The unit owner is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and replacing any item or component within the unit boundaries, including electrical wires and plumbing. In most cases, the condo association is responsible for the main electrical wiring, while individual unit owners cover their unit’s internal wiring. However, specifics can vary based on the condo’s by-laws.
The HOA is responsible for fixing all electrical wiring, but it covers certain electrical system components on the outside of a dwelling, such as the electric meter base. When damages have occurred within a condo, repairs and replacement of items and fixtures may require an assessment. The governing documents usually address that the Association is responsible for the maintenance and repair of Common Elements.
To determine responsibility for condo maintenance and repairs, research the association’s legal documents to identify the physical assets that the association is responsible for and those that the individual unit owner has. The association is responsible for the exterior upkeep of the building and its grounds, while individual owners need to take care of the interior of their condo. Owners are also responsible for lighting and electrical fixtures, appliances, and other aspects of the condominium building.
In townhome-style condo complexes with power boxes on the outside walls, the homeowner is responsible for maintaining everything in their private unit, including the interior structures, fixtures, and appliances. A condo association is responsible for ensuring all aspects of the condominium building, except unit owners’ personal property. Condo owners are typically responsible for the interior of the condo or specific to their condo, including things like drywall, plumbing, and electric.
📹 Electrical Service Entrance or Exterior Service Drop
Electrical service conductors coming from the utility pole are often smaller than the service wires going into the main electric panel …
Do condos have electrical panels?
A condominium unit is typically equipped with an electrical distribution panel that provides power from the hallway meter room.
Do electrical panels have to be outside?
In the United States, electrical breaker panels may be installed in either an indoor or an outdoor setting, provided that they are rated for outdoor use. Some panels are designed with the meter base and breaker panel integrated for the purpose of facilitating installation.
Who is responsible for pipes in condo walls in California?
The HOA is responsible for maintaining common area plumbing, while owners are responsible for their separate interests and exclusive use of common areas. Owners are typically responsible for maintaining kitchen sinks, faucets, garbage disposal, drain, supply lines, and angle stops, appliances, bathroom sinks, faucets, drains, supply lines, and angle stops, tubs and shower enclosures, toilets, tank mechanisms, wax ring, supply lines, angle stops, water lines in walls that serve only the unit, and water heaters that serve a single unit. These responsibilities are outlined in Civ. Code § 4775(a).
Are electrical panels on interior or exterior walls?
In accordance with the prevailing building code, the location of the panel is specified. In the event that such placement is required by regulatory standards, it is permissible to situate the panel in an exterior location. In the event that this is not feasible, it is preferable to situate the panel internally in order to facilitate superior control and protection. It is imperative that a quality panel is installed by a professional to ensure optimal results. In conclusion, the decision regarding the optimal location for the panel is contingent upon the specific requirements of the residence in question.
What is the electrical box outside the house called?
Breaker boxes are typically located near the electric meter, often on an exterior wall facing the street or in a designated utility area on your property. They may also be located on the side or rear of the house. Flipping the main breaker in your outside breaker box shuts off power to your entire house, which can be useful in emergencies, electrical work, or maintaining your electrical system. However, flipping the main breaker should be done cautiously and only when necessary, as turning off the breaker cuts power to all circuits, causing lights and appliances to lose power until they are turned back on.
What am I responsible for in a condo?
Condo owners are responsible for maintaining their private units, including interior structures, fixtures, and appliances. The COA’s declaration should clearly indicate the unit’s boundaries, which include walls, ceilings, floors, doors, and windows. Owners are responsible for any paint, wallpaper, or wallboards in their unit, as well as attic space above the ceiling. They must also repair or replace any issues with appliances or fixtures.
Limited common elements are features in shared spaces that only select condo residents can use. Owners are typically responsible for maintaining these elements attached to their units, which can involve shared responsibility among neighbors. Some COAs may share responsibility for maintaining certain areas. Consulting the COA’s declaration is the best way to understand what features the COA considers limited common elements and how the division of maintenance responsibilities breaks down.
Who is responsible for windows in a condo in NYC?
If you have reported a damaged door or window to your condo board and they haven’t responded, they are responsible for any damages resulting from the failure to repair the window or door. Condominium tenants should keep a record of all repair requests and take photos to document the condition of the window or door. This helps protect themselves in case of a dispute.
When replacing or altering a window or door within your unit, tenants should consider board approval for any visible elements, as adjusting these elements without approval could result in fines or penalties. All alterations must be completed by an insured contractor with WCB coverage, and any applicable permits must be obtained. In some cities, such as Calgary, condo owners must obtain a permit for changes to window or door roughing.
What is the difference between indoor and outdoor electrical panels?
Outdoor breaker boxes are crucial for reducing the risk of fires caused by electrical faults or malfunctions, as they are located away from combustible materials. Indoor breaker boxes, on the other hand, may be in close proximity to these materials, increasing the risk of fire in emergencies. Many homes have their electrical panels, breaker boxes, or fuse boxes outside, providing easier access for workers and emergency responders, more space for maintenance, and easier repairs.
The breaker box is typically installed on an exterior wall of the residential space, close to the main electrical service entrance. Proper installation and protection from environmental factors, such as rain or snow, are essential to prevent damage. Following local codes and regulations is also essential for safety and compliance.
Should electrical box be inside or outside?
Outdoor breaker boxes are crucial for reducing the risk of fires caused by electrical faults or malfunctions, as they are located away from combustible materials. Indoor breaker boxes, on the other hand, may be in close proximity to these materials, increasing the risk of fire in emergencies. Many homes have their electrical panels, breaker boxes, or fuse boxes outside, providing easier access for workers and emergency responders, more space for maintenance, and easier repairs.
The breaker box is typically installed on an exterior wall of the residential space, close to the main electrical service entrance. Proper installation and protection from environmental factors, such as rain or snow, are essential to prevent damage. Following local codes and regulations is also essential for safety and compliance.
Who is responsible for a leak from an upstairs flat?
The landlord is bound by an implied term in the tenancy agreement to repair damage to the tenant’s residence. This encompasses the obligation to maintain the structural integrity of the tenant’s residence, including walls, ceilings, and plasterwork. Nevertheless, the landlord is only obliged to repair the damage once they have been made aware of it.
Who is responsible for pipes in a flat?
Residential leases typically place the landlord responsible for maintaining the structure, exterior, and main pipes used by residents. The leaseholder is typically responsible for repairing obligations related to the inside of the flat, including pipes that exclusively service the flat. Leasehold rights and obligations vary, so it is crucial for each leaseholder to understand their specific lease regarding repairing obligations.
If a leak occurs in an area controlled by the landlord, the potential costs may be recoverable through the Service charge, a contribution paid by the leaseholder to the landlord for the cost of insuring, maintaining, repairing, and cleaning the building.
Any excess payable will be shared by all leaseholders through the service charge. If the leak occurs in an area controlled by another leaseholder, the leaseholder is more likely to be responsible for the damage caused to the flat. If the building is covered by a comprehensive insurance policy, the landlord or managing agent may allow a claim in certain circumstances.
📹 Installing 220v Outlets in the Shop – Easier Than You Thought
Support what we do at the Katz-Moses Tools Store:* http://www.KMtools.com Installing 220v outlets in your shop is easier than you …
Very clear and concise. I know the point was not to go over code, but I guess it would have been worth mentioning or partially explaining that you should make sure that your panel can handle another 220v breaker before going through all that work. Especially those who don’t have a dedicated shop and run off of a single whole house panel!
Licensed Electrician here, I think you did a great DIY vid man. I generally cringe at the DIY articles on youtube on this subject well, because everything they tell people to do or they do them self is oh so wrong. From the type of wire they use or how its ran or leaving it exposed/ code violations ect. But I actually thought you did/ explained everything just fine and in a way that about anyone can understand. Great job my friend!
I have LITERALLY been stressing about 220v for days. I need an outlet in my garage to run my welder and have been stressing about how much it’ll cost and can it be done etc etc.. Thanks for the article buddy, I think I can sleep tonight. Probably won’t do it myself this time around, but I’m definitely glad I saw this
I rewired my house after I paid for it because someone stole all the copper from it before I picked it up. But I just wanted to double check with someone before I added a new wire for my tig welder. And yeah it’s what I was thinking easy as well shooting wire. But I am using 6/2 UF (Underground Feeder – Direct Earth Burial) Cable yeah it’s a pain to feed the wire but not the hook up.Good article keep up the fine work. Glad to see someone without stammering all over the place. or the ahhh ummm ahh people that clearly have no clue what they are doing. You sir need to do more articles you should have your own website with some supports helping you out.
I noticed that several professional electricians have commented below. None seemed to notice the 208V issue so I will go into a little more detail. This panel is fed from a three phase power source. The source is connected in a Y configuration. I know this because you have three “hot”/phase conductors plus a neutral. The voltage between any two “hot” conductors will be 208V, not 240V as the article states. The voltage between any “hot”/phase conductor and neutral is indeed 120V as stated in the article. There is no 240V anywhere in this panel. If you will notice, the articlegrapher never measures the voltage between any two “hot”/phase conductors. If he did he would measure 208V. For a three phase Y connected source the mathematical relationship between line to neutral and line to line voltage is a factor of √3. You multiply the line to neutral voltage by the √3 (1.73) to get line to line voltage. 120 X 1.73 = 208 (okay, you have figured out by now that I am an electrical engineer). If the articlegrapher would measure the voltage between any two of the “hot”/phase conductors in the panel or measure the voltage between the two “hot”/phase conductors in the outlet connector he will find 208V. Sometimes this a non-issue and sometimes it is a problem depending on the equipment that is being powered. On another note, I am jealous that he has three phase power in his shop. This is almost never the case in a residential environment.
This is the first install I can’t complain about. Just can’t go with out saying, You were awful cozy with the screwdriver and probes in that panel. Treat electrical like you treat a gun. “It’s always hot.” Remember, your sending this article to show how easy it is. A novice needs to be reminded not to get complacent. Electrical is easy and safe if you’re cautious.
Hey Jonathan, looks good, get those boxes grounded! Just a heads up, this is a three phase source, so the phases are not opposing 120V sinewaves but rather each one is shift by 120 degrees. So when you measure between any two 120V phases, you get 208V not 220 or 240V like you would in a house that has a single phase. You can take your red and black probes across the two phase and get 208V and 120V to neutral. Most appliances and/or tools should work over the 208V to 240V range but make sure you check the voltage rating on the tools to ensure you are going to undervoltage equipment if its only meant for 220-240V.
Couple things I would add to the article. If people do decide to go with a 30 amp plug and breaker they need to increase their wire from 12 gage to 10 gage. Also something I was instructed to do when I was an apprentice was. With stranded wire tighten the screw, wiggle the wire back and forth several times and tighten again.
Not a bad job at all. And this coming from a guy with 40+ years in the trade. On thing though! Do not use a 30 amp rated outlet with wire rated for 20 amps. Use the proper gauge wire for the appropriate application… Also as a note…….. This is a straight 208/240 volt setup…. NO NEUTRAL! The wiring method for say, a clothes dryer would be slightly different…… As The dryer requires a neutral and a four wire outlet, Two hotlegs a neutral and a ground…….
Most residential has split phase AC, versus three phase. Installation of 220 breaker into the panel is pretty much the same, but the box will only have two lines, L1 and L2, that will have 120 volts AC. Also, it is a good idea to check voltage at the plug, once everything is put back together, prior to plugging stuff in.
Overall good install. Quick clarification that most houses in the US use 240 split phase, while the system shown was a 208 3 phase. 220 is rare in the US. This doesn’t affect much, and most >200V tools can handle all three, but hopefully this helps someone trying to figure out why their numbers don’t match.
The licensing scam always got laughs from me while working as an electrician and I loved the looks on home owner’s faces when I explained it to them. A competitor advertised he was licensed. I told people to ask to be sure and ask him where that license was from because there was no licensing agency or requirement in the rural area where we were.
Nice article, here’s a few comments from a professional sparky to help those who may not be familiar with 3Ø power. The system that you have there is a 3Ø, 4 wire, Wye system which is 208Y/120 volts. Your 2 pole receptacle is being fed with 208 volts, it is not 240 volts or 220 volts. The nominal 1Ø voltage system in the United States is 120/240. A 3Ø, 4 wire Delta system would be 240/208/120, see no 220 volts (it’s an obsolete term).
I watched this because I needed to understand what would be required if I were to call someone to install an outlet for an electric dryer and because I don’t to be a complete idiot about any aspect of my home. While I probably won’t tackle the project myself, thank you for putting this out, I learned a lot!
If you only have a single pole breaker you can put a screw through the one metal thingy so it touches the other metal thingy then just use 1 wire, because the numbers still add up to 220 right? If your in a hurry you really don’t have to turn the power off just put the screw in and get on with it. So much faster.
I wired a 220 outlet for my old home that didnt have one because i needed to plug in a dryer… was really intimidated since i had never done it but it really was easy.. only thing that concerned me was the distance i was running the wire.. it was about 50 feet maybe a bit zhorter and i used 10/3 wire but i read beyond 60 feet 8 gauge is recommended.. never doin it myzelf was concerned about it being 50ft.. but once i got it all hooked up i juzt ran the dryer for about 10 to 15 mins and checked the wire temp with a laser.. it didnt even get warm in 90 degree weather so i was good.. it was really eazy but intimidating.. everything cost me 80 buckz i saved a small fortune
Couple of things I would add to this, as installing a breaker is about as easy as it gets (this coming from a DIYer): 1) You need to know the amperage required for the item you plan on using, buy the correct gauge wire to handle that amperage as well as the correct outlet. The breaker cannot handle MORE amps than the wire and outlet. You can always use larger wire and/or outlet than required. 2) When buying the electrical box for the outlet do yourself a favor and get one larger (physically) than you need. While you CAN get a single gang box, it is a major PITA to try to bend and hook up 8 gauge wire in those things, (use 8 ga for 50 amp).
I’d run a neutral out as well cause newer stuff like dryers use 120v for controls and 220 for main op. I usually cut the equipment cords and wire the correct plug on. Also I’ve touched the main bar on accident( tool slipped). Last time I want to do that and I grew up around electric cattle fences. For any panel stuff I’d get everything ok to be turned off and turn off the main panel disconnect (very top switch) for duration of work In panel. Good vid.
I will write some safety stuff being a sparky. First, close the panel cover unless you are testing for voltage, and do not turn on breakers without it. Second, make sure the interrupting rating is high enough. That 10kA rating is the minimum for breakers. Depending on the upstream transformer, if you have a short circuit of ground fault, you could blow the breakers apart and cause an arc flash. Also, turn off the panel when putting the cover back on. Second, always ground every box with a ground screw hole that will have an outlet. Otherwise only the setscrews in the connectors and lock rings are acting as your continuity to ground. They burn out a lot quicker than the two paths that adding a ground tail will provide. Lastly, if there is anything like a welding outlet or an outlet for a large motor, add a fusible disconnect and size the breakers to proper code requirements for motors. It will save you from nuisance trips of the breakers from inrush current, and it’ll save your butt if you lock the rotor or melt one of the coils. Fuses can get 300kA interrupting ratings that will safely shut down a short circuit without dumping the main for the building.
For those that want to try their own electrical work but want someone to check what they do, you could always try to get a permit and inspection from your local building office. Just call ahead and talk with someone about what work you should accomplish for rough-in vs final inspection. They are usually very friendly to homeowners.
I just want to object to something you said. You can actually put more than one receptacle on a 220 circuit. The number of outlets is not restricted (at least not that I’ve seen), based on voltage. However, the conductors have to be sized for the load, and the overcurrent protection sized to protect the conductors. So in an existing install, you’ll be limited by the size of the conductors that are installed.
All round quite good work and reasonable testing. In Australia, the work you completely likely would be marked as defective for a couple of reasons (I have no idea what the laws and standards are in the US, please don’t hurt me!) 1) excessive copper exposed near terminating screws on outlets. Simple thing to fix, shorten the length of copper that is being fixed to the outlet, partly for safety and partly for the perfectionist in me. 2) Wire size. Wiring for fixed electrical outlets in Australia should be wired in no less than 2.5 square millimetres (10Ga). Rated to carry over 20A in conduit. 3) (testing) I personally check continuity from earth to earth on each outlet and make sure all is good. A proper test device will provide you with conductor impedance too and make sure there are no issues with the cabling. Other than those, excellent job! Again, i don’t know the legalities of unlicensed electrical work in the US/Canada but in australia it is an offence to undertake electrical work without the proper license or permit. Here we have very strict standards that protect us from electric shock and dodgy work completed by under qualified persons. Another difference is the lack of RCD protection on power circuits (GFCI). In Australia it is mandatory to fit RCD protection to all power and lighting circuits, and these days it must be fitted to almost all other circuits too. (Air con, hot water systems, electric stoves/ovens etc.)
In Europe, there is no 120 volt. Only 220-240 and 380-400 volt in all homes. 220-240 with (10 amp) for all normal light, tv, pc, elec. heating, all the “normal” 120 volt appliances in USA, and 380-400 volt (16 amp) outlets for stoves, and some washing machines, and more heavy heating systems. Until recently, the 380-400 volt was only used in pro workshops, but now it has become more common in private workshops as well, as we get more and more heavy tools, like big band saws, cabinet table saws, etc, that need the extra power. (y)
Aside from a plane ticket how much would you charge to come out, and help me set a couple of 220 outlets in my garage! I want to get the 3HP SawStop but have the 1.75 in my cart simply because I assume electricians charge a LOT to do work like this.. ya know, $100 to come to the garage, $100 for equipment, $100 for time etc etc..
Electrician gave him dislike already. I am electrician I gave him likes because it’s easy job and big rip off. Thanks people like him and myself people can live better. Don’t forget call and inspector and get the paperwork with good check mark. That mean in in code legal. And save money help others too.
If it’s 3 phase, It’s really 208, although 220V appliances won’t have any problem running on 208V. The wye configuration (three phases and a center-tapped neutral) gives you 120 ph-g and 208 ph-ph. Unless you have single-phase service at the panel, you won’t get 240V across the two hot wires without a transformer.
Last summer, after getting estimates from three local electricians on adding a single 220 outlet to run my tablesaw, I decided to save $400 and do it myself (I also made my own wire just like you showed on IG for your new Invicta Jointer); it was a snap. I would, however, mention that one thing I was hoping you would go over—or at least mention—is that the conduit you run will determine the number of wires for a given gauge that can be run safely. In my case I had to run a thicker gauge due to the amps the saw required and that changed the conduit size I used. But thank you for unabashedly posting this article, it really is as easy as you showed.
I would have to say that since all legs to ground are 120 volts it’s a wye connection, because if it were a delta the b leg to ground would be 208, and with that said since it is 3 phase power each phase to ground via black to ground, red to ground, and blue to ground is 120 volts, but from phase to phase via black to red, black to blue, or red to blue you most certainly have 208 volts instead of 240 because it adds up vectorially because of the 120 degree phase shift of each leg. Because single phase for normal residential power comes from one leg on the power line and stepped down which I why you only have two lines in residential neighborhoods, a hot leg and a grounded neutral; where as where three phases are used for three phase power like commercial, and industrial installs which is what I work with has all three phases and a grounded neutral and you will have three different single phase transformers tied together for you stepped down 3 phase power which is 277/480 (brown, orange, yellow, grey) wye connection, 480 (brown, orange, yellow) delta, 120/208 (black, red, blue, white) wye connection, and there is a 120/240 volt center tapped delta which is where the high leg comes in where the b phase had to be marked orange. So two of the phases would be 120 volts to ground and the other would be 208, but you would be able to get 240 out of two phases. In three phase power each leg is 120 degrees out of phase to even the power throughout the three phases. And then of course your normal residential 120/240 volts or split phase as it is called sometimes where it takes one phase and splits it into to voltages which is why you see one transformer at each house.
You do need to pay attention on residential 220V as the loading of each phase should be ‘balanced” as best as possible based on circuit reason/load . EG: welder circuit offset from range or other 220V loads. This would pertain more to subpanel loads off the main. The subpanel loads on each L1 L2 in relation to the loads at the main L1 L2.
Good Vid! Well explained. Love the 3 phase! For me working with household electric made sense once I realized that the standard panel is 240 volts and that the 120v circuits are a special adaptation, not the other way around. It’s not immediately obvious because most circuits are 120v. 240v just connects across the two 120 legs. A 120v circuit connects one of the 120 legs to neutral, making it very similar to a center tap on a transformer used to get a lower voltage. This also requires that the loads be balanced across the two 120v legs. Example, most new kitchens have two 20 amp circuits, they are usually high demand and put on separate 120v legs. Similarly you’d try to balance the household lighting evenly.
Hello, I just recently watched your article, and I like the way you installed the 220V. I have to also install the 100 amp circuit breaker in the main panel. I’m looking for my way to connect my 220v circuit breaker. I’m not intimidated from electricity. I want to say thank you for sharing this information.
I don’t know what’s true for your space, but I’ve been told that my insurance company won’t cover fire damage if they find out that unlicensed electrical work has been done to my house. For that reason alone I’d rather pay to have someone legit to do the work. But I do appreciate your article, I like to have a rough idea of what tradespeople do so I can talk to them without feeling like an idget.
I would recommend to ground every box, it’s redundant I know, but only one ground connection could fail much easier than two. In a 120 V three-phase system you should have 207 V between the lines, in a three-phase system the voltage between the lines is: voltage of a line against neutral or ground multiplied with the square root of 3. Phase deviation between the lines is 120°. And the home installations in the US are split-phase systems. Actually it is only one single phase with a grounded neutral conductor on a center tab of the transformer: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Split_phase.svg A three-phase system is much more interesting, there you’ll have to care about the rotating field if you use a three-phase motor. Here in Germany three-phase is common, even in residentials. But the voltage is higher, every line has a voltage of 230 V against neutral or ground, the lines against each other have 400 V.
The only problem is if you get two 120 vac from the same leg of your incoming power. It’s not just two 120vac. It’s one 120 vac from one leg of the incoming 220vac and one from the other. Otherwise you won’t get 220vac. Most of your breaker boxes are every other full breaker spot going from top to bottom is the same leg. If you notice his breaker was offset from the left side so he got lucky otherwise he wouldn’t have had 220vac. If you look at the top two main legs of the 220 vac incoming you’ll understand if you see how they connect to the breakers when none are installed yet.
I have to be honest with myself, although I could repeat the steps and complete this installation, I would need an electrician to write an approved plan and review my work. I am no more an electrician than I am a brain surgeon. This work is out of my field I am a Food Scientist. I respect electricians and I am willing to pay them for their hard earned educations and skills.
Thank you for this information, although just this week I was searching to learn if you can have maybe 2 to 3 220 volt outlets from the one wired at the fuse box or does each 220 volt outlet need to be wired directly to the fuse box, where as with 110 volts, you can have numerous outlets on the same line???
Always follow the Name Plate of the equipment. Some times certain equipment require a Neutral. You did fine but Code, code, code. Written by NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency). It’s followed for a reason, not to cause a fire or kill folks. You did good just missing a bit of information. Way better than the guy that posted using two plugs from two different 110 receptacles to run a 220v device for connecting equipment. Geez, that was scary! Oh 40 years in the trade and Licensed, UNION.
Electrician here. Good job and only a few pointers. -Ground wire must be bonded to receptacle and box it is in, reason being if your conduit comes apart or you remove the ground from the other box you could leave that plug ungrounded. -3 phase power supplies normally test out at 208 volts not 220 and sometimes it can read 115v and not 120v, this is due to the taps on the Transformer feeding the panel, it gives electricians the option to increase or decrease the voltage if the street supply is high or low. -Your conduit clip is to far away from the box, (that is just me being picky 👌) -In Canada any work being done that is 220 or higher requires a permit, that would include changing a stove plug. – But this one is serious, you worked on a live panel, you did not have any PPE on, nothing! As by law you are required to have PPE Category 1: Minimum Arc Rating 4 cal/cm2. Required Clothing: Long Sleeve Shirt (or Jacket) and Pants or AR Coverall with minimum arc rating of 4 cal/cm2 Required Face and Head Protection: Face Shield (with “wrap around” guarding…i.e balaclava) or Arc Flash Suit Hood Required Hand Protection: Heavy-Duty Leather Gloves over Class 00 insulated gloves. Additional PPE: Hard Hat, Eye Protection (Glasses, Goggles), Hearing Protection Now I know that seems like a lot but I watched you remove the metal tabs off the panel cover…in front of a live 3 Phase panel you were jiggling around a giant piece of metal. Do me a favour and search up polyphase explosions, for a small explanation I will just say that if you touch all 3 phases the inside of the panel would evaporate and a billion pieces of breaker bits would be lodged in your face.
Single phase 220 does not guarantee the motor having power all the time. What you’re talking about is three-phase which has the three 120 V AC phases that are shifted. Single phase 220 does not have phase shifts which is why we don’t refer it as two-phase. Single-phase 220 is just a single phase that’s inversed.
Can anyone comment on 3 phrase? I am going to build a woodworking workshop next to my mother’s house in town not far from where my home is. I live in a rural area that does not furnish 3 phase electric service. Is the cost to have this dropped any higher than for a regular non 3 phrase drop? All my major woodworking machines have 3 phase motors and I have no other option unless I get converters or change the motors. Thanks.
A great book on Home electrical work is Wiring Simplified by Fred Hart published by Park publishing. I ve been using it for over 40 yrs. A word about the code and permits – The electrical code is little bit different across the country and some Building and safety depths will require all work be done by a Lic electrian while others will allow some work to be done non licensed home owners but not big jobs the best thing to do is simply find out what they require. the thing to remember is that if you sell the House in the future and the buyer wants it inspected and the inspector sees something and he’s bonded he might feel obligated to report it. and one last thing Will it give the insurance co a way out of a claim ? All thing.s considered your better off with a permit and fallowing the code.
That’s 3-phase, so likely 208v between phases. Even though your phases are each 120v to ground, they don’t add the same way they do in a residential split-phase system. They are 120 degrees apart in phase, so they are 120v times the square root of three apart, or about 208v. You have wired up 208 outlets.
But FIRST of all; check with your insurance company!! Just in case they don’t pay if it all burns down because of a tiny and simple mistake, and you can’t prove a certified electrician did the electrical work! Knowing what needs to be done, from articles like this, you can buy all the materials upfront and lower the cost of a certified electrician. And remember to save the paperwork from him/her!! That piece of paper can be worth many thousands of dollars!! Electrical failure is one of the most common reasons for buildings burned to the ground! Btw: Do you have smoke detectors in your home, and remember to check the batteries every year? They are cheap and they save a lot of lives each year!! (y)
Pretty good job for non-electrician as far as the install. But on the explanation side, I just want to add for clarity that people shouldn’t think of it as you “running two 120s”. You ran two hot wires on different poles that give you a single phase 208V (nominal) circuit. Always think of things in terms of circuits. A hot wire by itself is just a voltage source looking for a return path. If that return path is a neutral, 120V. If that return path is a hot on a different pole, 208V.
Hi..my minisplit 220v mirage evaporador It dont turn on.. outlet on one entrance reads 127v and on the other entrance reads… 44v It dont read 220v I checked the thermomagnetics and a wire was off the terminals or thermomagnetics I checked with a multimeter and it reads 44v where should Iconnect it to…so I can use air conditioning???
Are you still using WING NUTS? Oh well, it did take people some time to put the horse and buggy away. I’m just a DIYer, and I never run anything but solid copper wire. Once asked my wife why it took her so long to do her hair. She told me it was because her hair got frayed. When you need to buy circuit breakers, note the name of the electric panel box maker. There are many brands of circuit breakers, and they are not all interchangeable.
-If you measure 108v, something is wrong. You’re either thinking of a 3 phase Y system, which measures 208v between hot legs, or you’re thinking of a 3 phase 4 wire delta system, in which one of the hot legs reads 208v to ground. -I like how you used a twist lock, and referred to it as such, but didn’t twist it when you plugged it in. Otherwise, great work.
One other safety issue is that when you have a bare live bus bar it is a good practice to cover the exposed bus bar with cardboard. I have seen where an electrician is pushing a metal fish tape(really stupid) into a live panel that has 480 volts/1000 amps going to it. The live bus bar wasn’t covered with cardboard when the metal fish tape came out of the pipe at the bottom it touched the live bus bar and arc like the Fourth of July. There was another electrician in front of the panel waiting for the metal fish tape well when it hit the live bus bar it arc it throw the electrician about 10 feet with some major burns. The electrician wasn’t wearing any Electrical PPE (GLOVES, MASK, JACKET, PANTS). Please be careful.
A number of errors; but, where do I start? First, I’ve never seen a low leg in a commercial installation. We called it the high leg, or wild leg; because in a delta configuration, the voltage on that conductor was 120 volts times the square root of three (20×1.73333=208, not 108). Also, it does matter: if you’re installing a 30 amp circuit and not a 20 amp circuit you need to use 10 AWG instead of 12 AWG.
Wondering why you did not test for 208V at the receptacles? Also a good idea to test each receptacle independently with other breakers off. This is to ensure that your conductors are are only going from the overcurrent device to the correct device ( receptacle ) being fed. You should also test each device for proper voltage.. A L-620 R has no 120 V right.? You should always test phase to phase. Its a good practice to test phase to ground but not for voltage rather to check your ground. I’ve seen plenty of ungrounded systems before and you can get no potential from phase to ground. ALWAYS check phase to phase.. Never assume that XO or X4 was grounded at the transformer. Plenty of incompetent electricians out there. Be safe!
You missed a very important part on socket selection. They are all encoded. ie. L16-40(R or P): L = Locking, 16 = Type (voltage, shape, number of wires) (use NEMA chart to find what you need), 40 is the AMP rating and R stands for receptacle. P would stand for plug. Depending on the wire going to the plate, you do not want to use a larger than allowed receptacle.
Hey dude. I want to say that I enjoyed perusal your article I just have a couple things to say. And this is not to say that anything you done is wrong or will not work but just suggestions. Well one thing is you said that one leg might be 108 volts well voltage normally can run between 110 and 115 or 120. I have very seldom seen 120 in my area. If you have a motor it may say that the voltage on it is 208 230 volt. But here’s the kicker. You could actually have a stinger or a bastard leg I call it and it’s normally on the third leg and it might be 277 volts or greater. You do not and I mean do not want to hook it up in conjunction with one of the other legs for standard equipment on a single phase basis. It’ll smokit! And that smoke is factory installed and if you let it out you will have to send it back to the factory to get it reinstalled! Haha, just a little humor. I also saw you do something that I wouldn’t do and that is using the color of wire in the wrong place. Your three phase power, God I wished I had three phase, Gear 3 phase power on your box is correct. Start from the left black, red and then blue. Then when you install your breakers on each side of the box you should start with a black wire and the next one should be red and the third one should be blue. Electricity does not give a shit it’ll run through it if it is pink with purple polka dots but it’s just a standard that you normally do when you’re using three phase power boxes. Well like I say I enjoyed your article and you have a wonderful day and Keep On Keepin On!
There is not 240 volts in this box; that is why some folks call it 220 volts.:) This is a 120 volt 3 phase 208 volt Breaker box system. When the 120 volt line runs high say up to 126 volts like here the line to line voltage is 218 volts . My shop’s hots to neutral can venture up to 126.5 to 127 volts sometimes. – At 1:26 The White/Black stripe wire is the Neutral. The three “Hots” are each 120 volts AC line to Neutral. These are the big black, big red/black stripe and big blue/black stripe wires. The mid sized Green at the far right is the Ground wire. 208 volts is the line to line voltage when the hots are 120 to neutral. This is 120 volts times the square root of 3. Using two hot 120 volt legs is not 240 volts like on a USA house, it is 208 volts since the legs are NOT in phase. 120/208 volts is common in the USA for a McDonalds is a commercial install or a commercial 3 phase smaller shop. I I
I have been a master electrician many years.over 40.please never encourage unqualified persons to perform electrical work.it is not worth killing yourself or burning your house or shop down or risking serious possibly permanent injury to save a little money.there is a reason there are codes.to protect lives and property.if you are not a qualified electrician you are risking your life,health,and property.i know of many incidents where people have died or seriously injured themselves or started electrical fires.you are a fine woodworker but to encourage anyone to perform electrical work themselves is reckless.you said it yourself right at the beginning.stupid thing to do.should have listened to yourself.
Electrical box is not that dangerous and complicated as some ppl think. Here is photos of mine with real 220v (not split-phase): i.ibb.co/FW3Bc8q/Rasp-Schit-19-08-2013-8.jpg i.ibb.co/8nCkfmx/Rasp-Schit-19-08-2013-1.jpg i.ibb.co/86tjW7B/Rasp-Schit-19-08-2013-4.jpg To build this you just need to follow some knowledge you got from the school and have an access to youtube.
Be sure you know that if you are doing a larger breaker for your project, 12ga wont work, you have to check the size chart for the correct thickness. And your breaker needs to be sized i think 125% larger than the appliance pulls. So for this application of a 20amp, your appliance cant pull any more than 16amps, or you need a larger system.
I was looking to buy a home once years ago, I went to the back porch to check it out and noticed someone had pulled an electric line from under the crawl space and surface run it to power a beer fridge parked there. It was genuine Radio Shack 300 ohm antenna twin lead, yeh, the brown flat stuff, I ended my tour right there.
I was about to convert a stove plug 240V into a 120V for my welder but now I am wondering if I can use that stove wire from the original fuse box as a feeder wire to a subpanel? This way I could run my welder and my RV off of the subpanel. Am I correct in thinking this? I would be working with an electrician in the final stages
Hey Katz-Moses, can u upgrade a 15A 120V to a 15A 240V outlet to stop tripping that 15A 120V breaker? I keep having a problem of drawing to much power from my 15A 120V outlets and I am constantly tripping my breakers anytime I run larger power tools i.e. Table Saw, Skill Saw etc… I heard that running a 20A wire to my workshop would prevent this from happening, but after perusal your article it’s got me wondering. What would Jonathan Katz-Moses do aka “WWJKD”. FYI I had these initials made into a bracelet that I wear everyday to remind myself WWJKD when faced with a workshop obstacle. Thanks for the great info as always!
I need 240 volts for a drier with 4 prung plug and outlet (ground, neutral and 2 x 124 volts) I am only getting 124 volts on each leg of outlet and on each screw/wire of braker and when combine both legs of 124 volts on either outlet or braker I get 0 volts. Replaced braker and still 0 volts. Any idea why can’t get 240 volts? Please advise anybody that might know.
Great article Man …BTW I do not wish to offend but your wedding ring can be a problem in some situations,(I have seen said), when on your finger …Sweat,distracted contact and pathway to ground,issues… When I was married I’d have mine on a,for instance,( ANY kind of supportive string will do,just MY choice ),leather shoelace, around my neck,not dangling AND tucked out of the way … That’s it,and once again, GREAT article !
/it is not like you are asking for here tonight? yet the local bigger hardware store was wrong again ! hah! dahh! I fully installed the wrong 20 amp outlet 125v Under his direction or erection? Sold me the wrong shit! And again i had to drive 23 minutes further away from home to BUY THE RIGHT HARDWARE! I HAVe it figured out now yet your article did not show how to splice into a winter utilized 240v line and send it through properly!
You have a 3 phase 120/208 system. Homes in America are single phase 120/240 systems. There is no such thing as 110 or 220 fyi (electrician humor). If their equipment is rated for for 240 and you’re on a 208 system you will starve the motor and kill it. Same with vise versa but you will overload or bloat it, (overload is for amps in our language) the motor with voltage which will ruin it. Be sure to check the motor nameplate for the voltage rating, some equipment can take either 240 or 208. Oh next time, lock out tag out ESPECIALLY if someone is in the same building as you. Saftey always first.
Simple directions, but that’s not 220V (240V). If you have three phases that are all 120V L-N, then it’s a 208Y/120V three phase system and you’ll get 208V nominal between two hots because they’re 120 degrees out of phase. Shouldn’t be considered to be 220V (240V) which is 180 degrees out of phase between the two hots. You’ll be running the equipment at a constant undervoltage (5.5% under 220V or 13% under 240V) which could cause decreased life with higher current draws.
I don’t want to pull more wire when I already have what I need where I need it – at the other end of the house. So this answers the question – can you use 2 existing 120v/20 amp 12 agw to get 240? Seems like Yes! – If they are on separate legs and you tie them together at the box with a dual pole breaker and the proper 240 receptacle. In this case I would have 2 hot blacks and 2 grounds. My question – do you just disconnect the neutrals at the box?
I’ve got 220 wires coming out of the wall that were hard wired into an electric stove. Since we’re remodeling I want to add an actual outlet and install the power cord/plug on the stove. Wires look a lot heftier than 12 g though. Anyway, is it normal to just have wires come out of the wall to hard wire to an appliance?
My instructors…both Master Electricians woulda flipped-out if I turned the main breaker on THEN broke-out the knock-out I needed. A novice or amateur electrician coulda leaned into the panel as they were twisting out the knock-out… touched the tip of the website locks against the power bar and been wondering why they were being treated to a vertical view of EMT’s or angels faces. I was taught to completely finalize assembly thru the knock-out stage…then power-up to check connections…power back down…finalize assembly and then turn the power back on.
Wow! I am so thankful that your tutorial article although came up second on google search which I clicked first was the best, the easiest to listen and learn tutorial. I did watched the other but so far this is the BEST! Oh yeah.. 34K likes makes the difference. On my way to save a few hundred bucks. Thank you.
🤦♂️ the order is black, red, blue. Why are your blacks red? Your blues red? And your reds black? I know it’s going to work, but man is it sloppy AF. Also good job 👍 for using conduit instead of Romex, at least your electrical grounding system is robust. Also you don’t have to ground your junction boxes with a grounding conductor your conduit is your grounding conductor, especially if you are running everything exposed like that. You would easily notice any breaks in your grounding. But it’s definitely a good failsafe, a lot of hospitals specify adding redundancy in their grounding. so it doesn’t hurt, but it’s not necessary.
sorry, thumbs down for me, you would be a much better teacher if you stopped trying to impress, (either yourself, your audience or electricians) doesn’t matter, all the little micro comments you slip in meant to imply you know the background of what you are doing… are DISTRACTING AS HELL. “Keep it simple stupid”, is an expression that would apply here. Don’t go off script into tangents, finish your thought and move on to the next one methodically and logically. A good teacher reveals the simplicity of what he is doing, he doesn’t try to make it more complicated to impress anyone out of insecurity.
It’s 240 V there’s no such thing as 220. Yes voltage i know. Supplied voltage from power companies is two legs of 120 V. Phase to phase voltage reading is 240 V. If you have a piece of equipment that says 220 on it or 110 on it, that means it requires a minimum of 220 V or 110 V in order to work properly. But one more time, supplied voltage is 120/240
Good article. I have a 3 car garage/ man cave fully insulated, ceilings too and even the garage doors. Garage is about 660 sq ft with 8ft celing hight. The lowest tempature during Christmas will be 37 degrees farenhight. My questions is if I install a 5000-7000w electric heater, I have to installed a 240v outlet too right or it can be just hardwired?? Eventually I will buy a minisplit system and be getting rid of the electric heater. Will I be able to use the 240v outlet previously installed for electric heater when I install mini split in future?? Also we will be getting an electric car down the road so I will need a 240v outlet to charge car so what will be the correct pathway for my projects, install a 240v right now for electric heater so I have heater in man cave before Christmas or maybe just use propane heater just for that day🙄 until I figure out what minisplit system to buy?? Sorry for all the questions
It’s not 220 … put both your leads on the ungrounded conductors and it will read 240 … 240/120 single phase 3wire, which you do not have. The electrical system that you are working on is 208/120 3 phase 4 wire .. and just remember ground all your boxes with all the ground screws not just one of them
3 things NOT legal in Germany: fine strand flex wire in intallations (solid wire required & in applications that allow flex, it must be crimped) ; these brakers that can just pop out, Germany uses screw terminas on both ends of the breakers, the breakers are mounted on the DIN-rail ; always a licensed electrician required
220Vrms doesn’t exist. He is using a 3 pole system which is 3 separate 120Vrms lines that are 120 degrees out of phase with each other. The resulting voltage from one line to the other is 120Vrms x sqrt which is around 208Vrms. A normal house has a 240Vrms feed that is center-tapped, so phase 1 is 180 degrees out of phase with phase 2. Either way you go, you are getting either 208Vrms or 240Vrms, not 220Vrms. It should be noted, however, that as you reach high current applications on your 240Vrms line, the voltage could potentially drop to the 220Vrms range prior to the breaker opening the circuit.
Nooooooooo…do NOT do this…yes its 220v BUT the sine waves are NOT the same. Switching from a 3 phase to a single phase is not recommended unless you have a converter box to smooth out the sine waves…your motors on your appliances, tools, welders, etc. are not meant to receive these types of sine waves…your appliances could flicker and prematurely FAIL.
THANK YOU! “One per box” – Can’t tell you how many of these article’s I’ve seen where the user puts a saw on one outlet, vac on another, planer on a third, and welder on a fourth – all running to the same 220 60 amp breaker. That wire’s going to get hot, burn thru it’s insulation, and melt the pvc conduit to slag before the breaker trips! (They also never seem to mention wire gauge vs length of run considerations.) Pappy would have said it like this: ‘boy, if yer gonna run it that fur, yer gonna need thicker ware’.
looks fairly well done. except your pipe work, based on the angle of the article is a bit to be desired. I did notice you didn’t go from Phase to phase to show the 240V on the meter.. NOTE that in Canada any time you utilize a receptacle, the box must have a ground wire attached to the box and then to the receptacle itself. Also our wire configuration is different here in Canada. your color code is Black Red Blue White Canadian is Red Black Blue White
Ok, but only because you asked. 1. Outlets in the shop 50amps or less and 250v or less must be GFI protected (this is new in the 2017 NEC I believe it used to just be 120v outlets) 2. You put your ground wire in the neutral bar not the ground. These are the same thing on the main panel, but they are separate bars on a sub panel. Notice how one bar is attached to the enclosure directly (ground) and the other is insulated from it by plastics stand-offs(neutral). This is actually very dangerous in the unlikely event that your neutral is interupted and is very easy to fix so please fix it. 3. An additional problem with the above is that you have now created a bond between the neutral and ground through the conduit via the grounding screw in the outlet box. 4. You are not getting 220 or 240v from a 2 pole breaker in a 3 phase panel you are getting 208v. This is fine as long as the motors in your equipment are wired properly. Many electric motors can be wired for both voltages.
To make the panel wiring more tidy, and to facilitate adding more circuits later, when you enter your wires into the panel, always enter the ground wire first, placing it to the back of the panel. Then (if it is a circuit with a neutral) the next ‘layer’ of wire would be the neutral. Then last wire entered to the breaker. This keeps the box much more organised. Otherwise when more circuits are added later, things get way too chaotic in the panel.
Couple questions from a Diy’er that is going for my first 220 but has lots of experience wiring. Do you have to have a 220v specific breaker panel? And I am guessing you need 2 hits coming in at minimum. So if a subpanel in a barn has a box do I need to make sure it has a 220v specific breaker and has 2 hot wires coming in too it? Thanks!!