"Elmo" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:45:35 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I wouldn't want to plug a two phase compressor into a single phase
socket.

I read everything stated in all the helpful posts, and I only have two
things that I'm not sure of at this point, neither of which were questions
initially.

1. The 30-year old Craftsman compressor (model 919.176940, nameplate says
240 volts, 15 amps) certainly uses two hot wires ... but since it's using
the third (green on the compressor, white on the adapter) wire as a
ground,
I guess it's really not TWO phase but really one phase.

Is it in actuality just a one phase two hundred volt motor?

It is a single phase 240 volt motor

2. Since the garage dryer receptacle is just on the other side of the main
panel, I assume it's connected to the main panel; but I need to check.
What
I'll do, before plugging in the compressor, is stick a DMM into it and
then
hit the breakers.

Is there any other way to tell that you're NOT on a sub panel?

For your purposes, it doesn't matter if it's connected to a sub panel