0
The 240 volt service to your home feeds from the output from a transformer that is somewhere nearby. The transformer has what is called a "center tap", meaning that one half of the output feeds one side of the 120 service and the other half of the output feeds the other side.
Together, the two halves of the transformer output gives you the 240 volts that you have available.
Technically, a single breaker could be used to detect an over-current condition, but that would leave the other side of a circuit live, resulting in a serious electrocution hazard.
Safety standards require that both halves of a 240V circuit be protected using a ganged breaker; when one side trips, they both shut off resulting in a safer environment for you.
Electrical panel layout
On a electrical panel boards the wiring numbers go from left to right, top to bottom. There are 2 hot legs coming into the panel. L1 and L2. Breakers on L1 are 1,2,5,6,9,10. Breakers on L2 are 3,4,7,8,11,12. This is a 12 circuit board. This configuration allows every two adjacent breakers to connect to 240 volts. Example 1 and 3, 3 and 5, 5 and 7, 7 and 9, 9 and 11. Same with the even number side. So you see that a two pole breaker connects across the two hot legs L1 and L2 no matter where it is on the panel board. Any of these breakers on a panel board to the neutral will give you 120 volts no matter if the supply leg is L1 or L2. Just remember L1 to Neutral equals 120 volts, L2 to Neutral equals 120 volts, L1 to L2 equals 240 volts. The amperage of a breaker is a limit of the amount of amperage it will allow to pass before it will trip. The wire has to be the right size for the breaker. Under sized wire will heat up if more current is applied to it that its rating will allow.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why am I only getting 120 volts from a 30 amp breaker that should be feeding 220 volts?
I assume you have a 30 amp two pole 220 volts breaker. Check the voltage source. If the source voltage is 220V, but out let voltage is 120 then the breaker must be faulty, a high resistance or partial open circuit could have caused the reduced voltage at the breaker outlet.
How many 110 volts can be ran on one breaker?
One breaker in the North American electrical system will supply 110 volts. Two adjacent tied breakers will produce 220 volts.
Can a 220 VAC breaker be single pole or does it have to always be a double pole breaker?
U.S. 240 VAC breakers are always double pole since they are protecting two legs of the circuit.
How does a 20 amp double pole work?
Two pole what? Switch, breaker? 2 pole does just that. Either switches two separate sources like different legs of a 220 volt circuit or switches both the hot and neutral in a 120 volt circuit or plus and minus in a 12 volt circuit or a two pole breaker takes 2 separate 120v legs in a home breaker panel. Each leg of 120 volt breaker panel is 120 volts to ground and 240 volts between them. The electricity entering your house looks like a sine wave with each leg being 180 degrees out of phase from the other. The double pole breaker takes each separate leg to the device it is powering and provides 240 volts.
How many amp breaker is needed for 4000 watts at 220 volts?
The equation that you are looking for is I = W/E. Amps = Watts / Volts.
What kind of breaker would you use for a 220 hook up?
In North America a two pole breaker will be used in the distribution panel for a supply of 240 volts for a 240 volt load.
Can you run a double pole 30 amp breaker to two 110 recepticles?
No, A double pole breaker is going to give you 220 volts. 220 Volts is too much voltage for a 110 Volt outlet to handle. == Answer== Better to pull the duplex 30a and install to single-pole 20a breakers...if one kicks out, you will know which side the problem's on. And there's no problem with running a 20a circuit over 10awg wire.
Why am I only getting 120 volts from a 30 amp breaker that should be feeding 220 volts?
I assume you have a 30 amp two pole 220 volts breaker. Check the voltage source. If the source voltage is 220V, but out let voltage is 120 then the breaker must be faulty, a high resistance or partial open circuit could have caused the reduced voltage at the breaker outlet.
How many 110 volts can be ran on one breaker?
One breaker in the North American electrical system will supply 110 volts. Two adjacent tied breakers will produce 220 volts.
Will a 4500 watt element work at all or just trip a 20amp breaker?
A 4500 watt element will work on a 20 amp breaker if it operates at 220 volts or less. It will simply trip the breaker if the load is greater than 20 amps at 220 volts.
Can a 220 VAC breaker be single pole or does it have to always be a double pole breaker?
U.S. 240 VAC breakers are always double pole since they are protecting two legs of the circuit.
How do you hook up a water heater with red black and white wires?
Sounds like it is a 220-240 Volt hot water heater. The black and red are connected to the 220 volts supply and the white is connected to Neutral. At the breaker panel red and black connect to the 2-pole 220 volt breaker and white goes to the neutral bus bar.
What does it mean when you have two 30 amp breakers linked together?
Two single-pole 30 amp breakers tied together make a two-pole 30 amp breaker. From this you can power a device that requires 220-240 volts, typically.
How does a 20 amp double pole work?
Two pole what? Switch, breaker? 2 pole does just that. Either switches two separate sources like different legs of a 220 volt circuit or switches both the hot and neutral in a 120 volt circuit or plus and minus in a 12 volt circuit or a two pole breaker takes 2 separate 120v legs in a home breaker panel. Each leg of 120 volt breaker panel is 120 volts to ground and 240 volts between them. The electricity entering your house looks like a sine wave with each leg being 180 degrees out of phase from the other. The double pole breaker takes each separate leg to the device it is powering and provides 240 volts.
How many amp breaker is needed for 4000 watts at 220 volts?
The equation that you are looking for is I = W/E. Amps = Watts / Volts.
Do you split wattage on 2 pole breaker?
If the load is rated 220 or 230 or 240 volts (all the same thing), and specifies a wattage rating, that wattage rating is at the double pole voltage. You wouldn't make any adjustments to it. The load should also indicate the input current in Amps, which is used for sizing your breaker. If not, watts=amps x volts, so amps=watts/volts. For example, a 3800 Watt heater at 240v would require 15.83 amps. The breaker for this circuit would be 125 percent of that (safety factor), or 20 amps, 2 pole.
Do electric dryers require a 220 v plug?
They usually operate at 220 to 240 volts with a 30 amp breaker. So the answer is yes.
