Any electricians in the house?
 

HEy, we've got this big craftsman air compressor that would make my life a whole lot easier...

if it didn't shut my house down every time I turn it on.

it'll go on for about a minute and then the compressor, and the whole front half of my house (including the garage) shuts off. then I just go flip the switch in the box out back (off then back on again) and it turns everything back on.

it has the normal type of plug for the wall socket, not the crazy washer/dryer/motorhome huge thing. what do you guys think is the problem? is there an easy fix? should I pay a guy to fix it or is it something I can do myself?

thanx in advance.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Your problem is amp draw. Look on the compressor and see what the amp draw is. Most house hold breakers will only take 15 amps. If your compressor pulls 15 amps alone, you cant run anything else on that breaker. If you have an air conditioner on the same breaker as your compressor it will probably trip. What you can do is either run a new circut to the compressor plug on its own breaker or you can just shut everything else on that circut down when you use the compressor.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

that, and check the required votage for it, some require 220, instead of your household 110, atleast i know mine does

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

This is why 15amp circuits don't exist in commercial buildings. :-\


Raffi is an electrician. Have him come over and run you a new 20amp circuit. ;)

It's probably on a 15amp circuit and half of your house is running off it. If the house is fairly old it will be wired as shitty as possible. Most new homes use 20amp circuits in the garage and it has it's own dedicated circuit.

Try plugging it into your washer plug, if it's near the garage. Hopefully they put that on a 20amp circuit. :-\
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Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Kitchens and bathrooms have dedicated 20 amp circuits too.Or atleast they should.I know by code the kitchen has to at least have 2 20amp ckts. in it.Try and find one in there.

Good luck!

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

the garage is totally seperate from the house, so the washer is nowhere near it, nor is the kitchen. is running a 20 amp circuit a job I could do? or is it something I should pay somebody for? if so how much is it worth?

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

You could do it.

Here is what you do:
1-find the electrical panel

2-Open it.Be carfull not to touch anny live parts.

3-before you can add anny ckts. you have to make shure you have space for a breaker.If you dont you can see if you can fit a "twin"(2 brealers in one.One to replace,and one to add) or 2 "mini"(slim breakers that you can fit side by side in one breaker slot) breakers in one slot.You need to find the brand of panel/breakers and go to home depot and see if they carry those types of breakers.

4-If there is room to ad a breaker,or if you can fit a regular breaker or "mini" or a "twin" just get some #12-2 wire frome home depot and run it from the panel(new breaker) to the desired location.

5-set your box and your receptacle.

6-make the connections at the panel.The black goes to your new breaker,find where the green and whit wires go and connect them to their coresponding location. put panel covers back on.

7-close your eyes and flick the bitch on!

Its really simple.I wouldnt pay someone.....but then angain I dont have to :P

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Please take pics after you're done. ;D

I'm going to take a guess and say the panel is a Zinsco. Good luck with that breaker. They aren't cheap anymore.

Just to give you an idea:
http://www.aplussupply.com/break/zin/zinplug.htm
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Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

it freking easy but do not do it if you`ve never touch electric ----.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

I can do electrical in a car, and small circuitry, but I've never done large, household type stuff.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

The house looks like this....

http://www.newbieforces.com/files/bamboohouse.JPG

what would be a good way to route the wire from the breaker to the compressor socket?

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Go down through the floor an then go under the house.Wired my garage about the same run as yours.Go get a 100ft of 10/3 outside wire has some special coating where rodents dont chew on it.Run it under house taking it along beams an then dig a trench an putin some plastic pipe an slide wire through it til you get to your garage.i have the wire just sitting onthe ground next to the house at this point but thats temp.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

make sure you take video of everything you do to get it to work ;D

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

In california, there (most of the time) isn't an "under the house" there is usually a concrete foundation directly under the floor. I don't think that is an option.

would it be a problem just tucking the wire up into the corner between the ground and the house? or should the wire not be exposed?

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

you could but the code says it should be in a metal pipe of some sort to protect it from everyhting (national code i belive) and keep the kids from hacking into it thinking its "neat" and kill themselfs..

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

would some sort of normal conduit be sufficient you think?

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

most likly, i think that is what everyone uses

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Hahaha!See you are meixcan.Tijuana style babay!

Looks like you have some digging to do.Code says it needs to be no less than 18" deep.It has to be in pvc conduit.You can also use direct buriel cable but it still has to be at least 18" under ground.

If I were you I would just put the receptacle outside by the panel on the surface of the house and get a long ass comercial(#12) extension cord.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

w'ell see, I'll take pics when I end up getting around to it.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

I didnt read any of the post above, I dont have time,

I had the same problem when I used a cheap ass extention cord.

get one of those yellow jackets to see if that will help with the situation. mine will still pop but only after many hours of use.

Nick

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

That would probably be the easiest and cheapest way.

Who said anything about code? ;) It's not like you have to call for an inspection on a 20amp receptacle addition. :P

You can run metal conduit anywhere you want, no burial. Of course then you would need a bender. :-\
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Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

matter of fact i have a conduit bender. so i think I might go that route. Technically it isn't my house, so I can't make it look too horrible.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

If i were you, i would check the local codes first too. I live in PA where anyone can do residential electrical work, as long as it passes code. But i know when i used to work in NY and NJ you had to be licensed to do anything. Make sure that isn't the case before you start anything, because i don't think your renter's/house insurance will cover it if anything burns down then. ;D But it does sound like you need a dedicated 20amp circuit...and make sure it's a GFCI protected one as well, seeing it's in the garage.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

GFCI?

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

Ground fault circuit interuptor.

They are required by code in garages, bathrooms, kitchens...., but sometimes they sucks ass because they pop for strange reasons so you have to reset them. They're like $9 a piece.
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Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

might as well.

Re:Any electricians in the house?
 

---- the code.
it`s not like any of you guys take your car to get inspected after it is boosted. ::) ;)
my house has whole bunch of DIY hard wiring all over the place.
bamboo, like they said run a thick ass extension cord, but i`d mount it up high (next to the roof) permanetly.(sp :P)