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Difference between 120 volt and 240 volt
Use only 600 volt wire.
Lamp cord, extension cords are not rated 600 volt.
Use copper wire only. Aluminum wire is fire risk and should be avoided or installed by professional.

30 amp breaker use 10 gauge /
120-240 volt 30 amp outlet can be installed on 30 amp breaker only/ use 10 gauge wire ... cannot be connected to 15-20-40 amp breaker.

Orange/ #10 gauge wire, with ground ... 30 amp capacity. Safe maximum: 30 x 80% = 24 amps.
Buy:
10-2 gauge/ 30 amp
10-3/ 30 amp
Southwire electric tools
Yellow 12 gauge 20 amp
120 volt 20 amp outlet can be installed on 20 amp breaker, but not 15 amp breaker/ use 12 ga wire.
... cannot be connected to 30-40 amp breaker. 1

Yellow/ #12 gauge wire, with ground ... 20 amp capacity. Safe maximum 16 amps.
Buy:
12-2 gauge/ 20 amp
12-3/ 20 amp

NMB is house wiring
UF is underground
Rolls of stranded wire
HOOK UP Wires
White 14 gauge 15 amp
120 volt 15 amp outlet, AFCI, GFCI, timer, switch etc can be installed on 15 or 20 amp breaker. Never connect 15 gauge wire to 20-30-40 amp breaker.

White/ #14 gauge wire,  with ground ... 15 amp capacity. Safe maximum 12 amps.
Buy:
14-2 gauge/ 15 amp
14-3/ 15 amp

NMB is house wiring
UF is underground
50-60 amp breaker use 6 gauge /
240 volt 50 outlet can be installed on 50 amp breaker only
6-2 wire
Buy:
6-2 wire
Southwire electric tools
NMB is house wiring
UF is underground
40-50 amp breaker use 8 gauge /
240 volt 40 amp outlet can be installed on 40 or 50 amp breaker only
6-2 wire
Buy:
8-2 wire
Southwire electric tools
NMB is house wiring
UF is underground
     
Copper ground wire.
Every device, load, metal enclosure etc must be grounded. Ground wire must be continuous throughout installation, never switched on-off, never used as a Neutral wire.
Generally ... use same size as other wire in circuit
Buy:
12 gauge copper ground wire
Ground wire
Green ground wire
Ground pigtails
Ground rods/ ground clamps at Amazon
armored cable
Non metallic flexible cables must carry ground wire, but do not have hazard of short circuit causing injury from shock.

Armored steel cable can be used as a grounded connection, and will protect wires from damage. Metal can be energized from an insulation failure.

All conduit ...metal, plastic ... flexible and rigid ... must be attached to structure, and attached to enclosures, boxes.
Movement, damage and deterioration are major cause of electrical failure.
Buy:
Non-metallic flexible conduit
Power whip
Armored cable
Southwire armored cable cutter
Pull boxes
Southwire armored cable cutter
Electrical tools must be insulated.
Always best to disconnect power, but insulation failure, lack of proper grounding, grounded neutral, lack of GFCI, out-of-code wiring, generator operating without transfer switch, and other problems still pose a risk to anyone working on electric power ... even when breaker is off.

Buy:
Electrician tools kits
KLEIN TOOLS
Tools kits
IRWIN tools
KNIPEX

Telephone cable knife
Low Voltage Mounting Bracket for Telephone
Push on wire connectors

Push-on wire connectors in place of twist-on connectors

Buy:
Push on wire connectors Amazon
Red 3P connector for 10-14 gauge wire
Lever connectors for stranded wire at Amazon
HOOK UP Wires

Protect wiring from damage
Use nipper instead of pliers or screwdriver for removing staples (and nails). Do not damage cable or wires inside cable.

-Code says: Cable SHALL BE secured without damage to the outer covering. NEC sec. 336-15
Buy
End cutting nippers at Amazon


Electrically insulated tools
When removing insulation from wire, do NOT score or put cuts on surface of copper wire. Doing so increases resistance and heat on wire and creates possible weak point.
Buy tools:
KLEIN TOOLS
Wire strippers at Amazon
Electric Wire Stripping Machine
Linesman pliers
Utility knife at Amazon
multimeter
Multimeters
Voltage is tested across two separate wires. Ohms or resistance is tested across both ends of same wire. Amperage is tested along one or two points on same wire.
Buy:
Analog multimeter
Multimeters at Amazon
Klein multimeter
Electric testers at Amazon
Clampmeter for testing amp flow on line

GFCI circuit breaker
A GFCI circuit breaker will protect all boxes on circuit.

Circuit must be grounded. Ground wire must be continuous and connected to each piece of equipment.

White wire on circuit breaker must be connected to Neutral busbar inside the breaker panel.

Buy
GFCI circuit breakers
Push down
single-pole breaker
1" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breaker
Buy single-pole:
Choose from 15 to 60 amp
Eaton CL series
Siemens 15-60 amp

Single-pole tandem breaker
Tandem breakers
Push down
double-pole breaker
2" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breakers
Buy double-pole:
Choose from 15 to 125 amp
Choose from 15 amp to 200 amp
Eaton CL series circuit breaker
Siemens circuit breaker
Double pole GFCI
Difference between 120 volt and 240 volt
All household single-phase circuits require 2 wires to complete circuit.
.... unlike commercial 3-phase used for motors etc that require 3 wires to complete circuit. Difference between single-phase and 3-phase

With 120 volt single-phase, it requires 1 Hot and 1 Neutral .... and has efficiency of pedaling bike with 1 leg
With 240 volt single-phase, it requires 2 out-of-phase Hot wires, ... and has efficiency of pedaling bike with 2 legs
The problem with single-phase vs 3-phase... when both pedals are briefly at top and bottom at same time, the power drops to zero.

Electricity is Volts and Amps
calculate watts for 120 volt single breaker
 -15 amp single breaker. 120 volts x 15 amps = 1800 watts of power
 -30 amp single breaker. 120 volts x 30 amps = 3600 watts of power.

-Calculate watts for 240 volt double breaker.
-15 amp double breaker. 240 volts x 15 amps = 3600 watts of power
 -30 amp double breaker. 240 volts  x 30 amps = 7200 watts of power.

With 240 volt, the watts or power is doubled, proving that the 240 volt circuit is supplying two legs of power instead of one.
Main breaker
Larger image
Residential Main panel has 120 and 240 volt circuits.
This is called single-phase electric power. Phasing is determined by the power company transformers.

-Each 120 volt circuit can include up to 12 outlets, and supply power to lights inside a room.
- Generally each 120 volt circuit sends power to one area of home. This is because the wire leaves breaker box and goes to first junction box inside a room. From the junction box, the wire splits off and goes to each individual box, jumping from box to box until the final box is reached. So each box will have 1 black hot wire, 1 white neutral wire, and 1 ground wire that connect back to main breaker box.
- Some circuit breakers are dedicated to 1 specific appliance. For example the kitchen microwave is usually wired to 1 circuit breaker and no other outlets or lights are connected to that breaker. This is because microwave draws so much amperage. That is called dedicated circuit, and dedicated breaker.

- Each 240 volt circuit is usually dedicated to one appliance. For example electric water heater is connected to 1 240 volt breaker. The electric dryer is connected to another 240 volt breaker. The heat/AC is connected to another 240 volt circuit breaker, and so on.
Resources:
See inside main breaker box
How to replace circuit breaker
How to install subpanel
Figure volts amps watts for electric water heater
Difference between single-phase and 3-phase
Support the economy:
Buy water heaters from my associate links:

50 gallon Gas water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon gas water heaters at Amazon
50 gallon Electric water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon electric water heaters at Amazon
Hybrid / heat pump/ water heaters at Amazon

Resources:
How to install gas water heater
How to install electric water heater
Troubleshoot gas water heater
Troubleshoot electric water heater
Point of use water heaters
Resources:
Troubleshoot Gas valves with manuals
Icon gas valve

How to replace water heater element Waste King disposal
How to wire tankless electric


Install point of use water heater
Titan tankless

Contactors/ relays
Type 1 and type 2 surge protection surge protection
Programmable timers

Woods timers
surge protection
Anode rods anode rods
Recirculation system

Tankless recirculation
Point of use water heater
Install and troubleshoot garbage disposal Waste King disposal
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Electronic parts

Industrial supplies

Tools and home improvement

Home and garden

Hayward pool
Pentair pool

Southwire electric
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Tools

DEWALT
Black and Decker
Stanley
SKIL
Makita
Porter-Cable
Bosch

Irwin Hand tools
Klein hand tools
Fluke electrical testing
Dremel hobby tools

Campbell Hausfeld air powered
Tekton automotive

Powerbuilt automotive
Saws and saw blades
box timers Resource:
Compare box timers
DPDT timers
Intermatic
Control water heater w/ Z-wave
Intermatic control centers Resource:
Intermatic control centers: and parts
Digital control centers and parts
Tork control centers and parts
Subpanels
All control centers and parts
Enclosures
programmable timer Resource:
Programmable timers
Countdown timers
Off delay timers
On delay timers
Timer modules
Din rail
Twin & one-shot
Woods
Intermatic
Tork
Low voltage power packs Recirculation systems
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