220A welding circuit question

[WKTEDDYBEAR]

The bare copper wire going down to the plug looks to be of the same size as the other three with the exception that it is solid and the red, black and white are braided. The bare copper is in the same wire jacket as the rest.
The 240 circuit is #6 wire from the 50A breaker to the plug below. The larger three red, black and white wires at the upper part of the box is the feed from the 100A main over at the house.
Since the #6 white seems to be only attached at the neutral, I know it isn't inside the plug box, should I just leave it alone?
Thanks for responding.
CORRECTION: The solid bare copper ground wire is about or more than half the diameter of the other three braided wires, compared copper to copper.

sorry I just now saw this reply! UNHOOK the white wire in the breaker box, shorten and cap securely with a wire nut. there should never be a wire hooked on source end that dead ends somewhere other then caped in a covered box. my guess is it has been cut off where wires exit the outer jacket.

1. For peace of mind and since it appears to be doing nothing, should I detach the white wire at the neutral bar and cap it off?
2. Should I pull the existing complete #6 four wire out (it's only about three feet long) and replace it with #6 hot black, hot white and ground green, following the exact sub panel connection path as the existing hot red, hot black and bare copper ground?
3. Leave it as is?
Again, thanks all, just want it to be safe and right for the three pronged connection welder.

#2- is wall sheet rocked or otherwise covered? if so leave it in there, if anything is holding it in place ,screw clamps at boxes, wall staples they will cause issues and even though it is only 3' it is required to be stapled/secured

 

[Inspector507]

1. For peace of mind and since it appears to be doing nothing, should I detach the white wire at the neutral bar and cap it off?
2. Should I pull the existing complete #6 four wire out (it's only about three feet long) and replace it with #6 hot black, hot white and ground green, following the exact sub panel connection path as the existing hot red, hot black and bare copper ground?
3. Leave it as is?
Again, thanks all, just want it to be safe and right for the three pronged connection welder.

I would leave it as is, you're fine.

 

[Haywire]

CORRECTION: The solid bare copper ground wire is about or more than half the diameter of the other three braided wires, compared copper to copper.

All the more reason to use the white wire for the neutral. You've got two 6 ga wires supplying power and one wire half that size for the return. No good in my experience.

Ian

 

[WKTEDDYBEAR]

All the more reason to use the white wire for the neutral. You've got two 6 ga wires supplying power and one wire half that size for the return. No good in my experience.
Ian

I think you missed the white wire is not in the plug box so he really can not use it
quote "white seems to be only attached at the neutral, I know it isn't inside the plug box"
in 240 volt it is not a return it is only a safety ground the hots are the returns thats why it is called alternating current, 120 volt the white is the return that is why white wire is called the neutral. 240 volt does not need a neutral

 

[Haywire]

"I think you missed the white wire is not in the plug box"

Yea, he'd have to either pull it and re-fish it through or open the wall up to find it.

 

[crazyal]

I think you need to back up a little. First off you're talking a sub-panel. In a sub-panel the neutral wires and ground wires can't be connected. Or to be more correct the neutral wires and ground wires are only to be connected in the main panel.

Your outlet has three connectors. Two hot, those would be your red and black wires in your sub panel and a ground. That needs to be connected up to the terminal strip that the bare ground wire connects to in your sub panel.

I missed something about the white wire, I'll reread and try and figure out what I missed. Are you talking about the white wire coming in from the main breaker or are you talking about a white wire in the wire you used to wire up the outlet.

 

[WKTEDDYBEAR]

Yea, he'd have to either pull it and re-fish it through or open the wall up to find it.

IMO not worth the effort to replace it and I do not believe he would find it, it likely was cut where it comes out of the outer sheath, that pretty much is standard procedure and has been for years with extra wire in multi conductor lines, many older houses from maybe early mid '60's era the ground wire was in the wire but was cut off cause outlets used were not grounded.

 

[crazyal]

I notice you have a white wire from a circuit connected to the ground buss, that may be wired incorrectly and a building inspector may pick up on it. If you look at your sub panel you'll notice that the white wire coming from the main panel connects to a terminal strip that's isolated from the metal frame of the box. It connects to the terminal strip on the other side of the breakers with a bar below the breakers. That's where all your neutrals connect.

 

[WKTEDDYBEAR]

I notice you have a white wire from a circuit connected to the ground buss, that may be wired incorrectly and a building inspector may pick up on it. If you look at your sub panel you'll notice that the white wire coming from the main panel connects to a terminal strip that's isolated from the metal frame of the box. It connects to the terminal strip on the other side of the breakers with a bar below the breakers. That's where all your neutrals connect.

he needs to unhook and shorten and cap that white wire in the sub panel as it is unused and is not in the outlet box. it appears that it is 6/3 + ground
he said wires used at outlet and visible in the box are the 2 hots (red&black) and a bare wire - ground

 

[WKTEDDYBEAR]

...
Your outlet has three connectors. Two hot, those would be your red and black wires in your sub panel and a ground. That needs to be connected up to the terminal strip that the bare ground wire connects to in your sub panel.
...
Are you talking about the white wire coming in from the main breaker or are you talking about a white wire in the wire you used to wire up the outlet.

in upper right of picture he indicates his ground properly hooked to the ground buss strip

I think someone else wired the outlet, they used 3+ ground so white is xtra