shopdust said:
... help out another newbie. Lets say one had a 220 circuit (that two 110v lines) running to his saw which is 220 v. But before the juice reaches the saw, someone where to tap one of those 110 volt legs to run something like like a 5 amp drill? (Assuming the nuetral is the same used for the 220v system.
Any harm to 220v saw? What? Notify next of kin? Thanks in advance!!!!
No harm, and it's normal. One hot leg will carry the load of the saw plus 5 amps, the other hot leg will carry the load of the saw only, and the neutral will carry just the 5 amps.
What you've described is normal for appliances that are 120/240 rated right on the dataplate such as your clothes dryer and your electric range. They both have (should have) 4 prong cords. That's two hots, a neutral, and a ground. In your dryer, for instance, the heating element runs on 240, and the motor runs on 120. In your stove, the bake and broil elements run on 240, and the stove top burners are often only 120 (althought they could be 240). The lights, buzzers, clocks, etc. on the control panel are 120.
Swimming pools are often set up in the manner of the table saw and drill arrangement you described. The electrician may run two hots and a neutral out to the pool. The pool pump often runs on the 240, and a regular 120 volt receptacle is tapped off one pump hot leg and the neutral for the miscellaneous other pool crap.