Typical Wiring of Compressor 115-60-1

[mdnorthrup]

Hi All,
Im in a pickle with a couple of guys I work with about the proper way to wire a 115V-60HZ-1Ph compressor. I have always thought that the correct way was to wire the hot(black) wire up to the overload protector(which connects to the common leg of the compressor) and to wire the neutral(white) up to the relay. Im being told to do this opposite by someone and i dont agree but I cant find any data to support my theory. My theory is that if you want to break a leg of power with the overload protector, your going to want that to be the leg that is hot, not the neutral.

[nike123]

And what when you turn your plug for 180°.

For proper function of compressor or overload relay it doesn't matter.

[gramcor]

Hot and neutral wire is important only for electric schock danger . The electric current is the same in hot or neutral wire for ac circuits . In Estern Europe the stecker have two positions to conect and refrigerators works OK.

[nike123]

Hot and neutral wire is important only for electric schock danger . The electric current is the same in hot or neutral wire for ac circuits . In Estern Europe the stecker have two positions to conect and refrigerators works OK.

Not only in Eastern Europe. For example, in Germany is same case!
It doesn't matter what polarity is at what terminal in regard to electric shock if appliance is earthed. Only danger is from touching directly live terminal or bare live wire, and that is also dangerous with normal electrical appliance.

[Brian_UK]

I appreciate that AC power runs through both wires but if you put the safety switch in the neutral you will still have a live line showing on the other connections.

It can make fault finding more difficult and you have the possibility of the live still feeding a faulty control item or leaking through a failing compressor motor.

[frank]

I came across a couple of old mechanical timeclocks a few years ago and was surpised to see on the wiring diagram that the timeclock 'broke' the neutral wire.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out the timeclocks were American. Seems a standard proceedure to break the neutral over there.

In the UK, the 'Live' or 'Hot' wire is always broken to stop the voltage. By breaking the neutral, only the current is stopped.

For safety's sake, I would consider that stopping the voltage is preferrable, as the current could always find another path.

[nike123]

I appreciate that AC power runs through both wires but if you put the safety switch in the neutral you will still have a live line showing on the other connections.

It can make fault finding more difficult and you have the possibility of the live still feeding a faulty control item or leaking through a failing compressor motor.

Brian, I , as electrician by high school education, have learned that, when troubleshooting defective electrical device, you should assume that all wires could be live as consequence of defect, and that, if you are working on energized defective equipment you should establish what parts of electrical circuit is at dangerous voltage and what part is not prior to touch them or work on them.
On the other hand, If there is need to de-energize unit for troubleshooting purpose or to work on parts, you must disconnect all poles (live and neutral) of power suplly.

Also, switches and circuit breakers on fixed instalations must disconect live feed and that cannot be changed by accident.
If you disconected live feed at power source than there is no chance that any part of apliance could be at live feed.

For those who dont comply with these practice, it always remain unplesant supprise in form of electric shock.;)

All main switches, of corectly designed equipemnt, disconects all poles except earth.

I saw many equipment with such configuration, that both live and neutral could, in some point of circuit, be disconnected and other pole stays connected and still have all certificates from renown certification organizations. It comes to my mind that must be that such thing is not wrong.