Instructions / Assembly

Heater Information
12
Testing
Each and every Warmup FOIL Heater is subjected to careful testing before it is shipped from the
factory and is safely packaged in a tube to protect it in transit. However, damage does sometimes
occur in storage or transit, and sometimes during installation. We strongly recommend you verify the
resistance of your panels using a simple multimeter:
•Afterunpackingthembutbeforeyouinstallthem,and
•Afteryouhaveinstalledthembutbeforeyouinstallthefloorcovering(i.e.whilethe
panels are still exposed), and
•Afterinstallationofthewoodlaminatebutbeforethethermostatsareconnected
Complete a simple visual inspection of the heating mats to make sure there is no visible damage. A
simple electrical inspection can be done with a digital ohmmeter to ensure the ohms resistance is
what it should be. Ohm resistance can vary significantly depending on the ambient temperature and
an allowance of +/- 5% from the norm is acceptable.
TROUBLE SHOOTING - Checking Ohm resistance and continuity
CAUTION: TURN OFF THE POWER SUPPLY BEFORE TROUBLESHOOTING
If the system fails to heat, check that the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) has not been
tripped: you will find that either with a tripped breaker, or simply with the red “test” light on the
thermostat. Check for continuity and resistance level with an ohmmeter and compare the reading
with the resistance recorded on the UL label. Make sure the breaker or fuse is delivering power
to the system. If the system fails to heat after these checks, call your installer or Warmup. You
will need to locate the model information for the heater, either on the product labels you kept, or
based on an invoice. While incorrect grounding is the main cause for breaker tripping, we should
review your installation more in detail.
CHECKING FOR BREAKS
The ohm resistance should be measured between the two conductors without touching the ground
wire, which is the ground connection. The ohm resistance measurements should come
within about 5% of the original measurement indicated by the factory on the UL label. Checking
for ohm resistance between the two conductor wires ensures there is no break in the cold lead
conductor and the heat resistance wire. It does not assure you that there is no electrical short in
the circuit. If the measurements between conductors is not satisfactory, call Warmup.
CHECKING FOR ELECTRICAL SHORT
In some rare instances, a sharp object can puncture the foil over a heating element and pierce
through the insulation of the heater wire, thereby allowing the electricity to flow to the ground. If
this situation occurred it would immediately trip the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter).
To check if you have a short, measure the ohms resistance between:
1. One of the conductors and the ground wire,
2. The other conductor and the same ground wire.
There should be no continuity between these wires and the ohms reading should be infinity (not
zero). If your meter shows a particular number of ohms resistance between these wires, your
heating panel has an electrical short. Take note of the ohms resistance number and call Warmup
at [phone] or [phone]. Note that depending on your meter model, you may read
“kilo-Ohms” probably due to your fingers touching the probes (it’s your body’s conductivity). Some
meters also indicate “0 or zero” instead of infinity. When in doubt, give us a call.