Thread: Single Phase WElding Requirements

I remember reading some users getting one of these, or a similar type of device.

www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MS4044

Would be my choice unless you have ~$200 to have a 15A point installed.

Ok mate thanks for the advice. i actually just went to jaycar around the corner when i read your reply and got one, ill test it tomorrow. HGope its up for the challenge! Thanks again

Originally Posted by Sonata

The welder has a 15A outlet with a 10A converter plug on it too.

I would think you mean the input is 15Amp. This converter plug, is it a BOC part or made up ?.I suspect its a short lead with a 10amp male plug with a 3 pin 15 amp female at the other.

If the welders inlet cable has a 15 amp plug, it is there for a very good reason.Its there to plug into a 15 amp outlet only.to do otherwise it could mean at full amperage the welding machine draws more power than a 10 amp outlet can supply. A potential result is that the internal wiring can overheat and burn your house down. Insurance will not cover this.

For the cost of a couple of hundred bucks for the installation of a 15 amp to the outlet is cheap in comparison financial loss you may endure if it turns pear shaped.

Hopefully an electrician will bob up shortly and explain this better. I suspect that the RCD may not be the answer either. I was able to find some on a Cigweld 150 amp mig where it says input amps run between 12 amps and 27 amps.

I would not be surprised to hear of the RCD tripping even under a moderate load.Anyway.If I am wrong big time, I hope an electrical type will soon put me straight. It runs against my grain to put that sort of current through a RCD albeit a 15 amp one.

Grahame

Some general household wiring background:

The typical power circuit in Australia is rated at 16 amps, and uses 2.5mm conductors. This is a conservative rating and allows for the cable to be totally surrounded in thermal insulation - essentially it's a worst case scenario.

A 15 amp welder is not going to overload the wiring in 16 amp circuit, any more than that double power point in the kitchen with the 8 amp kettle and 10 amp toaster oven is going to overload it.

What it will do, however, is increase the chance of the circuit breaker tripping (so you'll have your VCR flashing 12:00 and so on) when someone puts the kettle or washing machine or toaster oven on.

Circuit breakers are not designed to be precise; it's not 15.9 amps ALL OK and 16.1 amps TRIP; there's actually a specific instantaneous tripping current value, which is anywhere between 3 and 20 times the full rated load, which caters for high startup draw devices such as motors. On top of this there's a thermal trip that caters for (say) a 16.5 amp load, but this doesn't kick in till that 16.5 amp load has been drawing current for several minutes.*

What you may find happening if you use a frankenplug 10 amp to 15 amp connector is that (since there is a stack of normal household stuff on the circuit) that you get frequent tripping (ie the welder is pulling 13 amps, then the washing machine kicks in with 10 amps, then the kettle with 8 amps...and CLICK....no power), which is why 15 amp plugs (being specifically for high draw devices) have their own circuit. It's not wiring or safety related, it's just that you won't get good service from a circuit with other devices on it.

*More like several hours or days, but I can't remember specifics

OK thanks for the input boys. To be honest the 150 Cigweld isnt really up to the challenge for what id like to do.... Being a panel beater/painter im always dabbling with new ideas. Got a 250 Kemppi silicon bronze welder at work that does stainless, aliminum etc but is 3 phase and thats out of the question for home use. Im thinking of getting a dedicated power source to the garage now so i can run a 220 single phase of something in that region. think its time to buy a hobby farm! thanks again for the input lads.

Originally Posted by Sonata

Got a 250 Kemppi silicon bronze welder at work that does stainless, aliminum etc but is 3 phase and thats out of the question for home use.

Or is it. I bought a three phase welder that I couldn't resist and used it to justify a dedicated three phase circuit at home. The cost was significant, but I can max out my welder with no fear of causing any trouble (especially given the circuit is rated to over double the max welder draw).

In future I can switch it around and use the circuit as justification to upgrade my welder, to a 280DX or 350DX. At least that's what I'll tell the missus when the time comes.