Another Electrical Question

[billybek]

Originally Posted by legion

Funny, I had the house inspected by an electrician before purchase and there was no mention of the foam or the confusing neutral/ground.

I strongly suspect the foam is fireproof. It's available at Menard's and looks the same as the polystyrene foam. The previous owners were obsessive about energy conservation.

Just leave it then. Have a sound sleep too!

[john70t]

Originally Posted by legion

I strongly suspect the foam is fireproof.

Per housing inspector's instruction, I've used the 'approved' 3M foam and caulk around pipe-to-wall penetrations.
Both of those are colored red.
That was the only fire-rated brand available in box stores here.

Regardless, it doesn't belong there.

[legion]

A few things...

I called the city code enforcement office and they told me that the neutral bar in residential construction is grounded to the ground bar. At the time my house was built it was considered okay to intermix ground and neutral. Ground and neutral must be separated in all subpanels.

I called a few electricians and unless my power is out or something is sparking, they won't be able to come out for a few months. (Being "essential" they are very busy with a variety of projects as they are one of the few things we are allowed to spend money on.)

That said, even though I don't have the wiring into the main panel finalized, I can still wire things out from the subpanel. It just won't be active for awhile.

To recap, this is the motor I want to run a 30-amp circuit to:

Originally Posted by legion

1) What gauge wire should I run from the 30 amp breaker to the compressor?

2) I should be running two hots from the 30 amp breaker, correct? (Using a double-throw breaker.)

3) What socket and pigtail should I use for the compressor? The one mentioned earlier in the thread is for a 20 amp circuit. I'd think I'd want one with four prongs, correct?