What gauge wire do I need to wire a 220-Volt outlet?

Some appliances, such as small air conditioners and power tools, draw less than 20 Amp, while others draw more than 30 Amp.You need to be familiar with 220-volt wiring if you want to install a 20-amp outlet.It requires an extra hot wire to be connected to a separate circuit breaker in order for it to work.

The wiring procedure for a 220-volt outlet is easy, but an electrician should be hired to install the breakers.If your tool slips or you touch something you shouldn't, you can get a fatal shock in the breaker panel.The circuit wires are connected to the breaker.

A 220-volt, 20-amp outlet has one key difference.There are three slots, two of which are horizontal and a semicircular one for the ground pin.There are two connection screws on the side of the outlet.They are both brass, which means they are for hot wires.A 220-volt circuit does not need a neutral wire.A neutral is usually provided on outlets with larger current ratings, but a 20-amp plug doesn't need this function.

According to Total Home Supply, you need 12-gauge cable for a 20-amp circuit.The cable should only have two hot wires and a bare ground wire since you won't be using a neutral wire.You have two options if you can't find cable that meets these specifications.Don't use the white wire if you purchase 12 AWG, three-conductor cable.The other option is to use a conventional 12-gauge, two-conductor cable with ground and mark the white wire on both ends with red paint to indicate that it's a hot wire.

There is a cable between the outlet box and the panel.Depending on the length of the run and number of floors between the panel and the outlet, this can be an easy job or a more challenging one.It's best to run the cable through the basement or crawl space to the outlet.You can't tie into another circuit because all 220-volt wiring is to a dedicated circuit breaker.

The neutral wire should be connected to the neutral bus at the panel.Before hooking up the outlet, make sure to keep the breaker off.If you prefer, you can hook up the breaker after wiring the outlet.