Does 20A + 20A= 40A?

[Mike F]

I realize this is a really basic question, but for the life of me I cannot find the answer. If I have 2 hot wires, each coming off a separate 20A single pole breaker, and run them to a 220V receptacle (with a ground of course), do I in fact have a 40A circuit? Logic tells me no, but I need to wire a line for my compressor and need 40A circuit. I know the beter way is to get a 40A double pole breaker, but for temporary use I was going to disconnect my pool equipment lines and "borrow" the breakers until it gets warmer and can run some underground conduit and wire out to the garage for a new 90A panel. Currently the pool pumps are run 220V with these 2 breakers.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

It would take two 40 amp, circuits, ON OPPOSING SIDES OF THE INCOMING power, to yield a 40 amp 240v circuit. Also, the two breakers must be ganged together as a common trip in order to legally and safely use them as a 240 volt circuit.

So the answer to your question is to don't even think about attempting to string together a 240v circuit without having the proper feed to it.

If your pool pump it 220v (actually 240v) and it is being fed off of two individual, single pole breakers, then you have a dangerous and illegal installation for it also. This should be one single common trip double pole breaker, and for a pool, should be a GFCI breaker.

Charles

 

[bmwpower]

If you're going to "borrow" the breakers, does that mean you're going to have an extension cord coming out of the panel running to your compressor?

 

[rockwithjason]

To answer your question, no 20+20 is not equal to 40.

 

[Mike F]

I suppose I have some work to do to fix things up properly. When I moved into the house, all the pool wiring was in place. An electrician's sticker is on the inside of the box but I guess he didn't know what he was doing( then again neither do I, but I am not a professional getting paid to know! ). To answer the extension cord question-no. What I have done to run my jointer or tablesaw, (both 220V) was to run conduit with 10-3 wire from a receptacle to the subpanel. During the winter I would take off the wires running to the pool pumps from the breaker and attach the wires from the receptacle.

 

[EricVonHa]

Let's test it... I'll bring the chicken for a good deep frying in that pool!