Question on wiring a 240v Sauna heater?

O.K. Heres my problem. Previously, I had a 240 volt hot tub with a

50 amp Double pole GFCI. Recently replaced hottub with a 240v sauna. Now, according to the wiring schematic. I need one 240v line hooked up to power the three heating elements.

Unfortunately, the power coming off the GFCI seems to be on 110v ( 2 lines 110v each = 220v). This is a four wire hookup ( black, red, white, ground). It seems that I need a 3 wire hookup for the sauna ( black, white, ground). However, no matter how I wire this sauna heater, I seem to be only getting 110v to the elements.

Went to local hardware store and bought a 40 amp 120/240 v SINGLE pole breaker was told that that the breaker should recognize whether the appliance needs either 110v or 240 v and would give accordingly. Unfortunately, when only hooking up, I still only receive 110 v to the heater according to both my multimeter and a simple circuit tester. Out of the 4 wire going to the sauna, I only hooked up black, white, and ground, and just left the red dangling.

Am I missing something here? Is it possible to force 240v out of single wire hookup? If so, how? Thanks.

Reply to
hdivr
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Reply to
Rich.

If f I test between the black and red they will show 240v. However, doesn't that mean that each element is only being powered by

110v? The schematic on the heater is different than the instruction manual. On the heater, it shows a single L1 line (240v) that powers the entire heater and that all three elements are "jumpered" with a metal clip. However in the manual, they show both a L1 and L2 wire hooked up seperately to different elements and the third element doesn't appear to be hooked up. (I can jumper the third element to the second, but when checking with my multimeter, it only shows 110v being directed to each element (with the end of the tester being held to ground.

Am I reading this wrong? Should I only be reading the multimeter and tester across the two terminals to get 240v and not reading each Line against grounding to bare metal?

Reply to
hdivr

Use the double pole GFCI you had originally, and wire it with the black, red and ground. There is 240 volts between the black and the red.

Is this sauna intended for the US market? The instructions should say how to wire it to 240V if so. If not perhaps something talks about one of the power terminals being a neutral or return, (230V system as used in most of the non-US world), which is why you think you have to hook it to the white. There might be a small chance the insulation on the "neutral" side can't take the 120 volts to ground it would experience with a US type connection. Non-US 230V setups may assume one end is near ground.

You may want to talk to an electrician who knows what they are doing rather than asking about messing with a combination of 240 volts, water and people here.

Reply to
Michael Moroney

There is nothing wrong with curiosity, but clearly you are in over your head actually trying to wire this. Please call an electrician before you or someone you love gets electrocuted or you burn your house down.

Reply to
Ben Miller

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