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Compressor plug question
Hello Doctor,
I recently bought an airbrush set (including a 50 Hz/60 Hz compressor) for friends of mine at the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com in England, for their model rocketry activities for their visitor days. I also got a 240 volt/120 volt converter to enable the compressor's 120 volt "wall wart" power supply transformer to work with their local 240 volt electric service. There are three unknowns and one problem with this set-up, which are: [1] The 220 volt/120 volt converter has two switch-selectable output wattage levels--50 watts and 1600 watts (the latter is intended for high-resistance units like hair dryers). The airbrush compressor only draws 72 watts, so would using the 1600 watt setting overheat the converter? [2] If the answer to [1] is "NO," because of the large difference between the converter's 1600 watt output and the compressor's 72 watt draw (which is only intermittent anyway, when the compressor and airbrush are used), should the 240 volt/120 volt converter be unplugged from the 240 volt wall socket when the compressor is not in use? [3] On the input side of the converter, the UK plug can be slid onto the converter's round prongs in either of two ways (and the UK wall plug's prongs aren't polarized like those in most US wall plugs). Does this mean that the UK plug's orientation on the converter's prongs doesn't matter? (In either orientation, the UK wall plug's "hot" prongs are oriented 90 degrees to the long dimension of the converter case.) [4] The converter's 120 volt output socket (which *is* polarized to accept polarized US wall plugs) is quite loose, with the spring metal strips inside the socket barely making contact with the prongs of the compressor's "wall wart" power supply. (All of the other appliance plugs around my apartment fit in it loosely, too. The converter is brand-new, and was made in China. I suspect they're all loose.) The case has no screws and can't be opened without breaking it. Would wrapping strips of aluminum foil around the "wall wart's" prongs (to ensure that they fit snugly in the converter's 120 volt output socket and make good electrical contact) be safe? (Since this is a dedicated set-up, the "wall-wart" will never be unplugged from the converter as long as either one lasts.) Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511 All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com. NAR #54895 SR Last edited by blackshire : 12-08-2010 at 01:28 AM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'. |
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I think I can answer some--but not all--of your questions.
1) It's same to use the higher wattage setting for a lower wattage application. Just DON'T use lower wattage setting for a high wattage application. The application will only draw the watts it requires. 2) On a UK plug, the "3rd" leg is ground. The other two aren't polarized. 3) A couple things to be aware of: since UK uses 240 VAC 50HZ, make sure the compressor can run on 120VAC 50HZ. The converter will step down the voltage, but probably not the waveform. 4)CAUTION: if the compressor has any electronic components (circuit board, digital display, electronic timer) you probably cannot use the converter--it will burn the converter up.
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Never trust an atom. They make up everything. 4 out of 3 people struggle with math. Chemically, alcohol IS a solution. NAR# 94042 SAM# 0078 |
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Quote:
Thank you very much, jeffyjeep! I specifically chose this compressor (this airbrush & compressor set is available on eBay for just $51.95 + $9.95 for postage, see: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...c%253D&viewitem ) because it can run on either 50 Hz or 60 Hz AC power (I also got one for myself). The compressor's "wall-wart" power supply transformer is actually rated for 100 volts AC - 240 volts AC input, but because it is quite small physically I figured the 240 volt/120 volt converter would "ease its burden," so to speak. The compressor has no fancy electronic gazortenplatzes on it, just an ON/OFF button switch. If I "pinch" the "wall-wart's" prongs inward toward each other slightly, they should fit snugly in the converter's 120 volt AC output socket.
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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511 All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com. NAR #54895 SR |
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It looks like you got it for a good price. It wasn't.............
wait for it......................... wait for it....................... wait for it.......................... wait for it................... wait for it....................... "inflated". Thank you. I'll be here all year.
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Never trust an atom. They make up everything. 4 out of 3 people struggle with math. Chemically, alcohol IS a solution. NAR# 94042 SAM# 0078 |
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Quote:
__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050 http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511 All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com. NAR #54895 SR |
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