DIYbanter - View Single Post

Sev

wrote:
My friends just purchased a new home.

Attached to the breaker box (screw in type fuses) there is a single
pole switch. I started tracking this down, to find out what it was and
this is what I found.

The circuit starts, with a black wire, coming from #17 circuit. That
black wire goes into the Single Pole Switch on the breaker box. A
white wire exits the switch and runs to 12/2 wire, which runs to a
junction box, in the attic. The black wire, on the 12/2 goes into #20
on the breaker box.

I hope I explained that. If I was following it has one wire (as a
circuit), it would start from #17 go through the switch and then to
each outlet and returns and goes into #20 on the breaker box.

The junction box, in the attic, powers 3 outlets, located on the eves
of the house, right next to the gutters.

First question. This is a 220 circuit, right? With two 110's leading
to the outlets, it should have 220 to these outlets. (I just realized,
I didn't look to see if the outlet closely, but it looked like a
standard outlet on first glance.

Second question. There is no third wire, supplying a neutral. Nor is
there a ground. Is this normal?

Third question. Are there any guesses, as to what these outlets would
have powered? My only two guesses are Christmas lights, of some kind.
Or quite probably some sort of "heater" to heat the gutters or stop ice
damming?

Thank you for your anticipated responses.

I'll take the 3rd- yup, sounds like heat tapes for the gutters