220v wire question.

Thanks in advance.

Gerald J.

THEREFORE I would strongly advise if youre gonna run a branch circuit to feed it, I WOULD USE 10 GAUGE (30 amp rated) wiring. I say that REGARDLESS if the 20 amps you mentioned is max or continuous just as a safer and porecautionary and better design..... ..

The 12 versus 10 gauge thing is NOT cuz its 120 or 240 volts, its cuz of the amperage load. Either typical wire insulation is wayyyyy yyyy higher in voltage rating then just 110 or 220 anyway.

Is it going to be a cord with plug to a receptacle attachment or what????? If so that satisfies as a means of disconnect. HOWEVER if its hard wired then I would place a 240 volt 30 amp 2 pole blade type safety switch disconnect on the wall with flexible conduit like seal tite etc ran from it to the saw.

The branch circuit will require 3 conductors, Two hots (L1 and L2 Phase wires, red and black typical colors) plus a safety equipment ground, (normally bare or green insulated)

Hope this helps n answers your questions. The needed materials (wire and safety switch and/or receptacles n plugs and flexible conduit if needed etc) are relatively inexpensive and avaialbkle at liek Home Depot or Menards or Lowes etc.

John T

Just jabbering , Richard

John T

Richard H.

Likewise you need to mark the neutral white if it isn't a white wire and you need to mark a ground green if it isn't bare or green.

I guess the NEC police will trace my IP address now, come kick my doors down and hold me at gun point till I wire it all on the right color.

I may drop dead in the next 10 minutes but it won't be from opening a circuit of any type and grabbing a wire of any color because a code says it should not be hot.

And boy I hope no NEC trained electrician buys my place when I check out!!!!!

Thanks for the info.

As others have said, it's a good idea to run 10 gauge if your saw really needs 20 amps. You'll get better starting, and if you ever decide to use that circuit for a bigger tool (like a big compressor), you just need install a bigger breaker.

I've seen lots of 220 volt appliances run on 12 gauge wire---namely electric heaters. The determining factor here is that the circuit is supplied through a 20 amp breaker. 12 gauge wire is adequate (code, actually) on a 20 amp breaker. If the saw overdraws the breaker capacity you'll get nuisance tripping. It wouldn't create a dangerous situation unless one or more system components failed to work properly, but you can say that about any correct electrical installation.

If the saw does trip the breaker, there's little likelihood that it wouldn't have done so with 10 gauge wire. What you couldn't do in that case would be to replace the 20 amp breaker with a 30 amp one without also replacing the 12 gauge wire with 10.

All the best, Stan