Electronics > Beginners
How to wire up a 240VAC receptacle
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IanB:
I think the IEC connector will be available in two variants. One variant to be attached to the end of a flexible cable like an extension cord. The other variant to be wall mounted as a fixed installation. If it were me I would go with the extension cord/adapter approach, as it is overall more flexible (no pun intended).
Spork Schivago:

--- Quote from: james_s on May 14, 2018, 06:45:32 pm ---IMHO you would be well served by a good book on electrical wiring, I have a copy of this https://www.amazon.com/Wiring-House-5th-Pros/dp/162710674X and have found it to be well written and has a lot of helpful tips and tricks.

The breaker is there to protect the wire, so it's perfectly ok to use wire larger than required, for example 12AWG on a 15A breaker but you CANNOT go the other way, eg 14AWG on a 20A breaker. It's also perfectly ok to use a larger capacity circuit than required by the load, so a 40A circuit is just fine for a load only requiring 20A so long as the wire is adequately sized for the breaker, 8AWG for 40A.

--- End quote ---
Yes, a good book on electrical wiring is much needed.   I have the DC down pretty well, but the AC I still struggle with.   Not so much the 120VAC or the 240VAC, but the 3 phase, stuff like that.

I wasn't getting hung up on the neutral / hot thing like IanB suspected.   It was the fact that the unit has two 16-amp breakers.    So I was looking at it like two totally different circuits inside the PDU, sharing a common ground.    When I say 16-amp, I believe, again, these are de-rated, so they'd be equivalent to our (USA) 20-amp.    I kept on thinking the neutral would power the bottom outlets, the L/+ would power the upper ones.   Or the L/+ would power the first breaker, the neutral the second.   That's what was messing with me.

I purchased a small book called Ugly's Electrical References, 2017 Edition, but that's a reference book.    Thanks for the link!    Once I get this ER thing taken care of and find out what's wrong with me, I'll sit down and learn more about the different types of wires.   I understand the gauges and what gauge to use for what size breaker, but there's information that I still lack.   For example, what's a grounding loop?   How to prevent a grounding loop?   And then this issue.   Running 120VAC down the neutral threw me for a loop at first, until I started thinking about it.   In reference to ground, we'll have 240VAC.   We'll have a complete path back to the panel, so the circuit will be complete.   I'll still be grounding the PDU with the external ground.   I just have to pick the wire now.

8/2 with ground or 8/3 without...in the technical drawing for the receptacle I'm purchasing (a wall-mount one), it show all three wires being stripped....so I'm leaning towards 8/3 without ground.   But I don't think it'll make a difference operational wise.

I'm not sure about the conduit though.   I want to mount the receptacle on the cement wall, like the other ones are, and run conduit up to the floor joists, then just run the wire through the first floor floor joists, like the electrician did.   But I'm not sure if the conduit at Home Depot and Lowes is going to match up to the European style outlet there...I might need some sort of adapter for that.
Spork Schivago:

--- Quote from: tpowell1830 on May 14, 2018, 07:58:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: Spork Schivago on May 14, 2018, 05:51:10 pm ---
--- Quote from: Paul Moir on May 14, 2018, 08:38:49 am ---The reason why the professional electricians can't accommodate the plug is that they're not allowed to wire in the European socket.  They must use sockets that are allowed for permanent installations in North America, which are pretty much NEMA sockets.  So have them wire in a dryer socket (30A) or a range socket (40A), then construct an adapter made with a dryer or range plug to your European socket. 
If you go out early on garbage day with a set of wire cutters, you can get the plug extra cheap.  ;)

--- End quote ---
They can't do it because it's against the NEC?   As in I cannot legally do it either because it's against code?

This might explain the drastic price difference between the sockets over in Europe and the same sockets that say they're rated for North America.   The European ones are around 4 to 7 of their funky dollars (the L / F pound thing).   But the North American ones that I've seen are usually 100$ USD +.

--- End quote ---

Depends on your local laws, rules and regulations about legality... In my area, I am allowed to make changes in my house to electrical circuits, but, if a fire developed from a mistake in my wiring, AND the insurance company found out, the house is not covered under the rules of insurance, so therefore, I just ate it...

Since you are not knowledgeable about wiring, pay the $100 for the outlet, wire it up to local codes/standards/components, pay the electrician and save yourself all that headache.

Just my 2 cents...

--- End quote ---
I will admit that I lack knowledge in the NEC, but running some 8 gauge wire isn't going to be an issue.   I don't usually play with 240VAC, but when I do, I've always wired it the way everyone else does.    I've just never seen a receptacle that expected one 240VAC line, one neutral, one ground.   I think I'll be alright.

And in my county, we have to get a permit before we begin work like this and have it inspected, so I know it'll be up to code, one way or another.   I'd rather just make sure I purchase the proper stuff and have a full understanding of what I'm doing before I continue.   For example, if I hadn't come here and purchased that double pole 20-amp breaker, that would have never have passed the inspection, I would have wasted money on the 12/2 or 12/3, and the breaker, and would have to start all over again.

Thank you for the concern though.
tpowell1830:

--- Quote from: Spork Schivago on May 14, 2018, 08:37:41 pm ---
--- Quote from: tpowell1830 on May 14, 2018, 07:58:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: Spork Schivago on May 14, 2018, 05:51:10 pm ---
--- Quote from: Paul Moir on May 14, 2018, 08:38:49 am ---The reason why the professional electricians can't accommodate the plug is that they're not allowed to wire in the European socket.  They must use sockets that are allowed for permanent installations in North America, which are pretty much NEMA sockets.  So have them wire in a dryer socket (30A) or a range socket (40A), then construct an adapter made with a dryer or range plug to your European socket. 
If you go out early on garbage day with a set of wire cutters, you can get the plug extra cheap.  ;)

--- End quote ---
They can't do it because it's against the NEC?   As in I cannot legally do it either because it's against code?

This might explain the drastic price difference between the sockets over in Europe and the same sockets that say they're rated for North America.   The European ones are around 4 to 7 of their funky dollars (the L / F pound thing).   But the North American ones that I've seen are usually 100$ USD +.

--- End quote ---

Depends on your local laws, rules and regulations about legality... In my area, I am allowed to make changes in my house to electrical circuits, but, if a fire developed from a mistake in my wiring, AND the insurance company found out, the house is not covered under the rules of insurance, so therefore, I just ate it...

Since you are not knowledgeable about wiring, pay the $100 for the outlet, wire it up to local codes/standards/components, pay the electrician and save yourself all that headache.

Just my 2 cents...

--- End quote ---
I will admit that I lack knowledge in the NEC, but running some 8 gauge wire isn't going to be an issue.   I don't usually play with 240VAC, but when I do, I've always wired it the way everyone else does.    I've just never seen a receptacle that expected one 240VAC line, one neutral, one ground.   I think I'll be alright.

And in my county, we have to get a permit before we begin work like this and have it inspected, so I know it'll be up to code, one way or another.   I'd rather just make sure I purchase the proper stuff and have a full understanding of what I'm doing before I continue.   For example, if I hadn't come here and purchased that double pole 20-amp breaker, that would have never have passed the inspection, I would have wasted money on the 12/2 or 12/3, and the breaker, and would have to start all over again.

Thank you for the concern though.

--- End quote ---

It is probably my fault for not being clear, but what I was getting at is that the electrician will not wire up your Euro plug, however, he will wire up a receptacle, up to code and where you want it, if you use the US 40 amp receptacle, and then you can create the adapter cable as Mr. Crowley says here:


--- Quote ---And then you have the option:
1) Get a matching "dryer cord" to plug into the electrician-installed outlet, and make an "adapter cable" to the special euro-connector.
2) Exchange the US receptacle for the euro-connector.

--- End quote ---

If you feel comfortable installing the standard US receptacle, no worries, you seemed confused about it in your posts. This gives you a standard US 220/240VAC receptacle power source that you might use for something else (if needed) using standard US plugs. You can make the adapter cable yourself to the Euro connector, which is fairly simple. I now understand your confusion about 240 VAC with neutral v. 220/240VAC with 2 wires. You seem to understand that now.

So then you would have a std US 220/240VAC receptacle, a std US plug on your adapter cable, the cable itself (probably SOOW style) to the Euro receptacle that plugs into your device.

Hope this helps...
Monkeh:
Why piss about with an adapter when you could just put the (in)appropriate plug on the cable?
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