220 wiring...electricity for dumbies
#1
06-29-04, 06:48 PM
220 wiring...electricity for dumbies
I know this is probably so basic for you pros, but can you show me (ideally with pictures) how to install a 220 breaker in my circuit box. I bought a new table saw that requires this and although handy, electricity is a little foreign. Appreciate anything you can send my way....
#2
06-29-04, 07:03 PM
220 breaker? I don't think you'd better be poking around in your service panel without some serious training. I'd call an electrician on this one. Being handy is OK for woodworking and plumbing, but the consequences of getting it wrong with 240 volts are not usually pretty.
#3
06-29-04, 07:07 PM
that bad huh?....I laid all the 110 in for my new workshop....is it that difficult?....well the saw cost over $1000.00, maybe you're right, hate to fry it....thanks for the quick response
#4
06-29-04, 07:13 PM
Member
There's nothing magic about it. If you know how to wire a 120-volt circuit, you already know 90% of what you need to wire a 240-volt circuit.
- First, make sure you size the circuit properly. Unlike 120-volt circuits, 240-volt circuits must be designed for the specific device. So consult the saw manual to find out exactly what amp circuit it wants.
- Now install a double-pole breaker rather than a single-pole breaker. Make sure the breaker takes up two slots in the panel, one over the other. Don't try to get buy with a tandem breaker, which is two skinny breakers in one slot. That's won't work for 240 volts.
- Run 12/2 (for a 20-amp circuit) or 14/2 (for a 15-amp circuit) from the panel to the outlet.
- At the panel, the black and white wire connect to the two screws on the breaker. This is unlike a 120-volt circuit where only the black wire attaches to the breaker and the white wire attaches to the neutral bar. In a 240-volt circuit, the white wire is a hot wire, not a neutral.
- The grounding wire attaches to the grounding bar, the same as a 120-volt circuit.
- Install a 240-volt receptacle in the outlet to match the plug on the saw.
#5
06-29-04, 07:58 PM
thanks John, I appreciate you taking the time to respond and write this detail.....I will follow your instructions, I might need to come back and ask another question..........again thanks
#6
06-29-04, 08:26 PM
Member
Just remember that adding any circuit, 120 or 240, is a significant DIY undertaking and that there are lots of ways to kill yourself and/or burn your house down doing it. Only you can judge whether you have sufficient skills to do this. Judge well.
Whenever working inside the panel, know that there is deadly voltage there even when the main breaker is turned off. You can kill yourself doing nothing more than removing the panel cover if you do it clumsily.
Make excellent connections!
Whenever working inside the panel, know that there is deadly voltage there even when the main breaker is turned off. You can kill yourself doing nothing more than removing the panel cover if you do it clumsily.
Make excellent connections!
