Question for you electricians (preferably)

T

tizzo

Guest
Or the like... But don't be like the guy at lowe's and tell me you know electricity...sorta.

Anyway, I have a dilemma.
I need to hook up an appliance (large compressor).
THIS... is what the hook up looks like on the actual unit.
Hot, neutral, ground...

THIS... Is the socket that we already have in place (pre-existing).

This is the cord that fits the SOCKET, but not necessarily the unit...

In the last pic it's...
Red hot
black hot
white neutral
and green ground
So... My question...
Can I make this compressor and this socket compatible?? And if so, what am I to do with the second "hot" wire??
Can I cap it? Can I piggyback it onto the other hot one? Can I just shut my eyes real tight and pretend it doesn't exist??
Help!!
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
with 2 hots the plug and outlet are designed for 40 amps or higher, your compressor is prob a 15 amp. if you turns off the braker to the outlet and remove the plug and it prob has 2 yellow (or white if old 12 gauge wires) that go to a 40 amp or larger braker. you would want to replace the breaker with 2 individual 20 amp breakers and put to heavy duty plugs one on each wire. i am not an electrician but have done my share of electrical work.
 
salty blues

salty blues

Active Member
That appears to be an outlet and cord for a clothes dryer 240 volt circuit. Your compressor switch appears to be wired for 120 volts. You can indeed just use one of the "hots",(just tape up the other one) but to really be proper you should also change the double pole breaker on the dryer circuit to a single pole. Just make sure that the compressor motor is indeed wire up for 120 volts. It should have a wiring diagram stamped on the motor. BTW I am an electrician but I am in no way responsible if you zap yourself. Please be careful!
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by chilwil84
http:///forum/post/2718791
with 2 hots the plug and outlet are designed for 40 amps or higher, your compressor is prob a 15 amp. if you turns off the braker to the outlet and remove the plug and it prob has 2 yellow (or white if old 12 gauge wires) that go to a 40 amp or larger braker. you would want to replace the breaker with 2 individual 20 amp breakers and put to heavy duty plugs one on each wire. i am not an electrician but have done my share of electrical work.
I'm with you, all the way to the red...
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by salty blues
http:///forum/post/2718796
That appears to be an outlet and cord for a clothes dryer 240 volt circuit. Your compressor switch appears to be wired for 120 volts. You can indeed just use one of the "hots", but to really be proper you should also change the double pole breaker on the dryer circuit to a single pole. Just make sure that the compressor motor is indeed wire up for 120 volts. It should have a wiring diagram stamped on the motor. BTW I am an electrician but I am in no way responsible if you zap youself. Please be careful!
I'm gonna go look for that now...
 
T

tizzo

Guest
WEll, of course there's no diagram, so I got on the compressors websight and this is as helpful as they will be...
Electrical connections should be performed by a qualified electrician who is familiar with local electrical codes.

So, the compressor is not 120 volts, per the sticker.
And the "outlet" is, or at least appears to be larger...


Outlet...
 
salty blues

salty blues

Active Member
Yes, the motor is indeed rated for 230 volts so you should be able to run it on the existing circuit as is. It would be a good idea to stick a voltmeter on the outlet to make absolutely sure it is putting out 230 volts. NEVER assume anything in dealing with electricity!
The voltage stamped on the outlet is a max voltage/application rating.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Good idea!!

Now how do I hook up the wires??
green to green
white to white
black to black
But what exactly do I do with the red one?? Hook it in with the black?
 
rockman

rockman

Member
Tizzo
I Was an electrical contractor for a while. Still do side jobs
If your set on using that dryer outlet then you will need to wire it this way
On your fist pick hook up the new cord
green to green (ground)
black to black (120 V)
red to white (120 V)
DO NOT USE THE WHITE ON THE NEW CORD!
 
rockman

rockman

Member
Yep!
that box is designed for a dryer that uses the white wire!
you should use a standard 220 outlet box But this will work!
On the new plug the hot wires are red and black
So cap off the white and your good to go

Sorry pic not pick!
 
T

tizzo

Guest
So ummm...just to make things incredibly complicated... How hard IS it to install a...whatdjoo call it... a 220 outlet box??
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2718975
So ummm...just to make things incredibly complicated... How hard IS it to install a...whatdjoo call it... a 220 outlet box??
I think he means one of these
http://www.levitonproducts.com/catal...47B7E&pid=1208
and it's much easier than ceiling fans!
Install a single gang box with this receptacle and wire your compressor with the appropriate male end as described earlier in the thread. (lose the dryer receptacle and dryer cord)
We did this with our tanning bed. (also 220v, 15a)
 
rockman

rockman

Member

Originally Posted by socal57che
http:///forum/post/2719013
I think he means one of these
http://www.levitonproducts.com/catal...47B7E&pid=1208
and it's much easier than ceiling fans!
Install a single gang box with this receptacle and wire your compressor with the appropriate male end as described earlier in the thread. (lose the dryer receptacle and dryer cord)
We did this with our tanning bed. (also 220v, 15a)
Absolutely Socal57che
You can even match the outlet to the cord thats on the compressor
but you still have to lose the white wire thats in the dryer box
only use the black/red/and copper wire(ground)
good luck
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
the heavy duty plugs are the $1.50 a piece plugs not the $.49 ones that are meant for light household use
 
J

jpndave

Guest
Originally Posted by Rockman
http:///forum/post/2718933
Tizzo
I Was an electrical contractor for a while. Still do side jobs
If your set on using that dryer outlet then you will need to wire it this way
On your fist pick hook up the new cord
green to green (ground)
black to black (120 V)
red to white (120 V)
DO NOT USE THE WHITE ON THE NEW CORD!


I am a contractor. This is correct. If you are asking these questions, I wouldn't mess with the wiring on the house. Just follow rockman's directions and you will be fine. Black to black, red to the COMPRESSOR white, and green to green. Cut the white off and wire nut to be safe. The white may be able to be attached to the green, depending on how the house is wired but that is another story.
You must have a newer home as that drier plug hasn't been used for a long time. A 208-230 V single phase motor (what the compressor is) doesn't need a neutral. The circuit is in essence two opposite 110V circuits on opposite sides of the sine wave. So, one is +110V and the other is -110V (trying to simplify here) the potential between the two is 220V and the potential from either the red or black to ground is 110V. The green is just there to be "safe".
 
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