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How can you run a 240V supply into your home when the circuit breaker is 120V? |
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Answer for USA, Canada and countries using similar 60Hz mains supplies
Maybe you didn't know it but in USA 240v comes into your home even though most of your stuff is 120v. I say most because your clothes dryer for one, if you have one, most likely runs on 240v. The answer to your question is that 2 legs (power lines) come into your house. One leg is colored Black, the other is Red.
Each leg is 120v to common (ground). The voltage is AC (Alternating Current) so it is always going from +120v to -120v on each leg. But at opposite times, so that at some point in the cycle one leg is +120v while the other leg is -120v. And if you measure the voltage difference between +120v and -120v you get 240v.
Ok, the US wiring system works like this: to turn on your lights you switch into one leg, the current goes through your wiring to your lights and back to common. But your dryer switches into one leg and returns the current to the other leg. If you look in your breaker box you see breakers on both sides. Those are the 2 legs. In the middle is the common. It goes to ground. Your dryer is connected to a big breaker that taps into both Black and Red.
IF YOU NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND always use a meter or voltage indicator to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Martinel. Contributor trust: 143 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 61 [recommend question]
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