Strange Electrical Issue

[Gaffer]

Is your 8 guage wire copper or aluminum? It needs to be #6 copper or #4 aluminum. What you really need is an IBEW electrician.

 

[kakampers]

Is your 8 guage wire copper or aluminum? It needs to be #6 copper or #4 aluminum. What you really need is an IBEW electrician.

We had a licensed electrician...he wired it single phase, not double. We just got the breakers we needed to fix it...we're good to go. Both AC's on and L1 is at 119, L2 is at 121....

 

[jnbhobe]

I had a strange feeling it was wired to one side of the box

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[kakampers]

I had a strange feeling it was wired to one side of the box

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We felt certain after talking with this guy he understood we needed two phase....we had seperate 50 amp breakers, but until we actully pulled them out, after testing and getting 0 across one and two, then saw they were both on the same buss....I swear, we should have just done it ourselves...

 

[mlpeloquin]

The run from the house panel is maybe 30-35 feet to the 50 amp receptacle...he used 8 gauge wire. It's a solid run of cable, no splices inside a conduit. DH has check all connections from the breaker to the receptacle...all connections are tight. Haven't tried new breakers yet...

The maximum current for 8 gauge house wire is 40 amps. To meet code and be safe, you need 40 amp breakers or 6 gauge wire. You are not per code and are unsafe with 50 amp breakers. Your electrician did not do a proper job with the breaker and the gauge wire used. 50 amps at 35 feet through 8 gauge wire drops 55 watts per leg.

https://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/romex-size-and-amp-ratings-information

 

[Gaffer]

You say circuit breakers. It needs to be a single two pole breaker, not two single pole breakers. You need to call the electrical contractor and have him correct it. Threaten with an inspection if needed. Was there a permit?

 

[wdk450]

The maximum current for 8 gauge house wire is 40 amps. To meet code and be safe, you need 40 amp breakers or 6 gauge wire. You are not per code and are unsafe with 50 amp breakers. Your electrician did not do a proper job with the breaker and the gauge wire used. 50 amps at 35 feet through 8 gauge wire drops 55 watts per leg.

https://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/romex-size-and-amp-ratings-information

You know maybe this explains the "50 amp" sites at Thousand Trails Lake of the Springs (East of Marysville, Ca.) THAT HAD 40 AMP BREAKERS on them.

 

[kakampers]

You say circuit breakers. It needs to be a single two pole breaker, not two single pole breakers. You need to call the electrical contractor and have him correct it. Threaten with an inspection if needed. Was there a permit?

He had two single poles put together, but they set seperately...it is now a single, two pole breaker. We corrected it...should have done it ourselves to begin with.

 

[kakampers]

You know maybe this explains the "50 amp" sites at Thousand Trails Lake of the Springs (East of Marysville, Ca.) THAT HAD 40 AMP BREAKERS on them.

Looking for paperwork to verify what gauge wire was purchased....will deal with that issue when we know for sure...

 

[avvidclif]

Sounds like a refund on the work done is in order. Wrong wire (if 8ga), wrong breaker = check his license time.

 

[danemayer]

He had two single poles put together, but they set seperately...it is now a single, two pole breaker. We corrected it...should have done it ourselves to begin with.

The issue isn't that there were separate breakers. The house breaker panel has two power legs. Each 50 amp breaker needs to be on a different leg in the panel. That's how 240V is delivered. Usually, that's as easy as putting the breakers next to each other. When that's done correctly, measuring across L1 to L2 at the receptacle will show 240V.

Having the 2 breakers tied together is also usually done, but that's so that either one tripping will shut both off. It doesn't affect how power is delivered.

There's a lot of confusion about RV receptacles, but for a 50 amp receptacle, the wiring and receptacle are exactly the same as if you had said you wanted to put a 2nd oven in the house. The electrician would have used the same receptacle and would wire it the same way - for 240V. The RV 50 amp receptacle is wired for 240V even though inside the trailer everything is 120V. (Side note: 30 amp RV receptacles are completely different from 30 amp household receptacles.)

I'm not a licensed electrician, but in conduit, on a 50 foot run, depending on what wire type was used, 8 gauge may meet code. So I'd advise proceeding cautiously with the electrician about his work.

 

[kakampers]

The issue isn't that there were separate breakers. The house breaker panel has two power legs. Each 50 amp breaker needs to be on a different leg in the panel. That's how 240V is delivered. Usually, that's as easy as putting the breakers next to each other. When that's done correctly, measuring across L1 to L2 at the receptacle will show 240V.

Having the 2 breakers tied together is also usually done, but that's so that either one tripping will shut both off. It doesn't affect how power is delivered.

There's a lot of confusion about RV receptacles, but for a 50 amp receptacle, the wiring and receptacle are exactly the same as if you had said you wanted to put a 2nd oven in the house. The electrician would have used the same receptacle and would wire it the same way - for 240V. The RV 50 amp receptacle is wired for 240V even though inside the trailer everything is 120V. (Side note: 30 amp RV receptacles are completely different from 30 amp household receptacles.)

I'm not a licensed electrician, but in conduit, on a 50 foot run, depending on what wire type was used, 8 gauge may meet code. So I'd advise proceeding cautiously with the electrician about his work.

We are aware....we thought the double pole he installed was on seperate legs, but they weren't, because, as you stated double poles are what's usually done. When we removed what he installed we saw that it was two 50's, that had to be tripped seperately, but with only one blade connection to the buss. The double pole we installed is now on seperate legs, when one side trips it will trip the other, and it has two separate blade connections allowing us to use seperate buss connections... giving us the correct power...

Thanks for pushing us to look closer...wish we'd have done so when he installed it. As I said before, we should have done it ourselves...we ended up doing it anyway...

 

[mlpeloquin]

The issue isn't that there were separate breakers. The house breaker panel has two power legs. Each 50 amp breaker needs to be on a different leg in the panel. That's how 240V is delivered. Usually, that's as easy as putting the breakers next to each other. When that's done correctly, measuring across L1 to L2 at the receptacle will show 240V.

Having the 2 breakers tied together is also usually done, but that's so that either one tripping will shut both off. It doesn't affect how power is delivered.

There's a lot of confusion about RV receptacles, but for a 50 amp receptacle, the wiring and receptacle are exactly the same as if you had said you wanted to put a 2nd oven in the house. The electrician would have used the same receptacle and would wire it the same way - for 240V. The RV 50 amp receptacle is wired for 240V even though inside the trailer everything is 120V. (Side note: 30 amp RV receptacles are completely different from 30 amp household receptacles.)

I'm not a licensed electrician, but in conduit, on a 50 foot run, depending on what wire type was used, 8 gauge may meet code. So I'd advise proceeding cautiously with the electrician about his work.

I for got about single wires pull through conduit, but is uncommon in residential installations. It does occur when routed externally to the house. "If the wire is jacketed" should have been added to my previous statement. Never seen it done in an attic run.

 

[kakampers]

I for got about single wires pull through conduit, but is uncommon in residential installations. It does occur when routed externally to the house. "If the wire is jacketed" should have been added to my previous statement. Never seen it done in an attic run.

It is single wires through conduit, run from the panel box, which is actually outside on this house...this is an old house.

 

[danemayer]

Ken,

After this and your experience at the fairgrounds, maybe you should let Kathy take a turn at handling the electric from here on.

 

[kakampers]

Ken,

After this and your experience at the fairgrounds, maybe you should let Kathy take a turn at handling the electric from here on.

LOL....he's not smiling Dan....