Air compressor and dryer on same breaker?

[chromeyellow]

I want to get a pretty good size plasma cutter and those require air compressors that need 230volts. I already have one dedicated 50amp circuit in my garage, which I'd use for a large plasma cutter, and need another for the air compressor. Could I run another outlet to the same circuit that goes to my clothes dryer? I'd be calling an electrician since I really don't know what I'm doing. I'm asking here because I don't want an electrician to just do what I ask for the sake of making a few bucks. I'm fine without being able to dry my clothes and cut steel at the same time.

 

[quititman]

Hey James,
Are you going to unplug the dryer and then plug the compressor in to the dryer outlet?
John

 

[AZ Garage]

You can't double tap a breaker. Residential tandem breakers are one thing, but everything else is a no-no.

 

[chromeyellow]

Hey James,
Are you going to unplug the dryer and then plug the compressor in to the dryer outlet?
John

No, I was going to put an outlet on the wall in my garage. The dryer outlet is about 20 feet away.

 

[chromeyellow]

You can't double tap a breaker. Residential tandem breakers are one thing, but everything else is a no-no.

What's a tandem breaker?

How is what I'm describing different then plugging in two different space heaters into two seperate outlets on the same circuit? I know that the circuit will power one of them, but if I try and use both at the same time it will trip the breaker.

 

[pattenp]

It you are extending the circuit from the dryer outlet to a second outlet just be sure to use the same size wire and outlet to match the circuit over current protection of the circuit. The tandem circuit breaker is a double small breaker you can used to add circuits to a panel that is full, but you have to have a panel that will take tandems.

 

[theoldwizard1]

It you are extending the circuit from the dryer outlet to a second outlet just be sure to use the same size wire and outlet to match the circuit over current protection of the circuit.

Splicing will be a challenge if you have not done this before !

I don't know how your current dryer plug is installed, but consider mounting a new junction box (at least 4" square) near that outlet and running the feed wire in there first. Connect the junction box to the dryer outlet box with a short piece of conduit and then you can use a couple of short pieces of stranded wire to connect to the outlet. You will need split bolts or some other type of mechanical connector to combine 3 wires of fairly heavy gauge. Tape with 3M Friction tape or 3M Splicing tape. Do NOT use regular "electrical" tape.