I have two black cables comming out of my wall that was connect to an
old water heater. They have no markings on them tell me which is hot
and neutral. There is no ground wire. The voltage across the two black
wires it 240V. The water heater I am installing is 240V. So I am good
there. On the new water heater there is a red cable and a black cable.
My question is: Can I connect either black cable comming out of the
wall to the red cable on the hot water heater? I know there should be a
white and a black comming out of the wall, but there isn't. If I have
to use a specific Black cable comming from the wall, how do I tell
which one?

Thanks

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have two black cables comming out of my wall that was connect to an
old water heater. They have no markings on them tell me which is hot
and neutral. There is no ground wire. The voltage across the two black
wires it 240V. The water heater I am installing is 240V. So I am good
there. On the new water heater there is a red cable and a black cable.
My question is: Can I connect either black cable comming out of the
wall to the red cable on the hot water heater? I know there should be a
white and a black comming out of the wall, but there isn't. If I have
to use a specific Black cable comming from the wall, how do I tell
which one?

Thanks


Call the man...

There is no neutral on a 220 volt circuit. Each of the two black wires
comming out of the wall will be 120 volts to the neutral and also to the
ground back at the fuse/breaker box. There should be a green or bare wire
for the ground. This may not be in some older houses.

Out of the water heater you connect the black wire to one of the black wall
wires and the red wire to the other black wire. It does not make any
differance as to which of the balck wall wires you use for either of the
water heater wires.