Before you create a 240-volt machine, you should ensure you’ve got what must be done

From the DIY experts for the group Handyman mag

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What to look out for in the breaker container

Unless your home is very old and has never ever had its electric service upgraded, it’s 240-volt solution through the street and to the biggest electric screen nicely.

Almost every primary electrical screen has two 120-volt cable and another natural wire run to it through the power company. Each line influence one “bus” (copper vertical leg) within the major services panel. That’s exactly why you generally read two articles of breakers (or fuses) once you start their solution board home. The typical 120-volt circuits that drive anything from their lava light towards vacuum cleaner are driven in one of those two busses. The regular 15- or 20-amp circuit breakers work by cutting onto among the many busses. Then circuit’s hot (red-colored or black) feed line is actually clamped into the routine breaker, even though the simple (white) cable and bare copper soil cable were clamped towards the common basic club.

The way you see a 240-volt circuit is straightforward. A “double-pole” circuit breaker try clipped into both 120 buses at exactly the same time, so that the voltage to your circuit was doubled. That’s the reason why 240-volt circuits require two hot cable and a neutral to hold the energy towards the machine, plus a ground cable.

Do you have enough amperage ability for the solution section for another 240-volt device? Services screens include ranked for optimal amps they are able to supply. (suite…)