another electrical question

[tamatik]

I had 220 out to my well house and wanted a plugin out there as well so had the fella just install one.(I never even thought about 220 vs 110) Then I plug my new table saw into it and the saw sounded like a 747 taking off..Rite before the motor exploded. Still didnt figger it out so I got another NEW table saw.. After it blew up I started trying to figger whats up.. Now I know.
My question is...Can I somehow make the outlet 110?
I,m electrically challenged.

[deaconjim]

Get the same electrician that comes to fix your heater to fix the outlet. It won't take him but a minute.

Those who are electrically challenged (and are smart enough to recognize it) do well to leave it to a professional. The firefighters in your area would be grateful.

[CoonXpress]

Originally Posted by tamatik

I had 220 out to my well house and wanted a plugin out there as well so had the fella just install one.(I never even thought about 220 vs 110) Then I plug my new table saw into it and the saw sounded like a 747 taking off..Rite before the motor exploded. Still didnt figger it out so I got another NEW table saw.. After it blew up I started trying to figger whats up.. Now I know.
My question is...Can I somehow make the outlet 110?
I,m electrically challenged.

I'd talk to the guy that installed the 110v outlet on the 220v line?
Unless I'm wrong, I don't believe that the outlets are interchangeable.
I believe that someone owes you a couple of table saws.

Will

[deaconjim]

Originally Posted by CoonXpress

I'd talk to the guy that installed the 110v outlet on the 220v line?
Unless I'm wrong, I don't believe that the outlets are interchangeable.
I believe that someone owes you a couple of table saws.

Will

I agree, but don't let him fix it.

[comfortablynumb]

it can be done, just replace the 220 breaker with a single pole breaker and change the recepticle set up to 110..

and tag an creative jobs done so youknow yrs form now what was done.

its a quick job, for the electrician.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by tamatik

I had 220 out to my well house and wanted a plugin out there as well so had the fella just install one.(I never even thought about 220 vs 110) Then I plug my new table saw into it and the saw sounded like a 747 taking off..Rite before the motor exploded. Still didnt figger it out so I got another NEW table saw.. After it blew up I started trying to figger whats up.. Now I know.
My question is...Can I somehow make the outlet 110?
I,m electrically challenged.

I would find someone other then that fella to do my electrical work. Yes the outlet can be made 110v.

[ChuckinVA]

Well May be it can and maybe it can't. Depends on what the "electrician" ran out to the well house. If he ran two hots and a ground, then you won't have a neutral and should not have 120 volts ( Yes I know that he can get 120 volts to ground but not legally). If he ran 2 hots a neutral and a ground then you should be able to wire a 120 volt receptical up with out a problem. It sounds to me like he only ran 2 hots and a ground.

[cseger1]

To keep the 220 you'll need to leave the 2 pole breaker in the box. If as ChuckinVA said there are 4 wires, you can use 3 of them to add a 110 outlet. One hot and the ground and neutral. Don't do it yourself.

[comfortablynumb]

Thats a good idea.

[rambler]

As the others say, get an actual pro to come do this. It will be easy if there are 4 wires running out to that location; it may be possible if there are only 3 but will take more effort to remain legal to code to keep your insurance valid.

Glad you are smart enough to know your limitations.

--->Paul

To begin with you shouldn't have been able to plug the table saw into a 220v outlet. They are different receptacles. So in that case your electrician made a big boo-boo and if you have proof that he was the one who wired it that way then he should be fixing the problem and buying you a knew tablesaw. Unless for some reason you have the wrong type of male plug on the table saw.

A 220v 20amp receptacle wired with romex cable will have a #12 black, white, and a bare ground wire hooked to it. To convert it to a 110v, you will need to replace the 20 amp 220v receptacle with a 15 amp 110v regular type receptacle using the same wires in the box and replace the double pole breaker with a single pole 15 amp breaker. The colored (hot)wire will go under this breaker and the white wire will hook to the neatral bus bar in the panel.

But it sounds like the electrician used a regular 15 amp receptacle and has both the hot and neatral wire hooked to a double pole breaker. If that is the case then all you will need to do is remove the double pole breaker and replace with a single pole breaker. Your hot wire will go under the breaker and the white will hook to the neutral bus bar.

Hopes this helps you out.

[comfortablynumb]

I'd kinda like to see that one myself.... a 220 receptacle that looks like 110 and accepts 110 plugs?

[tamsam]

to get 220 all you need is 2 hots and a ground. To make it 110 just use 1 hot and use the other as a ground. That is all the 220 coming out of a breaker box is. Now some stoves use four wires as the burners use 110 and the oven 220. I need to do that in my pump house so I can put a light in there for cold weather but for now I have a drop cord ran and have to turn it off and on as needed. Sam
PS what he prob done is thought it was 110 ten and used 1 hot for a netural.

[tamatik]

The electrician was a "friend of a friend" so I,ll get him back to do the wiring again.. The only wire from the box to the well house is 220.. Can,t afford to dig it up and can,t change the double breaker cause the pump needs 220, but the guy says he can make a 110 outlet for the light in the pumphouse. Thanx all.

[comfortablynumb]

he can jump the wires from the 220 recepticle and make a 110, easy, if he has a proper neutral in the bundle.

that wouldnt be "kosher" but it can work, for just a light bulb.

[tamsam]

Has anyone looked into their breaker box to see where the wires are hooked. Our house is wired with 12-2 with a ground.That is the 110 that I'm talking about. Black is hot, white is neutral, and bare is ground. OK the neutral and ground are hooked up on the ground legs in the breaker box. Now the 220 is more or less wired the same way if you were using the same wire you would make both white and black hot and use bare as ground or neutral. Of course the 220 is a 8 and 10 ga wire. Sam

[chukashtamoa]

If you are using your jumped 110 outlet and your well pump starts you 'll probably need a new pump, because you'll have a voltage imbalance

[big rockpile]

Sounds like you could use my DW but she is too busy getting me Beer money

big rockpile

[rambler]

Most folks here are offering helpful advise, but they are _changing_ your 240v service to a 120v service.

That is not what you want, you want 240v, as well as 120v.

That really takes 4 wires, which you don't have.

Be careful on what he does to 'get around that problem'. It can be done, but as much as he screwed up the first time, I'd wonder how much damage will be done with his shortcut this time?

Also, a table saw is a high-draw use. Your well pump is a high-draw use. I don't think you want to be using a table saw on such a jerry-rigged wiring setup. You will likely blow or at least stress the pump motor if it comes on at the same time you are running the saw. Wires run to a well are _most often_ only sized big enough for just the pump.........

I see a lot of headaches in your future. You can get a lightbulb circut from the current wiring; but not a heavy 120v receptical for running table saws & such. At least, not without knowing a lot more about what you have currently.

--->Paul

[comfortablynumb]

depending on the amp draw, 12-2 could be dangerous.

my 220 baseboard heaters run on a 12-2 wire, but only draw @4-6 amps on full power.

my welder draws 50 amps.

better find out what your well pumps draw is before you set something on fire.