ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy, why
not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.

lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black.

Absolutely not.
....

B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
....
No, again....NEC says grounds _MUST_ be green/bare. Besides, what's the
point, there's already a ground.

For a 220V-only load, you only need 2 hots and ground. If you want to
use this cord, cut the unused white supposed-to-be-neutral flush to the
trimmed outer insulation at both ends and fuggidabowtit was ever extant.

--

In article , lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. what do i
do with my white wire?

Don't use it. It isn't needed for a 240V circuit.

my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black.
Wrong.
(sounds sketchy, why not just not use it)?
Indeed.
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Also wrong.
Any help would be great.

Don't connect it to anything at either end. Put a wire nut on each end so that
there's no possibility that the conductor might come in contact with anything
live.

"lujak" wrote in message
...
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy, why
not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.

As others have stated, neither A nor B is correct, there is no neutral connection. The *best*
solution would be to use _3-wire_ cable (2 hots plus ground).

thank you all. the simplest solution is usually the correct one!

lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy, why
not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.


I would connect it (the white wire) to the neutral bus at the breaker
panel, and put a wirenut/tape on the wire at the switch end, in case you
want to use the neutral later (for a dryer, etc.)

Bob

On Jun 25, 1:59�pm, lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. �what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy, why
not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.

I always thought the white wire was the neutral and should be
connected to the neutral buss. The ground wire (green or bare) can go
to any metal on the object that is being wired or to a ground rod or
the neutral buss too.

Am I wrong here? If so, how?

Hank

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
On Jun 25, 1:59?pm, lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. ?what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy,
why not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.

I always thought the white wire was the neutral and should be
connected to the neutral buss. The ground wire (green or bare) can go
to any metal on the object that is being wired or to a ground rod or
the neutral buss too.

Am I wrong here? If so, how?

Hank

Hank you're correct - except the "ground to ANY metal."

I guess a better definition would be:

Load bearing neutral - [such as might be used for 110v] as opposed to a
safety ground - [used for safety in both 220v or 110v applications]

So, two hot(s) L1 / L2 for 220v and one green [safety]. The white neutral
is load bearing if you want to split the 220v to 110v - L1 to N or L2 to
N...... if you're not intending on using 110v then cap the white lead off
[as suggested.]

All metal raceways within the buss should be grounded / bonded.

Is that helpful?

--
Zyp

In article , "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:


I always thought the white wire was the neutral and should be
connected to the neutral buss. The ground wire (green or bare) can go
to any metal on the object that is being wired or to a ground rod or
the neutral buss too.

Am I wrong here? If so, how?

Yes, you are.

1) White wire is neutral and *must* (not "should") be connected to the neutral
buss _in a 120V circuit_. The OP is talking about a 240V circuit. In North
America, 240V circuits have two hots but do not have a neutral. When a 240V
circuit is wired with 2-conductor cable (plus ground) the white wire is marked
black or red at each end and connected to one pole of a double-pole breaker,
while the black wire is connected to the other pole. When a 240V circuit is
wired using 3-conductor cable (plus ground), the white wire is not connected.

2) The ground wire must be connected to the chassis or case of the object
being wired, not "any metal".

3) In a main panel, the ground wire is permitted to be connected to the
neutral buss, since the neutral and ground busses are required to be bonded
together. In a subpanel, the neutral and ground busses are required to be
electrically isolated, and the ground wire *must* be connected to the ground
buss, never to the neutral buss.

On Jun 25, 12:59*pm, lujak wrote:
ok.
I have power to a switched box that i will wire to my compressor. i
have 4-strand 6 gauge cord.
problem is compressor has 2 hot and a ground, no neutral. *what do i
do with my white wire?
my googling came up with:
A. attach it to the breaker along with the black. (sounds sketchy, why
not just not use it)?
B. ground it at the compressor. Sounds better but ?
Any help would be great.

It is called a Condensing Unit (or, A/C unit) ; it is not 'a
Compressor' . The Compressor is inside the Unit and it pumps the
freon in a gaseous state. You are wanting to wire the Condensing Unit/
A-C Unit. When you are discussing wiring, it is imperative to use
the correct labeling of what you are wanting to wire. Thank you.

Dave: WTF

It is called a Condensing Unit (or, A/C unit) ; it is not 'a
Compressor' ... it is imperative to use
the correct labeling of what you are wanting to wire. *Thank you.

It is actually an Ingersoll Rand 7.5-HP 80-Gallon Two-Stage Air
Compressor (230V 1-Phase).
But, I agree, best to be clear.

And one more time, thanks to all.

Having written that, the OP will probably post again. And,
it will be a shop compressor with a 50 gal upright tank, for
running air tools.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


" wrote in message
...

It is called a Condensing Unit (or, A/C unit) ; it is not 'a
Compressor' . The Compressor is inside the Unit and it
pumps the
freon in a gaseous state. You are wanting to wire the
Condensing Unit/
A-C Unit. When you are discussing wiring, it is imperative
to use
the correct labeling of what you are wanting to wire. Thank
you.

Sounds like the one writer had it correct. Wirenut the one
end of the white, tie the other end to the neutral. Hook up
the black, red, ground.

Please remember to check the oil level in the crank case.
Many compressors use ND-30, which is available at Napa.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"lujak" wrote in message
...
And one more time, thanks to all.