Air Handler heat strip wiring question

[green.bubbly]

I have a 20kW heat strip to install in my air handler. The electrical data chart shows L1, L2, L3 and L4.

Does this mean it requires two 240 volt circuits? I will not be installing the unit but I will be running the electrical to the unit. See pic attached.

 

[pattenp]

Dual circuit means two circuits. The heat unit must have a primary electric coil and a secondary electric coil.

 

[green.bubbly]

Dual circuit means two circuits. The heat unit must have a primary electric coil and a secondary electric coil.

Thanks. The data sheet states a 60 amp breaker for L1 and L2 and 50 amps for L3 and L4. So I would need to run dual #6 wire circuits which would take care of the heat strips but I still have the air handler itself???


I think I will hire an electrician for this part.


How in the hell does a heater like this, a 40 amp stove, water heater and a few other loads not trip a 200 amp service breaker?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Remember, on the heat strips, you are drawing no more than 80% of circuit capacity, thus 48 amps on the 60 amp breaker, and 40 amps on the 50 amp breaker, that is the max, they might draw a little less. The water heater draws about 19 amps, and the stove probably won't have everything turned on at once, so I would not expect to see over 25 or 30 amps load from it. Thats all told, less than 140 amps if you were to have everything running at once. I hope those heat strips are for backup heat, and that you are running a heat pump as primary, in which case, you will almost never see those heat strips, certainly not both of them.

Code restricts heat loads to a max of 48 amps per circuit, thus the 60 amp breaker.

Charles

 

[green.bubbly]

I did not go with a heat pump. I could not justify the additional cost for the unit. Living in Louisiana and being hot natured, we rarely run the heater. The few times we do, it is just to get the chill out of the air in the morning when we get up.