Recent content by ajaynejr

You can still call it 220 but remember that 220 volts versus three phase 208 volts remains a non-trivial difference and equipment meant for one cannot be used on the other unless intended for such usage perhgaps as evidenced by labeling. While you may get differing phase to neutral voltages...

Run one ground sized for the largest of the (four) hot conductors. You must run two whites for four 120 volt hot conductors where the four are set up as two multiwire branch aka 120/240 volt circuits. For MWBC's one white serves no more than one breakered hot wire on each of the hot legs of...

I say use #6 copper wire for 60 amps @ 240 volts or two allotments of 60 amps @ 120 volts. This will enhance the resale value of the house if the next owner wants to use the garage for his workshop. (The 4'th wire for ground can be #10.)

When too many amperes are passed through a wire, the wire overheats. Overheating is in terms of calories per inch, not calories for the entire length of wire. For a given kind of wire, a short length will overheat its insulation for a given number of amperes the same amount as a long length. It...

Probably will not affect the power in your shop. Any more than a large appliance such as an air conditioner coming on in the building across thes street. If they put out five street lights, chance are they tapped into a circuit dedicated to street lighting and blew a breaker or fuse.

Does the water heater still work when the plug in unit is put back? Are there spaces for fuses (each about the size of an AA battery)? Have you measured voltage between ground and the slots (measure one at a time) where the plug in unit fits in? While I asked you to measure voltage to ground...

The minimum feeder would be a 12-2 cable breakered at 20 amps or a 10-2 cable breakered at 30 amps using a double wide breaker pair providing the 240 volts. No breaker box needed. The compressor instructions will give a maximum circuit rating to be used and also the startup current draw, it is...

An ordinary surge protector will not protect against this problem which is a continuous as opposed to momentary overvoltage. You would need some kind of arc resisting high voltage sensor connected to a battery power activated or spring loaded shutoff switch to cut all power to your house...

I would say that the first thing to deal with is an expansion tank. If you already have one (typically above the water heater) see that it is calibrated (pressurized) adequately. If you don't know how to calibrate it, emptying it of all water and putting it back should be a good starting point...

Mount the sensor to best get the outdoor air temperature, for example on the north side of the house and not in direct sunlight. Typically there is one sensor that merely prevents any of the thermostats from calling for heat or that prevents the circulator pump in a FHW system from coming on...

IT would probably be unsafe to reconnect the services of the affected houses. The panel would need to be inspected for usability. If the panel was okay all of the branch circuit leads could be removed from their breakers and as the various branch circuits were rewired or found to still be good...

Primary -- The medium tension lines at the top of street utility poles, may range from 2400 (older installations) to 20000 volts to ground, most commonly around 7000-8000 volts. They can run several miles to a substation where the high tension lines on much taller poles come in. Secondary --...

Yes you can run 14-2 from the junction box to your dimmer switch. YOu should use the kind with red/black wires and the dimmer switch must be the kind with just two terminals. You could then run 14-2 (white/black) from the junction box to other things, lights, switches, etc. Match the colors with...

If the primary came down on the secondary there is a good chance the transformer will also burn up. In the houses the hot can arc to neutral and/or ground, right through the insulation of the various wires possibly in the panel, possibly everywhere in the walls of the house where cables run...