Stiiiiiill Just Getting Started

[Kitman Mike]

So, I don?t know if you all had this same experience, but it is taking FOREVER to get my shop set up! I didn?t have any of the tools (got the Isham kit) or the power tools (have been on a continuous shopping spree at Home Depot ? band saws, drill presses, grinders, air compressor, etc), or any workbenches, or any workspace, but I?m making progress.

I started with a more-or-less abandoned garage that was disgusting. You know when you go to the ocean and you roll over a rock and the crabs underneath scatter in all directions? The garage was like that, except with spiders. Sick! I hate friggin? spiders ? I think I saw that movie Arachnophobia at an impressionable young age. Anyway, I?m almost done getting set up. I?ve cleaned, bug-bombed, and poisoned the garage, designed and built two EA1000 style benches (covered one in carpet to avoid scratching material), assembled a whole bevy of tools, and am almost there.

One problem I?ve encountered: I can either plug my 30 gallon, 2hp, 120 volt oiled air compressor into the powerstrip that powers my bench tools, or run an extension cord from the other side of the garage. There?s no other option. In either case the compressor?s manual explicitly states that I shouldn?t use any extension cords whatsoever, but I cannot place the air compressor near the outlet. I tried plugging it into the powerstrip that powers my tools, and it killed all the lights in the garage and killed my CD player. Doh! Before I run out and buy a heavy-duty 35-50? extension cord, I thought I would check in with all of you: do you guys use extension cords for your air compressors? Does it kill the lights, etc?

Thanks for the input!

MB

[Mel]

You've stated that you only have 2 options and neither of them works. That's a conclusion.
You really need to run a dedicated circuit for your compressor. A 2 hp motor would need in the neighborhood of 30+ amps @ 120 volts. Regardless, you are really pushing any 120 volt circuit if it is truly 2 hp motor.

[JHines]

I'd start by checking the circuit layout, regardless of whether you're using an extension. If the "far side" outlet is on the same cirucuit as the "power strip" outlet, or any other shared circuit, the extension won't help.

In my experience a compressor that size will pop the breaker unless it's on a 15 to 20 Amp circuit by itself, especially when the motor starts and when it is working hard near the end of the pumping cycle. I would think any extension cords would only make that situation worse. When I had my current house built they put in a single outlet on a dedicated 20 Amp circuit. I have only the compressor on that circuit and it works fine.

[airguy]

Sounds like it's time to play electrician. I had to install a 40-amp 220V outlet for my air compressor, and two outlets at my workbench for 20-amp 120V service. The one below the bench is used for my beer fridge and radio, and I have a power strip plugged into the upper one for tool power. You can never have too much power access...

[Kitman Mike]

Ahhh ****, I think it's worse than I thought. When I plugged the compressor into the powerstrip, it killed the lights, but I just realized that the lights aren't even running from the outlet that the powerstrip (and hence the compressor) was on. The lights come from the other outlet. This suggests to me that the whole garage is on the same circuit. Argh! That's going to cause major problems because I don't see any other way to get power (it's a stand-alone garage about 100 feet away from any other houses/power). What's the other solution? Return it for a smaller compressor (assuming I can even do that)?

[rrd1_99]

Unless the outlet on the other side of the garage is on a different circuit than the outlet the power strip is in, plugging the compressor in to it is just going to blow that same breaker if you have the lights, CD, etc turned on.

If the outlets are on different circuits, I would have no problem using an extension cord of appropriate size and rating. The safety issue with running large-draw appliances (compressor motors) on an extension cord is the potential for overheating the cord. Permanent wiring is solid strand wire that is not normally subject to vibration or abuse. Extension cords routinely get caught in doors, stepped on, ran over by bicycles, etc... This can break the multi-strand wire leaving fewer strands to handle the power, increasing resistance which results in heat which ends up causing a fire.

With a reasonable amount of care, it will be perfectly safe to use an extension cord rated for 20 amps, assuming the circuit it is plugged into is rated for that kind of draw.

Roger

[Kitman Mike]

Play electrician? Grrr... I don't know how to do that and I'm getting tired of running into these dumb roadblocks.. I haven't even started the kit yet!

It's not a bad idea, but I'm likely to kill myself or burn down the garage and in either case, this is starting to get really frustrating.

[Kitman Mike]

(...sigh...)

[rrd1_99]

to check it out. Ask around the airport or somewhere like that and you will find someone willing to take a quick look and see what your options are. Don't get too would up about it, there are always headaches! I got to spend this spring cleaning up and repairing my shop after a windstorm blew the big door in and blew out a side wall. Ruined tools, lost all sorts of stuff, but the RV was sitting in the perfect spot to avoid damage. Just scared the **** out of me!

Your "starting" pains will seem very minor once you get going!

Roger

[guccidude1]

How about this, if you can't raise the drawbridge, lower the river. Set your compressor where it needs to be, by the outlet, and plumb the air to where it's needed. PVC shecdule 40 works great. Compressor noise in one cornor and air in another. Dan