short on main panel room, need ideas

[Hotrod Addiction]

Hey everyone. I bought a 60 gal. air compressor last weekend and I need to wire in a 240V outlet to run it off of. The actual install should be pretty straight forward but I found out when I got home and was looking at my panel I only have one empty space for a breaker. I know the 240V breaker takes up two spots so I asked one of the electricians where I work what I could do. He told me about a breaker he called a "twin" but didn't know it by any other name, that takes up two spots but has FOUR terminals, two singles and a double for 240V. Does anyone know where I can find one of these or what it's actually called? I did a cursory google search and didn't find anything. Alternatively does anyone have a better idea what I can do? I have to keep it cheap and I rent my house so I have to do this with as little modification as possible. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[pattenp]

It's called a tandem breaker. You need to look at the spec label in your panel to see if it will take tandems. The panel should list as an example 30 spaces and 40 circuits which indicates it takes tandem breakers.

Edit: Replace two of your singles with one tandem to make space for the new double pole.



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[jerryd68]

The twin breaker he is most likely refering to is a double breaker, it will take the spot of one of the single breakers in your panel but it has to terminals, and is two breakers. So you would remove one or two the breakers and replace them with the double denisty breaker therefore freeing up a spot to be able to insert a 2 pole breaker for 220. Any of your local electrical suppliers should have them.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

They do make double tandems, meaning there are two double pole breakers or one double pole and two single poles all riveted together with the appropriate handle ties, that fit in the space of two standard breakers (or one standard double pole breaker.)

Brand of panel and whether the panel will accept them is important. Generally the bottom five or so stabs in a panel will accept the tandems, some panels now will accept them the full height of the panel.

Charles

Stabs notched out in the middle like this on Siemens and SquareD HOMELINE panels and a few others such as Murray (made by Siemens) will accept tandems.

Panels without the notch in the middle of the stab are not made to accept tandems.

 

[Hotrod Addiction]

Thanks guys. I'm gonna go take a closer look at the panel ( a Siemens) and I'll have to hit the hardware store. I love coming up with excuses to go to the hardware store.

 

[Jagmandave]

I had a similar problem in my panel recently (needing an extra 240 breaker) and found I had an unused one - the one for the kitchen range. We have a gas range now.....

See if you have an unused one for the dryer or range and appropriate it, then when you're ready to move, remove your wiring and rehook the original back up.

 

[Hotrod Addiction]

No unused ones. But another idea I had was just running a long cord through the wall to the other side where my drier is and when I use the compressor just plug it into that. It's a 30 amp 125/250v outlet. Would 240 work on that?

 

[pattenp]

Yes. You just don't use the neutral. Just make sure to use a heavy enough cord. You will probably need a 10-3 cord.

No unused ones. But another idea I had was just running a long cord through the wall to the other side where my drier is and when I use the compressor just plug it into that. It's a 30 amp 125/250v outlet. Would 240 work on that?

 

[Aceman]

Just an FYI, a 2 pole "twin"(used for two 240v loads) is called a quad. Carry on....

 

[Hotrod Addiction]

Well I go it all wired up. Went to Lowes and bougth 15ft of 10-2 cord and a 3 prong 125/250 plug and wired that to my compressor, ran that through the wall, plugged it in and it works great. Way easier then putting in a whole new circuit and outlet. Thanks everyone for the help. I'll take some pictures tonight and put em up.

 

[pattenp]

I hope you actually got 10/3 cord because 10/2 will not have a ground. The numbering on cord includes the ground conductor whereas NM cable does not. So 10/3 cord and 10/2 NM have the same number of wires, three.

Well I go it all wired up. Went to Lowes and bougth 15ft of 10-2 cord and a 3 prong 125/250 plug and wired that to my compressor, ran that through the wall, plugged it in and it works great. Way easier then putting in a whole new circuit and outlet. Thanks everyone for the help. I'll take some pictures tonight and put em up.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

O ****. That would **** if he only got 10-2 cord!

 

[matt151617]

I'm sure he meant 10/2 Romex. The orange stuff.