Only have power to half my breaker box.

[k0ua]

" I see what looks like a white wire leading to the generator breaker." I can only give advice based on what you say, and what I think I can see. From what you said, it didn't sound at all like you understand the common terminology involved.

Your sour grapes are unwarranted. It took you 22 posts to tell us you have a volt meter. I am going to be harsh again: if you knew how and where to use the volt meter, you wouldn't have needed help, or at the very least you would have presented the problem much differently with a lot more detail.

Excuse me for badgering you, as I admit I did, but it's not personal or about your pride. I, and others here, are more concerned about your safety and those who depend on you for their own safety.

I'm glad you got it fixed, but "safety first" means something.

+1 Well said Dave

 

[JRobyn]

I'm not a journeyman, licensed electrician, but have completely wired two houses, both of which easily passed electrical inspection with no corrective action needed, and I am still disturbed by the "white wire is hot in a 240vac circuit". The only way that this should be necessary in my limited understanding, is if the 240vac circuit was wired with 3-conductor wire (white, black, ground). That would not meet code going back as far as I can remember, and that's about 40 years or so. It would have to mean that the circuit had a common conductor for ground and neutral, right? 240vac circuits, except for electric dryer terminal cords up until about 10 years ago, have always required FOUR conductors; hot, hot, neutral, ground. SEPARATE ground and neutral. At least for a LONG time!

- Jay

 

[aczlan]

I'm not a journeyman, licensed electrician, but have completely wired two houses, both of which easily passed electrical inspection with no corrective action needed, and I am still disturbed by the "white wire is hot in a 240vac circuit". The only way that this should be necessary in my limited understanding, is if the 240vac circuit was wired with 3-conductor wire (white, black, ground). That would not meet code going back as far as I can remember, and that's about 40 years or so. It would have to mean that the circuit had a common conductor for ground and neutral, right? 240vac circuits, except for electric dryer terminal cords up until about 10 years ago, have always required FOUR conductors; hot, hot, neutral, ground. SEPARATE ground and neutral. At least for a LONG time!

Not necessarily. A 240VAC heat pump will only need 3 (Hot, Hot, Ground) wires as anything high voltage is on 240VAC, anything low voltage runs off a 240VAC to 24VAC transformer.
A dedicated Neutral (white) wire is only needed if there will be 120VAC loads on that circuit.

Aaron Z

 

[duke7595]

I'm not a journeyman, licensed electrician, but have completely wired two houses, both of which easily passed electrical inspection with no corrective action needed, and I am still disturbed by the "white wire is hot in a 240vac circuit". The only way that this should be necessary in my limited understanding, is if the 240vac circuit was wired with 3-conductor wire (white, black, ground). That would not meet code going back as far as I can remember, and that's about 40 years or so. It would have to mean that the circuit had a common conductor for ground and neutral, right? 240vac circuits, except for electric dryer terminal cords up until about 10 years ago, have always required FOUR conductors; hot, hot, neutral, ground. SEPARATE ground and neutral. At least for a LONG time!

Thanks for the input, however, there is nothing wrong using a 12/2 W/ G to wire a low draw 240 circuit as pictured. Yes I should have painted the white wire black
however, in 1999 when I installed this panel, to upgrade from a 100 amp service panel to a 200 amp. to accommodate the new addition to my home, I guess it slipped my mind. As far as the incorrect information given, I would not have blindly forged ahead without first checking it out.
The reason I used this forum is because I have received some good information in the past, and frankly enjoy the people here and find it's a good sounding board to
bounce ideas back and forth.
One other thing you may consider I didn't need this forum to find and correct this problem, as stated in the aforementioned I enjoy this forum and found some time to
bring the problem to everyone who cared to respond.

Respectfully,
Duke

 

[Todd727]

I'm not a journeyman, licensed electrician, but have completely wired two houses, both of which easily passed electrical inspection with no corrective action needed, and I am still disturbed by the "white wire is hot in a 240vac circuit". The only way that this should be necessary in my limited understanding, is if the 240vac circuit was wired with 3-conductor wire (white, black, ground). That would not meet code going back as far as I can remember, and that's about 40 years or so. It would have to mean that the circuit had a common conductor for ground and neutral, right? 240vac circuits, except for electric dryer terminal cords up until about 10 years ago, have always required FOUR conductors; hot, hot, neutral, ground. SEPARATE ground and neutral. At least for a LONG time!

- Jay

Many welders use hot/hot/ground. From my old Lincoln Idealarc to my Miller 252, Hypertherm 45 and my newly released Syncrowave 210, all use a NEMA 6-50P plug which is a three prong plug without a neutral.

 

[Deere Dude]

A dedicated Neutral (white) wire is only needed if there will be 120VAC loads on that circuit.

Aaron Z

Thanks for that little tidbit. I didn't know that and was always curious.

 

[Mace Canute]

" I see what looks like a white wire leading to the generator breaker." I can only give advice based on what you say, and what I think I can see. From what you said, it didn't sound at all like you understand the common terminology involved.

Your sour grapes are unwarranted. It took you 22 posts to tell us you have a volt meter. I am going to be harsh again: if you knew how and where to use the volt meter, you wouldn't have needed help, or at the very least you would have presented the problem much differently with a lot more detail.

Excuse me for badgering you, as I admit I did, but it's not personal or about your pride. I, and others here, are more concerned about your safety and those who depend on you for their own safety.

I'm glad you got it fixed, but "safety first" means something.

Well said indeed. :thumbsup:

 

[JRobyn]

Yup, y'all are right and I stand corrected and UNdisturbed. I was thinking mostly of electric clothes dryer circuits which nowadays use 4-wire terminal cables/plugs. Perhaps newer dryers DO have both 240 and 120 circuits?

- Jay

 

[QueBota]

My dryer is from the late 1990's, three wires on the terminal block, red, white, and black (hot,neutral,hot). The dryer is grounded to the neutral conductor at the terminal block. A green/yellow stripped wire connects the terminal block and the dryer chassis. 120 powers the control system and spins the drum, 240 powers the heating element.

Q

 

[dave1949]

For the minimal extra cost, why not run all four wires (hot, hot, neutral, ground) to any 240 volt termination? It will be there if needed in the future and likely a PITA to add later.