Running 220V

[PachecoJ]

This probably isn't the greatest place to post this question so if it is O/T then forgive me. However...

I'm nearing completion of the interior metal work on my car, the rest of the metal work is all exterior and will start to require body work. One of the problems I've run into (as this is my first restoration) is that my air compressor is just too small to be usefull for any bodywork. I have a 5.5HP (peak) 30gal 110V unit. The reason I bought such a small compressor, aside from ignorance, is that my garage is only wired for 110V.

The compressor will not allow me to sand or sandblast for any extended length of time, and I would really like to sandblast my car if I could, but it's not totally necessary.

If I want to upgrade the compressor I will have to run 220V. Is this difficult to do? I know I will have to run another 110V line out there and hook both of the 110V (opposite phase) up to the circuit that the compressor is on. However, I am out of breakers on the panel in my house so I will have to hook up a new panel in the garage.

I'm just wondering what is the effort/cost involved here and if there is any other options I could explore?

[Blaze9t8]

Where is the power coming from in the house breaker panel? Is it only 110, or is it 220 and the breaker in the garage is bringing it down to 110?

[PachecoJ]

Right now the power is just coming from the breaker in the house and is only 110V. There is no breaker in the garage, currently. There is just a line running directly from the breaker in the house. The whole garage is on a single 20A 110V line.

I would like to either A) figure out time/effort/money involved in wiring a 220V socket for the compressor or B) determine an alternate solution (maybe a gas powered compressor or something?)

Sanding isn't really a problem because I can hand sand, as far as I'm concerned DA's are nice to have but not absolutely critical. My bigger concern is that I've been told by several people that my compressor is not large enough to spray my whole car. While I have successfully sprayed larger sections on my car (whole engine bay, interior) I don't want the quality of my exterior paint being limited by my compressor size. Also, as I mentioned previously, I had been toying with the idea of sandblasting the whole car, which is definitely out of the question with my current compressor (unless I paid someone to do it, which I've priced out and they want crazy money). However, if worse comes to worse I can skip that step, it is bells and whistles.

[Blaze9t8]

If you have a 100 or 200 amp service coming to the house, then you can tap off the line in and feed a new breaker panel in the garage with a 100 amp or 60 amp main breaker. You need to find out what gauge wire you will need for the distance you are running to get to the garage. You can't just run another 110 line out.

[TimG]

What I did in a similar situation is to tag a line off the breaker for the dryer.
Told the guy at Home Depot what I wanted to do,he set me up w/ the correct gauge wire,etc.
Only thing is,can't do laundry and run the air at the same time.

[CDJr]

What gauge wire do you have running from the breaker to the garage? 12/2? And how long of a run is it?

[Roch_Greg]

this is one product (http://quick220.com/) I was thinking of trying for a similar situtation.

You need to have two 110v wires (on opposing legs) to plug into the back then plug your 220/230/240V equipment into the front.

you can even use extension cords (provided you use the right quage for the amps and length of the run to avoid voltage drop.

All of the other replies are valid too. That being addind a sub-panel (either by adding a 240 breaker to your existing box and running a wire from that to another panel in your garage)

or

Running a new line from the meter (where the power comes from the pole to your home but before the breaker) to a new panel in the garage.

If you go with the first route, you need to make sure that the existing wire can handle the amps.

Some folks have even just made a extension cord from 8 or 10 guage wire and unplugged the Electric Range or something in the Laundry room and ran that out to the garage.

For a single guy like me that wouldn't be a probelm, but if your living with someone else they may have something to say about it.

[70chevelle]

If you already have a 110 circuit going to the garage, you have a few options. I am assuming this is a detached garage? If it is, then you either have the 110 going underground through conduit or overhead. If you have a 200 amp service for your house, it shouldn't be a problem. This is what I did to power my detached garage.

I ran the appropriate sized wire from my main panel in the house to the garage on a 50 amp 220v breaker. Mine was underground through conduit. You can pull the new wire from the breaker to the garage using the old wire. I bought a $50.00 home pack 100 amp breaker box from Home Depot, that came with a few 110 breakers and a main. I wired in the panel. Then I wired my outlets on one circuit, lights on another, garage door on another, ventilation on another, and a 220v 30 amp for my compressor. I still have a ton of spaces available if I need them in the future. Now, I am a one man show, so when my compressor is running, I'm not normally using other power besides the lights and a fan. This probably will blow the 50 amp in the house if you are welding while someone else is spraying, and or grinding, etc. Even though the panel has 100 amp main, the 50 amp at the panel will trip if the load is too much. I did all the work myself, except the final connection to the main house panel. I had an electrician come out and inspect my work, and to the final, which was pretty inexpensive.

Good Luck.

[mmooney84]

If you have a clothes dryer. Just buy the male adapter that plugs into the plug. Its like 8 bucks a Lowes. Then buy some 8-10 gauge wire and when working with the compressor unplug the dryer and plug in the compressor.

[PachecoJ]

I have 100amp to the house, not 200. That, combined with the fact that my house breaker is already full, means I probably wouldn't be able to add another 30amp breaker at 220V for the compressor.

This makes the dryer option look good to me, I hadn't thought of tapping off of that. The garage is about 20ft away from the house with the compressor circuit being about 25ft from the house (5 ft on other side of garage). The wire is run in underground conduit (I dug the trench last summer to have it wired, I wasn't feeling ballsey enough to wire it myself though).

Anyway, the dryer is on the corner of the house nearest to the garage and, in fact, the wiring to the garage comes up through the basement right behind the dryer. The dryer is very rarely running while I'm working in the garage, so I'm thinking I could probably tap off the dryer, snake a line through the conduit to the garage, and just run it straight to the compressor outlet.

I'm gonna have to get out there and see if I would be able to snake through the existing conduit that I laid last summer, if I can then this would be a really easy project. If I have to re-dig the trench then I might have to wait for warmer weather.

Thanks for the info.

[TimG]

You can buy a "fish tape" at Home Depot to pull wires thru conduit,and belive it or not,they make a lubricant just for wiring!

[Mooch]

Being able to pull anymore wire through your conduit will depend on just what size conduit was used. Most people run too small a size to begin with and pulling wire through a conduit that already has some wire in it isn't too easy. The best advice I can give is stay within the electrial code for your area. Two many wires in a too small a conduit can overheat and you dont want that. Mooch

[rover]

Interesting thread. I am new to this and am finding alot of good information on this site. Anyway, I am looking into compressors and was wondering if you could run a 110 motor and compressor on a large tank (60-80), and get enough air for various projects. I am particularly interested in sand blasting, which I have learned uses alot. Or do you really need a 220 motor to get enough power?
Thanks

[Len]

The 110 compressors are small but will run a blaster or spray gun for a short period of time. If the projects are small like motor cycle parts you may get away with a 110 unit but for anything much bigger you need 220.

[jb1dsl]

Pachecoj
Just trying to see what you finally did. I think I'm going to wire up an extension cord from my utility room (dryer outlet) to the compressor in the garage. I think I will snake through the walls. I have a 200 amp feed but all my breaker positions are taken up except two 110's on opposite sides. This seems easier than starting to move breakers around because all my 240 breakers are at the bottom.

[Roch_Greg]

Pachecoj
Just trying to see what you finally did. I think I'm going to wire up an extension cord from my utility room (dryer outlet) to the compressor in the garage. I think I will snake through the walls. I have a 200 amp feed but all my breaker positions are taken up except two 110's on opposite sides. This seems easier than starting to move breakers around because all my 240 breakers are at the bottom.

SO cord (SOOW, SEOOW) which is what many heavy duty extension cords are made out of (whether pre-made or if you buy the cord and make it yourself) is not rated for use inside of walls. Get the right cord for the job and play it safe.

In your case, since your willing to run wiring through the walls, I would say it would be worth it to have an electrican come out.

By removing the front of the panel, he can probaly move one of those exiting legs over to that empty slot on one side to give you the two next to each other you need on the other.

Now if I were going to do all that, I might run the line to a sub-panel in the garage and wire up my outlets from there. You would need to use the right wire and breaker for the amp draw.

Then I would have the opportunity to not only use a bigger compressor, but a welder, curing lamps, fans with bigger motors to exhaust the room while painting.

[jb1dsl]

I was talking about using electrical wire (10/2) for fishing the walls and then wiring a plug on the end of the wire. My breaker panel is in my garage so I will open it up and see how much trouble it would be to move the breakers around.

[jb1dsl]

I got my compressor this weekend and used 10/3 sjo wire to make an extension cord to plug intothe dryer outlet. This worked great.

[Roch_Greg]

Happy things worked out for you. Nothing like having a decent compressor in the shop.