On Thursday, December 23, 2004 10:59:07 AM UTC-8, Keith Carlson wrote:
I know I'm going to get the "DAGS" for this question, but I just came from
there, and I didn't see this specific information. Lots of debate about how
much current the neutral wire carries, though :-)

With a 3-wire circuit, is it okay to wire both 120V and 240V outlets on that
same circuit? I know it's *possible* by using the two hots for 240 and
either hot and neutral for 120, but is it recommended? Maybe this is the
main reason for this type of circuit, so I didn't see reference to it on
Google. Much of the discussion I read was on balancing the load, which could
imply using the 3-wire circuit with all 120V outlets.

I've got a dust collector coming soon, and the extra 6-7 continuous amps is
going to result in some frequent breaker trips when I start a saw or planer.
Looked at my electrical service, and found there's an unused double-pole 30A
breaker, feeding an unused dryer outlet (house had a gas dryer when I moved
in). That should give me the 2 hots for a 3-wire circuit.

My thought on this type of circuit is to wire one outlet at 240V (re-wire DC
motor to 220V), and the rest wired at 120V. With that 30A breaker and 10 AWG
wire, should have no problem handling the loads from a DC and air cleaner
running, and startup surge from another tool.

An electrician would be a good idea, too. Hopefully I can find someone
willing to consult with me; I can do the wiring myself.
But I'm hoping to get some idea if this is the way I want to go so I can
cost materials. Won't get an electrician or the inspector on the phone
until next week.

TIA