It's been many years since I looked at an electrical code book. I believe a
230v box should never have a 115v tap off of it. The 230v line should go to
a separate breaker which trips both sides at the same time. I also vaguely
remember there was something about fixed appliances/machinery having a
separate circuit.
I think you're doing this but keep in mind neutral and ground are not the
same thing and should not be wired together! A metal switch box should be
connected to ground (a green or bare wire). For boxes that do not have a
grounding screw, there are clips that are used to provide one. In this case
the conduit should be providing the ground for the box and you might not
need to have a wire to the box. A socket/receptacle should also have a
ground connection (green screw) that is connected to the ground wire. I
don't know about the 230v switch. If it has a green screw that would be used
to connect to the ground wire coming into the box.
If a box has a wire coming in, a receptacle, and a wire going out to other
boxes, the incoming ground wire would normally have a connection to the box,
another to the receptacle, and a third to the outgoing wire.
I would recommend as a minimum that you read parts of an electrical code
book. I don't think an electrician added your socket. Also you probably
don't want the pump connected to the circuit that powers the lights. If the
pump trips the breaker, you wouldn't be able to turn on your lights to see
that your basement is flooded.
-jeff
----Original Message Follows----
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
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).
- snip
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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