Need help wiring up 240VAC.

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

Is aliexpress a good place to buy from? I thought that was generally cheap stuff, quality wise I mean.

ali is a marketplace - you can find all types of stuff.
that linked item is certified to chinese electrical standards only - probably because it's not really exported.

hence my question about marks.
have to say those u.s. connectors are never going to pass a chinese or european safety thing though.
exposed pins, no resessed mating surfaces, no shutters - bad joke really.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

yea, that will work, top entry round threaded inlet.
the 16A ones are 25mm - not sure about the 32mm ones, but you can get thread reducers.

Speaking french here brother! That one I just linked to, the one I said I thought I'd buy, does that have top entry round threaded inlet?

Also, in the pics of the PDU, I showed the ground wire. A sticker says that must be hooked up before plugging the PDU in. I don't want to create a ground loop. Do I just ground that, using 10-gauge wire, to the rack somewheres?

I don't see one on the actual server, but the switch I have has a grounding screw as well....I'm pretty sure I read something about how the server itself is supposed to be properly grounded as well.

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

yes, the datasheet you linked states a 25mm threaded entry on the top for your cable conduit.
they all follow the same design btw for compatability.
if you look at all the ones i linked they all have a similar mounting box.

ground is handled through the blue connector - you should do a continuity check from the plug to that screw.
if it's good then no worries - if not you need to bitch at the seller for not wiring that plug correctly.
the IEC connectors always link the grounding first - the pin is longer.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

But having the grounding screw, it doesn't hurt to ground it to the rack, does it? The rack seems to have multiple green bolts (one in the front left (next to three normal coloured bolts), one in the front right, two in the rear left, two in the rear right). I believe those are meant to be grounded to equipment perhaps? And some of this stuff came with wire that looks like it goes to the bolts, for grounding....If I ground the PDU to the rack, and the various other equipment to the rack, and the blue plug provides the ground, that'd be my ground from the rack to the mains, right?

Patch panel gets grounded I believe, the ethernet cable has to be grounded on one end, not the other (the drain wire). Switch gets grounded, and I could have sworn this pesky server got grounded somehow as well.

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

i have no idea about the rack or related equipment,
i'm just talking about the hookup between the power inlet and mains supply.
it's feasable you need to ground-link the rack to each item in it incase the powdercoat or whatever the finish is prevents a good connection via the mounts.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

I guess the server is just grounded through the plugs, which plug into the PDU, which gets grounded to the receptacle (and apparently the rack), and the switch gets grounded to the rack I believe. Everything with a grounding screw / bolt I think gets grounded to the rack....

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

btw, go to a gunshop or range and ask for some empty 7.62x39 or larger cardboard ammunition boxes.
then keep putting them out with your trash.
that should deter thieves!

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

So what gauge wire do I need to run to the receptacle? 8 gauge or would 10 work? And for breakers, do I really need 45 amp breakers or would two 30 amp's be good?

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

btw, go to a gunshop or range and ask for some empty 7.62x39 or larger cardboard ammunition boxes.
then keep putting them out with your trash.
that should deter thieves!

LOL!!!!! Leaving some empty .234 rounds laying around should do pretty well I'd think.

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

So what gauge wire do I need to run to the receptacle? 8 gauge or would 10 work? And for breakers, do I really need 45 amp breakers or would two 30 amp's be good?

cant answer that.
firstly we rate cables differently here.
if your outlet is capable of 32a the the wires should be too - probably 4mm conductors.
breakers are tricky because you need to allow for inrush currents.
check your equipment for the peak inrush current.
you need to make sure the breakers are "c" type and have atleast 10Kv breaking current.
a lot of domestic stuff is "b" type and only 6Kv rated.
the b & c thing is trip sensitivity.
b type can give false tripping on big inductive loads.

btw, why 2 breakers?
you only need a breaker on live - not return.
it's a single phase supply.
(or is it??)

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

i'll try to be a bit more clear.
cable should be rated a bit higher than the socket(s) so if you overload the socket the breaker trips before the cable starts to warm up - fire prevention.
breakers should be rated equal to the total the socket(s) can handle - because in theory you shouldnt be drawing more.

but as i said, inrush needs to be accounted for.
your connector is LNE (live, negative, earth) live is fused, negative isnt, earth is to ground - dont confuse this with the split-phase in the rest of your house)
you can use 2 breakers if you want, i suppose that would let you miss-use the outlet for 120v if you needed.

[budm]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

He is running the of the 240V US split-phase (120-0-120), so he will be suing two HOTS (L1, and L2) and SAFETY GND.
It will be dual-breaker type.
BTW, I also spec in IPC for the 30A export products.
They are expensive!

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

those panel-mount connectors are about 5-10us$ from EU suppliers.
if you need any it may be cheaper even with the added postage costs.

[redwire]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

I would follow codes and treat it just like wiring up a stove or dryer.
30A is usually 10/3 and 8/3 for 45A: http://www.cerrowire.com/application-charts

The unused neutral conductor, just tape up and leave in the junction box. You may change the outlet some day.


Conduit is required for multi-family dwellings (apartments), commerial buildings, and anywhere the cable is not supported (stapled)/exposed to abrasion etc.
I'm not sure what made your electrician use it for part of the run.

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

common sense, it protects the wire from accidental damage if somebody ever hits the wall with furniture or a ladder etc.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

cant answer that.
firstly we rate cables differently here.
if your outlet is capable of 32a the the wires should be too - probably 4mm conductors.
breakers are tricky because you need to allow for inrush currents.
check your equipment for the peak inrush current.
you need to make sure the breakers are "c" type and have atleast 10Kv breaking current.
a lot of domestic stuff is "b" type and only 6Kv rated.
the b & c thing is trip sensitivity.
b type can give false tripping on big inductive loads.

btw, why 2 breakers?
you only need a breaker on live - not return.
it's a single phase supply.
(or is it??)

Single phase, but we need what's called a double-pole breaker, because here, we have 120V coming into the house and most domestic stuff runs off 120VAC, not 240VAC. So when we have a device that requires 240VAC (usually an electric dryer or an electric stove), then we need to run a double pole breaker, where each breaker provides 120VAC to one of the two load lines on the wire.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

I would follow codes and treat it just like wiring up a stove or dryer.
30A is usually 10/3 and 8/3 for 45A: http://www.cerrowire.com/application-charts

The unused neutral conductor, just tape up and leave in the junction box. You may change the outlet some day.


Conduit is required for multi-family dwellings (apartments), commerial buildings, and anywhere the cable is not supported (stapled)/exposed to abrasion etc.
I'm not sure what made your electrician use it for part of the run.

In my basement, all outlets are either connected to a board that is connected to the basement cement, or the outlet is connected directly to the cement. With the ones that are connected directly to the cement, they have conduit. So it could be code.

Remember, with the NEC, counties can add to the code, but cannot take away. So maybe my county requires it? It's just not the 240VAC that has the conduit, but there's a GFCI outlet for the washing machine that's 120VAC, connected directly to the cement wall, that also has the conduit.

So which outlet should I be purchasing and from where? And Budm, do you know if I should be using 45 amp double pole breakers?

Sorry it took so long to get back. Something wrong with me. Losing too much weight too quickly for some reason and the doctor says it's time to go to the emergency room. Went from 207lbs down to 158lbs. Yesterday, I weighed 159.8. Today, 158lbs even. Keep on peeing a lot, but they did a glucose test and that was fine. Nothing has changed in my life style. Still under the same amount of stress, still eating the same I've always ate, activity hasn't increased or anything. Just one day, started losing weight and it never stopped.

Now, I'm tired and sleeping more than I should be, freezing cold, and always dizzy. When I stand up fast, I gotta sit back down so I don't pass out. The doctors office said that dizzyness sounds like blood pressure, but to head to the ER. I'm going to go Monday. I'd like to order the outlet that I need before then, along with the conduit, and everything else.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

Wait, this is the receptacle I need, right?

https://www.rapidonline.com/23-2994

[petehall347]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

that's what i would use, but your close to the max - maybe go to the 63A ones.
they shouldnt be too expensive btw - for 32A that socket should be $20-30.
i say this because i'v seen some scumbags asking hundreds for them!

16 amp about 3 quid .. 32 amp maybe 7 quid .. quid is 1£

[stj]

Re: Need help wiring up 240VAC.

Wait, this is the receptacle I need, right?

https://www.rapidonline.com/23-2994

technically, yes.
but you could use the ip67 rated one if you wanted to be able to seal it when the plug is not in.
the only difference is the ip67 one has a locking cover instead of a sprung one.