FMC1959
Well-known member
I moved into an old house 3 years ago and now redoing the kitchen. On one wall, there was a permanent heater 220v, which I removed; house heated by forced air furnace. The 220v box is there, where cupboards are going to go.
This house was built in the year 1900, most walls are layers of plank wood, not easy or at all possible at times to snake wire through walls. What I would like to do is raise the height on the 220v to over the counter height, not difficult, but want it to be 120v. The wire is a 3 wire + ground. Probably the most legal (or closest to legal) as to code would be to change the breaker to a 15 single pole and cap the red on each end.
Plan A - What I would prefer to do is keep the 2 pole 30 amp breaker. Split the white and ground and setup a 120v with the red (general counter outlet) and another 120v with the black (for a dedicated microwave outlet).
Pretty sure this would NOT be up to code. But in the real world, would this be a hazard or should it work fine?
Plan B - If the 2 pole 30 amp is a bad idea for the spilt 120v outlets, what about splitting at the box also? The white and ground, split at the box and each going to their own 15 amp single pole breaker, and each of these would receive, one the black and the other one the red. Both options are to avoid tearing up lots of wall to snake a 2nd wire/cable.
Plan B, I do not believe is up to code either, but aside from sharing the white and ground, the outlets would have their own dedicated breaker.
I do need at least two independent circuit outlets.
I would prefer plan a if it is not considered a fire or other kind of hazard. If Plan A is bad, then I will buy 2 15 amp single pole breakers and go plan B.
Of course if both ideas have their [serious] hazards, then I will have to (Plan C) run a 2nd cable for the 2nd outlet. (assuming that using the 220v wire with a capped red on each end , I can keep). Otherwise, God forbid, Plan D would be to run 2 cables [gasp!]
BTW - this house has all kind of electrical...nightmares?...where some outlets have no grounds, lots of old paper covered wiring, wrong colors...whites running out of the breaker, black going to the common/neutral bar. I am slowly trying to fix things as I go, but this house has lots of of work that needs to be done.
This house was built in the year 1900, most walls are layers of plank wood, not easy or at all possible at times to snake wire through walls. What I would like to do is raise the height on the 220v to over the counter height, not difficult, but want it to be 120v. The wire is a 3 wire + ground. Probably the most legal (or closest to legal) as to code would be to change the breaker to a 15 single pole and cap the red on each end.
Plan A - What I would prefer to do is keep the 2 pole 30 amp breaker. Split the white and ground and setup a 120v with the red (general counter outlet) and another 120v with the black (for a dedicated microwave outlet).
Pretty sure this would NOT be up to code. But in the real world, would this be a hazard or should it work fine?
Plan B - If the 2 pole 30 amp is a bad idea for the spilt 120v outlets, what about splitting at the box also? The white and ground, split at the box and each going to their own 15 amp single pole breaker, and each of these would receive, one the black and the other one the red. Both options are to avoid tearing up lots of wall to snake a 2nd wire/cable.
Plan B, I do not believe is up to code either, but aside from sharing the white and ground, the outlets would have their own dedicated breaker.
I do need at least two independent circuit outlets.
I would prefer plan a if it is not considered a fire or other kind of hazard. If Plan A is bad, then I will buy 2 15 amp single pole breakers and go plan B.
Of course if both ideas have their [serious] hazards, then I will have to (Plan C) run a 2nd cable for the 2nd outlet. (assuming that using the 220v wire with a capped red on each end , I can keep). Otherwise, God forbid, Plan D would be to run 2 cables [gasp!]
BTW - this house has all kind of electrical...nightmares?...where some outlets have no grounds, lots of old paper covered wiring, wrong colors...whites running out of the breaker, black going to the common/neutral bar. I am slowly trying to fix things as I go, but this house has lots of of work that needs to be done.