How to Hook Up Baseboard Heating

Locate the breaker in the electric panel that controls the flow of electricity to the heater. Switch the breaker off. If you're installing a new baseboard heater, drill a hole in the wall or floor as needed to accommodate the wire. Feed one end of the wire cable through the hole, then route it to the electrical panel through walls, under the floor or in a crawlspace. Do not hook the wire up to a breaker yet.

Remove the cover to the wiring compartment on the heater, using a screwdriver. If the electricity enters the heater from the back, there will be a knockout plug to remove. It looks like a hole that wasn't drilled all the way through. Use a screwdriver to work it back and forth to remove it. Most heaters have access holes on the sides.

Pull the electrical cable through the access hole in the heater. Remove the outer cover of that section of cable by slicing through it with a utility knife. Be careful not to nick the individual wires inside the cable.

Locate the studs in the wall with a stud finder. Take the front cover off the heater. Secure the heater to the studs with the drywall screws. Back the screws out 1/2 inch to allow the heater room to expand when it's hot. Replace the front cover on the heater.

Loosen the wire connector from the wires inside the wiring compartment. Strip a small amount of insulation from any wires that need it, using wire strippers. Insert the ends of like-colored wires into a wire connector. Twist each connector clockwise until it is tight. Wrap the open ends with electrical tape to further secure the connections. Push excess wire back through the heater's access hole. Put the cover back on the wiring compartment.

Turn the main breaker off before installing a new breaker. Strip the outer cover from the cable at the electrical panel and a small amount of insulation from the individual wires. Connect the black wire from the cable to the terminal on the breaker; tighten with a screwdriver. Connect the white wire and the ground wire to their respective bus bars in the electrical panel, using a screwdriver. Push the breaker onto the panel. Turn the main breaker back on. Switch the new breaker on to supply power to your new baseboard heater.