Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop
about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
On 25 Apr 2006 21:55:59 -0700, "thetiler" wrote:
My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) You are correct. #10 wire is far too small. I'd use at least a #50 wire. Just multiply the wire number by 10 and you get the proper voltage. #10 wire is for 100 volts #50 wire is for 500 volts. Use the #50 for maximum power. Retired Electrician |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
|
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
Joseph Meehan wrote: wrote: .. You are correct. #10 wire is far too small. I'd use at least a #50 wire. Just multiply the wire number by 10 and you get the proper voltage. #10 wire is for 100 volts #50 wire is for 500 volts. ????? I hope this is a joke. The wire gauge is determined by the amps, not the voltage. And 50 gauge wire? LOL In fact, at 240V, this circuit will be drawing half the current as a compressor on 120V, which helps, but certainly 10 gauge is too small to be supplying a shop with compressor at 150 ft. One wonders what people are thinking when they do this. I mean compared to all the labor, the cost of right sizing, or even oversizing the cable is mice nuts. Use the #50 for maximum power. Retired Electrician -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
I used this method to power my flux capacitor. You can double the
wires and multiply the voltage. I used 3 # 50 wires to get 125,000,000 volts (500^3) |
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
Source:
newsfeed.news.ucla.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!ucber keley!pln-w!spln!lex!extra.newsguy.com!newsp.newsguy.com!ene ws1: Obviously from a train engine-ear. Typical of today's crops. wrote in message ... On 25 Apr 2006 21:55:59 -0700, "thetiler" wrote: My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) You are correct. #10 wire is far too small. I'd use at least a #50 wire. Just multiply the wire number by 10 and you get the proper voltage. #10 wire is for 100 volts #50 wire is for 500 volts. Use the #50 for maximum power. Retired Electrician |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
#50 ?
Be careful about what you hear here...... #10 is good for 30 amps - has nothing to do with volts...... There is no such thing as #50 wire for AC distribution - it would be less than hair thin! Perhaps you need an electrician - not a retired one! On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 04:19:46 -0500, wrote: On 25 Apr 2006 21:55:59 -0700, "thetiler" wrote: My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) You are correct. #10 wire is far too small. I'd use at least a #50 wire. Just multiply the wire number by 10 and you get the proper voltage. #10 wire is for 100 volts #50 wire is for 500 volts. Use the #50 for maximum power. Retired Electrician |
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
thetiler wrote:
My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. Don't assume. It may be 10-2 and he may be counting the ground. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. What does the manufacturer recommend? What are the amp specs for the compressor? Not all 3 HP's are created equal and they don't all draw the same current. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#10
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
wonder what breaker hes useing with that 10 wire... i think 30amp is
the biggest breaker reccomended. i think according to chart he should have used 4 number 8 wires to his garage to wire up a new breaker pannel ,,and have a 50 amp breaker on it at the house where it connects........ i think that guy reccomending 50 wire is jokeing.. have wired up several garages with 4 #8 wires and have worked well.lucas http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm |
#11
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
|
#12
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
His compressor at 240 volts will draw in the neighborhood of 15 amps. Any
lights he has on the circuit will surely dim when the compressor starts, but should otherwise work fine. "thetiler" wrote in message oups.com... My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) |
#13
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
the killer is the long cable run, the wire will heat rather than power
the motor, buried wires heat more since they cant dissapate heat as well as those exposed. given all this it will probably work but snt a good idea. i have number 10 gauge wire on a 5hp 30 gallon compressor but the wire is only a few feet long.... never gets warm |
#14
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
"thetiler" wrote in message oups.com... My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. I've never seen replies like what you got. Is it an obvious troll that I am not catching? Anyhow, he can run 30a at 240v. (or 24a if you consider a compressor a continuous load, which it might be...) But that should be plenty for a 3hp motor, which is typically 18a or so. Even if you throw in 6a (1400w!) for lights, he is still okay. Obviously you will want to verify it is 10/3, because you can't run 120v lights and a 240v compressor on 10/2. But why not check the rating on the compressor to see what it requires? |
#15
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
I will check when I go over there to see whether it is 10-2
or 10-3. A similar compressor at TSC draws 15 amps. As someone else mentioned...I worry about the long distance out to the building. If the wire is 10-3, could another length of 10-3 be run (will have to re dig the ditch but it would be fresh dirt) and the two 10-3 wires be joined together in parallel? thetiler |
#16
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
10ga is good for 9.5hp. He could run TWO of these compressors and still
have enough for 2.5kW of lighting! |
#17
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
You know, what is code and what will work are way apart two different
things. When my dad built our detached (200' away) garage in 1962, I'm sure he was only thinking lights. As the years went on, we not only had 8 - 40 watt fluorescent bulbs, but also an old 5 hp air compressor, a 200A Hobart MIG welder, grinders, drop lights, AND an overhead natural gas fired forced air heater. All the while the garage was wired with 10/3 AND buried. I remember when we bought the welder, he was skeptical the 10ga would carry it. But to our surprise, the lights didn't even flicker when using the welder. So we just left well enough alone. The 10/3 was fed off the main household panel with a 30A breaker as it should have been and I don't EVER remember it breaking and needing to be reset. -- Steve Barker "thetiler" wrote in message oups.com... My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) |
#18
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Is 10 gauge wire enough to run compressor?
thetiler wrote:
My friend ran 10-3 wire from his power box to his new workshop about 150 away, he says with 10 guage wire. He says it has three wires so I assume this is what they call 10-3. He wants to buy a 60 gallon, 3 hp compressor, one of those $400 one's at tractor supply that are 240 volt and push about 10.3cfm @90psi. I'm worried that his wire is not heavy enough. I have (3) 4 guage wires running to my workshop which will run 75 amps, more than I'll ever need. He ran his wire before telling me, so it's already buried and done. His wire looks awful small. I know when I run my portable compressors to take out tile in people's homes, they will kick off 15 amp breakers all the time. I need to find a strong plug like where the washer is plugged in. I know his larger compressor will demand a lot more juice to kick over and run. Will his 10 guage wire support the proposed compressor, or will he ruin the motor on it as I suspect? BTW, he is also running many shop lights in the shop, which will add to the draw some. Thanks for your help, thetiler (not theelectrician) Just for the sake of saying so, when they built my house, they underside the feed to the garage...why on gods earth people would wire the whole house with the same gauge, EXCEPT for the feed to the garage is beyond me. And yes, it barely powers the compressor sometimes, even with a burst-friendly breaker. Since I don't use it more than once a month, it has not yet been worth the effort of restring that line. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Technique: wire preparation for a terminal block | Electronics Repair | |||
240 volt air compressor wiring advice from Campbell Housfeld skewed??? | Home Repair | |||
Bond all grounds together? | Home Repair | |||
automotive wire size calculator | Electronics | |||
Fixing Blown Fuse the Hard Way | Home Repair |