120 or 240 heat stick

I recently built a heat stick with a 4500 or 5500 watt heating element. Cant remember which I chose and since it is not relevant to my question I'm not digging it out to check. I read a post recently by Bobby M about running 240 to it and switching off the second leg to have it run on 120 when applicable. What I'm not sure about is that I would have a hot wire ran to each screw on the element and a ground stud I welded on would facilitate the neutral or ground wire for a 240 hook up. (Correct me if wrong.) For 110 I would have a hot to one screw, and a neutral to the other screw, with my ground wire to the welded on post. How do I go about wiring it so that either voltage could be used? Maybe an outside junction box with switches?

Have one leg on a three position switch. One position is OFF, one is NEUTRAL and one is HOT.

Right on, thanks. So I should use a four conductor coard and tie the neutral into the 3 way switch, making continuity between one post of the element and the neutral for 120 or 2nd leg of 240 circuit to element post for 240 right? Ground remains ground in any scenario. If I'm not right on target i think I can figure it out with the materials and a meter in front of me. Thanks The Pol, love reading up on all your electrical comments.

95747brewer said:

Right on, thanks. So I should use a four conductor coard and tie the neutral into the 3 way switch, making continuity between one post of the element and the neutral for 120 or 2nd leg of 240 circuit to element post for 240 right? Ground remains ground in any scenario. If I'm not right on target i think I can figure it out with the materials and a meter in front of me. Thanks The Pol, love reading up on all your electrical comments.

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Yes, you should basically (if I had the switch in front of me I could be more certain) have a neutral going in on one end and a single hot going in on another. The other hot will jut be running to the element (outlet) however you have that configured. This way you will have for instance a CENTER OFF position, LEFT 120VAC position and RIGHT 240VAC position. Grounding will remain the same.

This switch would probably be like a motor switch (high amp) that is for reversible motors for example.

Never done this, but this is what you need to do, three positions. (2) separate LINES in with one common LOAD going out.

I guess I can upload photos. It still turns cold water into hot water but I cant guarantee I didnt shorten the lifespan of the element. Right now It is only hooked up to 120v. I'm going to make another bend because it's too big to stir aroung in my cooler, but it does fit in there without touching the sides.

I just realised I posted to the wrong thread. Oops.