240 volt circuit question

[medigrower]

I'm somewhat familiar with 120 volt wiring but not so much with 240. I want to put two 1000 watt lights and one 1000 watt electric heater on one 20 amp 240 volt circuit (12 gauge wire). Can I "pigtail" the hot leads from a junction box to the heater thermostat and the timer ? Is that how you would do multiple outlets on a 240 volt circuit ? What about the bare copper ground ? Thanks.

 

[Azeotrope]

Your ground is just and only that. Your ground. It is the first and most important connection that you terminate/make every time. Beyond that, 240v is just two different "hot" legs feeding from your panel. Do you have a 20A circuit fed from a 2pole
20A breaker? If so what type of outlet is present?

You are fine to run that wattage on a 20a (240v) circuit. Remember that a 1000w mag ballast may consume 1100w, but you are fine. Just don't do something cheezy. If you need two fixtures plugged in, then you need two correctly installed and grounded outlets/recepticles.

You can "pig tail", but you need to carry your ground all the way through without any question. I don't like to see things "pig tailed" as folks usually do some ugly and dangerous stuff like leaving an open box with wires just coming out, no means for quick and easy disconnect, incorrect cord type on "pig tail".......

None of what we do is worth risking a fire or electrocution.

 

[medigrower]

Thanks. Yes, I have a 20 amp 2 pole 240 breaker (12/2 wire). I want to have two 1000 watt lights and a 1000 watt baseboard heater on the circuit with nothing else. I have two 15 amp 240 volt plugs for the lights. I planned on grounding in the panel, the plugs and to the ground screws in the junction boxes. I have the 12/2 coming into a junction box and was going to pigtail in a junction box with wire running from there to the timer and the heater's thermostat. Sound right ? Here's my "schematic"..

 

[medigrower]

schematic

schematic

 

[dansbuds]

Yes it will work that way . just put a 240 volt 20 amp outlet before the timer with a 240 20 amp 12 guage volt cord coming from the timer as a means of disconnect & the other "pigtail " to the thermostat on the BB heater . just make sure all your connections are good a tight & twisted where possible & connect all grounds .

 

[medigrower]

The plug/disconnect to the timer is a great idea. Thanks again for the feedback.