cool idea. Only issue I would have is code doesn't allow low voltage to share same box. this is what we see our doorbell transformer on the oudside of panel or electrical box. However I have heard they allow a divided box..
Do you have part numbers for the contactor and the transformer? Would really like to do this. Also could i use a 240 volt transformer and power it with the keads to the heater?
What's your thoughts, and are you worried at all about the heater having time to cool the coils down before shutting off? With the contactor, when the T-stat turns off, the power is completely gone from the heater. With the control board and built in T-stat, when the heater is called to shut off, it still gives power to the fan for a minute or two until the coils are cooled off.. thanks!
The short answer is, no, not worried. I did think about whether that would be a problem. I’ve found that it cools off naturally, and rarely cycles on more than a few times per hour. It’s currently the backup system, as I installed a mini-split a while back. I’ve seen setups to solve the problem you mention though, so maybe one day..
This is probably a stupid question, but why attach the 'green' wire off the transformer as the R wire and then make the red wire the common? Wouldn't it have been better to keep the colors as Red transformer to R (and therefore red 18 AWG wire) and Green transformer wire to Blue 18 AWG common wire? This may be my lack of understanding on which way the electrons are flowing. In the grand scheme of things and in a conceptional manner, is the common wire more or less the same (again as a concept) as the hot wire in residential wiring? I'm probably missing something or being OCD about this.
Thanks Matt for the feedback! Appreciate you making this video. You’ve inspired me to wire up mine in a similar fashion. One thing I am going to try and troubleshoot is decoupling the fan control and use an additional contractor to accomplish this. Wish me luck!
Great video. Wiring diagram very helpful but it doesn't show how system is grounded. I assume the heater is grounded at the panel? Are the transformer and the contactor grounded? I assume the thermostat is not since it's low voltage?
Yes the heater and transformer are grounded, all throttle ground wire coming from the panel. I don’t recall if I grounded the base of the contactor. There’s no ground on the thermostat.
What's your thoughts, and are you worried at all about the heater having time to cool the coils down before shutting off? With the contactor, when the T-stat turns off, the power is completely gone from the heater. With the control board and built in T-stat, when the heater is called to shut off, it still gives power to the fan for a minute or two until the coils are cooled off.. thanks!
It’s not an issue, as this is a backup to the mini split and rarely comes on. I have seen videos that use a controller that runs the heater instead of the contactor, so what you suggest is possible.
cool idea. Only issue I would have is code doesn't allow low voltage to share same box. this is what we see our doorbell transformer on the oudside of panel or electrical box. However I have heard they allow a divided box..
@@Will1Big that is a good point. I should probably redo this at some point.
Could you show a picture up close of your junction box and the T-wires on your thermostat?
I would need to open up the box and the wall and post a new video for that - sorry, but I won't be doing that. The wiring diagram is accurate.
Do you have part numbers for the contactor and the transformer? Would really like to do this. Also could i use a 240 volt transformer and power it with the keads to the heater?
Do you mean power it off of a 120 line? I wouldn't do that. I can dig up the parts numbers and update the video description, stay tuned.
I did exactly the same thing but when my thermostat calls for heat nothing turns on. What could be the issue
Hard to say. There should be an audible click when the contactor engages. Double check your wiring.
Your heater may need power at all times and will not work with this setup.
What's your thoughts, and are you worried at all about the heater having time to cool the coils down before shutting off? With the contactor, when the T-stat turns off, the power is completely gone from the heater. With the control board and built in T-stat, when the heater is called to shut off, it still gives power to the fan for a minute or two until the coils are cooled off.. thanks!
The short answer is, no, not worried. I did think about whether that would be a problem. I’ve found that it cools off naturally, and rarely cycles on more than a few times per hour. It’s currently the backup system, as I installed a mini-split a while back. I’ve seen setups to solve the problem you mention though, so maybe one day..
did you have to disconnect the thermostat that was in the heater itself, would that shut the heater down due to its location in the heater?
No - I turn it all the way up. That way when the wall thermostat calls for heat, it turns the unit on at its highest setting.
This is probably a stupid question, but why attach the 'green' wire off the transformer as the R wire and then make the red wire the common? Wouldn't it have been better to keep the colors as Red transformer to R (and therefore red 18 AWG wire) and Green transformer wire to Blue 18 AWG common wire? This may be my lack of understanding on which way the electrons are flowing. In the grand scheme of things and in a conceptional manner, is the common wire more or less the same (again as a concept) as the hot wire in residential wiring? I'm probably missing something or being OCD about this.
In this application it doesn’t matter, so I used a convention that I’ve seen elsewhere in HVAC installations. But good question.
Thanks Matt for the feedback! Appreciate you making this video. You’ve inspired me to wire up mine in a similar fashion. One thing I am going to try and troubleshoot is decoupling the fan control and use an additional contractor to accomplish this. Wish me luck!
Nice video. Any chance you can send me a wiring diagram??
If you look around 2:20, I do show the wiring diagram.
@@mattsgarageshop, ok. I'll look again
@@mattsgarageshop thanks for getting back to me
Hey is the new heater still running without problems……
No problems at all.
@@mattsgarageshop Cheers thanks!
Great video. Wiring diagram very helpful but it doesn't show how system is grounded. I assume the heater is grounded at the panel? Are the transformer and the contactor grounded? I assume the thermostat is not since it's low voltage?
Yes the heater and transformer are grounded, all throttle ground wire coming from the panel. I don’t recall if I grounded the base of the contactor. There’s no ground on the thermostat.
Single pole or double pole contactor? Great tutorial!
That is a double pole contactor. The heater is 240v so it expects 2 hots.
Double pole - it’s a 240v heater that has 2 line inputs, 120v each.
What's your thoughts, and are you worried at all about the heater having time to cool the coils down before shutting off? With the contactor, when the T-stat turns off, the power is completely gone from the heater. With the control board and built in T-stat, when the heater is called to shut off, it still gives power to the fan for a minute or two until the coils are cooled off.. thanks!
It’s not an issue, as this is a backup to the mini split and rarely comes on. I have seen videos that use a controller that runs the heater instead of the contactor, so what you suggest is possible.
Also this is the third time you’ve posted the same comment in the last hour. One more time and you’re out of here.