Have one 220 volt outlet but need three
Never Enough Money
little...
So I decided to solve it my way and thought documenting it in
rec.woodworking might help someone else.
Problem: I have a single 220 volt 50 amp outlet in my garage (which is
drywalled). I originally put it in (after the house was finished) just
under my breaker panel to run an arc welder.
Now that I've become a woodworker, I obtained several 220 volt tools,
e.g. a delta unisaw, a jet dust collection system, and a jointer. So
Now I need at least two 220 outlet (although less than 50 amps) to run
my dust collection while one of the other tools is running. Since my
breaker box in the garage wall has only two spare slots, I'd need an
additional breaker box. I'd also have to pay an electrician since I'm
not well versed in that kinda thing.
So I want to take my 50 amp 220 and break it into two 15 amp 220's and
a single 20 amp 220. How? I can't seem to find 220 volt extrension
cords and certainty not any that offer multiple plugs at one end.
Solution:
Run the 50 amp line out from the wall socket to a portable breaker
box. From the portable breaker box run the two 15 amp lines and a
single 20 amp line to the tools.
What to buy:
a breaker panel with six slots.
two 15 amp 250 volt breaker.
one 20 amp 250 volt breaker.
6 guage (oil resistent contractor) wire for the 50 amp line. I bought
20 feet.
12 guage (oil resistent contractor) wire for the 20 amp line. I bought
20 feet.
12 guage (oil resistent contractor)wire for the 20 amp line. I bought
20 feet.
the approprioate male connector for the wall socket and the approriate
female connectors for the end of the 15 and 20 ampl lines -- these
accept the male plugs from the tools.
Wiring is pretty easy. The salesperson at Lowes showed me how to do
it.
I spent about two hours wiring it all up.
Now mount the "portable" breaker box on something to move around the
shop floor. I made a little wood stand with wheels. It needs som
weight at the bottom to prevent tipping over.
Life is so much better now. Hope this helps someone.
Toller
surprised if a plug in breaker box met code, but it seems safe enough.
Hopefully you have a separate neutral and ground running from your new box
to the outlet and back to the breaker box.
Chipper Wood
If there are 'full sized' breakers in your service panel. they can each be
replaced with 2 'twin' sized breakers including 2 - 220 v. tied breakers in
the same space as 2 120 v. full size ones, allowing for some expansion. As
this could possibly unbalance the loads on some circuits if not properly
wired along with selecting the correct positions to obtain your needed
voltage, not a good idea for someone with little or no experience. I am just
pointing out that even though your panel face is full, There may be a way to
expand the number of circuits. Ask an electrician for an estimate.
--
Chipper Wood
useours, yours won't work
"Toller" <tol...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5M4ac.28$fW6...@news01.roc.ny...
Toller
> Strictly 220 v. would not require a neutral.
>
No, but a subpanel (or perhaps more properly a load center) does.
Greg
>>
>No, but a subpanel (or perhaps more properly a load center) does.
>
Not if there are no 120v loads in the subpanel. I have installed multiple 400a
panels in data centers without a neutral in any of them.
Greg O
>
>
> > Strictly 220 v. would not require a neutral.
> >
> No, but a subpanel (or perhaps more properly a load center) does.
>
>
I have seen allot of panels with no neutral in them. If all the loads are
240 it is not needed.
Greg
Doug Miller
>Interesting solution; though you should have put in 3 20a lines. I would be
>surprised if a plug in breaker box met code, but it seems safe enough.
The Code is not applicable to cord-and-plug-connected devices.
>
>Hopefully you have a separate neutral and ground running from your new box
>to the outlet and back to the breaker box.
>
Pure 220V circuits neither need nor use a neutral, and if he wired his cords
and plugs correctly, the ground is taken care of.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
For a copy of my TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter,
send email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
Doug Miller
>
>
>> Strictly 220 v. would not require a neutral.
>>
>No, but a subpanel (or perhaps more properly a load center) does.
>
Actually, it doesn't, if everything there is 220V. The neutral is used *only*
on 120V circuits.