Just got a 6hp air compressor with no plug/cap. It has 2 hot wires, a ground, and no neutral. It runs on 240v and I want to use the Nema 14-50 outlet I already have in the garage. Can I wire this directly to a Nema 14-50 plug or do I have to wire it to a 6-50/7-50/10-50 plug and then use an adapter?
Ideally I'd like to wire it up to one of these, but I'm not sure if I can/should with no neutral wire, or a hanging neutral wire.
This would be the alternative, but then I'd have to spend more money, and I'm not sure if it's even safer. Not sure if 6-50 is even to code anymore.
Will it work? Yes. Is it safe? Sort of. Is it to code? No. The non connected neutral isnt an issue, you could remove the prong if you want.
Thank you for the reply.
I'm guessing you'd recommend using the 6-50r to 14-50p adapter? I don't want to blow up my garage.
>Will it work? Yes. Is it safe? Sort of. Is it to code? No. The non connected neutral isnt an issue, you could remove the prong if you want.
Which part is "sort of" safe? If OP uses components that are rated for his current and specified for use with his existing receptacle then it's safe.
>. Not sure if 6-50 is even to code anymore.
pic related strongly implies that it is
>pic related strongly implies that it is
derp. probably for older construction, but not for new
What I take from this is that I should wire my compressor to a Nema 14-50 plug and cap off the neutral wire? Is it not safe to have something like
hanging around?
there's a difference between trying to comply with today's code and simply being totally safe electrically. If your device has no neutral, then use whatever standard plug or cable or adapter you like that fits your wall receptacle and has two hots and a ground. If a neutral is involved anywhere in your hookup just ignore it. If it's bare and can contact anything then cover it with electrical tape, a wire nut, or whatever.
I'm under the impression that your wall receptacle is 6-50. If that is true, any compatible 6-50 cable or plug is fine so long as you connect it properly to your device. You don't have to mess with neutral at all to power your device properly and safely.
>I'm under the impression that your wall receptacle is 6-50.
OK, I'm an idiot. In your first post you said 14-50, so yes, do what you said here
> wire my compressor to a Nema 14-50 plug and cap off the neutral wire
Ok thanks
No it's 6hp at 240v which is less than 20
so why arent you putting it on a 6-20r
The sort of safe part is that the receptacle/plug is for 50 amp loads. The wire to the compressor looks like 10 gauge max. I do it all the time, but I also swap to the correct breaker. Those plugs are stupid expensive.
Real raw deal compressors this large are rarely mobile, OP just throw a junction box on the wall and wire it permanently.
>Real raw deal compressors this large are rarely mobile, OP just throw a junction box on the wall and wire it permanently.
It's a 33 gallon compressor, not too massive. I don't have any more space on my breaker unfortunately. Or do you mean splitting it with my existing EV outlet?
>no cap
The motor won't start without one.
does that compressor draw more than 30 amps? theres not many that do
I'm reading that you shouldn't just wire 240v devices into junction boxes, and that you should use a plug.
Yes for basically everything because almost everything breaks down
the only time you should consider it is if it's something that's gonna last forever (like a very large lathe or mill that's already old as frick) or if it requires a whole new circuit to be routed (like a very large lathe or mill, maybe that's also old as frick)
The key reason many large machines are hard wired is twist lock plugs and receptacles are expensive at high amps. Lugs are cheap.
I'm going to wire it to a 14-50p. I'll tell you if I blow up my garage.