With two hots and one neutral, you'd be possible to overheat the neutral in
a big way.

Probably the original wire wasn't a clad ground, so it's not totally sure to
be clean and not corroded thrugh.

Sounds like more trouble than it's worth. I'd suggest like the other say, to
run a new wire. I can't remember if it's UF, or what they call it. But there
is wire th at is designed to be burried. I like the other fellow's suggestio
to go with 10 gage. Greater capacity, lower line loss.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"WConner" wrote in message
news:JMhvf.6482$Yc2.4004@trnddc04...
A son has a garage that is about 25 ft. from his house. Previous owner ran a
direct burial 2-12 w/ground wire to it. It is a 20a 110v circuit. I am
wondering about changing it to 220v by using the ground wire as the neutral,
white wire to one side of the breaker box, black wire to other then putting
down a new ground rod out from the garage and running a new ground wire from
it for ground in the garage making 220v and 110v available so he can do some
modest shop work??

Thanks for any help,

Walt Conner