Having 30 amp plug installed at home

afidel wrote:

drsteve wrote:

pennysmom09 wrote:
We have a 30 amp outlet in our garage. If we use our surge protector, won't that tell us if the voltage is too high?

What you probably have is a 220v outlet for a welder. Best thing to do is check it with a voltmeter before plugging any sort of device into it.

I don't think I'd stick my cheap volt meter into a potential 30A 240V circuit, I'll let a pro with a properly protected Fluke handle that. If I still had access to the Fluke from work I might do it myself but I've seen what happens when a cheap meter explodes (thanks youtube!) and I don't want to be anywhere near that kind of plastic shrapnel bomb or the potential for flash burns.

For those that can't spend $50 for a decent meter or are hesitant around electricity, there are now a variety of devices that will indicate voltage, inductively. Also, there are the outlet testers that can be inserted with the circuit unpowered and a user can then power the circuit.

The simplest way to ascertain if 240V is powering a receptacle is to read the embossed print on the face. It will denote which model it is and the prong receptacles will only accept the correct plug. This is becoming much easier with newer installations since all 240V is adapted to four wire code.