10/3 wiring

[Merky1761]

So I had a 30 amp breaker in my main box that was running to a dryer, I know have a gas dryer so I wanted to use that line to power my HH 210. I got the 6-50 receptacle. When I took apart the 50 amp receptacle (which was different from the 6-50 ) it had the red and black wires going to each (hot side) prong and the white wire going to the ground on the receptacle, and the bare copper wire was attached to the screw in the metal case. I hooked it up the same way to the 6-50 receptacle, is this correct? If the white is the ground what is the bare copper wire doing?

[Dale M.]

Many 240 Volt circuits use the L1 and L2 to combine for 240 volts and have a "neutral" so things like driers and such can tap the power for anything like motors and control boards that run on 120 Volts AC (L1 or L2 (but not both) + neural) ... These type of circuits generally have 4 prong plugs...... A 6-50 plug/receptical does not use a neutral (white)... The 6-50 only uses the L1 & L2 plus safety ground (green or bare).... IF you pull cover off breaker panel you will probably see white on "neutral" bar (if wired properly)... Suggest you tape end of white (neutral) and stuff it into back of receptical box and ignore it....As you don't need or use it for 6-50 receptical... Bare ground wire to box should also extend to "ground" connection on 6-50 receptical....

Section 5.8 of owners manual for HH210 is pretty clear on how it is supposed to be wired....

The white wire (neutral) and the bare wire should be tied common (on same bar) in breaker panel and ground/neutral bar in panel should be attached to utility company neutral supply (meter) AND a driven ground rod.... Yes white wire and bare ground are probably "common" to each other but its code to use bare wire (green?) for 6-50 "safety" ground and not the white "neutral" wire...

Dale

[MAC702]

What you've done will work and is electrically identical (assuming this receptacle went to the main panel of the house and not a subpanel) to what you should have done. The white wire shouldn't be used in this installation, but the bare/green wire instead. The white is for purposely conducting back to the panel for 120V loads, or unbalanced 120/240V loads like electric dryers and ranges.

The welder is a straight 240V machine with no unbalanced load, so no "neutral" conductor is required.

In the main panel, neutral and ground go to the same place, so it's okay. In subpanels, they are isolated from one another and that separation needs to be maintained.

FYI, the existing installation was not correct. If there was a 4-wire supply to the dryer, it should have had a NEMA 14-30 4-wire receptacle and plug. Someone rewired the receptacle instead of putting a new cord on the old dryer like they should have.

[Merky1761]

Thankyou for the replies.
The white wire and bare copper to run to the same ground bar in the main panel. The receptacle box to the dryer was a NEMA 10-50R. So I guess they changed it. Should I remove the neutral wire or just leave it the way it is.

[Dale M.]

It will function just the way it is, BUT it's not to building code... Once "neutral" and safety ground leave master panel they are separate circuits and are treated differently by code.... If it were me, I would change it...

Dale

[MAC702]

No reason not to make it correct, if only not to confuse the next guy. When it goes back to being a dryer, it should be a modern NEMA 14-30 instead of the hack job 10-30. The dryer's cord may need to be changed (and its own bonding jumper removed.)

A dryer is usually a 30A and a range is a 50A configuration. But I suppose a range cord could be put on a dryer if the receptacle is a 50A. Technically, the nameplate may have a MOCP (maximum over-current protection) that will tell you what breaker size to use regardless of wire size.

[Merky1761]

thanks for the replies. I will wire it correctly.

[Sberry]

Yes, dryers are limited to 30. A lot of the internal wire is sized for short circuit of a 30 breaker, depends on the breaker for this. The max breaker is sized by the plug style that comes on it with the exception of 15A on 20A .