In article , Troy wrote:
ok, I know electronics, but am NOT an electrician. But I don't quite
get why we don't need a nuetral? Where's the return path?

There isn't a "return path" per se in a 240V circuit. In a 120V circuit, the
hot is at a potential of 120V with respect to ground and neutral. In a 240V
circuit, the potential between the two hots is 240V; each is at a potential of
120V with respect to ground and neutral.

240v comes in and in the main service panel I know the nuetral and
ground are bonded.... never have understood that one.

That's to ensure that the neutral is at true earth ground potential.

then each leg of
the 240v is one side of the bus bar array in the service panel.
So what am I missing? I'm asking in all seriousness. I "added" a 220
outlet for my wife one day so she could have an electric stove and I
popped the breaker immeaditly when I fired it up because of the nuetral
being tied to ground.

That's not why you popped the breaker. Not having seen what you did, I can't
say why you *did* pop the breaker, but I can say with certainty that tying
neutral to ground didn't trip the breaker, in and of itself. Unless it was a
GFCI breaker.

So I shrugged said I don't get why its doing
that, read the directions with the receptacle and removed the nuetral.
All was well.

Means you had it connected to a hot lead somewhere...

I look at my dryer cord and its got 3 wires. I know the
top angled two are "hot" 120vac each and the other is the ground.
I realize that we can take a +12vdc and a -12vdc circuit and using only
2 wires get +24vdc across them and then have to have a chassis ground.

Yep, it's basically the same concept.

Man its been a long time since I studied electronics!

Residential electrical supply isn't quite the same animal. There are a number
of books available at any decent library or bookstore, or at most home
centers, if you want to learn more.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.