Splitting 240V

Dec 29, 2013 15 Replies

I've got a junction box with some 1953 sheathed cable feeding it. Looks like asbestos fiber sheath with silver spray paint on the exterior. Only 2 wires, both black. Measures 240V rms.



Leaving the junction box are some armored cables containing 2 wires each, one black, one white. They also put out 240V rms. There are no neutral wires or ground wires that I can see. The armored cable is well grounded however.



I had expected that the black/white pairs were 120V, but they are not.



How bad an idea would it be to choose either the black or white wire and connect it to the hot side of a 120V outlet, and then connect the neutral side of the outlet to the armored cable?



And yes, I will call an electrician if I start to feel dangerous.



Shouldn't be asbestos, most likely cloth wrap wire. Very common back then and put inside of BX (armor).

THat does not sound correct, are you in the US? or some 240 land country?

Measure from the ground to each lead, see if you're getting 120v then..

It's possible that one particular line was wired for something like a hot water heater or something that needed 230 volts.

Look on the box and see if the black and white are both going to the L1 and L2 legs, not ground/neutral. If so, it was wired for a 230 volt application. Simply move the white wire over to the ground bus at the panel..

Jamie

This is USA.

Measures 110v from each to ground

This was a circuit that in hindsight was definitely 230/240v.

Was hoping to not do any work at the panel, because I'm not sure what else is on that line. Wanted to just split the 240 at the terminal end.

A small transformer might be an alternative to replacing a lot of wiring etc.

A small transformer will not be TO CODE.

Get an electrician and do it properly :')

John G

"Stumpy" wrote in news:Er2dnWrlee_X8SLPnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

*Very* bad. The cable armor will then become electrically live whenever the circuit is in use.

That's not the right standard. You need to call an electrician if you start to *act* dangerous.

And you're at that point now. What you propose doing is potentially deadly.

All right. I'm getting the impression that the right way to do this is to change it at the panel. It's a 1953 panel and I'm reluctant to even open it up right now. The extension cord solution is OK for now, hardwire later.

DO NOT use safety ground as neutral!!!!!!

100% against code - for good reason

I think you mean "endangered".

Having read your post, I think you are already dangerous.

"Design is the reverse of analysis" (R.D. Middlebrook)

I don't think Miss Manners would have used that choice of wording. But, the sentiment is there. And, I agree.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .

Hopefully only to myself. I think and talk about many more things than I actually do. I try to avoid undo risk.

Be careful there, if you have any assets that are worth anything, the managers or those loony bins, old age homes, are looking for people like you!

They just love to take the family farm, accounts and maybe your deformed buddy down the road, if there is any money in it for them!

Who was that you were talking to?

Jamie

2

The Best way would be to change it at the panel, but if you are looking fo r a basic band-aid depending on the planned load (Device) that you plan on plugging in, you could get a European voltage adapter to plug your device i nto, and power it that way with the euro-voltage converter, but that is bas ically a transformer system in most cases.

Hey Tom, Did you know you're responding to a year-old post?

Sat, 28 Dec 2013 is a "year-old post"? ...Jim Thompson

| James E.Thompson | mens | | Analog Innovations | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Alzheimer's must be setting in..

Jamie

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