110VAC from 220VAC How to?

[Steave]

I know I don't see as well as I used to but I'm only seeing 2 conductors in the wire you have labeled as coming from breaker box to pressure switch. The ground wire that's terminated in the pressure switch is going to the pump, therefore you don't have a ground wire or a wire you could use as a neutral that you would need for 110v. As your said your pump is hooked up for 220v that's all you can get from the wires as they are without going to the breaker box and redoing the connection in there. If you redone the wires in the breaker box then you will not have 220v for the pump to run.

 

[ENG18LT]

Don't risk a fire, electrocution, or burning out your pump/saw. Run a new circuit.

 

[Car Doc]

I have never used one of these but have it the back of my mind in case the opportunity ever arises maybe one of these guys can fill us in on them. hth

Step Up Voltage Transformer Converter - Step Up/Down Voltage Transformer, Step Down Transformer, Step up Transformer, Step up Voltage Transformer, Step UP/Down voltage converter/Regulator, step up and down voltage converters

 

[Gate Lavallee]

Run another wire bud if you want 120 volt. Iam an industrial electrician and I can tell just by lookin at the pic no self repecting electrician done this work on the presure switch.
-no connectors on wires commin in pressure switch
-the white wire from the feeder should have bin sanded before connecting
-dont see a ground on the feeder wire
- the most impoprtant thing for the pump is how far it is from supply panel
cuz the voltage with distance will drop and you will have to increase wire size
to cover the amperage the pump draws.
to start with if you know what your doing start by cleaning up your pressure switch and run a cord for your 120 v........if this is too far and you do have a ground in your feeder wire put a plug on the end and change the breaker too 120v. and run a bigger wire for your well pump. forget the 120v of this setup....spend a bit a time and money or leave it as it is and your pump may not burn out. GOOD LUCK

 

[Steave]

I have never used one of these but have it the back of my mind in case the opportunity ever arises maybe one of these guys can fill us in on them. hth

Step Up Voltage Transformer Converter - Step Up/Down Voltage Transformer, Step Down Transformer, Step up Transformer, Step up Voltage Transformer, Step UP/Down voltage converter/Regulator, step up and down voltage converters

These transformers are for use in countries where the standard voltage is 220volts To use one here for stepping down voltage might possibly work for a few appliances but would not be intended for that and could be dangerous. The voltage they are intended to work on is 220v using 2 wires. 1 of the wires will be ground and the other wire 220v such as used in most Asian countries. Our 220v is derived from 2 wires with both of them being 110v to ground.

 

[dieselscout80]

I know I don't see as well as I used to but I'm only seeing 2 conductors in the wire you have labeled as coming from breaker box to pressure switch. The ground wire that's terminated in the pressure switch is going to the pump, therefore you don't have a ground wire or a wire you could use as a neutral that you would need for 110v. As your said your pump is hooked up for 220v that's all you can get from the wires as they are without going to the breaker box and redoing the connection in there. If you redone the wires in the breaker box then you will not have 220v for the pump to run.

The ground wire is there from the house but not connected. I noticed ground wire was not connected last night looking at it to see if I could get 120VAC from it. The pic in the post is an older pic from when I replace the pressure tank.

 

[lostcause]

i'm not an electrician, but i have been through many homeowner electrical woes, and i've also not got a warm fuzzy feeling from many answers that i have received. without getting too technical i'll try to give you a little information about 120v/240v in layman's terms:

a ground is a ground is a ground. it doesn't matter whether you have 120v or 240v - the ground is only intended to carry electricity in the event of a fault. it is not and should not be mistaken for a neutral wire, even though they both ultimately connect to the same place in most residential boxes. you will often see this as terminology about the neutral and ground being "bonded". ground wires should be bare metal or green coated.

120v circuits require a hot wire and a neutral wire to operate. this is pretty basic - you need to complete the circuit for it to operate. generally the hot wire will be black and white will indicate a neutral, but never assume this without testing, since not everyone obeys the rules. you are still supposed to have a ground wire in this configuration, and it should only become utilized when there is a fault (when something goes wrong).

240v circuits are where people often get confused. in a strict 240v configuration you will have two hot wires and a ground. your welder is a good example of this. the ground will still not be used unless there is a fault, and this is where people get confused. they see two hot wires and assume the ground makes up the return leg, which is not the case. since we have alternating current (ac) the two hot legs are not delivering power at the same instant. when the first hot wire delivers power, the second hot wire completes the circuit and does not deliver power. when the power is alternated, the second hot wire delivers and the first completes the circuit and does not deliver power. 240v hot wires are generally black or red, but sometimes people will use the white wire as the other hot lead. it is supposed to be marked with any color other than white or green, but often people ignore that. this is why you should never take it for granted. my terminology may not be correct here, but it is the best way i can explain it without using too much technical terminology.

many newer appliances such as ranges and clothes dryers are 120v/240v. on these you will find four wires. there will be a ground, a neutral, and two hot wires. in cases like this, the two hot wires will power the heavy duty part of the appliance, such as heating elements or motors. electronics circuits that are designed to operate on 120v will make use of the neutral wire and one hot wire.

in short, if you have a 240v circuit with three wires, you can't get a 120v circuit out of it unless you do it incorrectly and unsafely.

 

[oldnslo]

Do any of you know the difference between 3 phase and single phase? You are not going to have three wires cause cause it's for a 240 v motor.
if you want 120v take one hot and a ground that makes 120 v . A neutral is a grounding conductor and a ground is a grounded conductor. Know the difference before you give advice.!

Yes I know the difference between 3-phase and single phase and that is why I tried to explain how to check for a neutral wire. Also suggested this probably was not a good idea.

 

[speedbump]

That heating shown is probably from past loose or corroded connections. The wires look at least 14ga. Plenty at 240 for a pump. Connections must be clean and tight.
larry

I agree with clean and tight, but how do you know how far he's running that "probably" #14 from the breaker to the pressure switch?

I looked at the pic wrong, the ground is going to the pump. The wires are Red, Black and Yellow indicating he once had a three wire pump. Someone replaced it with a two wire pump and probably used the yellow wire for the ground which the new pumps come with. Should be green, but hey, I'm sure he was just saving money or labor. I would listen to the electricians who are telling you to run a new circuit. Better all around.

 

[mjw357]

The pic looks to me like someone didn't have wire strippers so they melted the insulation off with their lighter.

That box needs bushings or strain reliefs, too.