How to install electric heaters

When the winter months draw in, you may want to think about adding extra heating to your home. Here' s a guide on installing electric heaters.

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

  • Electric heater
  • Circuit tester
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Tape measure
  • Wires
  • Wire strippers
  • Nails
  • Screws
  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • Saw

The steps to follow

  1. Plan where to install the electric heater and the programmable thermostat. On a piece of paper, draw the location where you would like to install the heater and the thermostat in the room, and plan the route of the new circuit.
  2. Mount the heater on the wall. If you need to create a new circuit to connect the electric heater and thermostat, for safety reasons it's best if you call a professional electrician to complete this task.

    Note:
    The place where you mount the electric heater should be well ventilated, have no hidden wires, and not be a drywall. If the spot happens to be a drywall, you'll need to cut away the drywall and studs then fit the heater in the hole that you've just made.
     
  3. Turn off all mains power before you start installing the electric heater.
  4. Nail wall studs to the wall and mount the heater to the wall with nails or screws.
  5. Install the electric heater thermostat on the wall. Mount the thermostat opposite of the electric heater.
  6. Follow your electric heater's manufacturer's wiring diagram to make the electrical connections. If the wiring diagram proves too difficult to follow, consult a professional electrician for help.
  7. Use a circuit tester to make sure that there is no electric current. Connect the wires (electric heater and thermostat wires) to the newly created circuit.
  8. Connect the wires of the new circuit box to the breaker box. Verify that the wires are properly connected to the breaker box. If you’re unsure about how to make the connection, ask a professional electrician for help.

Related articles

Don't want to DIY? Get recommended heating engineers for your home improvement jobs.

Please note that all our DIY guides and 'Expert answers' advice have been written strictly for reference only. Rated People do not accept any liability for any damage caused to an individual, property or anything else as a result of following our DIY guides and using our 'Expert answers' advice.