I have an unused 220 volt outlet that I would like to convert to 110. As the single gang box contains 2 hots and a neutral, I was thinking that I could:
1. Take a duplex outlet and break the hot connection between the two outlets.
2. Connect one hot to each of the outlets, and connect the neutral the neutral spanning both outlets. Now, there is one outlet of the duplex on each leg of the former 220v circuit.
3. As the connections are all via conduit, use the box itself for a ground connection.
Is there anything wrong with this? Am I missing something?
Thanks much for your help.
Replies
If the neutral is a white insulated wire it is legal. You also need a 15 or 20a breaker with a 20a receptacle if it is a 20. Running a green wire for the ground is a better choice than using the raceway for the ground but the raceway ground is legal.
Be sure to break the tab on the brass side, not the silver side. And, as someone else stated, the neutral must be white.
Shared Neutral
It already should be for a 220v circuit, but make sure if you are sharing a neutral that you have a common breaker, i.e. a bar between the two breakers.
Just a thought...
You have already gotten some good advice and ideas - abandon one hot leg and create a spare space in the panel; run a geen ground; 2 pole breaker with common trip or 2 single poles tied together, etc.
Gfretwell brings up an important point that you may have missed -- namely if you are installing a duplex on a 20A circuit, the duplex must be a 20A; likewise for a 15A circuit, the duplex must be a 15A -- single outlet on a circuit = no mix and match.
My question would be .... what gauge is the existing wire and are the duplex screws / clamps rated for that gauge (physical size)? You could pigtail with smaller gauge wire if needed to meet the duplex connection specs.
Jim