Replies

1. 
   dukeone | Apr 21, 2006 07:54am | #1

   Steve: The only safe and easy way is to add a control transformer for 240 to 120. I would also highly recommend pulling a ground wire as grounding though the conduit is iffy and not code for many decades. If you pull a neutral into the conduit you could use that but it means the relay would have full line amperes available to it, if some thing went wrong it could burn. A way around that would be a control circuit fuse of just an amp or two in series with the relay coil.

   Good luck, Duke, retired electrician.

   Kenneth Duke Masters

   The Bill of Rights December 15 1791 NRA Endowment Member

   LEAA Life Member

   CRPA Member

2. 
   John_D | Apr 21, 2006 07:56am | #2

   Barring use of a transformer, you've not got a complete circuit there to draw 110 off.  If you've only two conductors and no ground, hopefully the conduit is a legal ground, I don't know how to tell if that's conforming.

   I can tell you that with only two conductors, if it's 220 there's no 110 in there.  You need a neutral to get 110, and all you have is two hots.

   My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
3. 
   JohnWW | Apr 21, 2006 04:10pm | #3

   Being you are working with conduit, it shouldn't be hard, if you aren't too far from the breaker panel, to get what you need by pulling an additional neutral wire to get the 120 volt circuit and, as suggested, a ground wire to get a reliable ground circuit.  This is of course dependent on the conduit being large enough to handle the extra wire.

   John W. 

   
   

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   Edited 4/21/2006 11:39 am ET by JohnWW

1. 
   stevo_wis | Apr 23, 2006 03:56am | #4

   I dont know why a ground wasnt included, it was wired by an electrician about 10 years ago. Its only 10 feet or so from the service so i can pull a neutral through. Whats really driving all this stuff is i have a remote that inputs 230 and outputs 230. This remote is only rated to 3 hp and I am going to 5Hp. Thus a heavier relay. The relay needs 120 to close the relay and connect the 230 circuits. I would like to knock down the output of the the current remotes box to 120 to power the heavier relay. I could also for $50 get a 120 remote and solve the whole thing that way. In any case it looks like a ground would be a very good idea.Any other advice is appreciated.
   thanks,
   Stevo

1. 
   dukeone | Apr 23, 2006 05:04am | #5

   Stevo: Why not get a relay with a 230v coil? That would connect to the load side of the remote with no other complications. DukeKenneth Duke Masters

   The Bill of Rights December 15 1791 NRA Endowment Member

   LEAA Life Member

   CRPA Member