On 12/28/2013 06:26 PM, Stumpy wrote:
I've got a junction box with some 1953 sheathed cable feeding it. Looks
like asbestos fiber sheath with silver spray paint on the exterior.
Only 2 wires, both black. Measures 240V rms.

Leaving the junction box are some armored cables containing 2 wires
each, one black, one white. They also put out 240V rms. There are no
neutral wires or ground wires that I can see. The armored cable is well
grounded however.

I had expected that the black/white pairs were 120V, but they are not.

How bad an idea would it be to choose either the black or white wire and
connect it to the hot side of a 120V outlet, and then connect the
neutral side of the outlet to the armored cable?

And yes, I will call an electrician if I start to feel dangerous.




Here is the acceptable way to get 115v if you do NOT need 230v


Remove the white wire from the circuit breaker and connect it to the
panel neutral.


At your outlet, the white wire will be the 115v return
and the black wire the 115v "hot" .

The sheath should of course be ground.


This will work fine but assumes there is no 230v device anywhere that
was using the wiring.