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Is the receptacle a 110 or a 220 outlet? If it's a 110, it needs to be a 220. Are there other appliances, lights, etc. wired on the same outlet? If so, you may have to re-wire so that no other appliances, lights, etc. are wired into the same breaker. Usually the larger appliances such as air conditioners, central heat systems are wired to a separate breaker or fuse.

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Q: Why would plugging in an AC unit in a wall receptacle cause the fuse to blow or breaker to trip?
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How can you determine if you have 110 or 220 volts?

Most residential service in USA has both. In the USA 110 to 120 volts is a given and it would be very unusual not to have 220 to 240 volts. It can be easily tested at main panel with a volt meter. Or as an alternative call your power company.


240v nema6-50r outlet wired with 6 gauge wire and 50 amp breaker you need to run a heater with a nema 6-30p can you simply put a 30 amp receptical in place of the 50 amp receptical?

Not legally because the rating of the 30 amp receptacle would have a 50 amp breaker ahead of it. If you reduced the feed breaker to 30 amps and still use the #6 wire, this would be within the electrical code rules.


Why do two circuit breakers control the same circuit 120 volts on all devices in circuit?

Circuit breakers are like fuses that you can reset. There is no need for two though because they do the same job as one, which is to open the circuit as soon as the voltage that is being called for by all the devices becomes greater than the 120v you mentioned. <<>> It sounds to me like you are talking about a three wire split receptacle On kitchen counter plugs and sometimes other locations the electrical code requires that split receptacles be installed. This request came about by people trying to plug too many appliances into one 15 amp circuit. The circuit not being able to carry the load and constantly tripping the breaker. On a split receptacle the tie bar is removed on the hot side (brass) of the receptacle but not on the neutral (silver) side. The red wire is connected to the top brass screw, the black wire is connected to the bottom brass screw and the white (neutral) wire is connected to the other side of the receptacle The rating of the breaker in the panel will be, 2 pole 15 amp. What this gives you is 2 separate 120 volt 15 amp circuits on one receptacle If the voltage was measured between the two hot slots on the right side of the receptacle top and bottom you would measure 240 volts. This voltage would only be 240 if the breaker feeding the receptacle was full size 2 pole and not mini breakers.


Why would plugging in an Air Conditioning unit in a wall receptacle blow a fuse?

The fuse (or circuit breaker) rating has been exceeded. I'm assuming you do NOT have the AC unit connected to a dedicated circuit. Lets say you have a 15 amp circuit breaker and the AC unit draws 12 amps and other items on the same circuit draw an additional 5 amps. The total amp draw of 17 amps exceeds the circuit design capacity; so the breaker trips to prevent an electrical fire. If you have old style fuses, NEVER EVER replace a fuse with a higher rated one! I'm sure you'd have problems with your homeowners insurance paying out when your house burns down. Have an electrician run a new dedicated circuit for the AC unit and you should be good to go.


What size breaker you would use for a 110 volt window air conditioning unit?

Breaker sizing is dependant on what the load amperage is that the breaker is connected to. If the amperage is not given but just the wattage, use this equation I = W/E. Amps = Watts/Volts. This air conditioner unit should be on a dedicated circuit receptacle. On these types of loads the conductor can only be loaded to 80% of the conductors rating. So a 15 amp breaker times 80% = 12 amps or Watts = Amps x Volts, 12 x 120 = 1440 watts. A 20 amp breaker times 80% = 16 amps or Watts = Amps x Volts, 16 x 120 = 1920. Once the breaker is sized remember to use the correct wire size to correspond with the amperage of the breaker.

Related questions

What do you think would happen if you put a 3A fuse in a plug used for kettle?

I know what would happen. The three amp fuse would blow. Any device that is plugged into a receptacle with out having sufficient resistance to limit the current flow will dead short the circuit and cause the breaker that feeds the circuit to trip. In this case the fuse being of a lower rating that the feed breaker the fuse will blow without tripping the receptacle's feed breaker.


How do you find the circuit breaker switch that controls a damaged outlet?

If the damaged receptacle faulted the breaker would have tripped. All that needs to be done is turn the breaker to the full off position. This will take the breaker out of the trip position and the circuit is truly off. It should not be hard to find the faulted receptacle as it will have some major damage to it and that is what made it short out in the first place. Change it out for a new one and test the circuit by plugging a lamp into it to confirm that the wiring was done properly. When removing the faulted receptacle check the wire colours and positions and install the new one with the exactly the same wire position configuration. If the damaged receptacle is just worn out and they do wear out, plug a light fixture into the worn receptacle. With the lamp turned on start switching the individual breakers off in the distribution panel one at a time. Just switch the breaker off and on and see if the lamp goes out and comes back on. You will probably need help with this part if you can not see the lamp from the distribution panel. When you locate the breaker that controls the lamp, leave it off and change out the receptacle just as they were connected to the old worn out one.


Is plugging a vacuum into a power strip bad?

A power strip normally has a built in breaker, so this is not a bad idea. Keep in mind though, you won't want to take the chance of tripping the breaker if you have a computer plugged into the strip. In this case, plugging directly in the wall would be recommended.


Why would someone use two positive wires to complete a house 2 plug receptacle circuit?

If the 2 hot wires are connected to either side of a receptacle, you have a 240v receptacle (assuming it's in the US). This is typically done for window air conditioners. But code requires that the receptacle have a different configuration than other receptacles in the building so you don't run the risk of plugging in a 120v device into a 240v receptacle.


What would cause screws on receptacle to become red hot?

There are three major causes of hot screws on a receptacle. 1.. Overcurrent: Receptacles are usually rated at 15 amps, occasionally 20 amps. If the circuit breaker feeding it is too large or faulty, the receptacle could overheat due to the loads it is feeding. 2.. Loose screws at the receptacle. This condition leads to arcing at the receptacle and evetually, fire. 3.. Copper contamination. Carbonization or crystalization can occur on the conductors at the screw terminal. This can usually be cleaned up with emery cloth.


Can you wire an electric kiln into an electric stove outlet with a NEMA 14-50R recepticle and a 40A breaker?

Yes. Since you want your breaker to be less than the maximum rating of the receptacle this would be fine.


How can I install a 110 receptacle alongside a 220 receptacle using the 220 receptacle wires for power?

While you can physically do this it violates the Electrical Code. 110 Volt and 220 Volt receptacles are required by the Electrical Code to be on separate breakers for safety reasons, this would put them on the same 220 Volt breaker.


What would cause a period to stop coming?

Penis utilized as a plugging mechanism, also may cause orgasm.


What is the main advantage of a split-feed receptacle?

The main and only advantage of using a split receptacle is the ability to use two 1200 watt appliances on the same duplex outlet. If the receptacle was not split the total wattage would be 2400 watts. Amps = Watts/Volts. 2400/120 = 20 amps. This load would trip a 15 amp circuit breaker.


What would cause a short periodic low hum to come from a circuit breaker?

A bad circuit breaker. Replace it.


How do I convert existing 3 wire 220 volt 20 amp breaker wire system to 110 volt from the box to the recepticle?

Assuming there is no neutral: 1) Turn off the breaker. 2) Disconnect 1 of the 2 hot wires from the breaker and connect it to the neutral bar (Recommend phase taping the wire white :) ) Remember which wire you used as the neutral, in a home you will most likely have a black and a red. I would keep the black hot, and phase tape the red wire white. If it's not long enough you can wire nut another white wire onto it to make it reach the neutral bar. 3) Leave the breaker OFF, at the receptacle, change it to a 120 volt receptacle. Take the wire you made the neutral, and connect it to the white screw on the 120 v receptacle, and take the black to the hot. Ground to the ground screw. Make sure you phase tape the red wire at the receptacle white as well. 4) turn the breaker on 5) test the receptacle with a meter or receptacle testing device for correct wiring.


Where would you find or use an earth leak circuit-breaker?

Proper name is GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). It could be a breaker or receptacle. It's used for wet location circuits, like bathrooms, kitchens, hot tubs, outdoor