# Wiring up 220 for Auto Lift and Air Compressor



## Shinobi'sZ (Jan 31, 2011)

Can I wire an automotive lift and air compressor in series?

If so what size breaker should I use 30 amp?

When I took my lift out of my old shop (metal building) it was just 12 guage 3 wire ran through metal conduit from the panel, separately to my air compressor and lift. But I put it in my garage now.

So I have white, black, and green single wires on the lift.

Now that I have it in my garage can I run just Romex 12 guage wire from the main panel to the lift then to the compressor in series?

I have a sub panel in the garage but it only has one "spare breaker" left and it is a single 20 amp...no room for a 220 breaker in the sub panel.


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## Saturday Cowboy (Nov 29, 2009)

can we use tandem or quad breakers to get more breaker space? What about combining circuits? What is the nameplate for the lift say that it requires? If it needs 30a/220v you will need a 30a 2 pole breaker and 10gauge wire.

Nothing is wired in series everything is wired in parallel. Unless plug and cord connected your lift and compressor will have to be on separate circuits. how big is your compressor?


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## Shinobi'sZ (Jan 31, 2011)

Saturday Cowboy said:


> can we use tandem or quad breakers to get more breaker space? What about combining circuits? What is the nameplate for the lift say that it requires? If it needs 30a/220v you will need a 30a 2 pole breaker and 10gauge wire.
> 
> Nothing is wired in series everything is wired in parallel. Unless plug and cord connected your lift and compressor will have to be on separate circuits. how big is your compressor?



All that my lift says on the tag is 17.16 amps, 205-240 volts 60hz. I will have to look in the manual to see what size breaker it should be on.

At my old shop I did have them wired separately.

I did see a 30 amp tandem breaker in Lowes that would fit in my spare breaker space. 

I could wire them using 3 wire 10 guage (black, white, green) and then run them in separate metal conduit to the main panel, on separate breakers. I was just wondering if I could accomplish it easier....like running one Romex 3 wire from a 50 amp breaker to the lift then over to the air compressor.

I just don't want to melt any wires in doing it in the event that the air compressor comes on at the same time I am operating the lift.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Tandem breakers provide (2) 120 volt circuits. You need two spaces and a double pole breaker for a 230 volt circuit.


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## Saturday Cowboy (Nov 29, 2009)

a quad breaker 20a/(whatever compressor is) will do the trick. You may have to go to a supply house to get it. What a quad is, is a breaker that fits in 2 spaces in a panel and provides 2-220v circuits.

If your lift pulls 18a a 20a circuit and 12ga wire is needed. how big is your compressor? 20a? then you want a 20/20 quad. If not then you'll need to size it accordingly.

Now you can share a pipe, but you can not share wires, nor breakers between equipment.


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## Shinobi'sZ (Jan 31, 2011)

Saturday Cowboy said:


> a quad breaker 20a/(whatever compressor is) will do the trick. You may have to go to a supply house to get it. What a quad is, is a breaker that fits in 2 spaces in a panel and provides 2-220v circuits.
> 
> If your lift pulls 18a a 20a circuit and 12ga wire is needed. how big is your compressor? 20a? then you want a 20/20 quad. If not then you'll need to size it accordingly.
> 
> Now you can share a pipe, but you can not share wires, nor breakers between equipment.


 
Ok so I wired it up. 

I ran Romex 10-3 going from a 30 amp breaker in my main box. From there it goes to a junction box, where I brought in 3 12 guage wires from both my air compressor and my lift. I used wire nuts to connect the black to black, white (taped black) to red, and green to ground (copper color). I capped the white wire as it was not used at both ends. 

Everything works fine. I am a one man show so it is unlikely that I will be running my lift when the air compressor is running.

The air compressor is only a 2hp.

I check with a meter at the air compressor receptacle and it is 240 volts between the two.

Should I expect any problems? I have Murray boxes.


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

Oh-Oh what model number Murray panel ??

I know some are not listed to work with either tandaem or quad breaker at all so run the model number to make sure.

Merci.
Marc


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## a7ecorsair (Jun 1, 2010)

Shinobi'sZ said:


> Ok so I wired it up.
> 
> I ran Romex 10-3 going from a 30 amp breaker in my main box. From there it goes to a junction box, where I brought in 3 12 guage wires from both my air compressor and my lift. I used wire nuts to connect the black to black, white (taped black) to red, and green to ground (copper color). I capped the white wire as it was not used at both ends.
> 
> Should I expect any problems? I have Murray boxes.


You now have 12 gauge wire protected by a 30 amp breaker. Only time will tell if you have problems...


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## bob22 (May 28, 2008)

a7ecorsair said:


> You now have 12 gauge wire protected by a 30 amp breaker. Only time will tell if you have problems...


Best to fix it now perhaps.


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## Shinobi'sZ (Jan 31, 2011)

bob22 said:


> Best to fix it now perhaps.


 
Let me run it by one more time just to make sure.

From my 30 amp breaker I have Romex 10-3 running to a Junction box, from the junction box I ran from the 10-3, 2 sets of 3 (wt, blk, grn) 12 guage wires to a gang box with my 220 receptacle. In the gang box one set of 3 12 guage wires goes to the air compressor receptacle, and the other hard wires to my lift. The 12 gauge wires are about 10" long through the wall in my garage between the Romex 10 guage junction box and 220 AC receptacle. The run going to the lift is incased in metal conduit.

At my old shop I had both the AC Compressor and Lift wired with 3 wires (12 guage) going to separate 20 amp breakers in my sub-panel. 

The difference now is that I have both the AC Compressor and the Lift wired with 12 guage wire to the Romex 10-3 with wire nuts in a junction box. They are separate but join the 10-3 with wire nuts.

Is the concern that the 12 guage wire will melt? Both the AC Compressor and the Lift only draw 16-17 amps at the most and they are not on the same 12 guage wire sets...just both are hooked up to the Romex 10-3 to the 30 amp breaker.

I guess I could pull the small 10" run of 12 guage wires out of the wall that connect to the 10-3 wire and run some 10-3 through the wall and connect to the 12 guage wires in the AC receptacle and hard wiring to the lift...that way if they ever melted (if this is the concern) it would not happen in the wall. The small run of 12 guage wires did have to go through one of the studs (wood) in order to get to the junction box where the 10 guage wire is on the other side of the wall.

Thanks


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## bob22 (May 28, 2008)

I doubt anyone would sign off on this as 12 g wire is rated for 20 amps, not 30. Trying to predict fire or not is not possible. In practice, all might work out fine, but there is always the chance of the unfortunate happening. I wouldn't want this in my house. Why not replace 30 amp breaker with a 20 amp, then you'll know you are least within accepted guidelines?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Thank you all for you help and comments---This thread has run its course and will be closed.

MODERATOR---oh'mike


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