1. Find a location for the heater and thermostat
on the wall. Push about 12 in. of wire, such as a coat hanger, through the
ceiling drywall directly above the heater and thermostat
locations.
2. Push aside the insulation to locate the coat
hanger wire and the wall top plates. Drill a 3/4-in. hole through the center of
the top plates at the heater and thermostat locations.
CAUTION:
Some attics have vermiculite insulation, a pea-size, flaky, gray mineral that
may contain asbestos. Asbestos is a health hazard. Don’t disturb vermiculite
unless a test shows that it doesn’t contain asbestos. Contact your local public
health department for the name of a testing lab.
3. Locate the wall studs with a stud finder and
cut a hole sized for the heater can along one stud. Glue and screw a 12-in. 2x4
block to the drywall at the other side of the opening. Caution: Cut a small
hole in the drywall first and check for electrical wires before sawing the big
hole.
Click image to enlarge.
4. Tape the end of the cable to an 8-ft. weighted
string. Drop the entire string through the hole, then push through about 7 ft.
of cable. Pull the string and cable down from below, leaving about 2 ft. of
cable hanging through the cutout hole.
Click image to enlarge.
5. Remove one
knockout from the top of the heater can and install a 1/2-in. cable clamp.
Strip 12 in. of sheathing from the cable. Push it through the clamp into the
heater can until 1/4 in. to 1 in. of sheathing extends into the box. Push the
can and cable into the stud space and fasten the can to the framing with four
1-in. screws.
Click image to enlarge.
6.
Strip 5/8 in. of insulation from each wire’s end, then connect
the black and taped white wires to the black heater wires using wire
connectors. Connect the cable’s bare ground wire to the green heater ground
wire. Push the heater into the can and fasten it. Install the cover
grille.
Click image to enlarge.
7. Cut the hole for the remodeling switch box
(Photo 8) with a drywall saw. Go back into the attic and tape the heater cable
to the cable going to the main panel (labeled “line”). Push about 5 ft. through
the 3/4-in. hole drilled through the top plate (Photo 2). Go back to the room
below, reach through the switch box hole and pull out about 2 ft. of
cable.
8. A “remodeling” switch box is ideal for the
thermostat. Cut the drywall to precisely fit the box, push the stripped cables
through the bottom cable clamping slots, then slip the box into the wall. Turn
the two support screws until the supports are tight against the
drywall.
9. Connect the
two cable wires from the main panel to the thermostat’s “line” wires (they’ll
be marked). Connect the two wires from the heater to the “load” wires on the
thermostat. Connect the two bare ground wires. Fold the wires into the box,
slide the thermostat in and secure with the two mounting
screws.
10. Punch a
horizontal slot in the drywall above the service panel with a hammer to locate
the studs. Mark out a straight line centered on each stud and cut through the
drywall with a utility knife. It’ll take several repeated cuts to get through.
Score along the wall/ceiling joint and remove the drywall.
CAUTION:
Don’t use a saw to cut into this stud space; it’s loaded with hot
wires.
Click image to enlarge.
11. Punch a
hole in the ceiling to expose the top plate and electric cables. Pull the cable
from the thermostat through the hole and let it hang to the floor. At this
point, hire an electrician to finish the hookup to the service
panel.
CAUTION:
Let your electrician drill holes through the top plate; it’s easy to hit a live
wire.
Click image to enlarge.
12. After hookup, build a cover from 3/4-in.
Plywood and screw it over the opening for easy future access.
