# Testing an Electric Baseboard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912 "2013-01-03T02:49:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/21 "2013-01-05T03:35:59Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Thanks for all the ideas. > What surprises me most is this: I would think that if you have low voltage, it would necessitate increased resistance, which in turn means heat. That is, I did not know a condition like this where voltage is low could exist without ultimately causing a fire. > That’s why this site rocks. I always learn a lot. Heat is caused by the I2R, and I=E/R. If R is high enough the I canbe low enough for the I squared R value to be low. Therefore little heat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/22 "2013-01-05T03:55:20Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > Heat is caused by the I2R, and I=E/R. If R is high enough the I canbe low enough for the I squared R value to be low. Therefore little heat. Power, Watts: W=I\*E=I exp 2 \* R 🙂 Higher voltage, less current, smaller wire, same heat. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/23 "2013-01-05T06:36:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Power, Watts: W=I\*E=I exp 2 \* R 🙂 > > Higher voltage, less current, smaller wire, same heat. Voltage same 120 VAC. with a poor connection the R value will increase. That does not cause the supply voltage to go up it still is 120 vac. Same voltage low current low heat not same heat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/24 "2013-01-05T14:04:07Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > Voltage same 120 VAC. with a poor connection the R value will increase. That does not cause the supply voltage to go up it still is 120 vac. Same voltage low current low heat not same heat. I beg your pardon, I thought the question was how the same heat could be obtained with less current and more voltage. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/25 "2013-01-05T18:02:38Z")
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. What I was perplexed by was that I have a low voltage situation, and my rudimentary understanding is that to get this, I need to have a short or loose connection (or similar) which would cause increased resistance (thus the voltage drop). In a situation like that, I would expect a very warm situation, leading to possible fire. Like when a stranded connection loosens, so that all the electricity flows through a single strand, causing it to get hot. The surprise (to me) is that I have this situation and it is not burning down the house. Anyway, I pulled the breaker today and it was nasty. I don’t know how, but the connection on one led had no continuity from where the breaker connects to the panel and the wire connection. Also the wire looked a little cruddy, but I am not sure if I was imagining that. I put in the new 20A breaker and checked the continuity between the panel and the t-stat. Everything is fine, I have 240v between the hots, and the heater is working great. Thanks again for all the help, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912/26 "2013-01-05T18:22:07Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Sorry if I wasn’t clear. What I was perplexed by was that I have a low voltage situation, and my rudimentary understanding is that to get this, I need to have a short or loose connection (or similar) which would cause increased resistance (thus the voltage drop). In a situation like that, I would expect a very warm situation, leading to possible fire. Like when a stranded connection loosens, so that all the electricity flows through a single strand, causing it to get hot. The surprise (to me) is that I have this situation and it is not burning down the house. > > Anyway, I pulled the breaker today and it was nasty. I don’t know how, but the connection on one led had no continuity from where the breaker connects to the panel and the wire connection. Also the wire looked a little cruddy, but I am not sure if I was imagining that. I put in the new 20A breaker and checked the continuity between the panel and the t-stat. Everything is fine, I have 240v between the hots, and the heater is working great. > > Thanks again for all the help, everyone. Awesome. I was about to ask you to take a photograph of the 30amp breaker in the panel. With the panel cover off. We would have seen your problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testing-an-electric-baseboard/645912.md?page=1)