Is this 240v GFCI working on my setup?

[pourliver]

Hey everyone!

So, I've been brewing on this setup in my apartment for a while with no GFCI, and no issues. I recently acquired a 240v GFCI (This Hubbell one) and I am currently having doubts. My setup uses an Auber Cube to control one 120v pump and one 240v heating element. This GFCI has L6-30 connectors, and the plug end came with an oven outlet adapter. I feel like I'm introducing some issues using an L6-30 GFCI in my setup. I heard online that using my 240v to power a 120v pump would not work as the GFCI has no neutral (2Hot, 1 ground). Would it still work?

Here is a "diagram" of my current setup.

Oven outlet (L14-50R) <-- Custom cord (L14-50P - L14-30R) <---- Auber cube.

With this GFCI, it would look like this.

Oven outlet (L14-50R) <-- 14-50P adapter<--- GFCI <---- Auber cube.

Thank you for your time, I don't know much about electricity.

 

[pourliver]

If the only issue of this setup is running a 120v pump, I could probably wire it to a switch and power it through the wall, but this is still not GFCI protected

 

[whoaru99]

I heard online that using my 240v to power a 120v pump would not work as the GFCI has no neutral (2Hot, 1 ground). Would it still work?

No.

Deriving 120V from the 240V split phase power necessitates a neutral.

 

[doug293cz]

That GFCI will not work if a 120V pump is powered from the Cube, and the pump will not work without a neutral wired to the Cube. I'm not sure if the Cube has any components internally that use 120V, rather than 240V, and thus also require a neutral to work. You need a four wire GFCI.

Brew on

 

[pourliver]

Thank you for the inputs. I tried looking for inline GFCIs with 4 wires but haven't found any. I guess i could go the route of a "portable GFCI spa panel" (found here Portable GFCI Spa Panel), but I'm not confident in doing that myself.

 

[whoaru99]

It's actually pretty straightforward but if you are not at ease doing it then, yeah, discretion is the better part of valor.

 

[whoaru99]

There are lots of diagrams around, likely videos too. But, here is a basic diagram of how the Eaton GFI spa panel I have would be connected to incoming power and outgoing GFI-protected supply.

As it's a 3 wire with ground connection both in and out, 240V and 120V are protected by GFI.

Some folks more familiar may question the load/power out neutral going to the breaker rather than to the neutral bus. This is done per the Eaton instructions to connect the load neutral to the breaker where such connection exists.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm not a fan of creating a bunch of electrical adaptations, especially on high current 240v circuits without knowing much about electricity. This is one of those topics that should have been brought up before buying anything.

The Auber Cube uses 120v for the pump and also to power the brain inside (which could be adapted to run on straight 240v easily).

It could all work if you're willing to control your pump completely outside of the controller and the one neutral inside the Cube that is going to the brain needs to be moved from neutral to a hot source.

I agree that the spa panel is the most practical. It's too bad there aren't any 240/120v DIN rail GFCI breakers available because there's plenty of room inside the cube to install one.

 

[pourliver]

100% agree with you Bobby, and to be fair, you don't know what you don't know I learned a ton by encountering issues / reading this forum, and I'm glad to have some great resource here to fix these issues.

I guess my next step will be to either work on a spa panel myself, or to look for a local electrician to wire one up for me!

 

[doug293cz]

100% agree with you Bobby, and to be fair, you don't know what you don't know I learned a ton by encountering issues / reading this forum, and I'm glad to have some great resource here to fix these issues.

I guess my next step will be to either work on a spa panel myself, or to look for a local electrician to wire one up for me!

Yes, find someone who has some more expertise than you. It doesn't necessarily have to be an electrician. For example, I am not an electrician, but I have no doubt that I could correctly wire up a spa panel GFCI. But, you do need to have confidence in the person that helps you. If in doubt about choosing someone, then an electrician is a good choice.

Brew on

 

[mkopec1]

Yeah 120v is one thing but 240v is an entirely different monster to mess with. I have an empty dryer 240v plug, the old school 1970s one with the 3 huge prongs I could use for my Anvil if I made an adapter but I just dont want to go there. Plus NONE of the 240v crap, and NONE of the 120v in the kitchen and bathrooms have any GFCI either. The 240v plug is right on the floor too! IDK what these dudes were thinking back in 1970. Lets put a 240v plug on the floor right by the clothes washing machine that could flood at any time if the sink plugs with a sock or some shite.

 

[mac_1103]

The old wiring is grandfathered. No one can make you add GFCI. Moving your dryer outlet off the ground shouldn't require a permit or a code update as long as you don't actually modify the circuit. Of course, if it's not currently being used you can just flip the breaker.