use the correct amp rating switches

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
I got a call from a freind that ask me to help him diagnose the reason his compressor had stopped working ,I brought over a multi-meter and some assorted electrical connectors, boxes,switches etc. I had left over in a box from building my shop.
step one is always to pull the breaker on any electrical leg your working on, and if posiable throw the main breaker open also as a second safety.
Wire-Gauge-Chart.jpg

theres dozens of potential reasons that a compressor may not run but in his case it was simply he had installed the wrong wall switch and wired it incorrectly when the old original switch failed, switches come in dozens of types and amp ratings on a compressor youll generally need a switch that handles both 10 ga wire legs of a 220 circuit on a single 30A or 40A switch.
theres three or four wire leads on a 220 volt compressor circuit, Ive always prefered the 4 wire option
red and black are the two alternatin 110 volt power sides on a 220 volt circuit
white is neutral, green is ground
theres two lower screw lugs on each side of the switch , that you connect to the power, or two seperate 110 volt feeds ,and the two upper lugs above each are controled by the switch and a lower slightly off center green ground connection screw


A QUICK NOTE ON WIRE GAUGE: 10 gauge wire is heavier than 12 gauge wire, 8 gauge is heavier than 10 gauge and so on

How 220v works with 4 wires: (one wire to each)
1 Black wire carries 110v
1 Red wire carries 110v
1 White wire acts as a common
1 Green wire acts as a ground

How 220v works with a 3 wires:
1 Black wire carries 110v
1 Red/White wire carries 110v (if you use white flag it with red electrical tape)
1 Green wire acts as a ground/common


30adual.JPG

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LEVITO ... itch-2WEU3

http://zenfixit.com/?p=244



http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wall-s ... -8gz/No-64
 
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