dpb wrote:

- overall, while it undoubtedly served its purpose and apparently
- (obviously) they got away with it w/o a serious problem

How do we do know that? From the information the OP provided, I don't
think we are able to determine whether this setup was ever used.

All we know is how it is wired based on the OP's description. It is
certainly not obvious to me that it served its purpose or that it
worked without a problem. For all we know, this was a botched
installation from day one and never used at all. Or maybe not used
after whatever it was intended to be used for blew up when plugged in
for the first time.

I wonder if the new homeowner has considered contacting the previous
owner for more information.



Thomas D. Horne, FF EMT wrote:
wrote:
Advise your friends that living with such an outdated and even
jury-rigged system just isn't a smart thing to do. Urge them to bring
things up to code ASAP. What you have described so far is rather scary.

Joe

provided it was a well done job theres nothing really unsafe about
adding a switch to a circuit although I would of probably just used the
breaker as a switch


I disagree. That switch should have been two pole so as to open both
ungrounded conductors simultaneously. The breaker should also have been
two pole. As for the absence of a ground conductor that is a serious
omission.

While I agree, what would bother me even more would be having the
standard 110 outlets for a 220 circuit so any random 110V appliance
could have been plugged in by the unsuspecting. This would make me
suspect the heat tapes/whatever the former homeowner used were the
tailed variety and weren't 220V rated which could have been a little
spooky to say the least. As for the ground, from that standpoint, I
guess probably they weren't supplied with a ground, anyway. But,
overall, while it undoubtedly served its purpose and apparently
(obviously) they got away with it w/o a serious problem, if the current
owner is going to use the idea it ought to be wired correctly in all
aspects.