View Full Version : I bought a 3hp air compressor that requires 230vac my garage is 120?
haroldmacmahan
Sep 13, 2010, 01:50 PM
Is there a way I can get power to the230 vac air compressor,from the 120 volt running in my garage.like piggy backing a power line to both hot connections on the outlet. Thanks... (If not,know anybody that wants to buy a new 230 vac air compressor)
(JOKING)
stanfortyman
Sep 13, 2010, 02:04 PM
No, there is absolutely no way to get the 240v that you need from a single 120v feed.
There are transformers, but you not only need 240v, you need more amperage/wattage as well.
hkstroud
Sep 13, 2010, 02:49 PM
You can pull a new 240V line.
haroldmacmahan
Sep 13, 2010, 03:16 PM
My garage is detached and the power box is on the far other ide of the house and has no place to put another breaker
roneldoradohill
Dec 17, 2010, 05:52 PM
See http://www.equitech.com/support/120240.html
donf
Dec 18, 2010, 07:37 AM
Ronel,
The key here is safety. That is the whole purpose of the NEC.
If you have a subpanel in the garage, you can then feed from the subpanel "A" to a second subpanel "B" in the garage. Providing you do not exceed the amperage available in subpanel "A".
You would need a four wire feed from subpanel A to subpanel B.
You would feed from subpanel A using a correctly sized dual pole breaker.
Once you get to the B subpanel, you will need another dual pole breaker to feed the compressor.
Both the breaker and the conductor need to be sized properly for the compressor's motor. For that we have to know the Full Load Current of the motor as well whether the motor is single phase or 3 phase in addition to the HP, which you have already given us.
All of the information that is needed will be in the installation instructions or on the motor's nameplate.
If the feed to the motor is not correctly sized, you run several risks, fire is chief among them. The motor failing to start or seizing up are a couple of more.
Please do the installation correctly.