Converting 120/240V circuit to two 120s

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this site, so I hope I am in the right place!

I have a 120/240V circuit that powered an old spa. The cable is #6-3 with ground connected to a 50A double pole breaker. I have removed the spa and would like to reuse the existing cable and create two 20A 120V circuits by sharing the neutral.

I was thinking of replacing the 50A breaker with a 20A double pole at the box. Then where the spa was connected, install a junction box and use the two 120V legs for the two new circuits and share the neutral. I would use #12-2 with ground cable for the two new circuits.

Does this sound reasonable?

 

Yes that should work. At the panel you may need to pigtail the #6 to a smaller wire to fit the breaker.

 

The suggestion of connecting the #6 conductors entering the panel to short lengths (pigtails) of #12 wire in turn attached to the breakers is also to tip off future electricians that the circuit must be treated as a 20 amp circuit given the #12 wires/cables connected directly to the downstream end of the #6 cable.

At a later date a subpanel may be installed at the downstream end of the #6 cable allowing the latter to be served by a 50 amp breaker again..

 

Thanks for the advice. I will do the pigtailing as suggested. Can I use a wire nut to tie a #6 and #12 together?

 

A properly sized wire nut can be used if both conductors are copper.