How to wire a 240V 3-prong plug?

[CristianC]

Hello!
For this device I have one 240V hot wire and one neutral but the socket is for a 240V 3-prong plug (two 120V-hot wires and one neutral). What can I do to install a 3-prong plug having only one hot wire?

This is the plug

 

[rapparee]

I don't think W neutro is a neutral, it has an Earth Symbol beside it. So it is likely to be for a protective Earth conductor.

 

[CristianC]

I don't think W neutro is a neutral, it has an Earth Symbol beside it. So it is likely to be for a protective Earth conductor.

you're right, but I don't know what to do with those two 120V hot wires in the plug when I have one 240V hot in the device. Any ideas?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The receptacle picture shows what I think is the old NEMA 10-50 configuration for 120-0-120 service, once popular for dryers etc. This is now deprecated as it used a single prong for both neutral and earth, hence W (=white, neutral) and the PE symbol, i.e. TN-C with one grounded conductor all the way to the load.

The voltage would be correct with your hot wire connected to one hot prong and the neutral wire connected other hot prong as there is 240V between them, and the device would function, but there might be a safety issue if it does not have adequate switching / fusing for both wires to be hots.

 

[CristianC]

The receptacle picture shows what I think is the old NEMA 10-50 configuration for 120-0-120 service, once popular for dryers etc. This is now deprecated as it used a single prong for both neutral and earth, hence W (=white, neutral) and the PE symbol, i.e. TN-C with one grounded conductor all the way to the load.

The voltage would be correct with your hot wire connected to one hot prong and the neutral wire connected other hot prong as there is 240V between them, and the device would function, but there might be a safety issue if it does not have adequate switching / fusing for both wires to be hots.

Lucien, I really appreciate your answer.
Now it is clear how 240V circuits work. I realized I should use the third prong for the ground wire and on the other end fix it to the chasis of the device. And yes, I going to use a two-pole switch to make this device safe.