How do you convert a 120V receptacle to a 240V receptacle for an air conditioner that uses 240V?

Answer 1

A "110" volt outlet cannot be converted to a "230" volt outlet. A 230 volt outlet requires a new wire run to the outlet rated for the appliance you plan on plugging into it. Example an airconditioner that requires a 220 volt 20 amp circuit would have to have a 12/3 w/ground wire run to handle the load. The three wire are usually black,red,white. Black is for 1 120 volt line, red is for another 120 volt line and white is for neutral. On a standard 120 volt outlet there are 2 colored wires (black and whtie) and a bare ground. It's not an easy solution, but it is the only proper solution.

Answer 2

If the 220V circuit is dedicated, is to derate the circuit to a dedicated 110V outlet. Replace the 220V breaker with a 110V breaker and install a 110V outlet in place of the 220V outlet. If the original circuit was 20A or greater go with a 20A breaker and a 20A outlet as Airconditioners are fairly large loads. Do not exceed the current rating of the old circuit as that is all the current the existing wiring can handle.

Answer 3

120 volt to 240 volt receptacle Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

Please read this explanation thoroughly twice before doing any electrical work. Do this electrical work only if you feel confident that you can do it safely. If not, then this is the procedure that an electrician would use and you would be able to follow what he is doing. Again an electrician should be your first choice.

If you consider doing this the first thing is SHUT THE MAIN BREAKER OFF. Use an auxiliary light source to see when working in a dead panel. Always keep in mind an ARC FLASH ACROSS HOT MAINS HAS ENOUGH HEAT TO PEAL THE SKIN OFF OF YOU.

Before an explanation of how to do this, you should keep in mind that this is for a single receptacle only, rated at 15 amps at 240 volts. It can only be a 15 amp receptacle because of the existing house circuit wiring is probably a #14 wire that is only rated at 15 amps. If any other receptacles are on the same circuit they also will also be changed to 240 volts.

Check to make sure that the A/C unit falls within the parameters of the wiring. The A/C unit can not have an amperage draw of more than 12 amps at 240 volts. If the A/C unit amperage is above these parameters, STOP right now.

That said OK, any 120 volt outlet can be changed to 240 volt. Remove the distribution panel's cover plate. Locate the white wire from the circuit that you are going to change and remove the white wire from the neutral bus bar. Remove the black wire from the single pole breaker that feeds the circuit that you are going to change. Remove the single pole breaker from the breaker panel. Install the new two pole common handle 15 amp breaker into two adjacent spare panel slots.

If you have no spare slots, use the hole left by the old single pole breaker. At this point you will have to relocate an adjacent breaker to make a space for the two pole breaker. Move the single adjacent breaker to a spare slot if you can find one. If there are no spare slots, stop the project, as the project will get complicated and you should leave it to an electrician. It has to do with load balancing.

If you are continuing, leave the new two pole breaker turned off. Connect the black wire that came off of the single pole breaker on to the top terminal of the new two pole breaker. Connect the white wire that came off of the neutral bar to the lower terminal of the two pole breaker. Install a piece of black electrician's tape for an identification marker on the old neutral wire.

You may have to remove one of the blank twist out covers that was in the position that covered the spare slot to accommodate the new two pole breaker. Re install the distribution panel's cover plate to the electrical panel, this end is finished.

At the receptacle end remove the 120 volt receptacle and replace it with the new 240 volt 15 amp rated receptacle. Connect the existing two wires to the new 240 volt receptacle and connect the ground wire to the green terminal screw.

Materials can be purchased at local building supply store. Remember to take the electrical panel data with you so you have the information for the new two pole 15 amp breaker.

Once you have the receptacle installed, identify on the electrical panel door what the new breaker is used for. Turn the main breaker back on. Turn the new two pole 15 amp breaker on. Test the new receptacle with a voltage tester to make sure you have 240 volts and that every thing is OK.

Note; to be compliant with the electrical code, black tape both ends of the old neutral wire to identify it as a "hot" current carrying conductor and not to be mistaken for a neutral wire.

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed. Before you do any work yourself, on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT REALLY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.