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QuestionWhich wires do you need for a 220V outlet?Daniel StoescuDaniel Stoescu is a Master Electrician and the Owner and Operator of Home Tech Solutions, LLC in Hampton, Virginia. With over a decade of experience, Daniel specializes in wiring residential, commercial, and light industrial structures. The Home Tech Solutions team has over four decades of combined experience and offers comprehensive solutions for residential electrical needs.
Master ElectricianGet 2 hot wires from 2 different phases along with a ground wire, which must connect to the properly-identified terminals. The ground wire always connect to the green screw. -
QuestionWill a 30 amp RV receptacle run a 220 amp compressor?Community Answer30 amps can not produce 220 amps. That would be 250% of capacity. Did you mean 22.0 possibly? That is 73% capacity, which is good.
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QuestionHow can I connect a four-wire 125/250 volt, 30 amp cable to a three-wire 220 volt, 30 amp outlet?Community AnswerUse a wire nut to cover the neutral and tape it securely. Just connect the hot terminal and ground.
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QuestionI wired a table saw with the 220v plug. I changed from a range receptacle to a twist lock receptacle. There was no green wire, so I put the red wire where the green should have been. Was this wrong?Community AnswerYes, it's wrong. Green is for ground, red is hot. You probably don't have 220v anymore.
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QuestionIs a clothes dryer 220 volts or 240 volts?Community AnswerA dryer in the US is 220 volts.
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QuestionCan I run a hot water heater and dryer off the same line?Community AnswerTechnically you can, but you shouldn't. No building code that I know of allows this. Electric water heaters and dryers should always be on their own dedicated circuit. At the very least, you would be tripping breakers or blowing fuses constantly. In the worst case scenario, you could electrocute someone or burn your house down.
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QuestionWhat does single phase mean?Community AnswerSingle phase systems are used mostly in residential panels. If you have ever seen a panel, you would see that there are breakers on both sides of the panel. Each side is 120 volts, and both sides together are 240 volts. It's called single phase is because you can only have one phase variance between the two wires.
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QuestionWhat gauge wire do I need for a 220 volt welder?Community AnswerUse 10 gauge if possible.
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QuestionI have a 220 outlet that has #10 wires for the neutral ground and one hot leg. The other hot leg is a #8 wire. Is this a problem?Community AnswerIt's sloppy, and indicates the installer was not paying attention, or made a slip up in wiring and didn't catch it or didn't fix it. It also implies that the wiring was not properly inspected. Whether this problem could lead to a fire depends on the amperage of the circuit breaker, and the length of the wires from the breaker to the receptacle.
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QuestionCan I switch a single breaker with a double 220 safely if I need more 220 outlets?Community AnswerThe short answer is yes. However, if you are wiring according to the current national electric code, then you may be required to use arc-fault-circuit-interrupter breakers. I have found these hard to find for double 220 breakers, perhaps because they are not manufactured (yet).
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QuestionIs aluminum or copper wire better for running underground?Community AnswerAlways use copper wire when possible. Copper conducts electricity better and stays much cooler than aluminum, which heats up quickly and has a higher chance of failing you in the future. Also, when bending the aluminum wire, it's easier to break or crack inside the insulation jacket.
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QuestionCan central air and a dryer run off of the same 220v 30-amp circuit breaker?Community AnswerRunning both at they same time may trip your breaker. Installing another 30-amp breaker would be better if you have room in the panel.
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QuestionCan I run 220 power to an exterior wall?Community AnswerYes. Make sure you get an outside outlet box that has an outlet cover installed under protection, such as a covered porch or carport. Obey local codes.
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QuestionHow do I wire a 220 outlet if a unit I am wiring only has 2 hot connections and a ground?Community AnswerPlace the black wire to one of the hot (line) screws and tighten, then place the red wire (also line) to the other hot screw and tighten. Then attach the ground wire to the ground screw and tighten. It's also a great idea to wrap the wire screws (the perimeter of the outlet where the wire screws and bare hot wires are attached with the electrical outlet) with tape to keep hot screws from touching the wall box, especially if the box is grounded and galvanized.
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QuestionWhat would cause the 220v breaker to trip when the dryer door is opened?Community AnswerIf the dryer has an internal light. then when opened the switch that closes and turns on the light may be connecting a short that would blow the breaker. Check for a pinched wire between the light and the switch.
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QuestionWhy is my European 220V single phase tool not grounded?Community AnswerMany household appliances are not grounded, for instance, a blender.
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QuestionCan I run a clothes dryer and a 220 house water pump on the same line?Community AnswerTechnically you can, but you shouldn't. No building code that I know of allows this. Electric water heaters and dryers should always be on their own dedicated circuit. At the very least, you would be tripping breakers or blowing fuses constantly. In the worst case scenario, you could electrocute someone or burn your house down.
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QuestionRemoved an old hot tub. Turned off all power and disconnected wires to dispose of hot tub. I’d like to add a receptacle in its place. Can I do this safely?Upnorth HereTop AnswererYes, as long as the receptacle is rated for the same amperage as the circuit breaker that protects the branch.
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QuestionThe box I have has only one ground bar. Should I connect the white wire to this bar?Upnorth HereTop AnswererYes, if the ground bar is bonded to the box (i.e., at the service entrance box), but no if the box is anywhere else--the neutral and ground can only be connected at the service entrance panel.
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QuestionCan I use a double 50-amp breaker instead of a 30?Upnorth HereTop AnswererYes, but only if the conductors, receptacle devices and appliances are also rated for 50 amps.
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QuestionWhat gauge of wire should I use for a 50-amp, 220V circuit?Upnorth HereTop AnswererA copper conductor of AWG 6 (13.3 mm2) has an capacity of 55 to 65 amps, depending upon temperature rating of the insulation.
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QuestionIs it supposed to be 120 volts and 240 volts?Laura L LarsenCommunity AnswerIn the United States, the convention is 110 volts for standard receptacles and 220 volts for heavy-draw appliances and tools.
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QuestionI have a 220 plug that only has hookups for 3 wires. What do I do with the ground wire?Community AnswerIt's probably an outlet for 3 phase, which doesn't need a neutral or a ground. You'll need a different outlet.
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QuestionAll your pictures show sheathed wiring in conduit. I have read that violates code.ArroganceTop AnswererNo, it doesn't. NEC Electrical Code 2020, Article 334.15, Part B. "Cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved means."
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QuestionI have black, white, green and bare wire. My appliance has black, white and red. How do I hook that up?Garrie NassauCommunity AnswerThe color white is usually for neutral wire. The bare copper wire is for grounding. And, the color black and red are hot or live wires. You can search for a color guide on Google to learn more details about it.
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