SINGLE PHASE CONDO LOAD CENTER

[leeman48183]

Hello
I have 3 hots and a neutral. Sized correctly. 2 black hots going to a double pole 30A breaker. AC unit. Same conduit. 1 red going to a separate 20a circuit breaker. 1 neutral going to neutral bar. So, the question is. Is this wrong? Should I do something about this. This building is 40 years old. I just bought it. I know the 2 black wires on the 30A double pole breaker will cancel neutral return current out. So, the 20a Red is the extra circuit that will be the difference on the neutral. 1 leg of the black and the red are on the same phase.
Will not be able to shut off both breakers with 1 action.

PLEASE HELP ASAP and thanks to all for what you have done and will do in the future.
DP

 

[leeman48183]

Hello
I have 3 hots and a neutral. Sized correctly. 2 black hots going to a double pole 30A breaker. AC unit. Same conduit. 1 red going to a separate 20a circuit breaker. 1 neutral going to neutral bar. So, the question is. Is this wrong? Should I do something about this. This building is 40 years old. I just bought it. I know the 2 black wires on the 30A double pole breaker will cancel neutral return current out. So, the 20a Red is the extra circuit that will be the difference on the neutral. 1 leg of the black and the red are on the same phase.
Will not be able to shut off both breakers with 1 action.

PLEASE HELP ASAP and thanks to all for what you have done and will do in the future.
DP

I am sorry its a hot water tank 30A

 

[d0nut]

Is the 30A circuit a 240V circuit or is it a 120/240V circuit? If it doesn't use the neutral, you just have two circuits sharing a conduit.

 

[winnie]

We are not permitted to help with DIY questions.

So if your question is 'how do I fix this' we will say 'call an electrician'.

If your question is 'am I seeing a problem that needs an electrician', we can probably answer that.

If you simply have two separate circuits, then you don't have a problem. It sounds like you have a 30A 240V circuit and a 20A 120V circuit, sharing the same conduit as d0nut says. This is not a problem.

If the two circuits are interconnected at all, meaning if current can flow from one of the 30A 'hots' to the neutral through the load, then you need an electrician to fix it. If you can't determine if there is an interconnection, then you need an electrician to investigate.

Is there a 30A hot water tank and an outlet fed from the same conduit?

-Jon

 

[winnie]

It's a hot water tank 220v tank. So I think I am getting in what you have said. 2 separate circuits and neutral only is associated with Red separate circuit. I did measure 220v between Red hot and 1 black hot. I measured 0v between Red hot and the other black hot. This tells me on same phase. Do my tests seem logical and anything else that I am missing.

Your tests indicate that the red is on the same phase as one of the black wires, but don't tell you if there is continuity from the 'black' circuit to the 'red' circuit.

Probably the easiest is to check for current flow balance; simply put a clamp on current meter around a set of conductors that form a complete circuit. Even with the circuit under load you should measure 0 current. So if you put a current clamp around the 2 black wires, the current should net out to 0 unless current is flowing someplace else such as the white wire.

If the 'red' circuit (with neutral) is isolated from the 'black' circuit (2 black 'hot' wires), then there isn't a problem.

-Jon