Can I tie DITRA-Heat onto an existing outlet?
The question gets asked on occasion; your client needs to heat a floor, but cannot pull a direct line to the panel. In the example scenario - about 70 SF of floor.
My recommendation as a Schluter representative will first and always be to pull a direct line. Schluter can not guarantee performance or warranty any installation outside of instructions found in the DITRA-Heat installation handbook.
Will it work? The answer is maybe. I say not very likely - but then it all depends on the numbers.
To heat 70 SF of floor you would need to count on that wire pulling over 7 amps (with a 120 V cable). Typically you would have a 20 amp breaker in the box. It is recommend not to exceed 80% of a breakers capacity to prevent nuisance tripping. This means that a 20 amp breaker should have a max load of around 16 amps. If you hook a 7+ amp wire up to a 20 amp breaker, you are essentially taking up almost 50% of that breakers 16 amp capacity. If it is a 15 amp breaker, you are even exceeding half the breaker capacity.
If pulling a direct line is not possible, there have been successful pig-tail installations, i.e. thermostat and wire are charged from an existing nearby outlet. Contractor and end user accept all responsibility for these scenarios.
- Can you tie it to a breaker that is under-utilized? May not physically be possible as an under-utilized breaker may be in the panel, but not dedicated to a section of the house close to your project.
- Can you tie it to a breaker that is GFCI protected? GFCI protection is already built into the thermostat. Connecting to a GFCI breaker may cause nuisance tripping.
