Deal on a 120V 15A duplex outlet and a question

[Cygnus X1]

Must have been when my fever started getting to me.
But these Cooper contractor packs of 10 grounding duplex 120V 15A receptacles were in the bargain bin for $3.60 each.
That's for ten of them.

I wandered over to the regular ones, 27.00 for the pack.
OK.



I certainly don't see anything wrong with them, unopened.

Here's the tech question:
I have an obsolete electrical water heater connection coming into my garage. Dual ganged on the breaker box, so it has what looks like two full 120V leads out of it.
Is it safe to install a 120V on one of these legs?

Or will the breaker operate at 30 amps, since they are "tied together"?
Maybe I can remove the tie.

Is that common, to make the 240 out of two 120's...single phase?

[rudutch]

1) Duplex recepts with nylon faces are good stuff
2) if you break the tab on a duplex, you will have 2 separate circuits
(with a common neutral)
3) 30A to a 15A recept is not okay slit or otherwise
4) in a garage you need the recept to be GFCI - which cannot be split
5) I don't know what the local codes are in your local

possible solution: purchase a single pole 15 or 20 amp breaker and a 'dummy blank' along with a 15A or 20A GFCI recept. Remove the double pole breaker and install the single and the dummy blank

If you are not sure how to do this, enlist the help of a licensed electrician or hire it done

[boobtube21]

Yes, 240VAC is two hot legs of 120VAC each, plus a nuetral and ground (hopefully). If it comes from a double pole breaker or 2 breakers tied together it is almost positively 240. Do you have a multimeter? Never mind, I know you do, you build amps

Check between what appears to be the 2 hot legs, you should get 240 there, and 120 between either hot leg and nuetral. In case you don't already know this, red and black are hot leads, and I know you already know nuetral and ground colors.

Yes, you should be able to remove the tie, or get two seperate breakers and install them in the place of the double pole. If you only use one hot lead for a 120VAC circuit, it will trip at the value of the breaker that hot lead comes from. DO NOT try to wire this style outlet for 240, as nothing that requires 240 will plug into it, and anything that requires 120 will go kaboom.

[Cygnus X1]

Thank you all.
I'll see exactly what is going on with those breakers.
I know running 30 amp for an expected 15 amp load is bad news.
If something gets too close to that 15A breaker point...and keeps going...fizz!

240 might not be so bad for some of my projects.
(Just kidding).