Piers,
Good point. You are correct that none of what I said
would apply to the UK or probably anywhere else but
the USA. Except the warnings about not killing
yourself or burning down the house -- those apply
everywhere!
I'm pretty sure Chuck is in the USA because having a
115V outlet in the UK would be pretty unusual.
-Steve
--- Piers Hemy <piers@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I do not have two degrees in engineering, but
> Steve's other caveats apply
> (in trumps) to what follows.
>
> What Steve has described is not the way I understand
> the electrical system
> works in the UK, so do NOT try to apply it over
> here. Please. Just in case
> you were going to. Our 230v domestic supply is one
> of three phases, and you
> should assume that the potential to earth (ground)
> *IS* 230v. Of course it
> might be zero, if all three phases are belanced, but
> I wouldn't bank on it.
>
> None of which should be taken to imply that what
> Steve said regarding the US
> system is inaccurate. Or accurate. Or anything.
> Because it potentially
> is. Or isn't.
>
> Please don't fry yourself, Chuck. Please.
>
> --
> Piers
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Stephen Walker
> Sent: 17 May 2006 17:10
> To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [OM] Re: [OT] More OT electrical advice
> needed
>
> 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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