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Installed RV outlet - Neutral lash up questionable-- Need expert advice

Installed RV outlet - Neutral lash up questionable-- Need expert advice


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Old 07-01-14, 08:13 PM
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Installed RV outlet - Neutral lash up questionable-- Need expert advice

RV outlet is 70 feet from 60 Amp duplex breaker in sub-panel. Ran 4 ea #6 single strand copper thru 1" electrical PVC. Plan was to install a 50 amp RV outlet. After running the wire, I decided to install 2 ea 30 amp RV outlets instead of one 50 Amp. So, I used the #6 (white neutral wire) as "common" for both circuits! It works fine but I'm having 2nd thoughts about using the same neutral wire for both circuits.

With different phases of 115 vac on the same return line I wonder if both RV outlets are in use, will it will develop voltage on the neutral at the RV end? Will this cause a problem?

What does the NEC code say about this? :NO NO NO:

And last, why do I need a duplex breaker? (obviously, I don't!)

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
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Old 07-01-14, 08:31 PM
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The breaker size needs to be 30 amps.
I wonder if both RV outlets are in use, will it will develop voltage on the neutral at the RV end?
You have a multiwire circuit. No problem as long as the hots or on opposite legs. NEC requires either a two pole breaker or two handle tied single pole breakers.
 
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Old 07-01-14, 08:56 PM
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All you need to do is replace the 2-pole 60A with a 2-pole 30A and you'll be good to go.
 
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Old 07-02-14, 05:19 AM
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The multiwire branch circuit with two 30 amp RV receptacles, one on each leg, behaves the same way as a 120/240 volt circuit serving a single 50 amp receptacle (except for the rating of the breaker serving the circuit which may not exceed the receptacle rating). In both cases the neutral current will be the difference of the current draws on the two hot legs so it will never exceed either of the hot conductor currents.

By installing a sub-subpanel* at the RV location you could have both a 120/240 volt receptacle and one or two 120 volt 30 amp receptacles using the existing feed conductors.

* Subpanel is not an officially recognized term in the National Electric Code.
 
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Old 07-02-14, 05:28 AM
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Ran 4 ea #6 single strand copper thru 1" electrical PVC.
Too late now but with a 60 ampere circuit breaker all you needed was a #10 for the equipment grounding conductor.
 
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Old 07-02-14, 05:46 AM
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Okay, actually my breaker is 2-pole 30A for a total of 60A. Does it have to be 2-pole or could I replace it with 2 singlle pole 30A breakers and still meet NEC requirements? (My background is electronics and I don't have a good grasp of the electrician lingo and jargon.) Thanks for your help!
 
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Old 07-02-14, 05:50 AM
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Thanks for the reply. I used #6 because my brother gave me a 500' roll. The price was right! I also added several 20A outlets in my garage using #12 conductors a #14 ground. Is #14 adequate for those?
 
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Old 07-02-14, 05:52 AM
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Okay, actually my breaker is 2-pole 30A for a total of 60A.
Wrong. You don't add the two breakers together. It is a 30a breaker. It could have never had been uses for a 50 amp RV receptacle as you planned.
Does it have to be 2-pole or could I replace it with 2 singlle pole 30A breakers
You could but you don't need to because it is correct for the purpose for which you ultimately used it. It is a 30 amp two pole breaker.
 
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Old 07-02-14, 06:36 AM
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Does it have to be 2-pole or could I replace it with 2 singlle pole 30A breakers and still meet NEC requirements?
IF you replaced the 2 pole 30A with two 30A single poles, you'd also have to purchase a handle tie to connect the two handles. Since you already have the 2 pole breaker, I'd use that.

I also added several 20A outlets in my garage using #12 conductors a #14 ground. Is #14 adequate for those?
I hope you didn't connect these to the 30 amp circuit/circuits, if so you made a big mistake. If you were planning on these to be on a 20 amp circuit, the #12 is correct, but the ground should also be a #12. 15 amp duplex receptacles would also be acceptable on the 20 amp circuit, but they would need to be GFCI protected.
 
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Old 07-02-14, 02:45 PM
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Your egc for the 20 amp circuit should be green or bare #12. The egc does not drop in size until larger circuits.
 
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Old 07-03-14, 07:57 AM
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I used 20 Amp duplex receptacles on two single pole 20 Amp breakers (2 circuits). There is an existing GFCI 20 circuit in the garage that is separate.
 
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Old 07-03-14, 08:00 AM
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Is the garage attached or detached?
 
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Old 07-03-14, 08:00 AM
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Thanks! Looks like I got lucky when I changed the design midstream!
 
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Old 07-03-14, 08:07 AM
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Attached but large, 900 sq ft. New circuits are for woodworking equipment. Builder only installed 3 outlets on a GFCI circuit.
 
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Old 07-03-14, 11:45 AM
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I used 20 Amp duplex receptacles on two single pole 20 Amp breakers (2 circuits). There is an existing GFCI 20 circuit in the garage that is separate.
The 20 amp receptacles weren't necessary, 15 amp would be fine. All 15 and 20 amp 120 volt receptacles in a garage need to be GFCI protected.
 
 

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