i have a 240v air comp. i tapped into my dryer line and the compressor ran then stopped but would not stay running

[Anonymous]

I have a sears and roebuck 20 gal. 240v air compressor and no out to plug it into. So i tapped into my dryer line "220v" and when i fired it up it ran for about 10 seconds and shut off but sounded like it was not getting enougb power to spin the motor... when i spin it by hand it will run for a few seconds then do the same thing. Did i screw up the wireing or is my compressor going out? Please help this belong to my grandfather and he passed it down to me before he died. Thank u

[Anonymous]

Well, you may not have had enough from the dryer's circuit. Not all 240's are the same and the compressor may need more than a typical dryer's 30-amp circuit. If anything, you would've only possibly damaged the dryer's circuit breaker. Otherwise, the compressor may need oiling, service or an overhaul. Free is nice, but it ain't always free.