upgrade a 110 panel to a 220 panel

[BrewingChemist]

Hi all,
I purchased a 20Amp 110 RIMs panel and then decided I wanted to upgrade to a 220 panel for an eherms instead. it is based on ebrewsupply.com's electrical plans

So, what all needs to be upgraded? I've got 2 40amp SSRs and 3 PIDS. I've got a 50amp SPA panel.

Anyone have any other suggestions? when I get home tonight I will grab pictures of the control panel I currently have and what the insides look like. Thanks for any advice.

 

[tmendick]

You'll probably need to rewire a lot of it with a larger gauge wire.

 

[BrewingChemist]

Ok so here's what it looks like in the outside and inside. Person I bought it off of said he had planned to upgrade it to 240 and never did. So I'm hopeful he used the right gauge for 240...

View attachment 1481146104741.jpg

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[BrewingChemist]

Also, so this is the gfci breaker out of my spa panel. It is the right size to fit my main panel. Anything wrong with just popping it in there to replace the current 30amp dryer breaker that is there?

 

[flugelizor]

Wire size might be printed right on the wire.
I have a 50 amp 220v panel, and I used 10AWG for each of two HERMS elements,
and bought a 50 AMP 3 wire plug for the main power.

 

[flugelizor]

Also, so this is the gfci breaker out of my spa panel. It is the right size to fit my main panel. Anything wrong with just popping it in there to replace the current 30amp dryer breaker that is there?

Nothing wrong with swapping if it fits in the panel.
But there are different designs, and they are not always compatible.

 

[BrewingChemist]

Sorry it didn't post before. Looks like its compatible.

On a side note: I bought these SSRs. When they arrived I realized they say 480 on them. Did I buy the wrong type?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/391464244314?_mwBanner=1

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[Nemanach]

Assuming you have a 4 wire 240v couldn't you just pull a 120v circuit off of it in the panel to power the electronics in the panel with a 20 amp fuse and then just upgrade the wiring for the element power if needed? This would require minimal modifications.

 

[flugelizor]

Those SSRs look OK to me. 480v is maximum load (24 - 480V AC)

 

[audiophool]

Also, so this is the gfci breaker out of my spa panel. It is the right size to fit my main panel. Anything wrong with just popping it in there to replace the current 30amp dryer breaker that is there?

That would probably not be safe and could cause problems with insurance in case of a fire. The wiring from the panel to the dryer outlet is probably 10ga if the breaker is 30A. A 50A circuit requires heavier gauge wiring.

 

[BrewingChemist]

That would probably not be safe and could cause problems with insurance in case of a fire. The wiring from the panel to the dryer outlet is probably 10ga if the breaker is 30A. A 50A circuit requires heavier gauge wiring.

Good call. It is. Thanks for mentioning that. If I purchased 6gauge wire and ran it to the outlet (maybe 10-15ft), that would be the way to go right? Anything else I'd want to change/upgrade from panel to outlet?

 

[BrewingChemist]

Assuming you have a 4 wire 240v couldn't you just pull a 120v circuit off of it in the panel to power the electronics in the panel with a 20 amp fuse and then just upgrade the wiring for the element power if needed? This would require minimal modifications.

I could kiss you! Doh! Why didn't I think of that?!

Now to read up on how to do just that. Thanks for the suggestion!