[GlennCMC70]

there is no 220V service in my garage - thats about to change.

i picked up a 250V 30A outlet (3 slots arranged in a circle w/ one looking like a "L") which matches the plug on the welder.
i have a 30A breaker that takes up two slots in the breaker panel for the house (located in the garage!)
i have some new 10 gauge 3 conductor wire (black, white, and green conductors).
snap the breaker in place - make sure its switched off.
install a black and white conductor in one of the two set screw slots in the 30A breaker.
connect the other ends of the black/white to the outlet and the ground to the ground on the back of the outlet and inside the breaker panel (metal box).


to be honest here, the only thing i know about A/C electricity is it can kill you. other than that, i don't know jack. i can replace a bad outlet/socket/switch, but i couldnt wire any 110v circuit from the box to the wall if i had to.

so does the above sound right? i know there should normally be a red wire to use in place of the white, but i've read thats really only required for 4 prong plug/outlets.

looking for the FRAXX guidance here oh wise one's. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/drink.gif)

[Torque]

the wire i have turns out to be 14-3 and not the 10-2 i need. 10-2 has 2 conductors and a bare ground wire in it, right?
[/quote]


14-3 is for lighting, NOT for powering outlets of any type. 14-3 does have 4 wires in it, one neutral/white, 1-ground (bare or green) and 2 hots (usually one black and one red). The way you use it would be to have each of the hots (red and black) support a separate service/circuit utilizing the common neutral and ground. In a sense, this is similar to the way you'd run a 220 circuit like the 30 amp you are trying to run, they should also be hooked up to a double breaker (2 15 or maybe 20-amp breakers bridged together so that you can't kill one thinking you killed the circuit and then cut it only to learn the other circuit was still hot... etc.). In this case however they would be supporting 2 separate circuits (i.e. 2 separate lighting fixtures or arrays of can lights in a kitchen). 14 gauge is way to thin for 220.

10-2 will have 3 wires which are intended for hot, neutral, and ground. 10-2 will not get you what you need for your application. You need 2 hots, 1 neutral, and one ground and 10-3 should provide that for you.

General rule I was told by my electrician-

14 = lighting (usually white romex casing)
12 = 110 outlets/power sources (usually yellow romex casing)
10 = 220 applications- 30amp, etc. (usually orange romex casing)

2nd number depicts number of non-ground wires- -2 is hot and neutral, -3 is 2 hots, 1 neutral. Both will have a ground as well.

Hope this helps.