You are correct in that a regular 15 amp circuit should do the job. But
keep in mind that when the compressor starts up, it may draw something
close to the full 15 amps, so it would be a good idea to run 12/2 wiring
or stay very close to the breaker. I ran a similar compressor some
distance from the breaker and found that I was popping the breaker on very
cold days (unheated barn) when the compressor kicked in the first time. I
found that by moving it to an outlet closer to the panel I no longer had a
problem.
Mike
"William M. Gilroy" wrote:
> I am shopping for an air compress and I was wondering what kind
> of electric circuit I need to run. If the compressor has the specs of
>
> 4.5 HP
> 120 volt/15 amp operation
>
> Does that mean:
> 1) The compressor needs a 15 amp circuit
> 2) The compressor draws 15 amps, and then would require a
> 20 amp circuit.
>
> I would think it would be number one but what do other think/know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill Gilroy
--
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
(msloane@att.net)
<http://home.att.net/~msloane>
or <http://www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it. -Aristotle
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