220V Sub Panel

[Apollo]

Wondering if anyone here has any experiance hooking up a 220v sub panel.

I want to convert my system to 220 and have 220v coming out of a wall 20 feet from my room. I got a small 30a sub panel with 2 15a breakers and cant figure how to wire it.

 

The box has 2 spaces for breakers and a bar for neutral, what i cant figure out is where the 2 hot wires go. Each breaker has its own connection and best i can figure is i would have to wire a hot to each breaker and the ground to my outlets. So 1 outlet would be on 2 breakers...is that right?

Edited June 15, 2017 by Apollo

[Scarlet_Begonias]

You need a double pole breaker. This is a pointless installation since that sub only has a space for one double pole breaker and you will immediately use it. You might as well terminate the feeds from your main panel or "220v coming out of the wall by your room" into a larger junction or pull box and splice your new circuits there. Still have over current protection assuming that 220v is coming from the main panel and not right off the meter.

12 awg max 20a breaker

10 awg max 30a breaker

8-40a

6-60a

4-100a

2-125a

 

Better off buying a larger sub with more spaces.

What size wire is coming out of the wall by the room?

The real question is how many lights are you going to running and what other equipment?

[Kingdiamond]

We did not use any of the existing wire we ran a dedicated panel  and ran heavy guage wire to the 2 220 plugs my panel would get warm before now its running cool as it should.

[Restorium2]

This isn't something you can do yourself with the level of knowledge you have. You can run the wires yourself but you need a certified electrician to put your panel box in for you. 

[Apollo]

Im running 2000w and the wire is pretty big about the size of my pinky finger. I will be running around 14amps.

 

I think i am just going to take the wire coming out of the wall and put a outlet on it. From there i will run 10/3 wire to my new control box.

[Apollo]

You need a double pole breaker. This is a pointless installation since that sub only has a space for one double pole breaker and you will immediately use it. You might as well terminate the feeds from your main panel or "220v coming out of the wall by your room" into a larger junction or pull box and splice your new circuits there. Still have over current protection assuming that 220v is coming from the main panel and not right off the meter.

12 awg max 20a breaker

10 awg max 30a breaker

8-40a

6-60a

4-100a

2-125a

 

Better off buying a larger sub with more spaces.

What size wire is coming out of the wall by the room?

The real question is how many lights are you going to running and what other equipment?

I have a 1000w a 600w and a 400w i want to convert and that is all i want to run on 220.

[Restorium2]

Doing DIY jobs like updating electrical work incorrectly will lead to denied homeowner insurance claims —an electrical fire due to mistakes can occur easily if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. If something like a fire consumed your whole home and your insurer found you hadn’t sought the service of an expert, imagine the loss you’d suffer if that claim was denied. That’s an expensive mistake worth thousands upon thousands—and no electrician charges $200K to update wiring. In comparison, their prices seem like a bargain.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Restorium2

[semicaregiver]

Your description of an existing wire and a technical wire measurement "as big as your pinky" left me thinking not to respond at first.  However after re-reading I am guessing your original idea might be ok given some more info.  

 

First there is the question of a random 220 wire just coming out of the wall.   We need more info.  There is usually only two reasons for a 220 wire to be there in a residential setting, either for an electric dryer or stove.  You did not mention anything about the history of the wire.   Secondly you did not mention where the wire is terminated in the main panel.   If it is terminated in the panel and if it was set up as a 220 circuit, it must already be terminated in a double pole breaker.  What is the rating on the breaker?

 

If the wire is terminated at a double pole breaker in your main panel and if you can inspect the condition of the wire, and if the wire is of sufficient size for the load you are anticipating, there is no technical/safety reason why you could not use the parts you say you bought.  

 

 

SB was correct in suggesting a larger sub panel.    If you have plenty of other 120v circuits in the room you are probably ok.    In my experience there are never enough outlets, i.e. fans, controllers, co2, pumps for water systems, etc, etc

 

Hope the above helps

Edited June 15, 2017 by semicaregiver

[Apollo]

Your description of an existing wire and a technical wire measurement "as big as your pinky" left me thinking not to respond at first. However after re-reading I am guessing your original idea might be ok given some more info.

 

First there is the question of a random 220 wire just coming out of the wall. We need more info. There is usually only two reasons for a 220 wire to be there in a residential setting, either for an electric dryer or stove. You did not mention anything about the history of the wire. Secondly you did not mention where the wire is terminated in the main panel. If it is terminated in the panel and if it was set up as a 220 circuit, it must already be terminated in a double pole breaker. What is the rating on the breaker?

 

If the wire is terminated at a double pole breaker in your main panel and if you can inspect the condition of the wire, and if the wire is of sufficient size for the load you are anticipating, there is no technical/safety reason why you could not use the parts you say you bought.

 

 

SB was correct in suggesting a larger sub panel. If you have plenty of other 120v circuits in the room you are probably ok. In my experience there are never enough outlets, i.e. fans, controllers, co2, pumps for water systems, etc, etc

 

Hope the above helps

The wire is in a detached garage, the garage has its own 200a service. The wire used to run a heater that the previous owner removed, it is a 40a breaker.after talking to a friend who does electrical work at my shop he suggested putting a 220 outlet on the wire coming out of the wall and making a extention wire from there to my new control box.

 

My goal is to reduce the 120 load i have now so i can run my ac.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Apollo

[Hydraulic Jack]

You have no clue as what to do electrically...Leave it to a professional or wake up to a fire some day...HJ

Edited June 15, 2017 by Hydro Jack

[Restorium2]

That sub panel needs a 4 wire feed and your wire is most likely a three wire feed. 

[Restorium2]

You have no clue as what to do electricaly...Leave it to a professional or wake up to a fire some day...HJ

Tried to tell him that. So now I'm just fault finding .......  

[Restorium2]

A real electrician would probably charge you around $150 in labor to do this right. It's like a couple hour job. 

[Hydraulic Jack]

I'm telling him this as a retired electrician......HJ

Edited June 15, 2017 by Hydro Jack

[semicaregiver]

Apollo,

 

You just mentioned that your garage has its own 200A panel.   If you need more than 200A my assumption would be you are spending a lot of $ on your garden.   Have an electrician come in and let him at least tell you what to do based on what he sees that you have in the way of incoming power.

[Apollo]

My rooms only have 1, 20 amp 120 line i can use. And im close to overloading that line. Thanks for the comments, ill look for help elsewhere.

[Scarlet_Begonias]

The wire is in a detached garage, the garage has its own 200a service. The wire used to run a heater that the previous owner removed, it is a 40a breaker.after talking to a friend who does electrical work at my shop he suggested putting a 220 outlet on the wire coming out of the wall and making a extention wire from there to my new control box.

That is the move if...

Does the controller have at least one or multiple 20 amp breakers in it for your equipment? Curious because you won't be able to use that 40a circuit with 20a receptacle.

 

"My goal is to reduce the 120 load i have now so i can run my ac."

You are reducing 120 load by splitting between two legs. Caveat is you are using double the amount of panel space. With 120 you'd have the lamps load on that one breaker with an empty space to put in another breaker to run your A/C. (You still want to balance your panels as much as you can) This is why commercial/office lighting uses a minimum of single phase 277v for lighting, more lights on same circuit, saves space in electrical closets.

Not much benefit from using 240 other than being easier on the equipment at start up, less risk of tripping breakers. Cooler wires overall but once again it is only cooler because you are splitting the load over two wires. Circuit breakers trip because of heat, there is a bimetallic strip in them like a thermometer. Being over on amps creates heat which trips the breaker. Nation Electrical Code is a fire protection code and standard put out by the National FIRE Protection Agency.

[Kingdiamond]

You have no clue as what to do electrically...Leave it to a professional or wake up to a fire some day...HJ

Word!

[orion]

Everyone is referring to 220 volts. It is 240 volt. In reality the voltage should be about 245 volt on each leg. 

White wire  neutral  bar. Bare copper to additional ground lug bar which has to be purchased separately. No bonding screw is in sub tap panel.

Black and red to main lugs.   Just you tube it. There are plenty of videos.