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Need help on wiring compressor

BDBLK2K3

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Concord NC
I need some opinions on wiring my new compressor.

I'm trying to decide to hardwire or put a plug and receptical in .

Is there a box and a plate that the conduit can go into the wall ?

Show some pics of your compressor wiring setups .


Here is where it is being installed
 

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rinny_tin_tin

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Dec 20, 2008
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Northern Virginia
I need some opinions on wiring my new compressor.

I'm trying to decide to hardwire or put a plug and receptical in .

Is there a box and a plate that the conduit can go into the wall ?

Show some pics of your compressor wiring setups .


Here is where it is being installed

You may want to consider hardwiring to a disconnect located at the compressor and *hardwire* the disconnect to the load panel.

Something like:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100201045
 

MXtras

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On the Right Coast
As short as the run is, a disconnect is not needed - the equipment is within sight of the disconnect.

Just hard wire it into the panel, pop a beer and relax.

Scott
 

nadogail

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A receptacle (outlet) in the wall would be the my choice. In my small shop the table saw and the welder share the same 50A 208V receptacle. The compresser is on the same 20A circuit as the belt sander. I dont weld and saw at the same time. The air tools and the belt sander are seldom used together.
 

kvom

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*******, GA
Personally I would use a plug and receptacle. That way you have an extra useable 220V connection point if needed for shortterm convenience. You may also decide to move the compressor at a future point (looks as if it's blocking the door to me).
 
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BDBLK2K3

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I'm going to turn the air outlet towards the wall with an elbow , and pipe up the wall by door trim .

Tight 2 car garage , Coleman cabinet goes in front of power box .
 

rickairmedic

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I hate to tell you this but you need to find a new location for the coleman cabinet . You need to have 2' of unobstructed access to the breaker box.

Rick
 

rickairmedic

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Ok being on wheels will make some differance but it does make a differance on how I would hook up the compressor . I would have hard wired it to the breakerbox without that cabinet in front of it buuuuuuut with the cabinet in front of it I would hardwire the compressor to a disconnect and then wire that to a breaker in the breakerbox.

Rick
 

nate379

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Sure in an industrial setting, but at home... really... does it matter? I wouldn't stack stuff 10ft high in front of the breaker panel, but a cabinet that moves and you are fine with moving it when you need to get in the panel... I think it's fine. Course that's just me.

I hate to tell you this but you need to find a new location for the coleman cabinet . You need to have 2' of unobstructed access to the breaker box.

Rick

As for the wiring, put an outlet on the side of the wall behind the compressor. I would just use a normal 50amp NEMA 6-50 outlet and run 8 guage wire with a 50amp breaker. Get a few feet of flexy wire (sorry can't think of the name right now), wire it to teh compressor, wire a plug on it and wham bam thank you ma'am all done.


Oh... use an old construction gang box, they will grip to the 'rock. Might have to fishtape or coat hanger the to the breaker panel from the gang box... can be interesting. Kill the juice at the main before you do that though!

You can hard wire, but the plug is nice that you can have 240v for a welder, plasma cutter, etc later down the road.
 
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rickairmedic

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Sure in an industrial setting, but at home... really... does it matter? I wouldn't stack stuff 10ft high in front of the breaker panel, but a cabinet that moves and you are fine with moving it when you need to get in the panel... I think it's fine. Course that's just me.



As for the wiring, put an outlet on the side of the wall behind the compressor. I would just use a normal 50amp NEMA 6-50 outlet and run 8 guage wire with a 50amp breaker. Get a few feet of flexy wire (sorry can't think of the name right now), wire it to teh compressor, wire a plug on it and wham bam thank you ma'am all done.


Oh... use an old construction gang box, they will grip to the 'rock. Might have to fishtape or coat hanger the to the breaker panel from the gang box... can be interesting. Kill the juice at the main before you do that though!

You can hard wire, but the plug is nice that you can have 240v for a welder, plasma cutter, etc later down the road.


Yes really in a home it matters an inspector would throw a h8uge red flag the only thing that makes it semi ok is the fact that the cabinet ( not the compressor for the other poster ) is on casters and could be shoved out of the way quick. One of the reasons behind this is if you had an electrical fire you could get into the panel easily to kill the main breaker. I have seen an inspector fail a panel becouse it was in the back of a closet a homeowner built after the original panel was in and the inspector felt the door to the closet was not wide enough.

Rick
 
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BDBLK2K3

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Rick , I 'm going with the disconnect box , and hardwire from there .

I got 10 -2 wire , 2 hots to the breaker and 1 neutral, is this correct ?

My power box can be seen with the cabinet there , I leave the wheels unlocked for this reason , I understand what your saying about inspectors .

Bob
 

rickairmedic

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Bob 10-2 with ground is fine you want 2 hots and the bare wire goes to the ground bar in your panel . The bare wire is a ground not a neutral :D.

Rick
 
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BDBLK2K3

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Can I use Spade connectors on the ends of the 10-2 wire where it connects to the compressor ?

The reason I ask is , When I went to hook the wires up , the wires are too thick for the screw to clamp down on .

My thought was to use the spades , guy at Lowes said it would be no problem .

Just want some more input .

Bob
 

rickairmedic

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Bob Spade terminals rated for your wire size are fine . They are used on 220V all the time in HVAC the compressor connections in air conditioning condensors are spade terminals :D. Now hurry up and get that thing wired up so you can come help me run some copper pipe for mine :D:D.

Rick
 
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BDBLK2K3

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Dude , I'm so ready to hear this thing run , I had a setback last night .

The nut that the screw goes into, twisted and stripped the mold that the nut is in, to keep the nut in place .

Fixed that last night , all is good .

I was looking at copper pipe , and in my area NC , it's cheaper for the copper .

That will be next .
 

rickairmedic

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Bob that will make a differance you really shouldnt use spade terminals with solid wire . How far is the distance from the disconnect box to the hookup on the compressor. I ask this as you could always use an AC whip to go from the disconnect to the compressor they come in 4 and 6 foot lengths and are stranded.

Rick
 
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