Correcting 3 Mistakes On A 240V Outlet Install

Have learned a thing or 2 over the 5 years on YouTube after publishing 300+ videos and wanted to share the lessons learned on DIY electrical projects. Most of this information and lesson learned has come from the viewers and all the great comments over the years.

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[EverydayHomeRepairs]

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[shubinternet]

IMO, the biggest thing here is not that you got it perfect in the first place. No, this time you went back and showed us your earlier mistakes, and then you corrected them. You're learning from your audience and your own personal experience, and making sure that we get to share in that learning experience.

That's what I really appreciate about this channel.

[N-hunter]

Another note is to make sure that the box is secured well to the wall if you plan on plugging and unplugging with any frequency. Those receptacles have a fair bit of grip strength, so normal drywall anchors may pull out of the wall. 3” Screws into a stud or tapcons for concrete are best

[Toyotajunkie]

Awesome follow-up! Despite how many people "talk the talk" on here and try to badmouth you, I have seen a LOT of "professional" "sparky"s do 90%of their job incorrectly. Ignorance is one thing, especially if you correct it by learning and betterment of yourself. But laziness and stupidity are in no way acceptable.
Thanks again for your time sir!

[lightspeed]

Scott, a year ago, before I had seen this video, I installed one of those less capable outlets for my daughter to charge her EV. Today, on a visit, I noticed the current was low on charging, and there was black plastic stuck to the charger plug prongs. Sure enough, the outlet had been melting and amazingly had kept charging at a reduced current. I am so thankful for your video as I may not have thought to investigate further, leaving my daughter’s safety at great risk. I have two pictures of the damaged outlet I’m happy to send to you if you want them. Thank you for your excellent and helpful vids. Dave.

[rjt]

These are the videos that do the most for me. Mistakes recognized and humble presentation is great and it is these types of post that always generate the most useful comments and tips from the crazy amount of knowledge and experience given by all the people generous enough to post in the comments. thanks to all. I use mine for a welder only occasionally but if I had an EV I would swap out for a Hubbell

[nathanplatt]

You're going to want to double-check that ground screw you put inside the box, it looked like it was loose and the wire was moving around and you also might want to secure the actual box to the wall a lot better. If you plan on pluging stuff in and out of that outlet all the time you're going to rip that box off the wall the way it was moving around.

[asuarezjd]

Nope, the Hubble was important and necessary to install but there was no grounding issue. You had a grounded outlet.
Good video and I am glad you made it. I am also happy that you got an industrial grade outlet, the cheap oven ones will not do and can burn, they are not built for CONTINUOUS juice, the connectors inside are half the area and not copper. Yet, the ground pigtail, is good you showed and brought it to attention, nonetheless, the copper bar on the side (at 6:18) of the outlet as well as the bronze chip means that is a grounded outlet. Hence, when you connect the ground bare wire to the outlet it link, nexus, ties it into the plate which will then ground the metal box and conduit when you screw the plate to the metal box. In fact, it was more secured before because the ground wire was not interrupted and the WAGO lever nut is always another risk that it can come lose in addition to another connection which is not as tight. I guess what is done is done now since you cut and shortened the bare wire.
So, no need, but is good to do for those with cheap outlets which are not the "grounded" type. I love that you mentioned to wiggle and retight the stranded wires, it is a fatal mortal sin not to, especially because they WILL loosen up and will arc or worse, fire up. Is always necessary to revisit and wiggle and torque again. Is a garage and you don't want 50 amps catching fire underneath the bedrrom while the family sleeps.

[BradBo]

Now I got something to buy with my gift card, a screw driver torque tool! I also learned allot from the state inspectors when I wired all my new houses. I have always appreciated how patient they were with me as a homeowner and wanting to learn.

[aaron]

Looks like at the 6:55 mark, the ground loosened up under the box's ground screw

[mcpattrsn]

Also for the US viewers:

EMT shall be securely fastened in place at least every 3 m (10 ft). In addition, each EMT run between termination points shall be securely fastened within 900 mm (3 ft) of each outlet box, junction box, device box, cabinet, conduit body, or other tubing termination.

[gregcollins]

The Hubbell receptacles are made from bakelite which will never melt whereas all the other brands are just basic plastic which have had instances of getting hot and melting during prolonged EV charging. Also notice that most of the cheaper brands have contacts that are only half the size of the slot in the receptacle. (talk about cost cutting beancounters)

[fmort]

Nice video, I do have a suggestion if you are looking for more strength for repeated plugging/unplugging here. The weak spot in this is the 2 screws that hold in the mud ring. If you use the Hubbell-Raco 696 Masonry Box you can tap in 2 more screws and have every corner held down snug. There are other boxes you can use, but I like the way the metal piece with the screws goes the length(or width) of the box instead of a little tab in the corner. Also I couldn't tell too well, but it looked as if your drywall was giving way a little when you pulled on the box, so it may be installed with drywall anchors. If you ever have an opportunity to get in and put a stringer between the studs to mount the box to it would make the whole plug rock solid. Overbuilt is better imo. Also want to say, that nothing in this video is bad advice. I am just contributing some ways to make it even stronger.

[stanrosenblum]

That original install was done by a master electrician who has his own fantastic channel. We all make errors but as others have pointed out EMT if properly installed is an acceptable ground Also you could wrap the ground wire around the box screw and then to the receptacle. Great channel Keep pushing for Klein combo or Milwaukee ecx drivers especially as torquing is becoming more of a standard and not a suggestion. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[NickVanGuth]

Thanks to like 3-4 of your videos I’m confident enough to run my 10 gauge wire for my compressor that comes tomorrow, thank you 🙏

[toddwright]

This is accurate advice. I made the mistake of installing a $20 outlet. It's lasted about 4 years, but recently I've been limited to charging at about half the normal rate (or less) after a bit as the charger plugging into it is sensing more heat than should be present and automatically reducing the current as a safety precaution. I'm only running 6' of 6 gauge from the service panel so it's definitely the outlet itself that is not up to the task. I've got my replacement ready to go and will be changing it out this weekend.

Definitely check the outlet your electrician is supplying. Many are not yet up to speed and will just install the cheaper, lower workload options out of ignorance. I had to change out one in a different location after the electrician installed it.

Also, a company named Bryant sources their product from Hubbell; they are the same outlet. You may find the Bryant cheaper; I got mine for $65 each at a time when Hubbells were selling for about double that due to limited supply.

[jessebutryn]

If that metal conduit is grounded that should meet any code requirements for grounding the box. Also those "combo" screws on the original outlet will also accept a robertson drive which will allow you to put as much torque as needed.

[SNUFFY]

I really cannot stress enough, using a non contact meter is not the way to "make sure" power is off, you should ALWAYS use a volt meter to make sure.... (I'm aware that with this circuit you know it was off and what breaker it was) IBEW Local 681

[gigafreckle]

A licensed master electrician did this install, and here you are making some fixes. I get it that hindsight is 20/20, but what hope do we DIY'ers / consumers have to make sure we're performing work properly if even master electricians cut corners / forget things? Wouldn't an inspection from the municipal building permit department here have saved you before calling the initial install complete?

As an aside, thanks for the content. I've been learning a lot from you and Joel!

[mariolucius]

Thank you for clearly defining what is meant by “industrial grade” NEMA 14-50 receptacle, including an Amazon link, and emphasising the need to torque and re-torque.