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

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

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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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.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That's likely why the repair garages use them.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That is why these motors have built in overload protection. The breaker can be 250% of the FLA of the motor. (430.52)

Reply to
gfretwell

| I wondered about that. Does the "code" cover temperary adapters?

That's an interesting question. I've noticed that marine stores sell a lot of twist-lock adapters and the "odd" configurations (like 30A male with 15A female) are not UL listed (or say something like "made with UL-listed parts) while the matched amperage ones have the UL hologram. So maybe the answer is that UL covers this, but nothing stops people from selling, buying, and using adapters that UL won't list.

Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com

Reply to
Dan Lanciani

Why would the lack of a UL rating stop people from selling something? UL isn't the government.

Reply to
krw

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?

  1. 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?

Reply to
Elmo

It is a single phase 240 volt motor

For your purposes, it doesn't matter if it's connected to a sub panel

Reply to
RBM

UL isn't a government agency, but some jurisdictions may require electrical products to be listed by UL or similar organization in order to be sold there.

The UL listing only means that the product is deemed safe *for its intended purpose.* A listed 18-gauge extension code is safe when run along a wall for a table lamp, while it can be a fire hazard if run under a carpet to power an air conditioner and microwave oven.

Reply to
Bob

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

Reply to
Evan

That is seriously the STUPIDEST thing I have ever seen made out of electrical components...

You don't know how to put a cord end on a cord ?

Also, you could CUT the pre-made ring terminations off of the dryer cord you purchased and used wire nuts to make pigtails that would have fit the screw terminals on the side of that outlet you are using...

Just because you have made something that provides power doesn't mean you have done so properly or safely...

~~ Evan

Reply to
Evan

Citation please.

Sure, but it is nothing more.

Reply to
krw

Maybe. I don't know about you but I hope I never live next to someone that thinks they know how to work with electricity only to find out they know how to burn their house down.

Reply to
Gordon Shumway

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!

Reply to
Elmo

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?

Reply to
Elmo

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?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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.

Reply to
clare

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

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.

Reply to
mm

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 here:

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Reply to
Elmo

I tested it on the main panel and the power to the 240 volt receptacle switched off when I hit one of the breakers on the main panel.

Yes, I have multiple sub panels. The house has had multiple additions by previous owners. In fact, the actual dryer is in one of those additions, so, I suspect (I didn't check) that it's on a sub panel.

Reply to
Elmo

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