How do you wire a 220 volt circuit?

Answer 1

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 2

US NEC Usage: There should be four wires, red, black, white, and bare copper/ground. Depending on application, white might be missing. Red and black are hot, 115V to neutral, 230V between each other, white is neutral, and bare is ground which is also tied to neutral at the distribution panel. If you are connecting a true 230V load, you would use red, black, and ground, connecting red and black to the two "marked" or colored terminals, and ground to the green terminal as well as to the box. If you are connecting a split 115V/230V load, such as a range or dryer in a non mobile-home environment, you would connect red and black as stated, connect white to the neutral/ground pin, and connect ground to the box. Neutral and ground will also need to be connected within the appliance. In a split 115V/230V load, in a mobile home environment, you must keep all four conductors distinct, using a four wire box, so that appliance ground is maintained separately all the way back to the distribution box.

Answer 3

For the UK: You would require a consumer unit with three line busbars (one for each line input) instead of the one normally accessible in a consumer unit. The residential loads would then have to be balanced as well as possible between each of the lines and the neutral.

Answer 4

In the market place these days there is cable that is specifically to be used on 240 volts. It consists of two coloured conductors usually red and black along with a bare copper ground wire. This does not mean that the black and white cable can not be used, it just needs re-identifying.

If using the two coloured cable just connect one end to the two pole breaker in the distribution panel. The ground wire is terminated on the terminal ground strip in the back of the breaker panel. Connect the other end to the 240 volt load. Make sure that the cable is large enough to carry the load amperage.

For the black and white cable, connect the black wire to one pole of the breaker. Apply black electricians tape to the white wire to identify it as a current carrying conductor. This wire is then terminated into the second pole of the breaker. The ground wire is terminated on the terminal ground strip in the back of the breaker panel.

On the load end also identify the white wire with black tape before connecting it to the load. What this signifies to any one with electrical knowledge is that the white wire is not a neutral but carries load current. It is also an electrical code rule.