Reader asks if new 50-amp outlet is wired correctly

RV Electricity
with Mike Sokol

Dear Mike,
I have a 50 amp outlet I had put in, and from either hot to the neutral it reads 120 volts, but measuring between both hots it reads 240 volts. Is this outlet wired correctly? —Craig

Dear Craig,
Yes, that’s correct. Most consumers don’t realize that we have 240 volts coming into our homes in the USA, but it’s split in half by the neutral. So testing Neutral to either Hot should measure 120 volts, and testing Hot-1 to Hot-2 should measure around either 240 volts or 208 volts (depending on if you’re wired into a single-phase panel or a 3-phase service panel). Ground to Neutral should measure very close to zero volts if there’s no amperage load on the panel, but can go up to 3 volts during high current draw in the panel and still be in code compliance. 

Mike Sokol is an electrical and professional sound expert with 40 years in the industry. Visit NoShockZone.org for more electrical safety tips. His excellent book RV Electrical Safety is available at Amazon.com.

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