Home Improvement Today?

You mean at the panel ? 20A (12ga)

 

So those of you who do siding, is there a video or pictures of how you would put J channel up and over the peak of a roof? This is how they fixed my siding. Am I being to picky or is not right? Looks like shit to me.

 

Well, scheisse. I got a 15a. Guess I'll have to return it and get a 20a.

 

Don't be surprised if you trip that 20a... Or you may get lucky. Single phase motors suck as far as startup goes.

 

I think the guy I bought it off of had it on a 20a. I'll have to ask.

 

Might be ok then. I'm use to working with 3 phase motors that are on a 30amp protectors, but only draw around 5-6 for something smaller like the one you have...

 

I mean, to be fair, whoever hit it looks to have crossed the center line, three feet of shoulder, and THEN hit the mailbox going the opposite direction. In (mean)spirit I'm with the guy who suggested making it tougher but doing that can really injure someone if they run into it on accident.

A lot of the fancy homes out where I live have them encased in a 3x3 brick pillar. THAT would leave a mark. But they're up on the curb so I think that's how they get away with it.

 

You need a 20 amp breaker which will be fine on the 12 gauge wire

The startup load will not last long enough to trip the 20a breaker Breakers trip quick on a dead short but temporary overloads on startup will not cause a problem

 

Your going to need a min of a 30 AMP breaker you will kill that compressor motor FAST! Full Load Amps on that will most likely be 18 - 21

How far is the run to the breaker box?

 

It does have a Start/run Capacitor?

 

Even though it says 13.1amps on the tag? It no more than 3 feet from the outlet to the breaker.

How do I tell? It's probably about 30 years old and is an old Craftsman.

 

You can try the #12 wire on a 20 amp breaker (no larger) but I wouldn't recommend it.

Motors need to have access to plenty of power to operate correctly, kind of like a high performance engine needing a larger fuel line than an economy engine.

#10 wire and a 30 amp breaker would be a far superior job, you may get away with a 20 amp breaker (on the #10 wire) but it might trip on a loaded restart.

Single phase motors have a very high start up current (inrush) about 2-3 times the running load.

When the motor starts the additional current makes heat in the breaker, this is normal, the breaker is designed for this and the heat will dissipate in a short time.

The normal "trip" function of a breaker is based on heat, a normal overload situation (too many watts for too long) will build heat in the breaker until it passes the design threshold and trips.

In an over current situation (shorting hot to neutral for example) the breaker has a magnetic assist so it will trip faster.

The issue here is in air compressor service where it will start and stop several times over a fairly short period of time, the start up heat builds up in the breaker causing the smaller size to trip.

 

This guy sounds smart. I’d do what he says.

 

Thanks, I don't know about smart but I try...

 

Thanks, Rusty! This is the best answer so far. I will only need to get a single pole breaker, right?

He's super smart and I do pay attention to what he says.

 

Wonder if it makes a difference that u have them on a 2 pole 240v circuit?

 

code here requires us to keep siding up 2" off the roof , but agree that looks pretty shitty , looks like they took a piece of j and just snipped and rolled it right over the top

 

Of course it does.