Replies

1. 
   DanH | Apr 22, 2012 06:48pm | #1

   At the very least you'd have to have some sort of a fuse/breaker, to limit current to 15-20A.  No doubt there are other issues as well.

2. 
   SpeedyPetey | Apr 23, 2012 06:43am | #2

   Feeding outdoor outlet from A/C disconnect

   It is also highly unlikely that there is a neutral present at this disconncet. If not then there is no logical way to do it.

   A new wire must be run to the receptacle.

1. 
   DanH | Apr 23, 2012 07:28am | #3

   Well, he said there's three-plus cable (though I find that a bit odd for an AC feed).

1. 
   VinceR | Apr 23, 2012 04:44pm | #4

   Feeding outlet from A/C disconnect

   Dan and Speedy:

   Thanks for the replies.  The cable is indeed three conductor plus ground (so there's a neutral).  It's there because 40 years ago when I installed the A/C, I thought that 240 volt lines HAD to be like that. (Live and learn, but now I'm glad I made the mistake.)

   So I guess the remaining question is: does the cable from the 30A disconnect to the 20A breaker need to be #10, or will #12 be OK?  Can the "breaker" be a GFCI outlet, or should it be a "real" GFCI breaker?

   Thanks again,

    Vince

1. 
   DanH | Apr 23, 2012 08:55pm | #6

   You need to have a real breaker/fuse (in addition to the outlet being a GFCI outlet) -- a GFCI outlet is not an "overcurrent protection device".  Generally you'd put in a 20A breaker/fuse and a 20A GFCI outlet.  Under some circumstances (limited distance, ending directly at an overcurrent device, etc) you can use wire rated for the overcurrent device (ie, #12) between your source and the overcurrent device.  But I don't know chapter and verse.

3. 
   renosteinke | Apr 23, 2012 06:50pm | #5

   Hmm... I could have sworn I posted on this thread a few hours ago ...

   Short version is: it's probably a very bad idea.

   Issue #1 is the neutral. Is there one? You need one - and I mean a white wire going all the way back to the panel. Accept no substitutes.

   Issue #2 is overcurrent protection. The existing wires are probably on a 30-amp breaker; you need your receptacle on a fifteen or twenty-amp breaker.

   Issue #3 are your connections. I doubt the disconnect terminals are intended to have two wires under them. Nor are there any places for the neutral wires to connect. Wire nuts? Probably don't have room for the connection, as well as the required pigtails.

   If you do have a neutral, you can replace the disconnect with a small panel, and feed everything from there. I you don't know how to do that, hire it out.