View Single Post
  #17   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
Ralph Mowery Ralph Mowery is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,228
Default Why are motors not current limited?

In article ,
says...

I do have a couple of sockets wired so each outlet of the double outlet
are connected to each side of a 240 volt line. The reason is it is next
to a 240 volt socket that feeds that 120 volt one. I did that for my
ham radio station so I can run an amplifier on 240 volts. I also have a
120 volt amplifier that draws lots of current so when using it, I have
heaver wire. That is one place where your system of everything on a 240
volt line would have been handy.


That (Edison circuit) isn't cricket. You can't guarantee the neutral
current is within spec. I have 220V outlets wired with normal 12/2
(with white wire painted red) but a shared neutral between two 120V
circuits on opposite legs of the 240V isn't legit.


No reason I see that isn't just as sound as any other Edison circuit,
as long as the breaker is sized for the conductors. If he has 12 gauge
wiring, with a 20 amp double breaker, the neutral current will not
exceed 20 amps.



I don't know the code for the above. However I used a cable with a red,
black, white, green. Not sure about the green, but the other 3 wires
are all # 12. The breaker with one handle is 20 amps. All wires that
will normally carry current are the same size. In any case the neutral
wire can only have 20 amps or less on it as supplied by the black or red
before the breaker trips. It will have less if both of the 120 volt
sockets are used. That is the only 120 volt receptical on the wire. It
is in parallel with a 240 volt socket.