If I wanted to have a dedicated 240v outlet installed, who would do that, the electric company or an independent electrician? Would they have to wire it special from the street, or is there already a line at my circuit box that's 240v? How much would it cost? thanks.
You'd call a regular electrician. You have 240V capability at your service entrance (e.g. breaker box) -- they just need to run a line from there to wherever you want the outlet.
Cost will vary depending on distance from the box and difficulty in running the line.
-Tim
There should be 240v into your electrical panel and meter. A contractor will be the one to call. The cost depends upon the difficulty of the installation and upon the contractor's rates. You can expect anywhere from $100 to $500, depending upon several factors. Ask around for references. Usually you get what you pay for.
hvacrmedic
I hear dat. I did some contracting for awhile (not electrical). I showed up on time, sober, and did what I said I was gonna do. They thought I was the mac daddy contractor of all time.
All you need to do is to buy a 240V breaker for the main breaker box and wire it to your outlet receptacle. You can do that yourself. Read up the wiring instructions from DIY home wiring book or ask the hardware store salesman. Install an incompatible 240 type receptacle so that someone won't make the dangerous mistake of plugging in a regular 115V device and start a fire. I presume you know the usual precautions about work safety when doing your own electrical installations.
I have a feeling you have a 240V appliance from a 240V system country that is too pricey to throw out. If it is only a single 240 consumer appliance that doesn't draw too much power its a lot easier just to buy a 115V to 240V step up transformer from the sewing machine dealer which has a ready to use unit complete with plug and socket connections.
One easy alternative way to get a dedicated outlet is to modify the duplex outlet already in your kitchen. Duplex outlets in Canadian or US kitchens are normaly wired to separate 115V breakers for the upper and the lower outlet. The reasoning is that often these outlets are overloaded with one too many kitchen gadgets like a toaster, coffee pot, egg beater, etc. so that popping a breaker is not uncommon. Having a separate circuit for the upper and the lower outlet means that when one outlet is popped the other one can still be used (assuming the wife and the kids are not knowledgeable about resetting the breaker.)
Okay, the way to get 240V out of this is to connect the hot wire of the upper outlet to your 240 outlet live wire screw. Then connect the live wire of your lower outlet to the neutral of the 240 outlet screw. Tape off/snip off the neutral wires of the original duplex receptacle so that there is no bare wire to cause a short. The ground wire stays connected to ground. Be sure you use a 240V type outlet that is incompatible with your regular 115 V plugs.
A person that does not even know who does that work is not qualified to do it.
Or they have a large AC, or they want to use a welder, or the want to put in a dryer or electric range. All common US appliances.
I have a feeling that anyone who does not know who to call is not going to be qualified to DIY even with a book.
If that is true, they may also have an issue with 50 vs 60 cycle.
....
Good advice.
An independent electrician or a homeowner would do it.
Most likely (although not 100% guaranteed) your house has 240V coming in. If so, then it is just an inside the home wiring issue. It may be more difficult if your panel's capacity is already fully utilized.
iAnd only that, this advice is pretty bad:
Yea, but now you might have just opened up the neutral on the downstream line. I say "might", because maybe it had a pigtail (in which case there might not even be neutral "wires" as you write, but only a single neutral wire pigtail, to cut).
And here is another interesting point that I have never thought about:
So does a 240V foreign-made plug have polarity, like modern US 120V plugs? You seem to suggest that it does, by calling one of the screws the "neutral screw". So, you just told the OP to put hot 120V on sometihing that is meant to be neutral. Way to go.
And the kicker:
As pointed out, the OP doesn't even know who to call. Why would you presume anything like this?!
What you are suggesting is, first of all, senseless, since 240V circuits do not have a neutral.
Second, what you are suggesting is dangerous because if you connect these two circuits in the described manner, the circuits will no longer be safe to work on if only one circuit breaker is turned off (if a device is plugged into the 240V outlet and turned on).
i
Most do. In fact, it is 120v circuits that do not have neutrals. Still, his advice is idiotic.
I have just such a 240V set up in my kitchen for >20 years now. I do all my own wiring and so do a lot of people I know who are not electricians or engineers. If you don't feel comfortable handling live electrical work then don't. But there are lots of ordinary people who do like to do their own stuff and can do it without injuring or killing themselves. That's why there is a healthy market for DIY books and TV programs. For your info I also put in a lot of sweat equity to build the house I am living in. Never did it before or since. But that was the only way I could afford a house. Its one solidly built house.
I do electrical work in my house myself, however, what you are suggesting is a bad way to go. Your setup will make it difficult to make "live electrical" into "not live", by tying two circuits together.
iI didn't read your whole post, but what you are suggesting is using a multiwire circuit for a 240v circuit. Since that is what a multiwire circuit really is, there is no fundamental reason it can't be converted; assuming it is on a 240v breaker rather than a pair of 120v breakers. And if all the other outlets were removed from the circuit, to avoid mixing 120v and 240v on the same circuit, it might even meet code.
However, even then it does not seem like a reasonable solution for someone who doesn't know if he has a 240v service; even if he has a multiwire circuit he is willing to sacrafice. (though the OP said little about his problem, so it is hard to be sure)
"What you are suggesting is, first of all, senseless, since 240V circuits do not have a neutral.
Second, what you are suggesting is dangerous because if you connect these two circuits in the described manner, the circuits will no longer be safe to work on if only one circuit breaker is turned off (if a device is plugged into the 240V outlet and turned on). "
I think this is a classic. The OP didn't even know that he already has
240V at the electric panel, or who to call to get the 240V outlet installed. Then along comes PaPaPeng, telling the guy how to do it himself. And by what's he's told him to do so far, eg, unhook two seperate 120V outlets on different legs and run that to the 240V outlet, it's pretty clear that he doesn't know what the hell he's even talking about. Following he's advice, someone could easily wind up dead."I didn't read your whole post, but what you are suggesting is using a multiwire circuit for a 240v circuit. Since that is what a multiwire circuit really is, there is no fundamental reason it can't be converted; assuming it is on a 240v breaker rather than a pair of 120v breakers. "
I think you read it right the first time. This PaPaPeng is a hack. He never mentioned a word about the necessity of the need for a 240V breaker, so that both legs get disconnected together. And only a hack would think of re-routing wiring already in place in kitchen outlets to make a 240V outlet. And there are some very good reasons why this advice is bad and dangerous. For, example, the OP doesn't know anything about even who to call to put in an outlet, you think he's going to know that typical 14 gauge wire you find at a 120V outlet is going to melt if you try to run a dryer with it? I hope PaPa has lots of fire extinguishers and insurance!
yeppers...
i
And so is toller. If he doesn't know that one leg of 120 is neutral then he should go learn something about electrical wiring before posting his opinions.
hvacrmedic
He
First, look "neutral" up in the dictionary. Second, drop dead you dumb POS.
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