In article , Jack Stein wrote:
wrote:

I am no electrical expert but iIwould guess it will work OK. If you have
normal residental home wiring you will actually have 2- 110 volt lines going
to your BS. Add them up and you get 220 volts. The lamp will probably
continue to have 1 single 110 volt line going to it.

It'll work but it's against code and (somewhat) unsafe. To split off
120V you need a neutral.

Just out of dumb curiosity, does this mean if you don't split off 120,
you don't need a neutral?

Exactly so. Pure 240V circuits (in North America) don't have, or need, a
neutral.

Normally, with 120 you need 2 wires plus
ground, hot, common and ground. I don't know zip about 220 but are you
guys saying 220 can have 2 wires, both hot, plus a ground (no common),

Yes.

and you connect one of the hots to the light, and what normally would be
common or neutral to the ground?

No. It will work, but it's unsafe, and violates both the U.S. and Canadian
electrical codes.

I'm in the dark here, just asking.
Doesn't 220 always need a common ground (neutral?), just like 120?

It's 240, not 220. And no, it doesn't need a neutral. 120 needs a neutral; so,
if an appliance has both 240V and 120V loads (e.g. electric stove: 240V
heating elements, 120V control circuits; electric dryer: 240V heating
elements, 120V motor) then it needs a four wires: two hots, neutral (for the
120V) and equipment (safety) ground. Pure 240V loads (e.g. a table saw or
welder) need only three: two hots and equipment ground. No neutral.