Beginner welder recs
- Thread starter weesa20
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bunchgrass
Silver Member
More important is that you have large enough wire to carry the current. If you upgrade a breaker but have too small of wire going from the receptacle to the breaker, the breaker won't trip but the wire can/will overheat with potential fire issues.
Sorry if I'm getting off the beginning welder topic but this seems like a relevant point. My question regarding wiring is this: my service panel is pretty far from where I need to put my welder - like 60 ft. Do I need to run even heavier gauge wire due to the distance from my panel to my welder? I assume there's the similar drop in power you see with running long extension cords.
I don't see how tripping a breaker once in a while would hurt the welder.
And don't worry too much about other loads in your panel except those that might run at the same time as you would be welding - lights, maybe a heater ....
Sorry if I'm getting off the beginning welder topic but this seems like a relevant point. My question regarding wiring is this: my service panel is pretty far from where I need to put my welder - like 60 ft. Do I need to run even heavier gauge wire due to the distance from my panel to my welder? I assume there's the similar drop in power you see with running long extension cords.
I don't see how tripping a breaker once in a while would hurt the welder.
And don't worry too much about other loads in your panel except those that might run at the same time as you would be welding - lights, maybe a heater ....
IslandTractor
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weesa20 said:
No, it should not hurt the welder. Again, an inverter machine is more efficient so if you need absolute max capability from 40amps make sure you get an inverter based welder.
Scooby074
Super Member
Nope. Breakers pop all the time. thats their job, O/C protection. They wont damage anything downstream from them, theyre just an on/off switch.
What I have read says that there is nominal voltage drop with runs less than 150'
Yeah, all the lights and receptacles are on dedicated circuits and the two 220V circuits are also dedicated outlets. I understand the "upgrade the wire before you upgrade the breaker" concept and would plan to use 6-8 AWG if was going to upgrade to a 50A circuit, I believe it currently has 12AWG but I may be wrong- my electrician wired it when I built the shop. If i end up needing more amperage I will probably just have him come back since it won't take him long to add a circuit- although I may lose one of my 220V circuits- I know I have 400A service to the house but I'm not sure what he ran to the shop- might only be 125A cause i remember wondering why he didn't run 200A...
Mark @ Everlast
Advertiser
If the wire is rated for the 40 amps, it shouldn't be an issue if it were run on a 50 amp breaker though. The NEC allows downrating of wiring for welders that are duty cycle limited machines. That means a machine that isn't going to be on heavy demand for hours at a time doesn't require the same wire protection.
Crap- looks like I'm going to need a new circuit anyway- panel has two 20A breakers blocked together labeled 220V and the outlet is marked "20A 250V" which makes this only a 20A circuit- also, looks like 14AWG wire (white romex) but hard to tell just looking in the outlet box.
rcurrie
Member
Code is 8 guage wire for a 40 amp circuit. A qualified electrician would know this and wouldn't use anything smaller. 40 amp should be enough to handle any hobby welding projects.
Shield Arc
Super Member
In my opinion that's exactly what Miller / ITW wants! To me it seems as ever since ITW bought Miller and Hobart, Hobart has been directed towards the home owner. Hobart use to make some fine industrial machines, 400-amp engine drives and the like. Not anymore, at least to my knowledge.
bunchgrass
Silver Member
I'm not an electrician but I did all my house and shop wiring and if I recall, #12 wire was used in 20amp protected runs and #14 was used in 15amp runs. I thought everyone ran #12 for the basic receptacle/light runs.
Glad to here that voltage drop is considered insignificant in <125ft runs. So now those crappy welds I'm throwing with my rusty old tombstone are completely my fault -
Also - how come there only seems to be 2 marketing lines (in many tools) - the made for use 8hrs/day 365 or made for the "hobbyist" who might weld 1/yr. There's a lot of room between those extremes.
Glad to here that voltage drop is considered insignificant in <125ft runs. So now those crappy welds I'm throwing with my rusty old tombstone are completely my fault -
Also - how come there only seems to be 2 marketing lines (in many tools) - the made for use 8hrs/day 365 or made for the "hobbyist" who might weld 1/yr. There's a lot of room between those extremes.
