Hello all and thank you in advance for your help. I purchased a pool heat pump and the specs show the unit as being wired for 208/230 vac single phase, 50 amps. I have two questions:
1. What is the minimum wire gauge (#6?) to be used in this circuit, and how many wires are needed (4? One black, one white, one red and one ground?)
2. How is this wired at the service panel? Are there two separate breakers, one for each, rated at 50 amps each? Or are the breakers tied together?
The spec just shows line 1, line 2 and ground. Any help is appreciated!
Thanks.
Ray

 

Ray, first there are a whole bunch of code requirements for pool installations so if you are installing a pool wait for others to ask the questions you need to understand. I am not familiar with these requirements. I have only read them in the code book but have not wired a pool. Wait for someone experienced to reply.
1.) You will need #6 copper for 50 amps. You do not need the 4 wires. You can eliminate the white neutral wire as 120 volts is not needed. So you need 3 wires.... two ungrounded "hot" conductors and ground. The ground needs to be insulated (green in color) since this is a pool pump feeder.
2.) As for the 208/230 wiring.... the breaker will be a double pole with handle tie. It will be one breaker rated 50 amps not two individual breakers. The toggles on the double pole breaker list 50 amps on them but the breaker is still rated 50 amps. Using a double pole with handle tie will insure that you connect to opposite buss phases in the panel. Connect the two hots to the breaker lugs and the green insulated ground to the neutral/ground bar.