Installing 240 volt breakers

Learn how to install this common voltage receptacle found in many home appliances. Save Pin FB More. Before you begin, keep the following in mind: There are various volt receptacles, each made for specific amperages and appliances, so be sure to buy the right one for your application.

Each appliance needs a separate double-pole breaker. Some older receptacles use only three wires; codes now call for four wires—black and red hot wires, a white neutral wire, and a ground wire. Use gauge wire for a amp circuit, gauge for 30 amps, 8-gauge for 40 amps, and 6-gauge for 50 amps. Check local codes for requirements.

Step 2 Run to Receptacle Run the conduit or Greenfield from the service panel to the receptacle location and attach a clamp. Step 4 Connect to Breaker Connect the red and black wires to the breaker terminals. Step 5 Strip Wire and Tighten To connect a wire to this type of receptacle, strip the wire end, poke it into the terminal hole, and tighten the setscrew.

Step 6 Route and Ground Wire A large-capacity window air-conditioner calls for a amp, volt receptacle. Step 7 Connect Breaker At the service panel, shut off the main breaker.

Step 9 Connect Breaker At the service panel, shut off the main breaker. Comments 1 Add Comment. View Comments. How difficult was this project? Very easy. Kind of easy. Kind of hard. Very hard. December 30, Difficulty: Kind of Hard. A pictorial would be great for those who don't quite know the terminology. Pictures should be direct and to the point. Font Size Print Pin Save. Back to project Comment on this project.

Tell us what worked, what didn't, and if you made adjustments Thanks for adding your feedback. All rights reserved. Close Sign in. Confirm that the power is off by testing the branch circuit breakers not the main breaker with a voltage tester.

If you detect any voltage at any breaker, call an electrician for help. Do not touch the two hot service cables coming into the panel or the terminals called service lugs where the cables connect near the main breaker. These have power at all times unless the utility company shuts down your service feed.

Rotate the dead front cover so you can work from the back side. Remove two adjacent knockout tabs for the new double-pole breaker, as needed. Knockouts either are loosened with a screwdriver blade and then removed with pliers or are simply grabbed with pliers and bent until they break off. If necessary, feed the circuit wires for the new volt circuit into the panel.

Connect each hot circuit wire to one of the terminals on the new volt circuit breaker. Depending on how the circuit has been installed, these might be two black wires, a black and a red wire, or a black wire plus a white wire marked with black tape to identify it as a hot wire. Make sure to insert the wires fully into the screw terminal, then tighten the terminal screw securely using a screwdriver. Connect only one wire per terminal. Install the breaker into the panel by tilting the breaker so that its tabbed end hooks into the slots or mounting bar on the panel housing, then pivot the other end down until it snaps into place on the two hot bus bar knife blades.

Confirm that the breaker is secure and completely snapped into place. It should be flush with the other breakers in the panel. Connect the circuit ground wire to the grounding bar on the service panel by inserting the stripped end of the wire into an open slot on the bar and securing the wire tightly with the terminal screw. The ground wire must use an open slot on the bus bar; do not connect more than one wire to a single slot. Now, connect the neutral circuit wire. The neutral wire must use an open slot on the bus bar; do not connect more than one wire to a single slot.

Complete the wiring connections and installation of the receptacle, following the manufacturer's directions. Reinstall the dead front cover and the door on the service panel. Switch on the main breaker to restore power, and test the new circuit for proper operation. Your electrical code may require a special type of GFCI circuit breaker for certain situations, such as for a volt circuit that powers a pool or spa heater.

These breakers have an attached coiled white pigtail wire. They are installed in exactly the same way as a standard breaker, except that this extra white pigtail wire must be attached to one of the screw lugs on the neutral bus bar in the service panel. GFCI circuit breakers offer extra protection, and they may be required in situations where there is an increased risk of shock, such as with circuits that are used around water sources.

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