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Please get a book. Electricity is very easy but it is fairly unforgiving. In 240volt hookups to dryers and such THERE IS NO NEUTRAL. When normal two wire + ground is used both the white and black are hot. The ground wire, either bare or green, goes to the ground lug. It is very important that ground go to ground :-) The easiest way to identify the ground pin is to look for the longest pin on the male side. Connectors are made this way so that the ground makes contact first (to complete a possible short circuit in a controlled fashion through the fuse or breaker as soon as a hot makes contact) 240 Volt hookups are called 240 single phase. Both hot legs come from opposite sides of center tap transformer on the power pole. There are three phases comming down most transmission lines. Industrial applications and many farms will have 3 phase service, all 3 phases + neutral will enter at the service entrance. Any phase to neutral will result in 120 Volt tap, Any two phases together will result in 208V (not 240) Domestic Services are usually single phase with two hot legs. One leg feeds each side of the standard fuse box or breaker panel. A 240 volt circuit uses a breaker that jumps both bus bars, those the double switch. You should, to conform to standard practice, wrap the end of a white insulated wire that is being used as a hot leg with black or red electrical tape to indicate to the next person who takes the connection apart that the white wire is hot and not neutral. Good Luck
Be Careful
Work with one hand in your pocket! Kim
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