Can I change a 220 circuit into a 110 and how?

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Tazman

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Hi all,
I have a spa circuit, 50A single phase at the main panel connected to spa sub panel with a 30A and a 20A breaker in it. I'm selling the spa and the sub panel will go with it. Can I change the 220 into a 110 at the main and then have standard 110 service on my deck? And assuming I can, what do I need to do?
Thanks!
Randy
 
Each hot in a 240 volt circuit is 120 volts.

The first thing you need to do is change the breaker from a 240 volt 50 amp to a single 120 volt 20 amp or a double pole 20 amp. Then on the deck you need to install a GFCI protected outlet or 2. You can actually put one GFI on each hot and share the neutral between them as long as you use a double pole breaker and keep the hot wires on that same 20 amp double pole breaker. You can not use a tandem (2 breakers in one space), it has to be a double pole, 2 space breaker.
 
Thanks for the quick reply! Ok I think I get the main breaker part and the GFCI part. Where I am a bit lost is the neutral wire. Does one of the now hot 110's become the neutral or do they both stay 110's each and go in to one of the breaker connections? I guess I need to open up the panel cover to see what's in there.
thx!
Randy
 
Square Eye's approach assumes a neutral present or the installation of a neutral if absent, all of which if fine if you really need that much power on your deck.

If absent, another option would be to replace the double pole breaker with a single pole 20A breaker and install a blank cover in the other breaker's place. Now, put white tape around the end of the other circuit that was attached to the other leg of the old 2 pole breaker. Attache this wire to the neutral buss inside the main panel. At the other end, install a GFI outlet and put white tape around the end of the other circuit that was attached to the other leg of the old 2 pole breaker, continuity check them against the ground wire, so you don't get them mixed up.
No problem if you do, an outlet tester will pick this up for you and all you have to do is rewire the outlet and relabel your neutral.
We are basically, reusing the other hot off the 220 circuit as a neutral for a 20A 120V circuit w/o having to pull a neutral, just be sure to put white tape on it so it is recognized as a neutral.
 
Thank you! That was kind of what I was thinking. Don't need a ton of power on the deck. Intent is for maybe some outdoor lighting, a small fountain pump and ability for a power tool as needed etc
Thx
Randy
 
I'm wondering about a 6ga. wire in that little hole on the back of a gfi. Or that wire rolled up in a bell box with a gfi. I'm thinking your best bet is a small 4 space outdoor sub panel in place of the one your giving up. Then you can have a million options, like a bell box and a gfi plug mounted just aside or below panel to start, and you take er from there. Just my 1 cent, good luck...
 
triple D said:
I'm wondering about a 6ga. wire in that little hole on the back of a gfi. Or that wire rolled up in a bell box with a gfi. I'm thinking your best bet is a small 4 space outdoor sub panel in place of the one your giving up. Then you can have a million options, like a bell box and a gfi plug mounted just aside or below panel to start, and you take er from there. Just my 1 cent, good luck...
Click to expand...


Exactly what I was thinking. That's awfully big wire to be stuffing into a GFCI, or even a 20 amp breaker on the other end for that matter. A weathertight sub makes a lot more sense, IMHO.
 
I was thinking about the wire size too and wondering if it may be an issue. Can I leave it a 240 ckt to a new sub and split it out there in to a couple 110's? Some how I think not because there would not be a neutral at that point and pulling one is a Looooong ways from the 50A breaker.
Thanks for the great input!
Randy
 
I'm confused. You say there was a subpanel there before. Was there no neutral in it???? How many wires are there? Hopefully four (2 hots, a neutral, and a ground).
 
Must have not been a sub-panel if it didn't have a neutral. Sounds more like a service disconnect.
 
pigtail 10AWG wires to the 6AWG feeder wires. The bigger the box, the better, just make sure it's weahter rated (type 3 NEMA).
 
Hi all
Sorry for the confusion. The proper term is probably a service disconnect. The entire picture is> House main panel is feeding s subpanel that was added in my garage. That sub has the 50A svc that feeds the svc disconnect at the spa and in that box is 30A and a 20A breaker. the svc disc will go with the spa. I have not opened it up to see what wires are really in there so I was making assumptions. Guess I need to open it up and see what's really there and proceed accordingly
thx
Randy
 
I'm aware of fused and non-fused safety switches (disconnects as they are commonly called) but, not sure what to call a box that has breakers in it and that is fed from a sub-panel.
I imagine that your feeding the hot tub via sealtight so it wouldn't be a big deal to unload the run and rerun 12AWG for a 20Amp, 120VAC outlet.
Let us know what you find and we can come up w/inexpensive options for powering the deck.
 
There should be a neutral in the sub-panel. This sub panel also serves as your disconnect for your tub. Kind a killing two birds with one stone. If there is two hots a neutral and a ground, than proceed as I mentioned before would probably your best bet. Good luck again....
 
Hi all, Update on what I found. Opened panel by spa and under breaker cover was 2 hots a ground and a neutral. I've removed the panel as it went with the spa and color taped the neutral and grounds. So sounds like the original reply from Square Eye is what I need to do. Change 50A breaker in panel to a 120 V breaker and at the deck I'll get another small 4 slot panel to feed some plugs out back. If I put a double pole 20A in the main panel I am assuming one leg to each of the breaker halves for the 110 to each correct? then on the deck, the 2 hots would connect to two differnt points to energize the panel? I do much better with pix so if anyone is inclined to put a rough sketch together I can get a visual.
Thanks!
Randy
 
The 2 hots are each 120 volts
You can share the neutral if you keep a double pole (240v) breaker in the main panel.
If you plan on using a sub-panel at the deck, you can keep the 50 amp breaker you have now in the main panel, then use 20 amp single pole breakers in the sub-panel. Then you'll have 4 110 volt circuits.
 
If you are going to install a sub panel out back there is no need to switch the breaker from a 50 amp. If you are going to feed the new receptacles direct then you must change to a 20 amp breaker.
 
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