Quick question about Voltec charger wiring - help me with self install question pleas
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Thread: Quick question about Voltec charger wiring - help me with self install question pleas

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Quick question about Voltec charger wiring - help me with self install question pleas

    I know some of you have done the self install for the Voltec charger, so hopefully one of you can answer a quick question for me about where to connect the wiring to the Voltec charger.

    So through my EMT conduit from my home's electrical box, I have three, 12 gauge wires. Two "hot wires" coming out of my 20A, dual pole breaker, and a white common wire coming from the common bar (not sure what it is called) in my electrical box.

    So those 3 wires mentioned above get fed into the Voltec charger. Per the picture I have linked and inserted, on the left bottom side of the Voltec charger (assuming you're holding it upright), there are 5 pairs of screws (as pictured).

    Ok, so here's the question before I wire it and mess it up The two leftmost pairs of screws I ASSume are not used at all. The bottom 3rd and 4th screws from the left (with the red and black wires opposite them in the picture) are the ones I ASSume the two hot wires (from the dual pole breaker) get connected to. The 5th screw from the left (the one with the green wire opposite it) is the one where the white, common wire gets connected to.

    Are my assumptions correct?

    picture of screws in question:
    http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/4...1030134648.jpg


  2. #2
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    Correct except I think the third wire should be a ground not a neutral.

  3. #3
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    Neutral and ground go to the same point in the breaker box. The difference is a ground should only carry fault current, where a neutral can carry load current. Not sure if you can use a white wire for "ground" or not. It might also depend on your local code.
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  5. #4

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    While we are on the subject of 240 v, anyone know if a second service line can be run from service meter to a second small breaker box?
    My meter is about 3 feet from the desired charger location but my current breaker box is about 30 ft. from the desired location.
    RJB #C 2107

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by yblaser View Post
    Correct except I think the third wire should be a ground not a neutral.
    Quote Originally Posted by ctdeng0 View Post
    Neutral and ground go to the same point in the breaker box. The difference is a ground should only carry fault current, where a neutral can carry load current. Not sure if you can use a white wire for "ground" or not. It might also depend on your local code.

    I don't have one "green" wire in my entire electrical box. They are all either a "non-green" colored wire or white. So I decided to use a white wire and connect it where all the other white wires are connected.

    OK, thanks for the answers. Pulling wire now

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  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottf200 View Post
    My subpanel with labeling of wires going to the SPX 220v out of the top:

    That passed an inspection? It would have failed here, two wires under a single connection point, no separate neutral and ground.
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  9. #8
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    I guess that picture above is a bit confusing to me. My box has a bunch of breakers in it, with a long white bar down the side. Each circuit appears to have a colored wire going into a circuit breaker then a white wire going to one of the screws on that long bar. I wired several circuits when I finished my basement and it passed inspection, so I am ASSuming that all I have to do with this 220V circuit is fish 2 colored wires and a white wire (neutral?) to the charger. The other end of the 2 colored wires will go into my double pole breaker and then the white wire will get screwed into the bar with all the other white wires.

    The opposite end will be screwed into the Voltec charger as I described in a post a few above. If I'm wrong, let me know before I fry my Voltec station!

  10. #9
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    OK, here's a picture of my box....there are no "grounds."

    http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3...1030155033.jpg

    I took a few classes several years ago at a community college on wiring, framing, plumbing, etc. My understanding was that the electrical box was grounded. All the metal conduit is connected to the box, so that makes the ground. Of course, my memory could be wrong by now.

    Anyway, looking at that picture, I'm going to put in a double pole, 20A, 220V breaker on the bottom of the left column of circuit breakers. I'm going to put one colored wire under each screw in the breaker. I'm going to put a white wire in that "strip" on the left hand side where you can see the other white wires screwed into. Then wire the charger as described above.

    Thanks guys for the help, by the way.


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  12. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by ualdriver View Post
    I guess that picture above is a bit confusing to me. My box has a bunch of breakers in it, with a long white bar down the side. Each circuit appears to have a colored wire going into a circuit breaker then a white wire going to one of the screws on that long bar. I wired several circuits when I finished my basement and it passed inspection, so I am ASSuming that all I have to do with this 220V circuit is fish 2 colored wires and a white wire (neutral?) to the charger. The other end of the 2 colored wires will go into my double pole breaker and then the white wire will get screwed into the bar with all the other white wires.

    The opposite end will be screwed into the Voltec charger as I described in a post a few above. If I'm wrong, let me know before I fry my Voltec station!
    You are correct, generally our code guys also require the safety ground as well, bare copper wire. That box wiring shows the neutral Voltec wire bonded to the case ground and two wires under a single screw. You will notice a neutral bar across the top, here the ground bonding would require a separate lug bar mounted to case an each safety ground wire in a separate lug location. I got failed for an AC install for just putting 2 safety grounds in a single lug, I had to get a longer lug bar to separate the safety grounds.
    Diamond White #B2140 ecosister plate=SLRRYDER
    Crystal Red #C8885, Red-Rider plate=NO2OPEC
    No gas purchased, fully charged off Solar, OK so I bought some gas to go to Vegas!
    DRIVING for FREE! NO OPEC FEE!

    My TED 5000 power monitoring

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