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Default Advice for converting Sears Craftsman 220V compressor plug to washing machine plug

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:36:55 -0700 (PDT), Evan
wrote:

On Jul 25, 2:06Â*am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?



Ummm yeah... Why would you want to plug a 20 amp 240 volt appliance
which uses a NEMA 6-20 cord configuration into a 30 amp outlet made
for
a NEMA 10-30 cord configuration by means of using a cord adapter which
you have created yourself...

There is a reason why the outlets for vastly different amperage
ratings do
not fit into each other... SAFETY...

Why not have a correct 20 amp 240 volt NEMA 6-20 outlet installed in
your
home so you can use your compressor safely on a circuit which is not
capable of supplying more power than your appliance is rated for which
could damage it or cause an accident of some kind...

~~ Evan

Evan - sorry but your ignorance is showing. Virtually every item you
plug into a 15 or 20 amp 115 volt receptacle in your home is rated
MUCH below the 15 or 20 amps the receptacle is rated at, and the
breaker is designed for. It is NOT a safety issue. Your computer draws
something like 2 amps, the monitor 1/2 amp, a 100 watt light bult less
than an amp, your fancy little transistor table radio about 250
milliamps.

The "right" way to do it would be a "fused adapter" with a 30 amp plug
that fits the dryier receptacle, and a 20 amp receptacle to fit the
compressor plug, with a 20 amp fuse or breaker between the two. This
would protect the wiring to the compressor motor - which, in all
likelihood, already has a thermal shutdown protection device built
into it - making the fused adapter redundant anyways.
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Default Advice for converting Sears Craftsman 220V compressor plug to washing machine plug

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:41:59 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc
wrote:

On Jul 25, 2:06Â*am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


Yes, the L shaped prong is the nuetral on a 3 wire dryer. The other
two are the hots. Your compressor more likely needs 2 hots and a
ground. While what you are doing is not exactly by the book it will
run your compressor. The safety issue is that you will be using your
nuetral line for a ground and using a 30 amp circuit where a 20 amp
one is called for. What you really need to do is install a dedicated
220 outlet in the location of your compressor. Have you looked at the
compressor to see if it can be run on 110? Many motors have alternate
wiring that allows them to run on 220 or 110.

If it is a 20 amp 220 plug on the compressor, it would need 40 amps
at 110, which is very non-standard. Assuming the 20 amp plug is
already over-sized a bit, he might get away with a 30 amp 110 volt
circuit - which again is definitely "non-standard" in today's
residentiial wiring scheme.
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Default Advice for converting Sears Craftsman 220V compressor plug to washing machine plug

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:44:54 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:41:59 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc wrote:
What you really need to do is install a dedicated 220 outlet


I agree that's the by-the-book method. However, the cost of having an
electrician replace the 30-amp NEMA 10-30R with a 20-amp NEMA 6-20R is more
than the cost of a compressor that runs off of 110.

Have you looked at the compressor to see if it can be run on 110?

I didn't realize the 30-year old Sears Craftsman compressor COULD run on
110. How would I know? (I'll try to dig up a model number and google it
after this reply.)

The safety issue is that you will be using your nuetral line
for a ground and using a 30 amp circuit where a 20 amp
one is called for.


But wouldn't the neutral line ALREADY be used as a ground in the NEMA
10-30R dryer circuit were I to plug in a dryer to that circuit?

Isn't the compressor the same as the dryer from an electrical standpoint
with respect to the ground/neutral wire?

Actually, the dryer may have an issue with today's code as it is
using the "ground" as a neutral for the 110 volt lamp, motor, and
timer circuits. Today's code (at least here in Ontario Canada)
requires a FOUR wire plug for dryers and other 220 volt devices that
use 110 volts as well.

The compressor is a straight 220 device - not requiring a neutral
(which is being "faked" on the ground on a 3 wire plug)
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Default Advice for converting Sears Craftsman 220V compressor plug to washing machine plug

FatterDumber& Happier Moe" "WheresMyCheck wrote:

Working air compressors are just real handy to have
around, I use mine for lots of things, great for blowing out a dusty old
computer,
adjusting the pressure in the car tires, gobs of uses.


I've had a compressor for over a decade, but I've only had air tools (impact
and ratchet, also nail and brad guns) for a couple of years. Makes working
on the car _so_ much easier, I can't believe it took me so long to get them!

Jon


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Default Advice for converting Sears Craftsman 220V compressor plug to washing machine plug

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:14:25 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


"Elmo" wrote in message
...
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


Your setup will work as you describe. The Nec prohibits using a 20 amp
receptacle on a 30 amp circuit.
Provided that the motor has built in overcurrent protection, I would install
a 30 amp dryer cord set directly on the compressor

Zip tie the 20 amp "receptacle" to the compressor cord and it is no
longer a receptacle but part of the compressor, and that portion of
the code is no longer applicable.


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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:27:42 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 03:51:43 -0400, mm wrote:
Also get a meter that goes up to 250 VAC and measure the voltage at
all three slots of the receptacle, relative to ground.


I did use the Fluke DMM to measure the connections; I was just double
checking which was the ground/neutral because I didn't wire the house in
the first place.

The ground in the two-phase 220v compressor NEMA 6-20P plug should be the
center pin and the ground/neutral in the NEMA10-30R dryer receptacle should
be the L-shaped center prong.

The two questions I would like to ask here a
a) How do I know if the NEMA10-30R is on a sub panel (it's inches from the
main panel on the other side of the wall outside the garage)?
b) Are my tests correct that the ground on the 20-amp NEMA 6-20P plug is
"equivalent" to the ground/neutral on the 30-amp NEMA10-30R receptacle?

You are right and safe. Use it.
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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


The only thing I can say is what has already been said. If you have
to ask these questions you should not be doing this job. This is
something left for the professionals.

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...
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"Gordon Shumway" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


The only thing I can say is what has already been said. If you have
to ask these questions you should not be doing this job. This is
something left for the professionals.

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...


The compressor won't work, and they'll run out of air?


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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:30:42 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

On 7/25/2010 1:06 AM, Elmo wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


I'm suspecting that out of all these replies, NONE are correct. What i
suspect is that you have a 20a plug on a 120V compressor and you just
don't have any 20a 120v outlets in your house. Better look a little
closer at everything before you feed that unit 240v.

HOLD ON - I think Steve caught something I missed - you did say ONE
blare is crosswise, not 2 - right? That COULD BE a NEMA 5-20 plug. oR
IT COULD BE A 6-20.
BOTH crosswise would be a 6-15.

WHEN YOU HOLD THE PLUG WITH THE PINS FACING YOU AND THE "U" GROUND
DOWN, WHICH SIDE HAS THE "ROTATED" BLADE??
Rotated blade on the right os a 5-20 - 115 volt 20 amp. (nominal)
Rotated blade on the left is a 6-20 - 230 volt 20 amp (nominal).

If it is a Nema 6-20, go ahead you are OK (and I think you DID say it
was a 6-20R that you were using - which would not let a 5-20P fit)
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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:32:33 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:04:05 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:
Really? Two phase? How old is this gadget, anyway?


You know, I bought it that damn Sears Craftsman compressor on a whim in a
sale in the 80's. It was (on sale), about 350 or 400 bucks.

Then, when I brought the huge thing home, I realized I didn't have an
outlet for it, so I just let it sit for a year or so. Then I moved, and
didn't have an outlet for it, so I let it sit for a few years. Finally I
moved to a place that had the outlet, and I used it every six months or so
to blow up the kids toys. I moved again, and guess what, no outlet.

Funny thing is that I've seen Sears compressors on sale over and over and
over and over again for, guess what, just about 350 or 400 bucks. They
never changed prices in decades. Amazing.

In hind sight, I never should have bought it as I barely used it due to the
cord and the lack of needs.

However, I still have it. And I actually want to blow up a kids toy and
then figured I'd plug the NEMA 6-20P into an adaptor consisting of a NEMA
6-20R and a NEMA10-30P and then connect to the NEMA10-30R fused by a 30-amp
circuit for my 20-amp compressor.

I was just asking advice, specifically:
a) How do I know that I'm NOT on a sub panel?
b) Did I pick the correct ground/neutral?

Is there anything else I didn't think of (before I plug it in)?

Doesn't really matter if you are on a sub-panel or not as you are not
using the "neutral" - it is simply a "safety ground" - and YES, you
did pick the right neutral (actually, ground)


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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:39:13 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


"Steve Barker" wrote in message
m...
On 7/25/2010 1:06 AM, Elmo wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to
the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer
cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


I'm suspecting that out of all these replies, NONE are correct. What i
suspect is that you have a 20a plug on a 120V compressor and you just
don't have any 20a 120v outlets in your house. Better look a little
closer at everything before you feed that unit 240v.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email


Very good point. Most of these small compressors run 120 or 240 volts, and
do require a 20 amp plug @120 volt. It is entirely probable that the OP is
looking at a 20 amp 120 volt plug and not a 20 amp 240 volt plug, which are
very similar looking

If his copressor plug fits the 6-30R he bought, I strongly suspect
your suspicion is wrong.
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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:41:50 -0400, "RBM" wrote:

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...


The compressor won't work, and they'll run out of air?


That's one possibility I hadn't thought of. Another possibility is
the compressor will suck. That's the logical possibility. After all,
it is a Craftsman compressor...
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jamesgangnc wrote:
....

... If it doesn't have a ground you could use the neutral
as long as you mark it as ground.


no, No, NO, _NO_!!!

One more time...the third wire in a 3-wire dryer circuit _IS_THE_GROUND_
wire allowed by previous NEC to double as the 120V neutral. It is not,
repeat _NOT_ connected to the neutral bus.

--
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wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:39:13 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


"Steve Barker" wrote in message
om...
On 7/25/2010 1:06 AM, Elmo wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all
in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts
(two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to
the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer
cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the
shared
neutral?

I'm suspecting that out of all these replies, NONE are correct. What i
suspect is that you have a 20a plug on a 120V compressor and you just
don't have any 20a 120v outlets in your house. Better look a little
closer at everything before you feed that unit 240v.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email


Very good point. Most of these small compressors run 120 or 240 volts, and
do require a 20 amp plug @120 volt. It is entirely probable that the OP is
looking at a 20 amp 120 volt plug and not a 20 amp 240 volt plug, which
are
very similar looking

If his copressor plug fits the 6-30R he bought, I strongly suspect
your suspicion is wrong.



When you're dealing with amateurs, there are many ifs. With the similarities
between nema 20 amp 120 and 240 devices, it's difficult to determine what he
bought, or thought he bought, however as the string progressed, it became
clear that he does indeed have a 240 volt machine. Had you followed the
progression, you may have noticed this as well.


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"Gordon Shumway" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:41:50 -0400, "RBM" wrote:

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...


The compressor won't work, and they'll run out of air?


That's one possibility I hadn't thought of. Another possibility is
the compressor will suck. That's the logical possibility. After all,
it is a Craftsman compressor...


Yea, but it's on old Craftsman, from when the sucked less




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"dpb" wrote in message
...
jamesgangnc wrote:
...

... If it doesn't have a ground you could use the neutral
as long as you mark it as ground.


no, No, NO, _NO_!!!

One more time...the third wire in a 3-wire dryer circuit _IS_THE_GROUND_
wire allowed by previous NEC to double as the 120V neutral. It is not,
repeat _NOT_ connected to the neutral bus.




It has to original at the service panel, where the neutral/ground conductor
of the dryer cable connects to the neutral/ground buss of the panel. It
cannot originate in a sub panel where you have separate neutral and ground
busses
--



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"RBM" wrote in message
...

"dpb" wrote in message
...
jamesgangnc wrote:
...

... If it doesn't have a ground you could use the neutral
as long as you mark it as ground.


no, No, NO, _NO_!!!

One more time...the third wire in a 3-wire dryer circuit _IS_THE_GROUND_
wire allowed by previous NEC to double as the 120V neutral. It is not,
repeat _NOT_ connected to the neutral bus.




It has to original at the service panel, where the neutral/ground
conductor of the dryer cable connects to the neutral/ground buss of the
panel. It cannot originate in a sub panel where you have separate neutral
and ground busses
--


My mistake, it has to originate in the service panel if type SE cable is
used. If a cable with an insulated neutral is used, it can originate in a
sub panel, in which case the neutral/ground conductor would go to the
neutral buss




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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:29:18 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


The only thing I can say is what has already been said. If you have
to ask these questions you should not be doing this job. This is
something left for the professionals.

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...

"the sky is falling, The SKY is FALLING" - Chicken Little.
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"RBM" wrote in message
...

"Gordon Shumway" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to
the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer
cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


The only thing I can say is what has already been said. If you have
to ask these questions you should not be doing this job. This is
something left for the professionals.

Consider what could happen to your family if you assume wrong...


The compressor won't work, and they'll run out of air?


You'll shoot yer eye out, kid?

Three wires is pretty hard to screw up. The only thing is that the
dryer/range plug will have too big a breaker, and if the compressor
overheats, it won't pop off in time to save it.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com


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I wouldn't want to plug a two phase compressor into a single phase
socket.

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


"Elmo" wrote in
message ...
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all
in.

Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220
volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).

2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.

3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts
(two
hots and a neutral).

4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220
volt
plug with the one blade sideways.

Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to
the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?

I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire
(looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer
cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the
shared
neutral?




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Elmo says the name plate says 15 amps. That tickles!

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"RBM" wrote in message
...

If that's the case, why don't you just replace the breaker and
receptacle
with a 20 amp



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That's good advice if you move every couple years. But, if you're in
the same place for year, the larger compressor is good.

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"Elmo" wrote in
message ...

I've had the compressor for 30 years and barely used it because of
this
damn plug. If I can give any advice to a young 30 year old kid buying
his
first compressor, it would be to get a 110V smaller one!



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That's likely why the repair garages use them.

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"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...

I've had a compressor for over a decade, but I've only had air tools
(impact
and ratchet, also nail and brad guns) for a couple of years. Makes
working
on the car _so_ much easier, I can't believe it took me so long to get
them!

Jon



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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?

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?
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"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


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On Jul 25, 1:12*pm, wrote:
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:36:55 -0700 (PDT), Evan



wrote:
On Jul 25, 2:06*am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.


Details:
1. I have a two-phase 220V Sears Craftsman compressor which uses a 220 volt
plug with one blade sideways (otherwise it looks like a normal 120V
grounded plug).


2. I have no sockets in the house which fit that 220 volt plug.


3. I have a three-pronged dryer socket in the garage with 220 volts (two
hots and a neutral).


4. I just attached a new 3-pronged male dryer cord to a female 220 volt
plug with the one blade sideways.


Before I plug in the compressor to the recepticle to the dryer cord to the
recepticle, would you have any concerns about safety or other?


I assumed the neutral in the compressor plug was the center wire (looks
like a ground pin) while I assumed the neutral on the 3-pronged dryer cord
is the L-shaped center pin. Is that the correct assumption for the shared
neutral?


Ummm yeah... *Why would you want to plug a 20 amp 240 volt appliance
which uses a NEMA 6-20 cord configuration into a 30 amp outlet made
for
a NEMA 10-30 cord configuration by means of using a cord adapter which
you have created yourself...


There is a reason why the outlets for vastly different amperage
ratings do
not fit into each other... *SAFETY...


Why not have a correct 20 amp 240 volt NEMA 6-20 outlet installed in
your
home so you can use your compressor safely on a circuit which is not
capable of supplying more power than your appliance is rated for which
could damage it or cause an accident of some kind...


~~ Evan


Evan - sorry but your ignorance is showing. Virtually every item you
plug into a 15 or 20 amp 115 volt receptacle in your home is rated
MUCH below the 15 or 20 amps the receptacle is rated at, and the
breaker is designed for. It is NOT a safety issue. Your computer draws
something like 2 amps, the monitor 1/2 amp, a 100 watt light bult less
than an amp, your fancy little transistor table radio about 250
milliamps.

The "right" way to do it would be a "fused adapter" with a 30 amp plug
that fits the dryier receptacle, and a 20 amp receptacle to fit the
compressor plug, with a 20 amp fuse or breaker between the two. This
would protect the wiring to the compressor motor - which, in all
likelihood, already has a thermal shutdown protection device built
into it - making the fused adapter redundant anyways.



Umm... No... It is not ignorance... The CONVENIENCE outlets
in your home are designed for that purpose...

When you are talking about dedicated circuits for non-convenience
loads your logic about that is faulty...

If it isn't designed to fit into that outlet it shouldn't be used with
it...

~~ Evan
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On Jul 25, 1:06*pm, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Elmo wrote:
I just want advice for the conversion I just did before I plug it all in.



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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:31:35 -0400, RBM wrote:
For your purposes, it doesn't matter if it's connected to a sub panel


Well, after reading everything, I put it all together and plugged it in and
tested it and it worked just fine.

I finally have a convenient way to plug in the old compressor.

Thanks for all your help!
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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:25:57 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote:
Just because you have made something that provides
power doesn't mean you have done so properly or
safely...


Hi Evan,
Thanks for the advice after looking at the pictures of the adapter.

You're the only one to comment on the pictures of the adapter.

The ring terminals caused no problem; and certainly the way I did it is as
safe as any other method ... but you mention the strain relief???

Do you have a picture of how it should be done if the way I did it is
either improper or unsafe?


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Most compressors are single phase.

As to being on a sub panel, only way I know would be to trace the
wires, and look for one. Does your house even have a sub panel?

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"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?

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?




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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:31:35 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


"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


First question - do you know you even HAVE a sub-panel?????? If you
don't have one it's pretty obvious it's not connected to one.

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On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:27:42 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2010 03:51:43 -0400, mm wrote:
Also get a meter that goes up to 250 VAC and measure the voltage at
all three slots of the receptacle, relative to ground.


I did use the Fluke DMM to measure the connections; I was just double
checking which was the ground/neutral because I didn't wire the house in
the first place.


Okay. Good. I jumped to the conclusion that you hadn't.

The ground in the two-phase 220v compressor NEMA 6-20P plug should be the
center pin and the ground/neutral in the NEMA10-30R dryer receptacle should
be the L-shaped center prong.

The two questions I would like to ask here a
a) How do I know if the NEMA10-30R is on a sub panel (it's inches from the
main panel on the other side of the wall outside the garage)?
b) Are my tests correct that the ground on the 20-amp NEMA 6-20P plug is
"equivalent" to the ground/neutral on the 30-amp NEMA10-30R receptacle?


You keep using "ground/neutral" wrt the receptacle. I think you mean
ground. The neutral is one of the two main slots in a *110* volt
receptacle. It carries full current when something is using the
recept. But it's voltage wrt ground is zero. But that's not the
same as being a ground. It's a neutral.

OTOH, in *220*, two of the wires are hot though at different
potentials wrt ground. Only the ground is without voltage, but if you
call it neutral, I'm pretty sure you will confuse some people, or
their reply to you will confuse you, and that could lead to a mistake.

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On Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:03:51 -0400, mm wrote:

You keep using "ground/neutral" wrt the receptacle.
I think you mean ground.


You are correct sir!

I only belatedly, half way through this thread, realized that the green
ground wire on the 240 volt compressor was connecting to the white ground
wire of the 240 volt dryer receptacle.

If a DRYER were hooked up, then that white third wire in the dryer
receptacle would be doing double duty as a ground (for the 240 volt
circuitry of the dryer) and neutral (for the 120 volt circuitry of the
dryer).

But, I learned in this thread, that the dryer receptacle in the wall has
its white ground/neutral wire hooked to ground in the panel. So, even
though that white wire does double duty (when a dryer is hooked up), for
the compressor, I'm hooking ground to ground so there is no additional
danger because current is not being carried in this ground wire.

Thanks for all your help. The compressor worked flawlessly when I hooked it
up. I only got one comment on the pictures of the adapter so I'd appreciate
if anyone could tell me how to improve it.

A picture of the adapter cord and compressor is he
http://img534.imageshack.us/i/006ary.jpg/
http://img153.imageshack.us/i/005tqn.jpg/
http://img714.imageshack.us/i/004wtt.jpg/
http://img525.imageshack.us/i/003zpn.jpg/
http://img809.imageshack.us/i/007pet.jpg/
http://img828.imageshack.us/i/002nd.jpg/
http://img265.imageshack.us/i/001aaz.jpg/
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On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:46:16 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
As to being on a sub panel, only way I know would be to trace the
wires, and look for one. Does your house even have a sub panel?


There are multiple sub panels as the house has had wings added over time by
previous owners.

The one problem with my "test" of hitting one of the breakers is that
breaker could, I guess, have actually been going to a sub panel, in which
case all circuits on that sub panel would have gone out.

I think someone said it doesn't really matter if it's on a sub panel anyway
because the white wire is physically wired as a ground in the main panel
and in the sub panels, not as a neutral.
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