Basic electrical wire colors for buildings. Black, Hot. White, Return. Green, Ground. Red, Hot. Notice, White, Return, is NOT Green, Ground. Typical 240 Volt is not 240 Volt. It is 120, two phase with a common return. If you measure from Black to White, you will see 120 Volts. If you measure from Red to White you will see 120 Volts. If you measure from Black to Red, you will see 240 Volts. If you have a good system, measure from Green to White. You should see 0 Volts. If you have 3 phase power, well then all bets are off. More than 1 way to get delta power. Call an electrician.
