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Air Compressor Pigtail?

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jmlcolorado

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Got my sub panel installed tonight. I will be installing a 220v outlet for the supply, but i need to find a pigtail.
Anyone know where i can find one with 2 spade connectors and 1 ring connector on the compressor side?
 
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TWX

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It's actually 240V, not 220V. "110" and "220" have been technically incorrect for a long time.

There are several standards for 240V connectors.

NEMA 6 and NEMA 14 are the two 240V single phase straight-bladed categories. NEMA 6 is hot-hot-ground, NEMA 14 is hot-hot-neutral-ground.

They're written as category-amp. So, theoretically, if it existed, a hot-hot-ground at 10 amps would be a NEMA 6-10. I don't think there are any that low, just an example. Anyway, no higher-amp receptacle will accept a lower-amp plug; they'll only mate the way they're designed.

I use a NEMA 6-50R (R for receptacle) on the wall, and a NEMA 6-50P (for plug) on the compressor. I used 6ga wire and I have a 50A breaker in the subpanel.

Since the two hot wires are 180° out of phase I don't think it matters which blade is on which phase.

Ace Hardware sells both the plugs and the receptacles. There's a kit for the plug that lets one use different blades in different configurations for a 30A versus a 50A setup. That's what I'm using.

Home Depot and Lowes have the receptacles, but I can't remember offhand if they also have the plugs.

I wired mine for 50A even though the compressor probably doesn't draw close to that because if I ever want to use a welder I wouldn't want to have to rewire.
 
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mrb

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if you cant find one easily i have the leviton plugs that are 6-30 or 6-50 depending on how you make it up, I could assemble a cord for you.
 
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jmlcolorado

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TWX said:
It's actually 240V, not 220V. "110" and "220" have been technically incorrect for a long time.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected :) You'd think i would know better being in the construction industry for as many years as i can remember :)



mrb said:
if you cant find one easily i have the leviton plugs that are 6-30 or 6-50 depending on how you make it up, I could assemble a cord for you.
Click to expand...

I don't have a receptacle or plug picked out yet. The compressor burns 15 amps so i have it on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. The welder has its own dedicated 30 amp circuit with twist lock connectors so those are out of the question. Although i will be the only person plugging the welder in, i don't want anyone getting the idea that they can plug the welder into the lower amperage compressor circuit so ill need a different receptacle.

I ended up soldering the spade and ring connectors to some 10 gauge SSO cord on the compressor end. I don't know why craftsman thought it was a good idea to use spade connectors at all. One would think ring terminals would better fit since the device has known vibrations and could potentially loosen up push on connectors over time and create heat and possibly a fire.

After all, building codes reflect resolving any POSSIBLE issue that COULD happen in the real world. NO electrician or device manufacturer would EVER use spade connectors in a permanent fixture in a building :lol_hitti
 
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TWX

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I haven't had any issues with the compressor plug coming out of the wall with the 6-50 setup. At the old house the compressor was on wheels and it still never vibrated the plug out of the socket, and on the new house the compressor has been bolted to the floor, and there's no movement. It's actually hard to unplug it even though it's a straight pull. I thought about twist-lock type, but there are no receptacles in the 50A range for that type of connector.
 
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jmlcolorado

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TWX said:
I haven't had any issues with the compressor plug coming out of the wall with the 6-50 setup. At the old house the compressor was on wheels and it still never vibrated the plug out of the socket, and on the new house the compressor has been bolted to the floor, and there's no movement. It's actually hard to unplug it even though it's a straight pull. I thought about twist-lock type, but there are no receptacles in the 50A range for that type of connector.
Click to expand...

Perhaps i should clarify a bit.
The terminals i am questioning are the spade terminals inside the pressure switch on the compressor side. Not the plug or recep itself.
:bounce:
 
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mrb

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those should not be soldered unless they were crimped before being soldered.
 
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mrb

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jmlcolorado said:
Why is that?
I removed the plastic sheathing and soldered the wire directly to the connector. I figure solder is a much better bond then crimps.
Click to expand...

at least the ground should be crimped. During a fault condition (ground fault, short) the soldered ground connection can melt and come apart leaving whatever shorted (the motor in this case) energized. Highly likely? no. possible? yes.
 
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jmlcolorado

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mrb said:
at least the ground should be crimped. During a fault condition (ground fault, short) the soldered ground connection can melt and come apart leaving whatever shorted (the motor in this case) energized. Highly likely? no. possible? yes.
Click to expand...

Hum. Thats a great point! I didn't really think about that. I will rethink my setup. Thanks!
 
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theoldwizard1

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jmlcolorado said:
I don't know why craftsman thought it was a good idea to use spade connectors at all.
Click to expand...
I think the term you want is "blade" connector is also called Faston - (fast on). I don't like them either.

The cord on my Craftsman 2HP "portable" compressor was just too short (6') and pretty light (14 gauge). I replaced it with 25' of SOO 12 gauge. Same problem you had and I could not find 12 gauge Faston connectors. Close examination showed that the blades on the switch was actually an "adapter" from a screw terminal to Faston. Removed the adapter and used ring terminals that I had in 12 gauge.

When it comes to electrical connectors I am a bit of a perfectionist. I hate the "insulated" style of connector. They don't do that good of a job insulating and part of it get crushed anyway.

I always try to use non-insulated terminals and shrink tube. Certainly looks better.

I have heard in the aircraft industry that soldering connectors is a no-no. The solder can wick up the insulation. Excessive vibration can cause the wire to break where the solder end, under the insulation.
 
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jmlcolorado

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theoldwizard1 said:
I think the term you want is "blade" connector is also called Faston - (fast on). I don't like them either.

The cord on my Craftsman 2HP "portable" compressor was just too short (6') and pretty light (14 gauge). I replaced it with 25' of SOO 12 gauge. Same problem you had and I could not find 12 gauge Faston connectors. Close examination showed that the blades on the switch was actually an "adapter" from a screw terminal to Faston. Removed the adapter and used ring terminals that I had in 12 gauge.

When it comes to electrical connectors I am a bit of a perfectionist. I hate the "insulated" style of connector. They don't do that good of a job insulating and part of it get crushed anyway.

I always try to use non-insulated terminals and shrink tube. Certainly looks better.

I have heard in the aircraft industry that soldering connectors is a no-no. The solder can wick up the insulation. Excessive vibration can cause the wire to break where the solder end, under the insulation.
Click to expand...


Dang it! You guys are taking away my entire proud moment! :) I will have to look closely at that switch and see if i have the same "adapter" setup. I would prefer to have all ring terminals over "Faston" connectors :thumbup: with NO solder now :beer:


I dont particularly like insulated crimp connectors anywhere. I see people use them all the time for car stereos and it looks like **** and leaves a bunch of areas UNinsulated.




P.S. What the hell did people do BEFORE forums to ask questions and get good answers?
Guess that would have been called Population Control :lol_hitti
 
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theoldwizard1

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The best uninsulated terminals that I have found are Solistrand (used to be Tyco/Amp now TE Connectivity). Not easy to find (Digikey). They have ring terminals in various different stud sizes and wire gauges, hooks, spades, Fastons and **** splices. The **** splices with heat shrink look very professional !
 
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TWX

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PT Doc

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TWX said:
I've noticed, PT Doc, that when you link to Amazon you always seem to pick the mobile site. Any chance we could get links to the normal one? The images are awful small on my 1920x1440 monitor that way...
Click to expand...

I can and will. Amazon auto dumps me automatically to mobile but I need to remember to choose full site every time I'm on.
 
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mrb

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PT Doc said:
Is this any better?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V8BEUI/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Click to expand...

no thats the same type of thing. When using a proper crimper, the metal in the crimp cold flows around the wire and creates a gas tight connection. Anything you use with a hammer just smashes the terminals and you dont get a good connection. One should NEVER use that type of crimper in a high current line voltage application.
 
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PT Doc

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I asked if that was any better since I went through the amazon non mobile site. I was asking if the link worked better and had a bigger image.
 
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