wiring a outlet

[bobbyb]

wiring a outlet-update

I have a 30 amp outlet that I need to hook up and was wondering if it matters which side the black and white wires are on? It has 3 hook ups on the back with no indication as to what wire goes where. I can figure out the ground, but was wondering about the rest. The plug looks like this -.- if it helps. Its for a wall/window mount heat/ac unit.

 

[klhitman]

I was taught black on brass and white on silver with green on ground

 

[east_tn_emc]

Slow down there bobbyb. Is that a 30-amp 220-volt outlet? You should be looking at a BLACK and a RED wire as well as a WHITE wire. For a 220-v outlet WITH ground, you would need 4 prongs. You would get 220v across the black and red wire, ASSUMING it is wired into the circuit-breaker correctly.

 

[MrMark]

240 volt outlet only has 3 connections. Ground and two hots. Polarity is not an issue.

a dual voltage outlet - 120/240 - for a wall over, for example, has 4 connections, a neutral to make the 120 volts, and two hots, and a ground.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have a 30 amp outlet that I need to hook up and was wondering if it matters which side the black and white wires are on? It has 3 hook ups on the back with no indication as to what wire goes where. I can figure out the ground, but was wondering about the rest. The plug looks like this -.- if it helps. Its for a wall/window mount heat/ac unit.

Are you pulling new wire for this installation? If so, take a red marker and color the ends of that white wire red (assuming you are using Romex sheathed cable)

Beyond that, it doesn't matter which of the flat blade terminals gets which wire, just hook the ground to the D shaped ground pin. No neutral needed.

Charles

 

[lametec]

You can also wrap the ends of the white wire with red or black electrical tape. This so that the next person to deal with your wiring doesn't assume white is neutral. Make sure you mark it both in the receptacle and the load center.

 

[bobbyb]

Thanks for the info guys, I thought I should add some more info. Its a 230v 30 amp plug and the outlet that fits it doesn't have a brass screw and a silver one, thier both the same. So I'm assuming it doesn't matter which side it goes on. It is new installation and I'm using 10/2 romex wire. I could wait till Monday and ask the electrician at work. I just thought I could get it hooked up over the holidays and get some heat going.

 

[nehog]

You can also wrap the ends of the white wire with red or black electrical tape. This so that the next person to deal with your wiring doesn't assume white is neutral. Make sure you mark it both in the receptacle and the load center.

(cheap) plastic electrical tape has a nasty habit of falling off in a year or two, so I don't use it for this purpose. I use a felt-tip marking pen (red or black as appropriate) which won't fall off leaving someone to wonder "what's up with this wire?"

 

[mrb]

reidentifying the white conductor isnt something you 'can' do, its something you have to do. If you use decent tape (3M 35) thats ok, or you can use a paint pen or marker.

both screws on your receptacle are brass color because theyre both hot. Silver is used on neutral only to designate white. (which you dont have, even though you have a white wire in your cable its not being used as such)

 

[bobbyb]

I found a pic......

 

[ishiboo]

Thanks for the info guys, I thought I should add some more info. Its a 230v 30 amp plug and the outlet that fits it doesn't have a brass screw and a silver one, thier both the same. So I'm assuming it doesn't matter which side it goes on. It is new installation and I'm using 10/2 romex wire. I could wait till Monday and ask the electrician at work. I just thought I could get it hooked up over the holidays and get some heat going.

Both are "hot" so it does not matter which goes where. You do need to get the ground in the correct spot of course

As previous posters mentioned, make sure both are labeled as such (via color), and you'll need a double breaker in the box with each hot going to a side of it.

 

[klhitman]

Sorry I just figured that it was 120

 

[v7guy]

when I did mine (50A, same idea) wrapped the white with some 3M red tape... showing it's hot and popped it together.

 

[bobbyb]

UPDATE: If anyone was wondering? I got everything hooked up and the heat a/c unit mounted in the wall. Its a balmy 55 degees.................so far. Thanks guys.