13amp plug issue

[WALM]

apologies, very fresh compressor sitting in the workshop with an even fresher owner!

says it cant be used with a 13amp plug, how do you get around this problem, dealer told me an isolator box, but i cant see how that would work if the main fuse box has fuses lower than that of an isolator?

any help really appreciated.

 

[philsmin]

depends on what it needs, you can get 16amp plugs and sockets (the blue caravan type) but again it may not be powerful enough....... that is of course assuming it's 240volt

 

[madkayaker]

i think you are in over your head

 

[WALM]

sorry yes 240v it recommends a 30/40amp fuse.

without sounding stupid (if possible) could you not hard wire the plug... fuseless and then change the corresponding fuse in the main fuse box to an adequate size?

 

[brightspark]

apologies, very fresh compressor sitting in the workshop with an even fresher owner!

says it cant be used with a 13amp plug, how do you get around this problem, dealer told me an isolator box, but i cant see how that would work if the main fuse box has fuses lower than that of an isolator?

any help really appreciated.

if not 13 amp what do they recomend .the next is 16 amp then 20 amp then 30 . it depends on the motor size and starting current

 

[WALM]

this sounds like a not so common problem, its just a clarke se16c 240v!

 

[ford34/2]

electric

Possibly use a 32 amp plug and socket similar to this, but you need the correct wiring and protection feeding it.

What Hp/Cu Ft is the compressor. The start up amps are high on bigger machines.

you cant use a 13 amp plug and hard wire the fuse link in the plug--def NO

Stan

The last time i checked my ingersol rand 3HP /14 Cu it was pulling about 65/70 amps for a few seconds on start up.

 

[WALM]

yeah its a 3hp 14cfm like yours, they said it was just the start up to worry about.

Stan - have you got yours on that 32 amp plug or something else?

 

[rtbcomp]

I have that compressor working off a 16A blue plug and socket. It has a 3hp motor.

You're best getting an electrician to install a circuit right from the consumer unit. He will recommend circuit breaker type and wire size taking into account length of cable required and starting current.

 

[ford34/2]

supplies

The shed and Garage both feed from the house consumer unit through a 50amp RCB. cable is armour
In the garage the armour comes into a consumer unit and the compressor is fed through a 32 amp RCB, it goes through an isolator and its own overlaod protection box.
there is also 32 amp socket available for 240v welder etc.
Thers also a 71/2HP Speecom7200MA converter thing that chucks out 440 Volts 3 phase, its on the 50 amp breaker.
Just gotta remember not to have everything all on at once.

Stan
forgot,-- the compressor is on a type "C" breaker and its an RCBO- unfortunatly the RCBO is all I had, bit O.T.T.
Not long upgraded as they were all on an old Wylex box with fusewire type fuses and a big separate RCBO to protect everything

 

[WALM]

ahh ok, well im in a workshop on a farm, the power comes from the main house where there is one large cb for all the out-buildings then in the workshop a fuse board. i think i shall be giving my electrician mate a call over this one!

 

[Balders]

If it's any help, I've been running my SIP 3hp one on a 13A plug for years.

Try it

 

[paul_f]

If it's any help, I've been running my SIP 3hp one on a 13A plug for years.

Try it

The Clarke won't run in winter on a 13A plug though, the fuse will go

 

[WALM]

spoke to my man, and he reckons on a new 40 amp rcb in the box in a spare space and then a 45 amp cooker switch hardwired next to the comp. presto!

 

[rtbcomp]

Sounds good, I'd still install a 16A (or maybe 2 if you can get 40 amps into your workshop) for the compressor to plug into so you can disconnect it easily or maybe plug a welder in when you're not using the compressor.

 

[RBDIVE]

My sparky wired my clarke 3hp (16c150) direct from a new 22A rcbo and onto a cooker switch with 4mm cable, no other items are off this fuse