhead heater.
If you do go with flex conduit, three individual 10ga wires (two insulated and one bare) are preferable to using 10/2 romex inside the flex conduit. 1/2 in flex can easily take 3 10ga wires.
If I go with flex conduit do I need to use solid or stranded wire. While the heater does not really move, I am sure the internal fan will cause it to vibrate ever so slightly.
I bought a 6' whip (to try) that is used for outside A/C but its not really flexible enough for what I need.
The MC usually comes with wire in it. Thought they called it BX.
http://www.menards.com/main/p-1444442903851-c-6441.htm?tid=-1913789389563123518
http://www.menards.com/main/p-1444442903851-c-6441.htm?tid=-1913789389563123518
I would mount a 4" box with 1/2 Knock outs on the wall behind the heater. Install the romex into the back of the box with a romex connector and leave enough slack to reach the unit. Remove the outer sheath of romex in the box , install a ground tail into the back of the box and splice it to the ground wire. Get some 1/2 flex,they call it greenfield, 3 or 4 ft and connectors 2 straight 1 angle . Run the ground wire from the box to the unit with the other conductors. If you don't need the angle connector you can always return it. A 4" blank cover is also needed, you can write the circuit # on the outside with a sharpie. The greenfield can be cracked in half and cut with tin snips Good Luck
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