Got a "new" compressor, can this motor be changed to 110 volts? Picture inside...

[STINEY]

So my father-in-law gifts me with an old compressor. It runs good, beats a hand pump right?

I've got a place in mind for this beast, but it would work better in that application if it could be converted to 110 volts instead of 220 volts.

Can this be rewired? Most of the motors I'm seen have both ways of wiring them on the label, this one doesn't have that....so did they just leave that info off for liability purposes, or am I stuck with 220 here?

[chevy3100truck]

Not sure about the motor, but I'd be VERY leary of a tank with a hole in it. If it has degraded from corrosion - your only a step away from a major issue (just look pictures of pressure vessels coming apart)

It's just my opinion, but if you've seen what a tank with 100+ psi air can do when it comes apart, you'd likley want to stay away from it.

[STINEY]

Thanks, I know what you are saying and have no argument from me. If I can convert it I'll retank it, if not then its trash.

[squirrel]

how about a picture of that label?

but the odds are you have to run it on 220, not 110. Put the compressor outside near the breaker box, run a pipe into the shop.

[STINEY]

I'll try the label picture again..... I know I took one, but its not in the durn camera now!

[SuperBuickGuy]

on the motor housing should be a diagram that tells you how to wire it for 110 or 220... if not, you could guess - be sure to take video of when you try to fire it; we'll get a good laugh out of the resulting melt down or (better) explosion.

[STINEY]

Yeah, I'll work on the video thing.....may take a while seeing my results with the camera and some lousy stills. It may come to letting the smoke out of it yet!



I did it!

You wanna know the real reason I could care less about this compressor? Cause we went after this, the compressor just got thrown on the trailer since we had extra room.

[squirrel]

looks like a "real" 3 hp motor, needs 220v. I don't know nuthin bout no snowmobiles.

[Beagle]

looks like a "real" 3 hp motor, needs 220v. I don't know nuthin bout no snowmobiles.

13a @ 230... should be at least 3 hp. hehe. They'd probably call it a 6 these days.

[STINEY]

Sears actually calls it a 5hp on the compressor....marketing, sheesh!

[squirrel]

They played a neat game with the hp numbers. The HP rating was based on "maximum" hp, which is what you get while it's starting up, not while it's running. Lame.

[Beagle]

I came up with 4 "real" hp based on wattage (13x230)/(746) and that's a pretty strong "homeowner" compressor motor... if the compressor is cast iron, I'd consider it definitely worth some time and a few bucks. I like the idea of it being outside in a doghouse if that's where you can get 220 for it.

[ss427]

I had a 1966 craftsman compressor, had pinholes near the tank drain. Had a local sheet metal shop
roll a piece of 10 gauge to match the radius of the tank. I mig welded it, back in the early '90s- still
going strong at my buddy's garage.

[Huskinhano]

The problem converting something to 120v from 240v is that the amperage will double. This means you'll need a larger gauge wire which will cost a lot more. 120v would also be 4 times more sensitive to voltage drop, meaning as the length of the circuit gets longer, the voltage losses are going to be greater then if it were 240v. That's where the cost savings comes in running something on 240v, not the cost of KWH