Red/White/Green wires.. to a 3-pronged dryer outlet.. How?

by Mark B
(Sacramento CA)

A while back, I got a horizontal 33gallon 220V Craftsman air compressor from a friend for a great price. Only problem was that his ex-wife cut the plug off the end of the power cord.

My garage only has one 220V outlet (for the clothes dryer).. so I picked up a 3-pronged plug (to match my dryer plug) to put on the end of the power cord of the compressor. There were 3 wires on the power cord - black, white, and green. I wired the green one to the center prong, and the black and white each to the angled flat-bladed prongs on the plug. I plugged it into the outlet (after unplugging the dryer), and the compressor started for a split second and stopped. Tripped the breakers (2x30amp).. I reset the breakers and tried again.. no luck. So, we plugged the dryer back into the outlet, reset the breakers and now the dryer won't even turn on.

So, I'm guessing I toasted the 2 breakers on the 220 circuit to the garage. Is this something I can replace myself, or do I pay an arm and a leg to have a professional electrician come out?

Also - any idea why the compressor wouldn't work on that circuit? Did I wire the plug incorrectly?

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Bill says...

Not being an electrician I can't give you electrical advice. However, I would likely have attached the white return wire to the center prong, had it been me doing it.

Professional comments are very welcome here!

If you fried the breaker by grounding the power (which might have happened putting a coloured wire to the ground plug) then likely the breaker needs replacing.

If you aren't comfortable doing it, don't. While you might get lucky and only get a nasty shock from a 120 VAC circuit, if you make a mistake with 220 Volts, you'll be talking to your angels instantly thereafter, in person!

What's your life worth versus paying someone else that is qualified to take the risk?

Cheers,

Bill