edit: or 8AWG THHN
It's unsafe by the mere fact that the wiring device is not wired properly, nor is it to code. I am sure there are other reasons as well.
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edit: or 8AWG THHN
It's unsafe by the mere fact that the wiring device is not wired properly, nor is it to code. I am sure there are other reasons as well.
In my house we have 2 Volts and a Tesla charging every night simultaneously. While that is unusual today, iy probably won't be in a few short years.
I spent about $3,000 to have my garage rewired completely.
I recommend doing it right with room to grow, as your very first move
Best reason...ever there is a fire...for whatever reason, from a garage door opener overheating to a light switch shorting out... The first thing an inspector or adjuster will look at is the new fangled electric car charging thingy. Best to start out right, rather than wrong. Just my $.02.
I spent about $3,000 to have my garage rewired completely.
I recommend doing it right with room to grow, as your very first move
Best reason...ever there is a fire...for whatever reason, from a garage door opener overheating to a light switch shorting out... The first thing an inspector or adjuster will look at is the new fangled electric car charging thingy. Best to start out right, rather than wrong. Just my $.02.
Yes, I am 100% sure and have seen it many times. It is EXTREMELY unsafe and power companies will come screaming to your door to fix it if it happens to your service loop, because many fires have been started by a loose or disconnected neutral.
Remember that we have a split phase service:
Code:
| | |
|---------|----------|
L1 N L2Half the 120V appliances are connected from L1 to N, while half the appliances (usually the A/C unit) are connected from N-L2.
At first glance, you might say that disconnecting the neutral means that nothing works. However, remember that one leg of each appliance circuit is still connected to the "N" bus in the RV, and they're tied together. This creates a 240V series circuit from L1-appliance1-Nbus-appliance2-L2 (for appliances that complete the circuit by offering a completed circuit).
When neutral is tied to the center tap on the transformer feeding it, it provides a reference point for L1 and L2 versus ground - keeping them both at 120V (and the unbalanced current returns on the neutral). When neutral back to the transformer is disconnected and "floats" (e.g., in the case where a 14-50 doesn't have a neutral), then the 240V voltage drop between L1/L2 is proportionally divided based on the resistance of the loads. If the resistance (load) of L1-N is 2x that of N-L2, then the voltage from L1-N will be 160V and the voltage from N-L2 will be 80V. Both are far out of spec for 120V appliances.
Watch this video for an explanation:
In this video - one light bulb is 2x the wattage (lower resistance) than the other.
This is why a power company will come racing out to your home to fix a broken neutral from the transformer. Just saw it happen about 3 weeks ago in a home near me - blew a lot of light bulbs and destroyed a good number of appliances.
Trust me: if it weren't an issue and it just "didn't work", I wouldn't have dire warnings plastered all over the place about labeling your adapter cords 6 ways to Sunday...
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I know of nothing in the Code that would prohibit you from doing so when you know the load that will be plugged in -- there is a provision for feeders that says the neutral must not be smaller than the equipment grounding conductor., but nothing similar for branch circuits. There is an exception that allows dryer & cooking appliance neutrals to be reduced (typically the heating element is 240V but control electronics / lights / motors tend to be 120V, so neutral can be reduced).
That said, I wouldn't skimp here. That circuit could be used for an RV, and some of the air conditioning systems on those things are monsters, needing all of 120V/40+A. If that's the only appliance you're using, then the neutral will be used as the return conductor for all of that load. If you do decide to go forward with such a reduction, then you would want it to be at minimum the size of the required ground conductor - #10 for 60A, #8 for 100A, etc. (see 250.122). But again let me caution that the difference between the two is going to be minimal from a cost standpoint.
SPXMike
Member
^^^ Thank you! I was concerned more about conduit fill capacity and pulling wire rather than cost, and I know for this particular circuit there will not be a large 120V load. I'll take a look at NEC 250.122. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Both configurations (3x#6+1x#10 and 2x#6+2x#10) require 3/4" conduit minimum based on fill rules, there's really no difference between the two in terms of pulling/fill capacity.
SPXMike
Member
green1
Active Member
In fact, in Canada Tesla has assumed that this is what will always be the case, and won't even sell you a 14-50 adapter capable of pulling more than 32A...
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