Adding a 220V Outlet Box

[Chris Tsutsui]

I have a Leviton electrical socket (not built into a wall) that's meant for electric dryers in my garage workshop. I attached a picture of the dryer outlet type. I measured 252 volts from this socket. This socket is just mounted to a ceiling joist with a zip tie and the metal conduit and black plastic outlet box is fully exposed.

I want to convert that into a box that has at least two 220V sockets (With one of the fins turned horizontal) This way I can plug in 220V woodworking machinery into it such as a 220V DC or saw, etc.

I was wondering if I should buy an electrical box for the new 220V outlets, mount it to the wall and have the box switched so I can turn it off for safety purposes.

I'm just not sure what I need to buy in terms of the outlet types I should use, and the type of box/switch that would be safe. I'm open to suggestions as well.

[James Williams 007]

Just take that outlet out and put in the correct 220 outlet for the tool you plan to plug into it. I like the twist lock type outlets you can get from the Borg. On the idea of putting two in on the same breaker I have done it but make sure that the two tools you plan on plugging in to those outlets will never run at the same time. I have my DC on its own breaker because it runs constantly but my planer and jointer are on the same breaker. I hope I understood the question and gave a sufficient answer. Good luck!

[Chris Padilla]

Do you want to change this permanently or do something more temporary? In other words, do you own your home...rent...gonna be there a while...leaving in a year? Do you want to return this to as it was once you leave? Would the current state even pass code if you needed it to?

There's lottsa ways to skin this cat. You could make a double-gang, 2 240 V recepticle outlet/box no problem...just buy the electrical box and receptacles. Since this is for a dryer, it is likely 30 A so you'll want 240V/30A recepticles. Personly, I'd go with the L6-30 (these are twist lock, 240V/30A recepticles) and you'll need matching plugs, of course.

Do you have any pics of the actual installation right now? It might help us to help you better.

What about putting in a sub-panel? That will give you even more options.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I own the home and plan on living here at least 5 years so I'm looking to do something permanent.

The installation as it is now is very jerry rigged. (not my fault)

The previous home owner added a flexible conduit to the gas dryer outlet and moved it up inside the drywall to the ceiling of the attic and zip tied the black box to a rafter. I'm not at home so can't show a pic just yet.

The breaker on this dryer outlet is 30A.

I have to move the flexible conduit and drop the outlet back down so that I can reach it without a ladder.

Then I like the idea of a double gang twist lock receptacle.

As far as Subpanel goes. I'm not to familiar with that... Is that just adding a box with breakers that go to new outlets? It would be nice to add another 120V outlet to the garage because as of now, the lights dim when I use the chop saw cause it shares the same line as my flourescent lighting.

I'm hoping that I can get this all handled with less than $100 and a trip or two to the big box store.

[Rod Sheridan]

Chris, hopefully the terminal labled "neutral" is actually a ground wire.

You should verify this...............Rod.

[Chris Padilla]

Good point, Rod. Chris, being a dryer outlet, there should be 4 wires in this box: red (or black), black, white, and a green or bare copper wire. Electric dryers always have a 120 V light bulb in them and hence the reason a white neutral is often in the mix of wires. The wire should also be #10 or 10 gauge.

Get us some pics of the overall situation and we'll help you best we can.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Dryer outlets used not be required to have a separate neutral. You could downsize the breaker to a 20 amp, two pole, and use 20 amp recpt. instead. You might have to use a "pig tail' wire nutted on to get into recpt. though. Make sure you use wire nuts rated for aluminum if wire is aluminum.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Good point, Rod. Chris, being a dryer outlet, there should be 4 wires in this box: red (or black), black, white, and a green or bare copper wire. Electric dryers always have a 120 V light bulb in them and hence the reason a white neutral is often in the mix of wires. The wire should also be #10 or 10 gauge.

Get us some pics of the overall situation and we'll help you best we can.

I haven't fussed with my dryer and stove outlets in years, but wouldn't that require 4 sockets on the connect (1-red, 2-black, 3-white, 4-green)? The picture only shows 3 (red, black, green; hopefully). Maybe there's no light in the dryer (there isn't in mine). When I installed the L6-20 for the bandsaw and jointer, I had three wires white/black, black, and ground.

[Robert Payne]

The "norm" for the dryer outlet you have is a 30-amp breaker and I would replace it with one or two L6-30R receptacles for twist lock cord plugins. Since you didn't specify the amperage requirements for any tools you are going to plug in to the receptacle, the receptacle(s) should match the amperage of the breaker until you make any changes. If you know you will use 20-amp tools, replace the breaker with a 20-amp breaker and use L6-20R receptacles. If you had a 20-amp tool and a 30-amp tool, then you could put one of each receptacle sizes but keep the 30-amp breaker. Obviously, power cords to the tools need to have the appropriate plug and the wire should be the correct size (I'd use 10 AWG).

Recognize that if you do connect two tools to the circuit, you cannot run both at the same time as the breaker will pop with any overload. In a one man shop, that is not usually a problem. My .02 (and the usual disclaimer as I am not an electrician).

[Tom Veatch]

... If you had a 20-amp tool and a 30-amp tool, then you could put one of each receptacle sizes but keep the 30-amp breaker...

Negative! If you have a 30amp breaker, you can only have 30amp receptacles on the circuit. The plug for the 20 amp tool would have to be replaced with a 30 amp plug.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I turned off the 30A breaker before opening this outlet.

At my home's breaker box there are two 30A breakers attached to one switch, so when I flip the switch, both of the 30A breakers turn off. (I don't know what this means cause there's only one plug...

I attached a picture. It appears I've only got 3 wires. Red, Black and white.. What's confusing is I don't have a "green" so I'm guessing WHITE is my common because the multimeter reads 245V or so between the black and red. Then if I connect the white with either black or red then I get 120V.

So it should be fairly straight forward to convert this into a metal box that I can mount against the wall.

I guess I'll go with twist lock connectors. Two outlets for two 220V machines I can keep plugged in.

Based on amperage draw I may only be able to operate one at a time.

I'm pretty sure that I just want my bandsaw which is 11amps (Asks for 15a breaker) Then a Dust Collector that's about 2HP or less. Ideally I want to run these at the same time.

Though my DC will run at the same time as my other machines that are all on 120V.

[Rob Russell]

This is one of those things where electrically it may be OK, even though the conductor has white insulation. If it is OK, it would be appropriate to reidentify the white conductor to signify that it's being used as an equipment grounding conductor (EGC). That reidentification can be done a couple of ways - get some green electrical tape and wrap it or use a green marker and color. The green tape is reversible. Anyway, a couple of questions:

• Is the panelboard where this circuit originates the main panelboard? If it's a subpanel, then you need to move the white conductor to the EGC buss in that subpanel and reidentify it.
• If it is the main panelboard, is that where your neutral and EGCs are bonded/tied together? You can tell that by pulling the cover to the main panelboard and looking at how it's wired.
  
  • If the main panelboard is fed by 3 wires from the meter and there is a separate wire that runs to your ground rods, then the main panelboard is where your "bonding" occurs. All you would need to do is reidentify that white conductor to green.
  • If your main panelboard is fed by 4 wires from the meter, then the neutral in your panelboard is floating. As with the subpanel above, you would need to move the white conductor to the EGC buss and reidentify it.

I hope I didn't make this too confusing.

[Rollie Meyers]

If that flex conduit goes all the way back to the panel it is NOT OK to re identify the insulation of the wire & if it's in excess of 6 feet in length the flex is not suitable for use as a grounding conductor.

[Rob Russell]

If that flex conduit goes all the way back to the panel it is NOT OK to re identify the insulation of the wire & if it's in excess of 6 feet in length the flex is not suitable for use as a grounding conductor.

Why do you say that? What code section would prevent reidentification of the neutral to be an EGC?

[Rick Christopherson]

Rob, I don't have the citation in front of me, but he is correct. You cannot re-identify any other conductor to be the ground. That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it in the same situation, but it nevertheless is not permitted.