Hello- I wish to convert my 220v circuits to 110v as I have brought natural gas into the home leaving free dedicated circuits from the old elec. dryer, range and water heater.
I intend to switch out the breaker to a single pole 20 amp attach the black wire to the new breaker and the second hot (red) I will lable white and attach to the rail. The new 110 outlet I would rewire normally. Is this procedure up to NEC snuff?
What if I needed a longer line and spliced (inside a junction box) to a smaller gage wire such at 12/2 romex?
I would NOT attach the red wire to anything. Just label it, cap of off, and leave it pendant. You might want to use it at a later time..... A wire left pendant makes it obvious it is not being used. If it is attached, the next guy to look in the box won't know what the hell you did with it.... You might put a tag on it saying something like "Unused, formerly to dryer in laundry room", just to make it easy for everyone....
If I read OP's request correctly, that isn't an option. I believe he has a 12/2 (say) w/g and wants to convert the 220V service to 110. If he doesn't use the red "hot" as the neutral, he has no circuit (ok, he _might_ have a four-wire service, but doesn't seem likely given the question).
To OP, my understanding is that w/ existing work that would be allowable if you label both ends as neutral, but don't quote that as fact. I know it would be flagged in new work, of course, but am not positive it would actually be a violation of NEC but I can see an inspector rejecting it "just because" and because "it ain't natural".
For an extension beyond the first terminal, yes you can make the connection there by an approved means just as any other circuit. While a smaller conductor would be protected by the smaller breaker, I would recommend it just on general principles of keeping the entire circuit homogenous in case something were done later. The principal problem is that the circuit would _appear_ 30A-capable at the service panel but unbeknownst to someone, downstream it would not be.
The NEC specifically requires that neutral conductors 6-gauge and smaller be white or gray end-to-end. It's absolutely a Code violation to re-label a red wire as a neutral, unless it's larger than 6-gauge. [NEC 2005, Article 200.6(A)]
Why does it only apply if the conductor is 6-gauge and smaller. Do you mean smaller gauge (larger wire), or smaller wire (larger gauge)?? This gauge unit seems to be defined backwards (and is #1 gauge the largest wire possible?)
The reason for requiring continuous marking up to six gage is that larger conductors are not readily available with continuous jacket color coding.
Wires larger than #6 American Wire Gage are only required to be marked at the terminations and other accessible points.
When the gage was devised it was believed that #1 was the largest gage possible. Then gage 0; said as ought; was added, followed by 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 (four ought) until they finally gave in to the inevitable and began using circular mills to size wires larger than 4/0.
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