Help! - 220 Outlet - 3 wires vs 4 wire in box

[littlebritishcar]

I had a 220 outlet added to my garage several months ago and the electrician told me that he didn't put a receptacle in yet because different tools require different receptacle types and I could easily do that myself. No big deal. Fast forward and I just bought a heater which has a 220 three prong style cord similar to below.

So I purchased the #6-30 amp receptacle for it (see below) and the back has three screws intended for a green, a white, and a black wire. From what I gather the green should be the ground and the other two are 110 "hot" wires which add together to make 220. All is good until I take the cover off the box and find four wires and no green: one white, one black, one red, and a bare wire. What the heck do I do now? Is there a way to make the three wire receptacle work with these wires? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JSmiley]

The bare wire is your ground. Red and black are hot. and white is neutral. Some 220 units need the neutral (4 wire connector) to operate correctly.

You should be able to test this by turning on your 220 vac breaker and measuring volts ac across the the wires. Red to bare should = 110, black to bare = 110 and red to black = 220 vac. The fourth neutral wire is typically for anything requiring 120 vac to run a part of the machine. ie an electric stove that has a clock, etc.

 

[justsam]

The neutral (white) is not used in your case, as explained by JSmiley. Most 240 Volt garage tools will not use it. Your electrician did you a favor by running it there should you ever need to have a 120V in addition to the 240 Volt.

What British car do you have? My son has a vintage mini. I am your distant neighbor in Sonoma County in Penngrove, but I have a small Italian car, an Alfa GTV.

 

[littlebritishcar]

OK, so it looks like I just cap off the white wire and replace the green wire with the bare then put the black on one terminal and the red on the other?

Justsam, Littlebritishcar was a the name of a BLOG that I used to run but gave it up a few years ago. I have owned about a dozen British cars over the years but the classic Mini is my favorite. I hope to find another soon but I have several vintage scooter projects clogging up my garage at the moment.

Thanks to those who replied for help with the wiring. It will be nice to have a little heat in the garage!

By the way, this is the heater I got. I know that electric heaters are not the best but the reviews are great so I'm excited to get it going.

http://www.wayfair.com/Dr.-Infrared-Heater-Portable-Industrial-5-600-Watt-Compact-Electric-Space-Heater-with-Adjustable-Thermostat-DR988-DHQ1006.html?refid=TP49-DHQ1006

 

[Speedy Petey]

No one has asked yet; what size wire was run???
It MUST be at least #10 to be used with this 30A receptacle.

 

[sberry]

There is a lot of fuss and parked copper by including a white. As far as I cknow ranges and dryers are the only thing that uses it? I have a hard time thinking of anything that is multi v.

 

[justsam]

I have that same heater. My shop is about 1500 sq ft. and at best it does take the chill off a little, which is all I really need. Perhaps it is more a psychological thing than reality.

Only complaint is that it is a bit noisy. Best to elevate it somewhat and near to your work space.

Electric heat is very clean, just not the most economical!

 

[jnkpile]

"OK, so it looks like I just cap off the white wire and replace the green wire with the bare then put the black on one terminal and the red on the other...."

Yes.

Here's an example of a stove plug that would use the white wire

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I always run 4 wires on a 240v circuit. Never know in the future what might need to be connected.

By the way its 120v and 240v. 110v and 220v haven't been used for 40 or 50 years in most of the US.

 

[gsea]

I always run 4 wires on a 240v circuit. Never know in the future what might need to be connected.

By the way its 120v and 240v. 110v and 220v haven't been used for 40 or 50 years in most of the US.

I also see 125/250V and 115/230V listed on a lot of device labels these days. As far as I understand its mostly just nomenclature and they all mean the same thing, but I don't get why we aren't consistent.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

125/250 is the MAXIMUM voltage rating of the device. You see this on plugs and female cord connectors, receptacles, etc.

115/230 is the nominal rating that most equipment is rated to. Its half way between the old voltages used in the first half of the 20th century, and the higher voltages used since then (mostly to enable the power companies to use smaller cables.

the 120/240 is what the power companies usually give you at the meter. I usually see 121 and 242.

 

[Jeff95TA]

Yeah 220, 221, whatever it takes.

 

[Mdsune]

Actually the white neutral should be wired to the outlet and the bare ground to the ground screw on the box if it's a metal box.


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[Alchymist]

I had a 220 outlet added to my garage several months ago and the electrician told me that he didn't put a receptacle in yet because different tools require different receptacle types and I could easily do that myself. No big deal. Fast forward and I just bought a heater which has a 220 three prong style cord similar to below.

So I purchased the #6-30 amp receptacle for it (see below) and the back has three screws intended for a green, a white, and a black wire. From what I gather the green should be the ground and the other two are 110 "hot" wires which add together to make 220. All is good until I take the cover off the box and find four wires and no green: one white, one black, one red, and a bare wire. What the heck do I do now? Is there a way to make the three wire receptacle work with these wires? Any help would be appreciated.

Actually the white neutral should be wired to the outlet and the bare ground to the ground screw on the box if it's a metal box.


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Not in this case - red and black to the two flat lugs, copper ground to the U shaped lug. White gets capped. Depending on the outlet, coppr to box if metal as well as U shaped lug.

 

[blk99camaro]

Great little heater, I've had mine for about two months now and love it

 

[sberry]

Actually the white neutral should be wired to the outlet and the bare ground to the ground screw on the box if it's a metal box.


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The ground should be to the outlet and the box if the outlet is mounted in a cover.

 

[Speedy Petey]

Actually the white neutral should be wired to the outlet and the bare ground to the ground screw on the box if it's a metal box.

You do realize this is a straight 240V receptacle being installed?

 

[sberry]

If it went to a service main it would in most cases simply be an insulated ground, both it and the ground wire would be at the same potential and in a metal box would be bonded thru the device. From a 4 wire fed system there might be a couple other possible issues, obviously not fatal in most case,,,, hahahaha People have them wired wrong for decades.