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Decora style line voltage heating stat?

ratio
ratio Member Posts: 3,615
Does anyone know of a line voltage (120v 15A) heating stat that'll fit a decora wallplate, that can be ganged with a light switch? I don't have a lot of room, so if I an get everything in one box that'll be more aesthetically pleasing than having a separate thermostat an inch away.
HVACNUT

Comments

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,761
    Not a large choice with line voltage , They. were only installed for 20 years from 1960 to 1980ish ... Better off converting to low voltage for a better selection ...
    I have enough experience to know , that I dont know it all
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    edited November 2018
    You want like a 4 gang box and plate with 3 switches and 1 thermostat?
    Nope.
    What type of heat/cool equipment do you have.
    Its possible controls can be converted to low voltage and interface a wireless thermostat that doesnt NEED to be mounted anywhere.
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    3 gang, but that's the idea. It's just a fart fan with a 1200 watt heater in it. I'd like the controls all beside the door, but the stack runs up through that wall about a foot from the opening, so not much room to work with. I could convert it to low voltage, but that seems like a lot of work to get a wire to heat up. If I do that, I'll probably stick an SCR in there & control it with an analog signal.

    Not having much luck so far, might have to convert to LV control any way.

  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    Just use a low voltage stat and a relay for a 1200 watt load. Not sure if there is anything available to go into a switch box though.

    You could just use another decora switch to power up said line voltage thermostat mounted in another locating in the bathroom where you dont need to get at it. Then it's just essentially a high limit.
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,162
    Whatever you wind up doing -- do NOT mix 24 volt wiring with 120 volt wiring in the same switch box. It's against code -- for about a bazillion very good reasons.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,761
    I forgot about these , the MED relay .They were used on line voltage systems and gave you a option to install a 24V thermostat . They were designed to fit in a wall box ...Not sure if they still make them .
    I have enough experience to know , that I dont know it all
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    I don't know of one.
    It is a good idea to keep them separate. Dimmers and GFI's will give you inaccurate readings
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    After minutes and minutes of Googling, I've given up; I set another box an inch away from the 3 gang for the thermostat. It's just too durned easy compared to the amount of work necessary to make anything else work.
    But thanks for the input!
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @ratio,
    I would take a look at the instructions. Most of the bath fan, light and heater combos I have seen usually requires a dedicated 20amp circuit.
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    Got a 20A circuit for the heater, separate circuit & switch legs for the fan & light. I thought about putting the heater on a timer, but I just can't bring myself to run a heater without any kind of feedback control. It'll be ok, I just think it'll look a little silly with ganged switches & a stat crammed into a separate box an inch away, but there really isn't any room.
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    edited November 2018
    Put it on a clock-spring timer, you know the mechanical ones....I use them exclusively for fart fans! Now there is never a fan left on for 8 hours because someone stunk it up and forgot to turn off the fan.
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    I'm a little leery of putting it on a timer. IDK how the space will react to 1k2 watts of power. It's only about 50 sq ft. The last thing I want to do is make it uncomfortable in there, even for a little while.
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    Then you can also put a $20 mechanical line volt thermostat somewhere out of the way in series with the timer as a high limit. That would be my approach.
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
    CTOilHeat
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    Something to think about, thanks.
  • Northernmax
    Northernmax Member Posts: 7
    Lutron has a Decora style “Stat” but it requires a remote sensor and wireless receiver $$$
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @ratio
    Most bath fans with electric heat you just turn them on and let them rip. When it get hot they will shut it down. If you put a stat on it they will leave it on and forget to shut it down. Do you want this thing to be able to be on all the time?

    Also not sure about (2) 120volt circuits in the same fan, don't think that will fly. Multiple disconnects etc

    Basically the fan is a listed UL appliance along with the switches that come with it. To be legal it must be wired in accordance with the instructions
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    Go the wireless thermostat route.
    Install a dummy 1P rocker and paint a thermometer on it and up, down arrows. No one will be the wiser.
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    HVACNUT said:

    Go the wireless thermostat route.

    Install a dummy 1P rocker and paint a thermometer on it and up, down arrows. No one will be the wiser.

    Except the next HO who will be on here asking why the wall rocker won't work. >:)