What's involved in adding a 240V outlet?

Well, starting with a three wire AC (hot, hot, ground) and plugging into a three wire socket (hot, hot, ground). What neutral wire are you talking about? I've looked all over, and can't find one here.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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The electric panel is in the garage and it has about a dozen spare slots I use pressure washer mainly for washing the concrete driveway outside the garage.

I remember reading outlets in garage (considered a wet location) need to be GFCI protected. Is there such thing as 240V GFCI outlet, or does one just install two regular GFCI breakers in the panel to protect one 240V GFCI outlet?

Thanks for the responses.

Reply to
bob

Only 120v 15 and 20a receptacles.

OTOH a 240v pressure cleaner has a GFCI in the cord.

Reply to
gfretwell

No, it's not. Because it's not ok for you to use the existing ground line as a neutral plus it's not ok for you to run single conductor outside of a conduit.

Reply to
jamesgang

There are larger double gang gfci breakers. You probably are supposed to h ave one but I suspect a lot of people do not. They tend to be around $100 once you go above 20 amp for double gfci breakers unfortunately. Since it' s in the garage I would recommend running #10 3 conductor with a ground. Y ou do not have to connect the neutral at the outlet if you do not need it f or your pressure washer. But if you ever have anything else 220 then you w ill have the neutral if you need it. If your pressure washer has a 4 prong plug then you will be able to connect the neutral to the new socket.

Reply to
jamesgang

The cable is labeled "COLUMBIA 10/3 TYPE NM 600V (UL)". I haven't opened up either end yet -- panel or outlet box -- to see whether there is a separate ground conductor. so for now, at least, I'm going to leave everything the way it is.

Perce

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy

If there is no "WG on there some place it may only be 3 insulated wires. There are legal ways to bring a ground to it tho.

Reply to
gfretwell

If the wire was installed since the mid-sixties it WILL have the 4th conductor - usually a bare copper, for ground.. Is it a tarred paper/fabric sheath or plastic? If it is plastic, 99.999% it has a ground.

Reply to
clare

No matter how many times I've looked, the question I replied to mentions a FOUR wire socket, which most likely includes neutral.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

ine as a neutral plus it's not ok for you to run single conductor outside o f a conduit.

It quite unusual to find wire without a ground in it these days. It's most likely that your 10/3 also has a bare ground wire in it.

In present code you can use 3 lead wire as two hots and a ground but you ca n't use it as 2 hots and a neutral. You can't connect the ground and neutr al together anywhere outside the main box nor can you use one in place of a nother. The ground can not intentionally carry current.

Reply to
jamesgang

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