Plug Wire breakdown.

[FreeLander]

Hello,
I got this 240v 30Amp AC plug that has 3 wires, red(line) and two black in neutral. Am I correct to assume that the black wire that goes down is the ground?

 

[WorthFlorida]

No, only a volt meter can it be verified. Black or red is usually hot, green is ground, white is neutral. Since this wire was run through conduit and not a standard color scheme, I would assume both blacks are hot and the red is the neutral. A good electrician would have wrapped color tape on the wires such as white tape on the neutral.

Also, look at the plug. The center blade (flat) or an ell shape blade will be the neutral. On a 240 volt circuit BUT I only see one black, one red. Both are probably hot. Need a picture with a wider view. The conduit seems to be plastic therefore the box is probably not grounded.

How old is the home? Code changes over the years.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

Assume NOTHING!!!! Testing the circuits is the only safe way.

 

[Reach4]

Do you have a NEMA 6-30 R?

NEMA Plug and Outlet chart

Need some help identifying your wall outlet? We can help! Below is a description of the more common NEMA outlets and their numbers as well as some handy NEMA plug charts. You can also email us a pic of your plugs and outlets you need help identifying and we would be happy to help. Here are the...

www.bsaelectronics.com

That would not have a neutral.

 

[FreeLander]

No, only a volt meter can it be verified. Black or red is usually hot, green is ground, white is neutral. Since this wire was run through conduit and not a standard color scheme, I would assume both blacks are hot and the red is the neutral. A good electrician would have wrapped color tape on the wires such as white tape on the neutral.

Also, look at the plug. The center blade (flat) or an ell shape blade will be the neutral. On a 240 volt circuit BUT I only see one black, one red. Both are probably hot. Need a picture with a wider view. The conduit seems to be plastic therefore the box is probably not grounded.

How old is the home? Code changes over the years.

Hi. Multimeter shows the red 230V, nothing from either of the black. This is a 27-year-old home. On the panel, this outlet has its own 30amp breaker.

 

[FreeLander]

Do you have a NEMA 6-30 R?

NEMA Plug and Outlet chart

Need some help identifying your wall outlet? We can help! Below is a description of the more common NEMA outlets and their numbers as well as some handy NEMA plug charts. You can also email us a pic of your plugs and outlets you need help identifying and we would be happy to help. Here are the...

www.bsaelectronics.com

That would not have a neutral.

The reason I'm asking is that I want to use this outlet for a l6-30r. Currently, it has this outlet (for the AC)

 

[FreeLander]

Assume NOTHING!!!! Testing the circuits is the only safe way.

Wiser words have never been spoken. Tested with multimeter. Red is 230v, both block 0.

 

[LLigetfa]

Multimeter shows the red 230V, nothing from either of the black.

Referenced to what? A 240V circuit would normally have 120V from each leg to a ground reference.

 

[wwhitney]

Where is that located? Those don't look like US market products.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[FreeLander]

Referenced to what? A 240V circuit would normally have 120V from each leg to a ground reference.

That's what I keep reading online, but multimeter gave me 230v in a single wire, the two blacks were negaitve.

 

[FreeLander]

Where is that located? Those don't look like US market products.

Cheers, Wayne

UAE.

 

[LLigetfa]

UAE.

Then why do you have USA for your location?

 

[wwhitney]

UAE.

I believe they follow British wiring standards? So why are you trying to install an L6-30R instead of the British equivalent? What are you trying to power? Will it work on 50 Hz AC and with an ungrounded conductor that is 230V to ground?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[FreeLander]

Then why do you have USA for your location?
View attachment 82818

Back and forth between the two.

 

[FreeLander]

I believe they follow British wiring standards? So why are you trying to install an L6-30R instead of the British equivalent? What are you trying to power? Will it work on 50 Hz AC and with an ungrounded conductor that is 230V to ground?

Cheers, Wayne

I want to power a 3,000W device instead of the AC, not needing one. I still don't figure out the wire, why is there two neutral?

 

[wwhitney]

I want to power a 3,000W device instead of the AC, not needing one. I still don't figure out the wire, why is there two neutral?

What is the device, and will it be OK with 50 Hz and with 230V Line to Ground?

Where is the A/C itself connected? The box you show is just a switch, and while it may be possible to replace the switch with a receptacle, switch wiring doesn't always require all the circuit conductors.

I agree that it's not clear how the switch is wired and why the top conduit has 3 wires coming out while the bottom has two. Also, I don't see anything that looks like it would be a ground or protective earth conductor.

I think you may need to find a British or UAE electrician.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[WorthFlorida]

That part of the world there is not much of a earth ground, bone dry earth. As I mentioned in my post, plastic flex conduit is used. All residential buildings are block and concrete and with multistory buildings such as apartments the floor are poured concrete. Before the pour flex conduit is laId down first to the area of where a wall will be. The picture above should have a ground wire.

Some interesting information but it is old. https://www.dubai-online.com/essential/electricity/

Also many different countries build in the oil rich ME. It could be a UK, Germany, China or anyone else. The contractor will usually build to their country standards and bring in workers from their country. Look at this color chart from China.

 

[FreeLander]

That part of the world there is not much of a earth ground, bone dry earth. As I mentioned in my post, plastic flex conduit is used. All residential buildings are block and concrete and with multistory buildings such as apartments the floor are poured concrete. Before the pour flex conduit is laId down first to the area of where a wall will be. The picture above should have a ground wire.

Some interesting information but it is old. https://www.dubai-online.com/essential/electricity/

Also many different countries build in the oil rich ME. It could be a UK, Germany, China or anyone else. The contractor will usually build to there country standards and bring in workers from there country. Look at this color chart from China.

View attachment 82822

Thanks for the valuable information. Can we conclude, based on the multimeter, that the red is hot and the two black are neutral and ground shoved in together?

 

[FreeLander]

I believe they follow British wiring standards? So why are you trying to install an L6-30R instead of the British equivalent? What are you trying to power? Will it work on 50 Hz AC and with an ungrounded conductor that is 230V to ground?

Cheers, Wayne

excuse me but how did you know this was 50Hz?

 

[wwhitney]

I just assumed that most (all?) of Europe and the Middle East is 50 Hz. Is it 50 Hz at the location shown?

Any reason you've avoided specifying what the 3000W load is?

Cheers, Wayne