Home electrical wiring help.

[Pushrodsnake]

I've never done home wiring before, so I figured I'd see if any of y'all could help me out.

I have a 5hp Ingersoll Rand 60 gallon air compressor that runs off of 15 amps and 240 volts, however, there is no plug in the garage that can supply this power. I want to run a new plug straight off of the breaker box (which is in the garage already), and I'm just wondering if I have everything I need (and if I do, is it the right stuff).

Everything. Disregard the small gauge wire. That was for something else and kind of sneaked into this photo.

Wire.

This is the kind of plug that the power cord requires.

20 amp circuit breaker.

Spec plate on the air compressor.

 

[gcassidy]

Don't forget rubber gloves and a good life insurance policy. LOL

Good luck.

 

[TGS2]

I'm in the same boat. Just got a compressor and it keep flipping my breaker, so I'm going to have to upgrade. I think I'll be paying someone to do it though.

 

[lwrs10]

first thing I see is you have the wrong breaker. 240 volt means 2 120 volt wires are going to be needed. Go get a double throw breaker.

Then it would really help you to get someone that knows what they are doing to help you. If you run the wire, i would bet you can get an electrician to hook it all up for 50 bucks or less. This is something you dont want to hook up wrong...


But if you really want to know how to do it, your white/black wires are going to be your hot wires. Wire the plug first, white on one side, black on the other. It will be labeled on the back which side is which. Ground, the bare or green wire, will go on the green screw. On the double throw breaker, it will be white on bottom, black on top. Where the ground goes will be self explanatory one you take the cover to your breaker box off. Make sure you wire the breaker up BEFORE you snap it in place.

Here is some write up on it....

http://www.xomba.com/how_to_wire_a_220v_wall_outlet

http://220outlet.com/index.php

 

[Satan's Snake]

first thing I see is you have the wrong breaker. 240 volt means 2 120 volt wires are going to be needed. Go get a double throw breaker.

Then it would really help you to get someone that knows what they are doing to help you. If you run the wire, i would bet you can get an electrician to hook it all up for 50 bucks or less. This is something you dont want to hook up wrong...


But if you really want to know how to do it, your white/black wires are going to be your hot wires. Wire the plug first, white on one side, black on the other. It will be labeled on the back which side is which. Ground, the bare or green wire, will go on the green screw. On the double throw breaker, it will be white on bottom, black on top. Where the ground goes will be self explanatory one you take the cover to your breaker box off. Make sure you wire the breaker up BEFORE you snap it in place.

Here is some write up on it....

How to Wire a 220v Outlet.

220 outlet and 240 outlet how to install

what he said is mostly correct.

1. you are going to need a 2 pole breaker...it just looks like 2 breakers put together with 1 large switch instead of 2

2. for safety reasons I would get 12-2 wire because you have a 20 amp plug, and a 20 amp breaker(if that's the one you get) and you have wire that's only rated for 15 amps...so if later on down the line you get a bigger compressor your wire will be a weak link.

3. I would consider getting a 4" square junction box (called a 1900 box by most electricians and an "rs" cover. the only reason I suggest going this route is the box you have is very small and it will be difficult the get the plug and wire slack into the box. the j-box I suggest will make it very easy.

I don't know how much you know so I'm going to explain like you don't know anything from this point.:shrug:

4. I suggest pulling the wire from the plug to the panel, making sure you have enough slack to terminate the wires in the panel. go back to your plug, mount the box on the wall, put the wire in the box and wire your plug. save messin with the panel for last

5. to wire up the plug you will have 3 copper wires, a bare copper wire, white insulated copper wire, and a black insulated copper wire.
the black insulated wire goes to a brass colored screw on the plug. the white insulated wire goes to the silver colored screw on the plug. the bare copper wire goes to the green colored screw on the plug...you are also going to want a green or bare wire to go to ground screw hole on the box...you may have to buy a ground screw separate from the box or it might come with one I don't know. also make sure you put electrical tape around the plug covering all the screws that wire is connected to. this ensures that the bare wire does not come in contact with the hot wires.

6. when you install the new breaker make sure you turn the panel off via the main breaker and do not touch the wire terminals on the main breaker, everything else should be safe. install the breaker and land your wires. typically the black wire goes on top and the white wire goes on bottom. there will be a bar on both sides of the panel, one will have white wires and one will have bare or green wires, the one with the bare wires is where your bare wire goes. once that's hooked up you're done. close her up and flip the main back on and turn your breaker on so you can check and make sure the compressor is working properly...

7. if the motor on the compressor is turning backwards then your polarity is reversed...all you have to do to fix that is switch the black and white wires on the breaker you installed

sorry its so long...it sounds like a lot but it won't take you long to do this...I'd be happy to do it for you but your a little far away for that kind of road trip

 

[FISHTAIL]

Dude, if I were you (and I was a while ago) I would run 10 gauge. You don't need it right now, but you may want it if you ever upgrade to something that pulls more power. Then you'll only need to upgrade your breaker and possibly your outlet. I have 10-3 in all of my 220 circuits out in my garage....12-2 everywhere else.

 

[Pushrodsnake]

Maybe I should just call an electrician.

 

[Mr. Mach-ete]

Maybe I should just call an electrician.

That would be a wise idea. It's really not that difficult, I've been wiring HVACR systems for 20 years, but why take the chance doing it yourself.

 

[ff500]

I can walk you through everything if you'd like, post up some pics of your electrical panel and location of where you want the outlet in the garage, Also post a pic of the cord/cord cap on your compressor, the nameplate you showed says 15 amps at 240 volts, you are supposed to size the overcurrent protection at 125% which would be 18.75 amps but you are only allowed to use 80% of a circuits ampacity which means you are only able to use up to 16 amps on a 20amp circuit.I will check the code book to verify.

 

[Pushrodsnake]

I got some advice from a guy who knew what he was doing. Upgraded to 10-gauge wire +ground and a twin-pole 30-amp breaker. Hooked it up tonight and it worked like a charm!

Pics.

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Looks good to me from what I can see. Only thing I would recommend is installing some nail / screw guard plates on the exposed side of your 2X4's where the wires run through. This way if you drywall the garage you cannot accidentaly run a screw or nail into your wire. You can get them for less then .20 a piece at Lowes or HD.

 

[wheelhopper]

Tim, a.k.a MR. SAFETY.



Where were you when I was knee deep in **** roaches?

 

[gcassidy]

Tim, a.k.a MR. SAFETY.



Where were you when I was knee deep in **** roaches?

Do nail / screw guard plates help with those? You could sell a shitload of them in NYC!


(Why can I say shit and you can't say ****?)

 

[Pushrodsnake]

Those guards sound like a good idea.

Maybe if you spell it all as one word: cockroach.

Edit: There we go!

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Tim, a.k.a MR. SAFETY.

Where were you when I was knee deep in **** roaches?

Sweating my dirty ass of in an Air Conditioned office surfing SVTP!

BWAHHAAAAA. That Shit was Nasty!!!! Let me know if you need anymore work. I'm sure I will have something nice for you to do

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[wheelhopper]

A moderator must have edited my unintended abusive typing, cause when I typed the reply I did not use ****.

 

[Silver03Termi]

the NEC doesnt allow you to install a 20 amp receptacle, on a 30 amp circuit (table 210.21 B 3). you can put a 15 amp or 20 amp receptacle on any 20 amp circuit. remove the 2 pole 30 amp breaker and replace it with a 2 pole 20. also, buy a breaker that matches the other ones in the panel, i.e. GE not Square D. you wont need to change wire size. 10awg is more than enough. if your compressor starts to go bad you'll burn it up because you dont have it on a 20 amp breaker. not to mention the cord that attaches the compressor to the receptacle is likely a 15 gauge wire. thats fine because it was sized and engineered under engineering supervision, which code allows for. however, i would be willing to bet the manufacturers instructions specify that the equipment is to be installed on a 20amp 240volt circuit. following manufacturers installation requirements is also required by code.

will your house burn down? probably not. are you in violation. definately. i went to school for this for 5 years and im a Journeyman Wireman for the IBEW. pm me for anymore electrical help.