Anvil Foundry wiring questions

[epbx]

I recently purchased an Anvil Foundry 10.5 and had an electrician come out to wire up a 240 volt outlet. I sent them the documentation for the Foundry and specified I needed GFCI protection. Evidently, there was a miscommunication because the breaker they installed didn't have GFCI protection. When I mentioned this to the electrician, he told me it was unnecessary for my use case because the wiring to the outlet was a direct home run to the breaker and "the ground does all the work". I was a little skeptical about this and did a little research on the topic. From what I can tell, it'd still be a whole lot safer if I install a GFCI breaker or use an inline GFCI. Does that sound about right?

Beyond that, I have a couple other concerns about the work that was performed. The outlet was wired to the two single pole breakers in a quad tandem breaker box. Is this OK? I've read that you shouldn't run a 240 volt outlet to two single breakers, but perhaps there's something special about these quad boxes that make this OK. Finally, despite running the outlet to a 20 amp breaker, he installed a 50 amp receptacle. If I cut off the 120 volt plug on my Foundry and put a 240v 50 amp one on it, will that cause any issues? J/K, it's a 20 amp outlet. The electrician gave me bad info.

Sorry about the noob questions. This stuff has been stressing me out a bit so hoping to get some feedback from some folks that understand this all better than I do. Thanks in advance.

 

[doug293cz]

Was that electrician even licensed? The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires GFCI breakers for any outlets in potentially wet areas (kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, garages, etc.) Putting a 50A outlet on a 20A circuit is also a no-no, as someone could easily plug a 50A load (stove, welder, etc.) into the outlet. Did the work get inspected by a code compliance officer after it was completed?

Brew on

 

[epbx]

Yep, used a highly rated, licensed company to perform the work. No one's inspected it. As far as I'm aware, that's not required in my jurisdiction. From what I can find, NEC 2020 was updated to require GFCIs on 240 volt outlets in garages, but my state is still on NEC 2017 so that portion is at least technically up to code. In regards to the outlet, I just did a quick Google search for 6-20r vs. 6-50r and it is, despite what the electrician told me, a 6-20r.

 

[epbx]

Oh, and this is fun. The quad breaker says "Outside poles non-common trip", From what I can tell, my 240v outlet is essentially wired to two 120v breakers which could be a safety hazard. Fun times.

 

[edd101]

A GFCI can replace the need for a grounded outlet in many jurisdictions. I have never heard the opposite being true. Not sure where you added it, but I suspect you probably would pass inspection since the Anvil is not technically a permanent water source. In theory you could plug it into any inspected outlet in your house at 120v, though that doesn't make it a good idea. I spill water or wort all the time using my Anvil by not sealing it correctly, moving the pump, the wort chiller connections etc.

The breaker is somewhat cheap- like $50-$60- I would just insist they trade it out.

 

[epbx]

A GFCI can replace the need for a grounded outlet in many jurisdictions. I have never heard the opposite being true. Not sure where you added it, but I suspect you probably would pass inspection since the Anvil is not technically a permanent water source. In theory you could plug it into any inspected outlet in your house at 120v, though that doesn't make it a good idea. I spill water or wort all the time using my Anvil by not sealing it correctly, moving the pump, the wort chiller connections etc.

The breaker is somewhat cheap- like $50-$60- I would just insist they trade it out.

For a Square D, 20 amp 2-pole breaker, the cheapest I could find one for is about $120 online while the electrician quoted me $280 if they provided one. Luckily, they'll let me buy one and install it for "free". It seems like the best way to go at this point.