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[OM] Re: [OT] More OT electrical advice needed

Subject: [OM] Re: [OT] More OT electrical advice needed
From: Stephen Walker <stephenpwalker@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 09:10:19 -0700 (PDT)
Disclaimer:  While I have two degrees in engineering
and have done electrical work in both an industrial
and homeowner setting, I am not a licensed electrician
nor completely familiar with all national and local
electrical codes.  In summary:  If you kill yourself
or burn down your house, it ain't my fault.  

I'm assuming you're in the USA with normal household
electrical service.

Anyhow, a 230 volt circuit is actually a split phase
circuit with two wires that each have a potential to
ground of 115V, with a 230V potential between them. 
Therefore you will not have 230V to ground anywhere in
the circuit.  If you do, you should probably call a
qualified electrician right away. ;) 

In short:  You've got the right answer.  Jumper the
ground wire from the switch to the outlet.

-Steve


--- Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Sometime after I moved into this house I noticed
> that the wiring of the 
> air conditioner's air handler unit in the basement
> had not been 
> completed properly.  (probably due to a dispute with
> the builder who was 
> going bankrupt and likely paying off the local
> building inspectors)
> 
> In any case, the air handler has a 230v line coming
> in inside a conduit 
> which runs into a junction box.  The 230v stuff
> arrives at an on/off 
> switch whose outputs continue into the air handler
> to run the motor but 
> also divide off 115v into a single socket outlet to
> operate a small 
> condensate pump (since there is no floor drain).
> 
> The junction box used appears to be a ceiling box
> with no cover and the 
> switch and outlet were just dangling on their wires
> half in and half out 
> of the box.  I finally resolved to fix this problem
> and went to Home 
> Depot where I procured a double device cover for the
> junction box, a 
> combination switch & double outlet cover plate and a
> double socket 
> outlet to replace the single one and be compatible
> with the cover plate.
> 
> While trying to poke everything back into place I
> noticed that the 115v 
> socket had no ground wire.  The ground wire ends at
> the on/off switch 
> and is not jumpered to the 115v socket.  The on/off
> switch, of course is 
> carrying 230v.  I assume that I should simply run a
> jumper wire between 
> the ground screws of the switch and the socket but
> it bothers me that 
> I'll have a common ground between 230v on one side
> and 115v on the 
> other.  I have assumed the jumper is the correct
> solution since I can't 
> imagine any other.  But alternating current has
> always been a near total 
> mystery to me and thought I'd ask before committing
> any serious 
> electrical sins.
> 
> Chuck Norcutt
> 
> 
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