New Install Dewalt 60 Gallon Air Compressor

[sberry]

As for the oil change the main point is to rinse it out, maybe its already clean too. I like the Amsoil or similar comp oil. It could be good for nearly the life of the unit depending on duty. I would run it out on some sheetmetal and skip the idea of custom drain and change it the one time to a premium oil. Run it a year and check the belts.

 

[penright]

I am getting around to looking at the wiring now. As I mention in the OP, it is a 3.7HP. From everything I read so far, 30A #10 is what I should use. Is this correct?

I am running 3/4" conduit from the breaker to the compressor area. I do have some #10 copper laying around. The question (assuming #10 is ok) is how to transition from the junction box to the compressor.

I am within 50' and can see the breaker box. I thought about hard wiring it even though it is under 5HP. I was thinking some sort of flexible conduit from a junction box to the compressor. Then I notice as you can see in the picture, there is not a hole for the conduit clamp. Hard to see in the picture but there is a cord grip on the back and the cord enters from the bottom. It enters on the near side of the picture and the motor exits on the far side. So does that mean I need to use SO cord? If I am doing that then I might as well put a plug and gain another welder outlet. Just thinking out loud.

I use a thread like this to remind myself to walk over and kick the valve open to the drain on occasion.

This is your reminder.

Seriously, have you ever heard of one of these?

I found this post from @Shadowdog500.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2592070&postcount=14

Here is the link to the youtube video he made.

It is only about 2 and a half minutes. You see it work at 1:30 mark.

Simple, under $15. Not sure how industrial it is, but for $15 why not try it.

 

[penright]

I just realized I did not finish off this thread after the install. I followed a lot of @sberry advice about keeping it simple. I don't remember who or where I heard about the manual valve with a pull cable.

It works great, everytime I am by the compress I give it a pull. With the line valve closed it hold pressure for a while and even if it has not run, there is always a little water that comes out. You would think once the air cooled off then any water would have condestated. Which was the only two modifications that I did. Here it is in the new home.

 

[pbon]

The Dewalt looks pretty much identical to the Campbell Hausfield I bought at Lowe’s 15 years ago, apart from the paint color. Mine is upstairs above my shop so I plumbed a line down through the shop to a ball valve and then out the wall. Even if it was downstairs, I’d still go through the wall to reduce the mess on the floor. I use a piece of hose from the compressor to the hard drain pipe for vibration (like the whip to the regulator).

 

[Deude_Mann]

Slight resurrection here...

I want to echo sberry's pragmatism on this thread. I've been there, trying to implement everything at once rather than just getting the system online and going from there. There's no reason it cannot be reconfigured or added to later as your needs change. A system built for every foreseeable scenario will either be very expensive or too much of a compromise for its primary use.

 

[Rinspeed]

I see Tractor Supply has that compressor on sale for $413 for Black Friday. That's a hell of a deal, been pretty happy with mine in the last year.

 

[X1 Mike]

I see Tractor Supply has that compressor on sale for $413 for Black Friday. That's a hell of a deal, been pretty happy with mine in the last year.

Man. I wish I would have seen that then. I just got that compressor for $529 from TSC marked down from $579

This will be my first compressor that doesn't run off standard 110 outlet. I need to have an outlet installed for it, is there any benefit or difference between an outlet or just hard wiring it to the box? I will be located very close to my electrical panel.

Next question I have is what is the size of the pipe that goes into (or more accurately leaves the) compressor? It looks like possibly 1/2" NPT????

 

[penright]

This will be my first compressor that doesn't run off standard 110 outlet. I need to have an outlet installed for it, is there any benefit or difference between an outlet or just hard wiring it to the box? I will be located very close to my electrical panel.

I am assuming you are talking about the same compressor. First, it has to be hardwired. There are a lot of threads in the electrical forum and I encourage you to scan them. Even if you hire an electrician, it nice to be informed. There has to be a service disconnect. The breaker can serve as one, if within 50' and direct line of sight. Again, go to the electrical forum for details.
I was able to use my breaker. I will add the disconnect someday. The breaker is a pain to mess with. Right now I am just using it to figure out how I want to do it.

Next question I have is what is the size of the pipe that goes into (or more accurately leaves the) compressor? It looks like possibly 1/2" NPT????

The port is 3/4" I would suggest you scan down the question and answers on the TSC webpage for this product. Two things that you have to do in this class of air compressors that you don't have to worry about in smaller ones. #1 is a regulator. #2 wiring.

Here is a picture of my setup. The things I did that I liked.
#1 is the shut off valve. I am surprised how long the tank will hold air when you don't have a bunch of fittings leaking around. Plus if you need a quick shot of air to blow off something, there usually is enough without starting the compressor.
#2 A simple drain valve. I started looking at automatics styles. I am guessing you read through the thread, but I went with this model. https://www.grainger.com/product/CONTROL-DEVICES-Drain-Valve-6D913 You can see the lanyard in the picture. When you are next to the compressor for any reason, just give a couple of quick pulls and that is it Put something under it if you are worried about staining. Because of #1 there is always air for this.
#3, there is some debate about bolting down. There is a lot of guys who just leave it on the shipping pallet without any issues. For me, I bought the hard rubber pads and bolted them down. It made fitting my space a lot easier. I don't regret it, but don't feel strongly about it either.

Here is a shot of the drain valve.

 

[Rinspeed]

Man. I wish I would have seen that then. I just got that compressor for $529 from TSC marked down from $579

This will be my first compressor that doesn't run off standard 110 outlet. I need to have an outlet installed for it, is there any benefit or difference between an outlet or just hard wiring it to the box? I will be located very close to my electrical panel.

Next question I have is what is the size of the pipe that goes into (or more accurately leaves the) compressor? It looks like possibly 1/2" NPT????

In my opinion you're much better off hard wired to the breaker, why add two more possible failure points to the circuit. The outlet is 3/4", I got some 3/4" SS *******, Tees and a valve to build a manifold. For the money you picked up a nice compressor. Not sure if the pump quality is a little lower but here is the OEM from what I can gather.

ETA; There's not much room under the compressor so I would figure out what you want to do with the drain before lagging it down. I would have liked to install an auto drain but I'm not big on a bunch of rusty water going all over the floor and I didn't have a good way to get a line outside. I picked up the parts to add a manual valve to the drain.



https://www.princessauto.com/en/60-gallon-oil-lubricated-belt-drive-air-compressor/product/PA0008348955

 

[vanapplebomb]

The Dewalt looks pretty much identical to the Campbell Hausfield I bought at Lowe’s 15 years ago, apart from the paint color. Mine.

The Dewalt in this thread is made by Sanborn MFG. The ASME tag welded to the tank will most likely say Sanborn MFG, or MAT Industries. It is one of their entry level compressors with the cheaper motors, but even so, they seem to hold up well with few failures. If the motor is going to burn out, it usually does so within the first couple hours. If it doesn’t, they generally live a pretty long life. The pumps are good as are the Condor pressure switches.

 

[Rinspeed]

I am assuming you are talking about the same compressor. First, it has to be hardwired. There are a lot of threads in the electrical forum and I encourage you to scan them.

That's actually not true at all, there are multiple mobile devices, welders, etc. that use a plug and receptacle all the time. For a stationary device like a compressor it doesn't make much sense but if you already have a 240V outlet close there's no reason why you can't use the appropriate cord and a plug.

 

[The Cobbler]

the plug & receptacle have to be rated for the Horsepower of the motor, that's the difference . they get $$$ for larger size motors . so yes, while not all compressors have to be hardwired, larger HP one essentially do.The one being discussed in this thread would need a 5HP rated plug,https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393118

 

[Rinspeed]

the plug & receptacle have to be rated for the Horsepower of the motor, that's the difference .

Electricity is not a hobby, if you have no clue what you're doing you should get some help. "Horsepower" has nothing to do with the equation, on the other hand amperage does.

 

[Terry D]

Electricity is not a hobby, if you have no clue what you're doing you should get some help. "Horsepower" has nothing to do with the equation, on the other hand amperage does.

Actually it does, and what the cobbler is saying is absolutely correct. That compresser needs a disconnecting means. A plug and receptacle can be a disconnect, but it has to rated no less than the horse power of the compressor. When you get up to a 5 hp, the plugs are very expensive. It is best to hardwire them with a disconnect. The amperage on the name plate means nothing. You must size the circuit by the table in the NEC. There are multiple threads on this over in the electrical section

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Rinspeed]

Actually it does, and what the cobbler is saying is absolutely correct. That compresser needs a disconnecting means. A plug and receptacle can be a disconnect, but it has to rated no less than the horse power of the compressor.

He said nothing of the sort and my main problem with his post is the same as yours, you don't rate components by HP, you rate them by ampacity.

 

[vanapplebomb]

Correct, HP is NOT the way to size a breaker / outlet. HP is pretty meaningless because your current draw changes dramatically with voltage or whether it is single or three phase. You MUST select the breaker based on the current draw of the motor. The wire gauge and outlet are based off the breaker size. Example, A 480V 7.5hp motor has roughly half the current draw of a 230V 7.5hp motor. Those are two completely different breaker/wire requirements for the same power motor.

In this case that Dewalt’s motor is ~15 amps at 230V. Code in my area says you can use a 20A breaker, which require a minimum of 12 gauge wire.

 

[Rinspeed]

Correct, HP is NOT the way to size a breaker / outlet. HP is pretty meaningless because your current draw changes

HP is also meaningless because there is no way to actually measure it, it's simply a calculation of torque and RPM.

 

[Terry D]

He said nothing of the sort and my main problem with his post is the same as yours, you don't rate components by HP, you rate them by ampacity.

Im not going to argue with you. Its obvious you are not a electrician. You are wrong. This is for a motor, it is different. plug and receptacles have a HP rating. As far as sizing the circuit conductors and breaker, as i already said, its all in article 430 of the NEC. You do not use the nameplate rating. If the compressor came with a factory plug on it , it would be different. But true 5 Hp compressors do not. Why dont you venture over to the electrical section of this forum and read before you give bad advice.

 

[Terry D]

Correct, HP is NOT the way to size a breaker / outlet. HP is pretty meaningless because your current draw changes dramatically with voltage or whether it is single or three phase. You MUST select the breaker based on the current draw of the motor. The wire gauge and outlet are based off the breaker size. Example, A 480V 7.5hp motor has roughly half the current draw of a 230V 7.5hp motor. Those are two completely different breaker/wire requirements for the same power motor.

In this case that Dewalt’s motor is ~15 amps at 230V. Code in my area says you can use a 20A breaker, which require a minimum of 12 gauge wire.

You are also wrong. The wire size is based off the FLA table in the NEC. The breaker can be sized up to 250% of the FLA. So yes, in this kind of application, there is nothing wrong with having a 50 or 60 amp breaker on a # 10 gauge wire. This is not like wiring a range or dryer. When you get up to these size motors, you use the tables. There are different tables for different voltages. If your going to give electrical advice over the internet, make sure you know what you are talking about

 

[Rinspeed]

Im not going to argue with you. Its obvious you are not a electrician. You are wrong. The is for a motor, it is different. plug and receptacles have a HP rating.

I'm far from one that wants argue but I do believe I have stated my opinion with some facts. Have a good afternoon.

 

[Terry D]

I'm far from one that wants argue but I do believe I have stated my opinion with some facts. Have a good afternoon.

I you don't believe me, just google sizing a circuit for a 5hp motor. You also have a good afternoon

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Electricity is not a hobby, if you have no clue what you're doing you should get some help. "Horsepower" has nothing to do with the equation, on the other hand amperage does.

Doesn't NFPA 70-2020 430.109(7)(F) directly contradict your statement?

 

[The Cobbler]

By no means am I, or do I profess to be an electrical expert, but I do chime in on some threads that I think I know what I am talking about. Sometimes it has been pointed out that I am wrong, I put on my big boy pants & accept correction from the people far more knowledgeable than I am ( and there are many) .
There's enough posts & threads on this forum to qualify my statement(s) regarding motors and HP rated connectors to make me comfortable that my statement is correct .people have sited code numbers too, which I am sure qualify my statement

 

[csp]

Electricity is not a hobby, if you have no clue what you're doing you should get some help. "Horsepower" has nothing to do with the equation, on the other hand amperage does.

Horsepower absolutely dictates the equation with certain specific electrical devices.

You're right, electricity is not a hobby, but even as a hobbyist using my large air compressors for hobbies I am aware of that fact.

As the cobbler said, venture into posts in the electrical forum. You'll find electricians backing that ascertation to include mention of code specifics.

 

[vanapplebomb]

My understanding of code is that the combination of HP and voltage is only used in fire code for the short circuit protection. The overload protection and branch circuit wire gauge is still based off the amperage and service factor of the motor, not HP. I could be wrong, but that is how I have always read it, and also how 99% of installations I have seen are done.

 

[X1 Mike]

I am assuming you are talking about the same compressor. First, it has to be hardwired. There are a lot of threads in the electrical forum and I encourage you to scan them. Even if you hire an electrician, it nice to be informed. There has to be a service disconnect. The breaker can serve as one, if within 50' and direct line of sight. Again, go to the electrical forum for details.
I was able to use my breaker. I will add the disconnect someday. The breaker is a pain to mess with. Right now I am just using it to figure out how I want to do it.





The port is 3/4" I would suggest you scan down the question and answers on the TSC webpage for this product. Two things that you have to do in this class of air compressors that you don't have to worry about in smaller ones. #1 is a regulator. #2 wiring.

Here is a picture of my setup. The things I did that I liked.
#1 is the shut off valve. I am surprised how long the tank will hold air when you don't have a bunch of fittings leaking around. Plus if you need a quick shot of air to blow off something, there usually is enough without starting the compressor.
#2 A simple drain valve. I started looking at automatics styles. I am guessing you read through the thread, but I went with this model. https://www.grainger.com/product/CONTROL-DEVICES-Drain-Valve-6D913 You can see the lanyard in the picture. When you are next to the compressor for any reason, just give a couple of quick pulls and that is it Put something under it if you are worried about staining. Because of #1 there is always air for this.
#3, there is some debate about bolting down. There is a lot of guys who just leave it on the shipping pallet without any issues. For me, I bought the hard rubber pads and bolted them down. It made fitting my space a lot easier. I don't regret it, but don't feel strongly about it either.

Here is a shot of the drain valve.

In my opinion you're much better off hard wired to the breaker, why add two more possible failure points to the circuit. The outlet is 3/4", I got some 3/4" SS *******, Tees and a valve to build a manifold. For the money you picked up a nice compressor. Not sure if the pump quality is a little lower but here is the OEM from what I can gather.

ETA; There's not much room under the compressor so I would figure out what you want to do with the drain before lagging it down. I would have liked to install an auto drain but I'm not big on a bunch of rusty water going all over the floor and I didn't have a good way to get a line outside. I picked up the parts to add a manual valve to the drain.



https://www.princessauto.com/en/60-gallon-oil-lubricated-belt-drive-air-compressor/product/PA0008348955

Thanks for the info, a little late back to my question. Sorry about that.

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with the plumbing yet so I'm thinking a ****** then t with a down leg capped and the other side having a regulator etc and out to the line.

The trouble is the more I think of it I may be better off with an outlet instead of hard wired. I've been thinking about it all day and I know I've passed up purchasing things like welders because I didn't have the proper electricity in my garage. If I run a 240 outlet I will always have the ability to just unplug the compressor and plug another device in.

Opinions? Criticism?

 

[Rinspeed]

Doesn't NFPA 70-2020 430.109(7)(F) directly contradict your statement?

You mean this part, which is a little confusing to me.

It is important to understand that circuits that supply motors not rated in HP must still be sized according to the input of the motor, rated in amperes. Sizing circuits based solely on Kilowatt output results in seriously undersized conductors and the improper application of overcurrent devices. See 430.6 for ampacity and motor rating determination.

 

[penright]

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with the plumbing yet so I'm thinking a ****** then t with a down leg capped and the other side having a regulator etc and out to the line.

I may not have said it right, but "the plumbing" is where you can spend a lot of money and be something you never use. I was given some good advice and it worked for me. I had a reel and a 100-foot hose. My portable compressor would just loop up to it. Then when I went stationary, all I did was run a 1/2" hose to where my reel was. I added had to add a regulator. I went ahead and bought a 3/3" inlet/outlet. Then used a short 3/4" whip from the regulator to the reel. Then used reducers for the 1/2" hose. You want to make sure everything you use is at least 150 psi rated. It was suggested to me to use it for some time and then make adjustments. It has been a year and it works great. I can pull the house anywhere I need it, even out into the drive. The with the reel wind it back up.

It might be kind of hard to see, but the hose runs from the compressor to the regulator just inside the girt.

The trouble is the more I think of it I may be better off with an outlet instead of hard wired. I've been thinking about it all day and I know I've passed up purchasing things like welders because I didn't have the proper electricity in my garage. If I run a 240 outlet I will always have the ability to just unplug the compressor and plug another device in.

Opinions? Criticism?

I did not mean to start a firestorm. As I mention in my response to you, go search the " Lighting & Electrica"l forum. I am sure there are several people who can correctly answer electrical questions. I have been here for 4 years, I would trust for sure "Terry D" "wyliesdiesels". That list is not all-inclusive, don't yell at me if I did not put your name there.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452611&highlight=hardwire+motor

It was my understanding that you have to have the appropriate plug rated for the motor or hardwire. I would ask in the "Lighting & Electrical" forum if you "breaker" it correctly and run the ground, can plug be on the same line if you hard wire it. Definitely go look there.

 

[wk2023]

The Dewalt in this thread is made by Sanborn MFG. The ASME tag welded to the tank will most likely say Sanborn MFG, or MAT Industries. It is one of their entry level compressors with the cheaper motors, but even so, they seem to hold up well with few failures. If the motor is going to burn out, it usually does so within the first couple hours. If it doesn’t, they generally live a pretty long life. The pumps are good as are the Condor pressure switches.