On Sat, 10 Jun 2017 15:30:01 -0700 (PDT), Michael wrote:
I need to replace the three prong plug on my air compressor. Before I head to Ace, can anyone tell me what size/rating plug I need? Here is a picture of the compressor.
https://ibb.co/h4LrTF
Much appreciated!
Mike
Electricity explained
I think its time for me to explain about 240 current and why it is so different from 120 volt service. First
of all, it's twice as big. Secondly, it'll shock you more. Outside of that, 240 is really two 120 volt
lines coming to your house from different parts of the globe. The up and down 120 comes from the northern
hemisphere, and the down and up version comes from below the equator.
Without trying to get technical, it all boils down to the direction water flows when it goes down the drain.
In the top of the earth, it goes clockwise, while on the bottom of the earth it goes counter clockwise.
Since most electricity is made from hydro dams, the clockwise flow gives you an up and down sine wave, while
the counterclockwise version gives you a down and up sine wave. Between the two, you have 240 volts, while
either individual side only gives you 120 volts.
This is particularly important to know when buying power tools -- which side of the globe did they come
from? If you get an Australian saw, for instance, it will turn backwards if connected to a US generated 120
volt source. Sure, you can buy backwards blades for it, but that is an unnecessary burden. Other
appliances, like toasters cannot be converted from Australian electricity to American electricity. I knew
one person who bought an Australian toaster by mistake and it froze the slices of bread she put in it.
If you wire your shop with 240 and accidentally get two US-generated 120 volt lines run in by accident, you
can get 240 by using a trick I learned from an old electrician. Just put each source into its own fuse box
and then turn one of the boxes upside down. That'll invert one of the two up and down sine waves to down
and up, giving you 240. DO NOT just turn the box sideways, since that'll give you 165 volts and you'll be
limited to just using Canadian tools with it.