Adding a "Compressor On" light - 220v

[squirrelcat]

I have my compressor in my attached 2-car garage and would like to have a light turn on if I have the switch on the compressor "on".

It's happened a time or two where I leave the garage for the night with a leaky tool on the line and the compressor on, at about 2am it cycles on and wakes everyone up.



What can I do to run a power a standard light bulb from a 3-wire 220v circuit?

 

[bjcouche]

This is a very good idea. My compressor has woken me in the middle of the night as well. IF you would provide some more info on your compressor make and model, that could be helpful. I have two compressors, an 80 gallon 240V 5hp unit that I built myself, and a cheap 8 gallon 120V HF unit. On both compressors, there is no auxiliary contact on the pressure switch that would be usable to illuminate a light when the switch is left in the "ON" position but not currently running.
IF you have a large 240V compressor that has a magnetic motor starter, you could add an additional switch in series with your pressure switch, that has 2 switched poles. One pole you could simply wire in series with your existing pressure switch. The other pole of the switch you would wire to your light circuit. That way both switches would have to be on (and the light on) for the compressor to run. I guess you could use the new switch as the primary on and off control to the compressor as well.
IF the 240V compressor doesn't have a magnetic starter, then you could add a 240V disconnect switch to the power supply to the compressor. Then wire an additional fused circuit from that disconnect to your light circuit. When you leave the shop for the night, turn of the disconnect.
For a 120V compressor, I'd just use a power strip that has a switch. Then plug both the compressor and the light into the power strip. Turn the compressor on and off with the power strip, not the pressure switch...

Brian

 

[Norcal]

I have my compressor in my attached 2-car garage and would like to have a light turn on if I have the switch on the compressor "on".

It's happened a time or two where I leave the garage for the night with a leaky tool on the line and the compressor on, at about 2am it cycles on and wakes everyone up.



What can I do to run a power a standard light bulb from a 3-wire 220v circuit?

3-wire 220V is a 380V circuit, 'cause 220V is 50 hertz voltage.

2 solutions, 1) use a 240 volt pilot light, most are 120 volts but can be found in all standard voltages. 2) Use a small 240X480V primary, 120 volt secondary control transformer to run a 120 volt lighting fixture, or a 2nd option, use a 208/240V pri, 24V sec transformer as used on HVAC equipment to operate a 24V pilot light.

 

[bjcouche]

To be clear, I believe the OP wants a fairly bright 60W or so, light to be on when the compressor is NOT running but the pressure switch is left in the ON position, and could start automatically when the air pressure drops. That way when he leaves the shop at night and turns off the lights, he will notice via the 60W light, that he forgot to turn off the compressor.
As I attempted to explain before, this is easy with no wiring for a 120V compressor, but will require wiring modifications to a 240V compressor.
Brian

 

[JJThrasher]

Not an electrician, but couldn't one leg of the 220V switched side of the circuit be tapped and a normal light put in? Since 220 is two 110 legs? Just tapping in after the power switch and before anything else.

 

[The Cobbler]

Use 2 120 v bulbs in series or better yet get a fluorescent fixture that runs on 240, that way you have usable light.

 

[Norcal]

Since this is a attached garage, any lighting over 120 volts is illegal, see NEC art 210.6(A), unless we are truly talking about 220 volts then the limitations in the NEC for dwellings do not apply.

 

[Super Mech]

My uncle did something like this over 30 years ago. I think he tapped into one of the line side legs coming from the wall mounted disconnect switch. It went to a standard screw in bulb base that had this little disk shaped thing that went in the socket to make the bulb blink. Annoying as all get out to have the bulb blinking all the time but it worked.

 

[pattenp]

To have power for a 120V light at the compressor you need to have a neutral wire. Usually a circuit to a 240V compressor lacks the neutral because it's not needed.

I think you can get by with using a 240V indicator light on the compressor.

Here you go. This will get your attention. http://www.ebay.com/itm/B6L4PAC-AMB...IGHT-BEACON-110V-120V-220V-240V-/110909257395

 

[justsam]

Where is the switch that you use to turn compressor ON/OFF? Is it on the compressor itself, or is the power to the compressor switched elsewhere?

 

[myredracer]

I think I would look at using a relay with a 240 volt coil. Go to an electrical wholesaler and they can set you up with something. You'll need maybe say a 4x4x4 junction box to mount the relay in. The relay would be quite small and inexpensive.

Another way would be to use a contactor and timeswitch to shut power off to the compressor overnight but more costly.

I have the same situation and have a suite above my workshop but it's just my SIL... So far I have a sticky note on the door into the house as a reminder. Think I will eventually go with a contactor & timeswitch.

 

[CNGsaves]

Good idea to have the reminder light. Post up pics of what you end up with.

I'd also add a ball valve right after compressor so you can shut off air mechanically. That way you don't lose air in tank if your airline system has a slow leak.

 

[squirrelcat]

To be clear, I believe the OP wants a fairly bright 60W or so, light to be on when the compressor is NOT running but the pressure switch is left in the ON position, and could start automatically when the air pressure drops. That way when he leaves the shop at night and turns off the lights, he will notice via the 60W light, that he forgot to turn off the compressor.
As I attempted to explain before, this is easy with no wiring for a 120V compressor, but will require wiring modifications to a 240V compressor.
Brian

Exactly.

What I meant by 3-wire 220v was 2-hot and a ground. Given a 110v light would need a neutral wire, it would require me to do something a little differently.

Since this is a attached garage, any lighting over 120 volts is illegal, see NEC art 210.6(A), unless we are truly talking about 220 volts then the limitations in the NEC for dwellings do not apply.

Certainly news to me, that is good to know!

Where is the switch that you use to turn compressor ON/OFF? Is it on the compressor itself, or is the power to the compressor switched elsewhere?

I toggle the actual "automatic/off" switch on the compressor. The power for it comes from a hardwired breaker.

Good idea to have the reminder light. Post up pics of what you end up with.

I'd also add a ball valve right after compressor so you can shut off air mechanically. That way you don't lose air in tank if your airline system has a slow leak.

Yep, I have a ball valve right outside of the compressor I usually shut off. Usually I forget if I am in the garage and go to lunch, not to return to the garage for the rest of the day. It reminds me nice and early!



.


Thanks for the input all, I am going to read through the responses and see what I can come up with.

I do have a nearby outlet, I assume tying that neutral and one leg of the 220v to a screw-in light bulb base would be a no-no...

It shouldn't be hard to find something like a 220v night light, or similar to try to use.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I have my compressor in my attached 2-car garage and would like to have a light turn on if I have the switch on the compressor "on".

It's happened a time or two where I leave the garage for the night with a leaky tool on the line and the compressor on, at about 2am it cycles on and wakes everyone up.



What can I do to run a power a standard light bulb from a 3-wire 220v circuit?

Does your compressor have a starter?

If so u can wire up a relay circuit that connects to your light switch which can disconnect one side of the contactor on the starter.

 

[jonjon1]

So you want a light to be on when your compressor is not shut off?

OK, here is what I did, because at my shop more than once I came into a blown line, red hot compressor and lucky the building was still there...

I clipped a normally open current sensing relay to a light in the shop, so when we shut the lights the current sensing relay would break the power going into the compressors psi switch (which if you have a starter is low amp)...

So these parts are what I used, BUT I didnt buy them, I am in hvac so I just have tons of this ****..
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UUU51Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015ZL1BEM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just clip the current sensing relay to a light in the shop (the bigger the better) and tie the switch to the a/c relay, then use the high voltage part of the relay to break the contact to your pressure switch...

I noticed you said you dont have a starter, well make sure you get an a/c relay that will handle full amps, I would just get a 40a, if your compressor is small enough not to need a started that will be fine...


I have multiple things running off of mine, so I use a transformer to power it all... which you will also need, just a 120/24 ac transformer. So even if you had none of this laying around (you can get contactors for free out of old air conditioners), you can get it all for under $35 on ebay..



As far as running a light off of your compressor, you will need a neutral and a fuse. So you just hook up the fuse to one of the legs (to protect the circuit since your compressor is probably 20 amps on a 30a breaker) and then the other side of the light goes to the neutral... Not sure how a regular light bulb would act when the compressor kicks on and off, but that will get it lit...

 

[iron block]

Lots of ways to skin this cat.

Simplest way, to me, is just add a step-down transformer to go from 240v to 120v, and connect a light bulb.

Here is a "200 Watt" step-down unit on Amazon for $20. http://www.amazon.com/Goldsource-STU-200-Voltage-Transformer-Converter/dp/B0022TMB9A/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1450645183&sr=8-10&keywords=stepdown+transformer+220v+to+110v

I'd derate it plenty and maybe run a 50 watt bulb from it.

Anyway, just set the input of this converter box to 240V, connect that to your compressor power source, and connect the light bulb to the 120V output socket.

The light bulb will be powered whenever the compressor has juice applied.

 

[jonjon1]

Iron block I dont think he is killing the juice to the unit, I think he is just flipping the little lever on the compressor to pull the switch open??? SO it still has power..

 

[TheEquineFencer]

I asked something like this a while back to do something similar. When i get around to it, I plan to just leave the compressor on all the time, add a 200 PSI air solenoid to the main line going out to the shop and use a motion switch to activate it with a 1 hour mechanical timer parallel to the circuit in case I decide I want it on longer than I set the motion switch shut off time. I wired my shop lights the same way. That way I didn't have to readjust the motion sensor settings if I'm in the shop and the motion sensor is blocked from seeing my movement or lack there of. Sometimes it's a nuisance, but it's seldom it happens. After a while you know when to just go turn the timer to 1 hour or less. It cut the light bill way down when I added the sensors. I figure it'll do the same for the air compressor.

 

[Bondo]

Not an electrician, but couldn't one leg of the 220V switched side of the circuit be tapped and a normal light put in? Since 220 is two 110 legs? Just tapping in after the power switch and before anything else.

Ayuh,.... This is correct,....

From one leg of the 220v power, after the on/ off switch, to a 120v light, to the neutral leg,....

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What is the HP rating of the compressor?

 

[Milton Shaw]

Get what is called a lighting contactor. They are 12 or more circuits that are controlled by a single 120 volt switch but can contain 10 or more separate circuits that all are controlled by the one switch. Hook up all the lights, compressors, tools, chargers, etc in the shop and everything would be turned off when you turn the lights off. That way you know everything is ok until the next time you go into the shop. These are usually installed next to the breaker box and the wire from the breaker is routed to the contactor and then a new wire to the breaker. These are expensive but not compared to burning down a garage from a charger shorted out.

 

[squirrelcat]

What is the HP rating of the compressor?

Not quite sure, it's a hodgepodge compressor.

The motor on it is shown below

 

[nehog]

Try this: http://meci.com/electrical/transfor...l-circuit-breaker-transformer-at150f1030.html

A simple smaller 24 volt bulb on the secondary will do the trick. Good for about 50 watts.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The HP is unlisted. But FLA is 15a. So its about 3HP.

 

[sberry]

Look at the problems this causes, it's really a brain fart. Get in the habit of disconnecting tools or turning valve off.

 

[bottom feeder]

Why not just wire up a standard 110v light on a plain old 110v circuit and put the light switch near your compressor? When you turn your comressor on, reach over and turn the light on. If you want it to stand out use a red bulb or something similar.

 

[Git]

How about a 240v mechanical timer that can handle up to 40 amps and set it so that your compressor can't run at night?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQOX88/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[soj]

Why not just wire up a standard 110v light on a plain old 110v circuit and put the light switch near your compressor? When you turn your comressor on, reach over and turn the light on. If you want it to stand out use a red bulb or something similar.

This is too simple, and will not be accepted.

What you are trying to do is complicate his life, with a simple solution.

What he is trying to do is simplify his life, with a complicated solution.

Kidding over.

I am with the OP on this, since I am old and forgetful. I thought about the light deal for a while, but decided to keep it simple. My compressor has a mag. starter. I tapped into one of the pressure switch wires and added a toggle switch. Right now it is mounted in a handy box on the compressor, which is located next to the exit door. Turning off the lights reminds me to flip one more switch on the compressor. That works for now. Later, when I move the compressor out of the shop to a lean-to around back, I will extend that wire (in conduit) and mount the switch right next to the light switches. Label it "Compressor" and everyone will know what it is for. No reminder light, but no relays to wire in (or fail) either.

What I have tried to do is simplify my life, with a simple solution.

But now jonjon1 has me thinking about his current sensing relay setup in post # 15. I may end up simplifying my life with a complicated solution.

jp

 

[jonjon1]

What I have tried to do is simplify my life, with a simple solution.

But now jonjon1 has me thinking about his current sensing relay setup in post # 15. I may end up simplifying my life with a complicated solution.

jp

LOL, I always say, "if there is a complicated way to get from a to b I will find it", lol...

That is not that bad, its actually pretty simeple, if I drew it out for you, current sensing relay is a switch, transformer is a power source for the contactor, and the contactor is just that... 3 devices, its simple, lol...


NOW, if you seen how I made my lift stop crushing the door into the office, that is genius, lol...


So for some reason, one of the lifts is near the door going into the office, the office door is supposed to have an auto closer but the guys jamb it open so they can hear the phone or door buzzer, tv, talk to someone sitting in the office, or what ever... BUT the problem is they lower a truck and rip the door apart, this only happened 3 times before I decided to change it LOL!!!!!!!


SO what I did was...

I put a switch (like a car door switch in the jamb) on the door going to a RIB, when the door is closed it activates the relay which opens a solenoid valve installed in the release lever plumbing of the lift, SO when the door is open the solenoid wont let the lift go down, when the door is open..

OK, so that works great, NOW to take it a bit further, I put an electric lock on the door, and a strip of contact on the lift at the point where the door will kit the car on the lift if it is opened, a so the metal strip and a little finger drags up and down the lift, when it gets past the point of the door it unlocks the door...

NOW say what you will, BUT WE HAVE NOT changed another door since I did it!!!!!!!! That is results...



One more for you, on a servie vehicle my guys kept leaving the tail gate open and dumping stuff on the street and in customers driveways, everything from full furnaces to boxes full of fittings...

So I put a light on the dash with another door pin on the tail gate...

DIDNT work, so I put a strobe light, still once and a while didnt work, and the strobes burnt out, so I put a car horn in the cab, if you turn the key on and that tailgate is open, it blows you out of the cab, lol... NO more dented up furnaces or a/c units that fell off the back of the truck....

 

[soj]

jonjon, all slightly complicated solutions, but all resulted in a simplified life. A noble goal. You spend a little time thinking, a little time doing, and life is easier. I commend you.

I hope the OP gets something out of our OT ramblings.
jp

 

[TheEquineFencer]

LOL, I always say, "if there is a complicated way to get from a to b I will find it", lol...

That is not that bad, its actually pretty simeple, if I drew it out for you, current sensing relay is a switch, transformer is a power source for the contactor, and the contactor is just that... 3 devices, its simple, lol...


NOW, if you seen how I made my lift stop crushing the door into the office, that is genius, lol...


So for some reason, one of the lifts is near the door going into the office, the office door is supposed to have an auto closer but the guys jamb it open so they can hear the phone or door buzzer, tv, talk to someone sitting in the office, or what ever... BUT the problem is they lower a truck and rip the door apart, this only happened 3 times before I decided to change it LOL!!!!!!!


SO what I did was...

I put a switch (like a car door switch in the jamb) on the door going to a RIB, when the door is closed it activates the relay which opens a solenoid valve installed in the release lever plumbing of the lift, SO when the door is open the solenoid wont let the lift go down, when the door is open..

OK, so that works great, NOW to take it a bit further, I put an electric lock on the door, and a strip of contact on the lift at the point where the door will kit the car on the lift if it is opened, a so the metal strip and a little finger drags up and down the lift, when it gets past the point of the door it unlocks the door...

NOW say what you will, BUT WE HAVE NOT changed another door since I did it!!!!!!!! That is results...



One more for you, on a servie vehicle my guys kept leaving the tail gate open and dumping stuff on the street and in customers driveways, everything from full furnaces to boxes full of fittings...

So I put a light on the dash with another door pin on the tail gate...

DIDNT work, so I put a strobe light, still once and a while didnt work, and the strobes burnt out, so I put a car horn in the cab, if you turn the key on and that tailgate is open, it blows you out of the cab, lol... NO more dented up furnaces or a/c units that fell off the back of the truck....

Simple solutions work best. I like the horn in the cab. As service manager I had was a retired marine Colonel. At the base he was at the Marines had to run everywhere they went. They'd throw the doors to the building open right outside his office and the door struck the building. He solved the problem. The next Marine that hit the building with the door, he stopped him and had him stand there with his hand where it would get hit when the door came open and hit the building. He told him to stand there until his had was struck, then direct the next Marine that hit it to take his place until he returned. At the end of the day, he let the last Marine go. His door never got whacked again while he was stationed there.

 

[coljar]

Not an electrician, but couldn't one leg of the 220V switched side of the circuit be tapped and a normal light put in? Since 220 is two 110 legs? Just tapping in after the power switch and before anything else.

Yes. You have the answer to a very simple question.

 

[pattenp]

Yes. You have the answer to a very simple question.

And how is that simple answer going to work without a neutral?


*

 

[gregtwojeeps]

They hook the white wire from the pilot light to that bare wire in the cable has no insulation on it. Heck, it'll work won't it ? J/K y'all ....

 

[wyliesdiesels]

They hook the white wire from the pilot light to that bare wire in the cable has no insulation on it. Heck, it'll work won't it ? J/K y'all ....

I cant count the times Ive had to fix that on service call.

 

[kenewagner]

I ran the compressor to a shutoff switch on the wall. Pulled power from one leg to a light fixture with a red bulb to insure I didn't leave the compressor on.

Ken

 

[RAYJAY]

To have power for a 120V light at the compressor you need to have a neutral wire. Usually a circuit to a 240V compressor lacks the neutral because it's not needed.

I think you can get by with using a 240V indicator light on the compressor.

Here you go. This will get your attention. http://www.ebay.com/itm/B6L4PAC-AMB...IGHT-BEACON-110V-120V-220V-240V-/110909257395

you have a neutral line on 240v ac black 120 red 120 white neutral

 

[gregtwojeeps]

I ran the compressor to a shutoff switch on the wall. Pulled power from one leg to a light fixture with a red bulb to insure I didn't leave the compressor on.

Ken

So you either had:

A 120 V compressor that had a neutral conductor to the service for the AC for the bulb to use = O.K. ...

You pulled a "not needed neutral conductor" in with the 220V circuit to your compressor just for your bulb indicator =O.K. or....

You took the white conductor(neutral) from your indicator bulb and hooked it to the equipment ground wire ( bare or green wire) Not good.

Which was it ?

 

[kenewagner]

So you either had:

A 120 V compressor that had a neutral conductor to the service for the AC for the bulb to use = O.K. ...

You pulled a "not needed neutral conductor" in with the 220V circuit to your compressor just for your bulb indicator =O.K. or....

You took the white conductor(neutral) from your indicator bulb and hooked it to the equipment ground wire ( bare or green wire) Not good.

Which was it ?

Number 2

Ken

 

[wyliesdiesels]

you have a neutral line on 240v ac black 120 red 120 white neutral

Not for a 240v 3-wire device.