Central AC electrical hook up


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Old 01-20-06, 11:09 AM
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Question Central AC electrical hook up

Greetings to all , I'm new to the froum and just want run this by someone to make sure I'm correct.
My service panel is 200 amp GE.

AC installer requesting; a 220 20 amp circuit for the air handler and a 220 30 amp circuit for the outside condenser. My plan is to buy a GE 30 amp outside D/C box particular for A/C, 2 watertight pre-wired electrical whips, one from box to the condenser and the other inside to a 4" box to connect to the armored cable running from a double pole 30 amp breaker @ the service panel. have read that some appliances use 2 hot and a ground without a neutral , is this common for AC condensers? and should I use a 10-3 or a 10-2 wire for this?

For the 220 20amp circuit i'm planning to use a 12-3 with a double pole breaker @ the panel.

Thanks for your advice, Triple B
 

Last edited by tripleb923; 01-20-06 at 11:15 AM. Reason: not completed
  #2  
Old 01-20-06, 11:15 AM
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You plan sounds good. All wiring on the 30A circuit should be #10 or larger if the distance from the panel to the A/C is great. A 60A disconnect might be cheaper than a 30A; I actually haven't even seen any 30s in a while.

Edit: Run 10/2 for the condensor and 12/2 for the air handler. A pure 220V circuit does not use a neutral wire, only hot-hot-ground.
 
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Old 01-20-06, 11:22 AM
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For all of those that I've done, I agree that neither should need a neutral, so 12/2 and 10/2 should work fine.
 
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Old 01-22-06, 11:33 AM
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dont forget about 210.63
 
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Old 01-22-06, 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by tach
dont forget about 210.63
He's reminding us that there should also be a standard receptacle located on the same level within 25' of the A/C equipment for use when servicing.
 
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Old 01-23-06, 06:28 AM
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not a standard receptacle but a gfci as per 210.8(A)(3) for the outlet outside for the compressor. if the blower, air handler is in the attic, that outlet is a standard.
 
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Old 01-23-06, 09:07 AM
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I meant "standard" in the 120V, 15A or 20A configuration, sorry.
 
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Old 01-23-06, 10:57 AM
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i am sorry for being so critical, but i did not want the thread author thinking a standard rec outside.
 
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Old 01-23-06, 02:57 PM
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A 30amp disconnect might not be large enough. It is based on either LRA or the Maximum overcurrent protection amps. I just wired my central A/C condensor, it also just needed 10awg, but I had to put in the 60 amp d/c.
 
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Old 01-24-06, 12:35 PM
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Question 30amp disconnect vs 60 amp disconnect for central A/C

Thanks for the responses to my earlier question regarding central A/C hookups..... for the condenser>>I used #10/2 (2 hots & ground)BX wiring, the outside box is a square D 30 to 60 amp d/c ...my question is @ the main panel do I use a double pole 30 amp breaker or a 60 amp double pole breaker I was planning on using the 30 amp double pole breaker ...each pole is a 30 so it is a 60 @the d/c box ...right??? My main panel just has a neutral bar and I was reading in an earlier post that I could put the ground on that without worry....just checking.....
thanks for your patience,
Regards,Triple B
 
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Old 01-24-06, 05:28 PM
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You must use a 30A 2 pole breaker on your 10-2 circuit - just like you planned. A 2 pole 30A breaker is still a 30A breaker, not 60A.

60A non-fused disconnects are the most common for A/C units. And cheap. Is yours fused or non-fused? Most A/C's want non-fused. I'm not familiar with the dual rating on your d/c, that's all....

In the MAIN panel, if you only have one "bar", it is there for both neutral and ground connections. Which leads to a couple of questions... Are there other ground wires - bare copper - connected to this "bar"? What is the size of the main breaker?
 
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Old 01-26-06, 06:27 PM
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project completed thanks to all those who answered with great advice

project completed, thanks to all those who answered with great advice.


All the best , Triple B
 
 

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