I'm hooking up a 60 gallon 230 volt 15 amp air compressor. It was previously hooked up using 12/2 wire on a 2 pole 30 amp breaker. It was wired white & black to breaker and bare to ground in the panel and white & black to the gold tabs and bare to the green in the 220 outlet? Is it ok to do the same with 10/2 or should I up it to 10/3 wire?
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Air Compressor
- Thread starter pkdozie
- Start date
Yes you can wire it the same with 10/2. A neutral wire is not needed and would never see any current. Even the ground in a 220 circuit doesn't really do anything...its just there for safety. That's true for your air compressor. Some appliances, however, use both a 220 and a 110 where the 110 might power a clock, for example. In that case you need a red, black, white and ground or a 4-wire circuit which allows for both 220 and 110 usage. So there are 2 kinds of 220/240v wiring schemes depending on what you're wiring.
Welders and air compressors only use 220 and no 110 so that's why a black, white(black) and ground is sufficient.
When you use the white wire as a hot you should color a couple inches on the end with a black marker or wrap some black electrical tape on it to color code it as a hot wire.
Instead of replacing the 12/2 you could replace the breaker with a 2 pole 20 amp which would be fine for your 15 amp compressor.
Welders and air compressors only use 220 and no 110 so that's why a black, white(black) and ground is sufficient.
When you use the white wire as a hot you should color a couple inches on the end with a black marker or wrap some black electrical tape on it to color code it as a hot wire.
Instead of replacing the 12/2 you could replace the breaker with a 2 pole 20 amp which would be fine for your 15 amp compressor.
Last edited:
sberry
Banned
You could use the 12 with a 30A breaker too.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261968
Its really part of the same conversation here. It should be wired to the machine not thru a plug.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261968
Its really part of the same conversation here. It should be wired to the machine not thru a plug.
Last edited:
sberry
Banned
If it comes without factory plug you install a dedicated circuit that you may tailor. A well is an example, a 1 hp with a run of 6 installed on a 12 wire with a 30A breaker. Wired direct.
An air con unit may come 240V but got factory 20A plug they assume you will serve it with a 12 and a 20, my steamer same way. No other secondary protection on the machine designed to be on a 30A circuit They got it unloaded to reduce start load.
A small welder is a different animal, 240V with a 12 cord allowed to be plugged to a 50A. Comes with a 50A plug, as long as the wire is sufficient the breaker is merely a switch and a protection against dead short. The 12 is good, there is thermal right after the switch on the machine to shut it down in overheat and as short circuit in smaller component parts.
So, there are cases a 12 is allowed on a 50A circuit.
An air con unit may come 240V but got factory 20A plug they assume you will serve it with a 12 and a 20, my steamer same way. No other secondary protection on the machine designed to be on a 30A circuit They got it unloaded to reduce start load.
A small welder is a different animal, 240V with a 12 cord allowed to be plugged to a 50A. Comes with a 50A plug, as long as the wire is sufficient the breaker is merely a switch and a protection against dead short. The 12 is good, there is thermal right after the switch on the machine to shut it down in overheat and as short circuit in smaller component parts.
So, there are cases a 12 is allowed on a 50A circuit.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
What is the HP rating of the compressor?
Lans Company
Member
Any update on how this worked out?