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I am trying to install my welder, and it pulls 45amps at 230v, 44amps at 240v.
I'm trying to buy the right wire for the job, according to the Miller welder book 10ga is acceptable. According to the chart on the wall at HD 10ga will only flow 30amps, I'll need 6ga, which is rated to run 50amps.
Here is the question - in a 230v application, does EACH wire pull the same amount of amperage, or is it split evenly between the two wires?
(i.e if the load is 40 amps, would it pull 20amps off each power wire, or would it pull 40amps on each power wire?)
I'm trying to figure out if I need a double breaker with 50amps each switch, or 30amps each switch. If the load is split between the two wires, then Miller's recommendation of 10ga wire makes sense, and I can use the dual 30amp breakers. I always thought it worked the other way, and I'd need a double 50amp breaker with 6ga wire on each leg, and a single ground.
Oh, and if you don't know for sure, please say so.. I don't want to burn the house down!
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Sweet '93 NX DE+T GT28RS- For Sale
Yes, you need the 6ga w/ 2pole 50amp Look at the breakers for your stove and your air conditioning. 10Ga will get awfully hot w/ that much draw. I've wired custom homes for years now and 6ga is to code nation wide. I know 10ga is cheaper, easier, and very tempting, But how tempting is a house fire?
Buy some 6-3 and a 60Amp breaker. You'll need to hook up the red/blk wire to the double pole breaker. Your Neutral with your neutrals in the panel box and your grounding conductor with the grounding conductors ( Green ) in your panel box. Depending on your service you might have your neutral and ground conductors on the same bar. Very easy.
Many thanks guys... I guess the Miller Welder corporation just wants people to burn down their houses.. 10ga on a 45amp draw = torched house.
I finally had the idea of using piggy-back breakers, which will open up additional slots in the breaker box so I can hardwire it in however I want it.
technically the breakers will trip before the house burns down, becuase it will draw more amps than the rating of the breaker. I would think so at least
Nope, if the breaker is 50amp (smallest I'd run), and the wire they recommend using can only safely carry 30amp, then the wire will burn up before the breaker, it is the weak link in the circuit instead of the breaker.
The problem with getting a breaker bigger then what is recommended is that if you do accidentally ground or short one line, you will draw a lot of amps through that line. Basically high amps draw a lot of heat. Thus if the breaker didn't trip and remained closed, the wire insulation will catch on fire! Generally starts at the connections. I've seen many of these incidents at work and is very scary. Also the use of a wire undersized will result in the same effect.
Yea, that's what I said above.. I can't run a smaller breaker than 50 since the load will be 45. That's why I said 50 was the smallest I'd run.
If I was going to run a higher breaker I'd have to upgrade to 4ga wire. 6-3 is the biggest stuff the local HD carries, so that's my winner, an equally matched circuit and breaker. I'd feel more comfortable with one-size larger wire but the breaker will react the fastest no matter what, even if the circuit overloads it should pop way before the copper melts.
Many thanks guys... I guess the Miller Welder corporation just wants people to burn down their houses.. 10ga on a 45amp draw = torched house.
I finally had the idea of using piggy-back breakers, which will open up additional slots in the breaker box so I can hardwire it in however I want it.
I've never heard of "piggy-back breakers", please don't put more than one circuit on a breaker. If your going to do any electrical work yourself please go by the standards of the National Electrical Code or hire a professional.
I've never heard of "piggy-back breakers", please don't put more than one circuit on a breaker. If your going to do any electrical work yourself please go by the standards of the National Electrical Code or hire a professional.
Thanks, but I'm not a COMPLETE idiot. (Maybe only partially stupid at times)
Ah a "mini" or a "twin" breaker, I really don't like using those either unless I know that a phase or panel isn't going to be over loaded or unbalanced. I was just making sure that we wouldn't be seeing a post about something going really bad.
I've been an electrician for ~7yrs with the first year and a half doing residential work. I have seen some pretty crazy things people have tried doing or did. Now I work Industrial and some commercial and have to watch out what those crazy ass mantinace guys do.
