We have a wet location with a need for a 3 pole 30 amp Siemens BL circuit breaker to feed the peice of equipment and would like to have ground fault protection. Is this Breaker available in GFI?

So likely you have a 3 wire dryer cord and a 3 wire branch circuit. The dryer neutral is bonded to the dryer frame and the third wire of the dryer plug.

There were code exceptions for dryers and stoves that allowed timer motor circuits to use the neutral as a current carrier and frame ground.

To use the GFCI for the dryer you will be required to add an additional conductor (new 3 wire+ground cable) and separate the neutral to frame bond in the dryer and use a 4 wire dryer cord.

Likely you also have some GFCI single pole breakers and replaced ungrounded receptacles with grounded (another code exception) and they work OK. The dryer and stove are different as there is current on the third wire where as on the ungrounded receptacle GFCI there is no 3rd wire.

In breif, the neutral (current carrier conductor) from the dryer must be isolated from the dryer frame and dryer ground (fault current carrier conductor).

Or just leave it the way it was.

Check with local authority with jurisdiction for local code requirements.

If you have (90) 50w lamps = 4500 watts total. Assuming a 120/240 panel, if you put 1/2 on one "side" of the panel and the other 1/2 on the other "side" of the panel, that would be 2250 watts on each half. The generator should be rated *at least* 125% of the load; 4500w x 1.25 = 5625W. Using a 4500W generator on this load will cause it to overheat and shorten its life as it is running at 100% of capacity all the time..

One half of the panel is 120V to neutral, and the other is 120V to neutral - or 240V between both circuit breaker terminals. Ohms law for DC circuits and purely resistive AC circuits says Volts x Amps = Watts; or Watts / Volts = Amps. So, 2250W / 120V = 18.75A on each pole of a 2 pole circuit breaker that feeds the sub panel. A #12 copper wire is rated for 20 amps; but as per National Electrical Code - must be de-rated to 80% of rating which means it is good up to 16 amps maximum. A #10 copper wire is rated for 30 amps, but it too must be derated to 80%, making it good for 24 amps maximum. So, if you are going to feed a sub panel supplying (90) 50watt lamps, you will need to run a #10/3 copper cable from a two pole 30 amp circuit breaker at the generator to a 120/240 volt "main lug only" sub panel rated for at least 30 amps.

Divide your load evenly across the sub panel - (4) 15 amps circuits via (2) two pole 15 amp circuit breakers on each "side" of the panel if you run (2) 14/3 cables out to the lights - or (4) single pole 15 amp circuit breakers if you run (4) 14/2 cables out to the lights. No circuit breaker terminal should have more than 23 lamps that means you have (2) w/ 22 lamps and (2) with 23 lamps. The circuit w/ 23 lamps will draw 23 lamps x 50w = 1150W. 1150W / 120V = 9.6A. The 22 lamp load will be 22 x 50w = 1100W. 110W / 120V = 9.2A. Which is well within the 12A maximum allowed (after derating as required by code) by a #14 copper wire rated for 15A.

Good luck!

If you are pressed for space in your panel, it would be easier to free up space in the panel by replacing some of your standard breakers with half size--or "piggy back"--breakers. The freed up space will permit you to install a standard arc fault breaker.

1) Match wire and breaker:
http://waterheatertimer.org/Color-codewire.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/See-inside-main-breaker-box.html

2) 7000 watts divided by 240 volts = 29.1 amps.
30 amp breaker x 80% safe maximum = 24 amps.
This means you should use 8 gauge wire and 40 amp double pole breaker for 240volt

3) 7000 watts divided by 120 volt = 58.3 amps.
60 amp breaker x 80% safe maximum = 48 amps.
So use 70 amp breaker and #4 wire.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

12/2 cable (Romex, UF, etc) consists of two insulated #12 and one uninsulated #12 conductor or wire. The two insulated wires have a black and a white colored insulation. Number 12 copper is rated for 20 amps. This cable can carry a single circuit with ground.

12/3 cable is identical to 12/2 with the exception being that it has a third insulated conductor that is colored red. This third wire allows one cable to supply 2 circuits (one on black and one on red with both sharing the white and ground wires) with one cable run. It is much cheaper to buy and install a single 12/3 cable than two 12/2 cables to get two circuits into the same general area.

Twenty amp 120 volt circuits in dwelling units are required for kitchens, dining rooms, washers, disposals, and other appliances that require more than 12 amps (but less than 16 amps) to operate. Twenty amp 240 volt circuits are typically for specialty appliances and devices such as electric heaters, pumps, etc. Generally, 20A/240V appliances devices do not need a 12/3 cable as they only require connections for Line1, Line2 and ground. One insulated conductor would be unused in a 12/3 cable serving such a device. A 12/2 cable is run instead and the white wire is taped red (any color other than gray or green, to indicated that it is no longer a neutral) at each location it is accessible, such as wiring compartments, panels and junction boxes.

Circuits fed by 12/2 cables will connect to single pole circuit breakers and those fed by 12/3 cables must be connected to double pole circuit breakers. Check the National Electrical Code (NEC) to determine which locations require GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) supplied circuits. The latest (2012) NEC requires most new circuits in dwelling units (residential) to be protected by AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) type circuit breakers. Consult your local building department to find out if the NEC has been adopted in your locality before installing.

Lastly, a 12/3 cable would be run between 3 way & 4 way light switches and hard wired smoke detectors; but only if they are on a 20 amp circuit. Most circuits in the home are 15 amp capacity, especially for lighting circuits. A 14/3 cable would be run on these circuits as there is no need for the additional expense of a cable with the larger #12 wires and the increased labor to handle, install and connect the wires to device terminals.

I hope this helps. Please rate my reply - thanks!

A single pole ground fault breaker has a screw terminal on one side for the black wire to the ciorcuit, a white curly pigtail that goes to the panel neutral/ground bar, and a screw terminal near the white wire for the white neutral wire from the circuit.

A 2 pole GFI breaker is similar, But it has another screw terminal for the other hot wire in the circuit.
For a 220 volt, 2 pole, GFI protected circuit, you need to run a 4 wire cable. black, red, white, green.

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Everything above tells me this is 120V unit...if thats the case a single pole breaker is sufficient. Also by what you have written, a 15 amp breaker should suffice.

You could install a standard GFCI in line at each component ( heater, pump & timer) or you could install AFCI breakers similar to what are required in many residential codes (provide the same protection at the panel not at the location... http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/afcifac8.PDF

The AFCI breakers will need to match your panel type (siemens, GE or Square-D) and the amperage/configuration.

I would install them at the lowest level (closest to the components) in the system to reduce possibility of fire in the wiring between the components and the afci breaker.

this is a double pole circuit breaker that is used for a 240 volt device the bar in the middle is to shut down at the same time you can take it to a hardware store to replace it but the bar is factory made siemens is one common breaker or there might be a substute they can give you also