Concept Approval Please!

[KramE]

Hey all,

Today was a big day! I started collecting parts for an eBiab rig!

Thanks to members like PJ, Kal, and everyone else, there is a plethora of information available. From that, I have a general idea on how to go about the build, but I want to ask a couple basic questions to verify I'm on the right track conceptually.

Goal: To electrically brew five gallon batches in a single 60 qt aluminum bayou classic pot with just one 240v 5500w water heater element controlled by a PID.

I plan on powering the rig starting at a range outlet and running the cord (6/2 AWD and 8/2 AWD) from there to a 50amp GFCI Spa box. The rest is predictable.

Questions:

1. Nobody seems to talk about the spa panel with a 4 prong range cord. No reason this will not work, correct? The only difference is the neutral wire is already provided, right?

2. Looking at the breaker that protects the stove, it is a 2 pole breaker, and the number that is on each of the poles is a 20. Does that mean that breaker is 240v 40a? If that is the case, I seem to be the only person with a 40 amp breaker, or is this actually 30a for some reason I'm not understanding?

2a. Since the spa box's breaker is 10 amps higher than what's in my actual fuse panel, the only thing it provides is the GFIC, as the fuse panel will trip first, correct?

3. Should the power cord going from the spa box to the control panel be the same as the cord going from the wall outlet to the spa box?

Thanks all!

 

[grandequeso]

First off I recommend you contact a electrician. There are just so many variables. You'd really have open up your panel and or the outlet that you plan on powering you brew controller from and verify whether you have the right size and number of wires available.

FYI two handles / breaker poles at 20a each means 20a each leg, not 40a total. Two pole 20a is not a common size for any type of kitchen cooking appliance (range, cooktop or wall oven) some of the newer convection ovens call for max breaker size of 20a. If you have something like that you may still have the larger wires in the wall feeding it. It may not be worth yanking oven/ ranges or cooktops out of the wall to check. Where is your panel in relation to where you plan on brewing. It may be easy enough to drop a new circuit out of your panel.

Grandequeso

 

[KramE]

Agreed. Electrician time.

EDIT: I just went and looked, and each pole has 40 on it. Perhaps I should get an electrician to protect me from myself.