Thread: 15amp plugs

Originally Posted by munruben

Wherever you weld, if you have a 15amp plug, you will require a 15 amp socket to plug it into unless you make up a little converter/adapter lead with a 10amp plug on one end and a 15amp socket on the other or as mentioned above,, A file.

Still waiting for the sparky to come and quote for a 15amp socket, but in the meantime I went and bought a 15amp extension lead (20m), cut it about 1m from the socket end and stuck a 10amp plug onto the loose end - so now I've got my short adapter cable. I put a 15amp socket on the left over 19m bit so I can use that too... if the sparky ever turns up! Total cost $37 bucks. Probably the least amount of money I'm going to be spending for a while on this project.

Originally Posted by Vernonv

Trouble is you will run into warranty issues (as well as it being illegal if the unit can draw more than 2400W).
).

Is that on 10amp plug
how much for 15 amp and 20amp plug. allowed to draw ?

Originally Posted by lornety

Is that on 10amp plug

Yes, 2400W will equate to 10A @ 240V.

Originally Posted by lornety

how much for 15 amp and 20amp plug. allowed to draw ?

15A = 3600W @ 240V and 20A = 4800W @ 240V. Is that what you are asking for, or did I misinterpret your question?

Originally Posted by Vernonv

I think what you are describing above is an RCD (for earth leakage detection). You can normally run a welder on a circuit protected with an RCD because neither the work or handpiece are actually earthed. However I don't know what will happen if what you are welding is earthed separately - anyone have an opinion on what will happen in this situation?

Hi all from an occasional visitor --

I have a small stick welder running off a RCD and separate circuit breakers in the shed sub-board - It works fine and has never tripped the RCD. It has tripped the 20Amp circuit breaker many times - usually after a serious session welding with 3.2mm rods.

The non-tripping of the RCD makes sense as the transformer in the old welder has an isolated secondary winding. This means that what goes in the primary, comes out the primary and hence is balanced as far as the RCD is concerned. This is not affected by me connecting one end of the secondary to earth. The only way there could be a problem is if the primary has a leak to earth or to the secondary - and then you want to know about it.

back to normal program

Thanks for that David.

Originally Posted by Gavin Newman

It could be worse though, I recently upgraded my MIG to a 200A BOC unit which requires a 20A feed. The welder cost me $2200, the upgrade to the workshop wiring (including a new sub-board) cost me $1250. The round pin industrial sockets were $250 each and the matching plug was $125 - Ouch!

From memory i paid around $100 each for clipsal 56 series 20 round pin switched outlets and $80 each for the matching plug. If you ever need another i'd be shopping around or send me a pm and i'll see if i can help you out.