The Magical 1-Wire Receptacle

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

Guess that’s one way to do it, if you’re really that lazy



Commercial remodel I’m doing. So much bootleg wiring in one place, it really boggles the mind.

During demo today I was trying to determine where a conduit with 2 conductors went. It was live when I started, I’ve demo’d about 80% of what was there.

Put a tracer on the wires, and it seemed that they dead ended in a structural header.

I finally removed drywall and found a notch made in the header, and the conductors dead ended in the header, with tape over the ends.

Roads to nowhere. I’ll never know why

 

[LarryFine]

I've seen a neutral used to bootleg the ground, but never the ground to bootleg the neutral.

 

[letgomywago]

I've seen a neutral used to bootleg the ground, but never the ground to bootleg the neutral.

Only seen it on handyman switch outlets personally

 

[augie47]

"That receptacle is ready for use, mam"

 

[hillbilly1]

I've seen a neutral used to bootleg the ground, but never the ground to bootleg the neutral.

I have, I was installing buss way for a sewing plant to feed the machines, the existing was 240 volt receptacles on the floor for each machine. The work light on the machines was 120, so they used the conduit as the neutral! A lot of burnt locknuts were found when I ripped it out!

 

[Jpflex]

Guess that’s one way to do it, if you’re really that lazy

View attachment 2569852

Commercial remodel I’m doing. So much bootleg wiring in one place, it really boggles the mind.

During demo today I was trying to determine where a conduit with 2 conductors went. It was live when I started, I’ve demo’d about 80% of what was there.

Put a tracer on the wires, and it seemed that they dead ended in a structural header.

I finally removed drywall and found a notch made in the header, and the conductors dead ended in the header, with tape over the ends.

Roads to nowhere. I’ll never know why

What is structural header

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

What is structural header

Header in a load-bearing wall. As opposed to a header in a non-load-bearing wall, such as for an interior door, where the header serves basically to stiffen the frame and add blocking for drywall and trim.

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

I've seen a neutral used to bootleg the ground, but never the ground to bootleg the neutral.

That was a first for me too....

 

[TwoBlocked]

I've seen a neutral used to bootleg the ground, but never the ground to bootleg the neutral.

I have. In one manufacturing plant they were everywhere. The 277 panels were the same, when you consider that the ground going back to the 4160 delta / 480 Wye was used as the neutral.

 

[AC\DC]

Was that a 240volt circuit and needed a neutral?

 

[TwoBlocked]

Was that a 240volt circuit and needed a neutral?

No, regular old 120/240.

 

[AC\DC]

Never seen an old circuit like that with a red conductor and no white conductor. That why I thought of just a staight 240 volt circuit that was converters to 120.

 

[TwoBlocked]

Was that a 240volt circuit and needed a neutral?

No, regular old 120/240.

Never seen an old circuit like that with a red conductor and no white conductor. That why I thought of just a staight 240 volt circuit that was converters to 120.

Sorry, I thought you were asking me.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

I feel your pain.
Doing some demo today.
It a complete gut.

 

[letgomywago]

Never seen an old circuit like that with a red conductor and no white conductor. That why I thought of just a staight 240 volt circuit that was converters to 120.

Canadian romex has looked that way for a while they cant re identify. I wonder if some made its way to California some how.

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

Was that a 240volt circuit and needed a neutral?

Its a MWBC, they ran the 2 hots and a neutral to the first receptacle, then just pulled the two hots to the second, capped the one hot, jumpered the N-G, and called it good.

Super lazy.