I bought a 220V remote control for the dust collector in my shop. The DC is 220V and works fine via a switch on the wall that activates a 220V receptable that the DC is plugged into. When I plug the remote control base into the 220V receptacle, plug the DC into the remote control base and turn on the wall switch, the DC motor runs at about 1/4 speed, like it is only getting 110V. The key chain remote does nothing, and turning the on/off switch on the remote control base to off does nothing. The DC continues to run at about 1/4 speed. I put a voltmeter on the receptacle and there is no voltage when the switch is off, either 220V or 110V, depending on where you put the probes. Putting the voltmeter on the remote control base outlet confirms that with the remote base switch on or off, there is 220V, indicating that voltage is passing through the remote base somehow.

The circuit is wired with a 2 wire plus ground. The wall switch is wired with the hot red/black on top and the downstream red/black on the bottom. The ground is not connected to the wall switch. The receptable is wired with the red/black on the two hot spades and the ground is on the typical green/ground spade.

I've returned the remote control unit twice with no difference. Today, I put the remote control unit on a buddy's 220V bandsaw, and it worked perfect.

I'm thinking I may need a different kind of wall switch - one that kills the red, the black AND the green.

Any thoughts on what's wrong?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Do you by chance use conduit or metal sheathed cable and you buddy doesn't?

Any special differences between the power distribution like distances?

Will it work if the remote switch is next to the remote outlet?

You read 240 on the unit whether the remote switch is on of off because of leakage. If you repeat the measurement with a load the voltages will be 0 and 240. Just a property of solid state switching.

You shouldn't have to kill the green. You SHOULD be switching the red and the black if that switch is used as a disconnect.

Try this too:
1. turn off dust collector (DC) at breaker (CB)
2.turn on wall switch.
3. Insert gizmo, switch to off
4. Plug DC into gizmo
5. Turn on CB

Any difference.

It sounds like your dust collector (DC made me pause a bit, that is electrical speak for Direct Current) motor somehow has a complete circuit back through the grounding conductor and the remote control is only breaking one leg of the 240 volt line (not 220). That would mean that you have 120 volts (not 110) trying to power the machine which could give you the symptoms you describe.

By your description, your wall switch is a double pole switch which (correctly) breaks both sides of the 240 volt supply and so shuts down that bad ground circuit. I would carefully investigate the wiring of the dust collector and fix it, because it could be dangerous the way it is. I also would like to see a better quality remote control unit that does the same. I don't like to see machinery that is still hot to ground even though it is "turned off".

DON'T switch the green conductor! I am only up on residential code, but I know that is NEVER allowed. You would end up making a really dangerous situation.

EPMiller