Power issues for new welder setup

[Gusb]

I'm a complete electrical idiot.

I'm looking at Miller/Hobart welders. At first I thought I would pick up 140 Millermatic (or Hobart). A friend of mine has now said I should stay away from 115 because, if for no other reason, it will use huge amounts of electricity (I would really feel it on the utilities bill). So now I'm looking at the Millermatic 180 (230 V).

My (13 year old) townhouse garage has a 230-V 30-A breaker/box (unused, way on the other side of the garage, 100 A in at the main) for a dryer, but my friend says this is not safe enough for a welder. The breaker box is right by the Cruiser in the garage.

He says to install a new 50 A breaker, run # 8-3 + ground solid copper wire on the wall to an appropriate surface mount plugin (which would also eliminate the need for any extension cord for the welder).

Any experienced welders out there care to comment?

Thanks

 

[Pin_Head]

The higher the power the welder puts out, the more electricity it uses. A 115 V circuit provides half the power of a 230V circuit of the same amp capacity.

A 230V, 30A circuit should be able to power a 180, but read the owners manual to confirm this.

 

[TLCHopII]

x2 on the 115 vs 220 > work is work regardless of the power source. Go 220 only if: your going to weld thick materials; get a deal on a 220 machine; do not have a dedicated, 115v, 20amp+ circuit to use for your welder.
Your friend's comment about the, reported, 100 amp., 220v dryer circuit is correct in that: The circuit breaker is supposed to be sized to protect the wire in the wall. Secondarily to protect the devices on the circuit. While a 100 amp dryer circuit is unusually high it does present a problem. The welder power cord should be sized for both the welder amp draw and the circuit ampacity. So the wire size (gauge) of anything plugged into that dryer socket needs to be rated for 100 amps unless, as your friend suggests, a smaller 50 amp circuit breaker is introduced there by stepping down the amperage available. Ask your electrician friend how much to change the 100 amp dryer circuit breaker to a 20 or 30 amp one and replace the dryer receptacle with a suitably sized twist lock receptacle. I suspect this would save you a bunch of money.

The iron workers on my jobsites and the mechanical guys run everything on temporary power. It can be done safely and effectively. There is no reason why you cannot as well.
IF going 115volt say for a Miller, Hobart or Lincoln wire feed welder then you will need the following: 20amp minimum, 30 amp maximum electrical circuit, wall receptacle and #12 minimum, #10 preferred wire gauge (size) extension cord. The cord length should be the minimum length to get the machine in close proximatey to the work to be done. Get an electrician to make the modifications to your house hold power system if you are not competent in the codes, procedures and materials.
If going 220v then there a similar extension cord set up with appropriately rated cord & connectors will also work. This is assuming that the 100amp circuit has been "derated" to something more reasoanbly sized for your new welder.
If this is a stick welder then it is usually better to extend the ground and electrode holder (torch) leads. But this is a personal preference thing.
In any case the above assumes you are not attempting to extend a power source more than 50 to a 100 feet. More than that starts to become impracticable. Again consult a licensed electrician/electrical contractor if any of this seems foreign.

On construction sites we use temporary power distribution boxes. They are typically supplied 220vac, single or three phase, 50 amps. This power is more than adequate to fabricate any portion of a TLC.

A parting thought: If you do need or want to do major electrical modifications to your home simply to facilitate welding and you are concerned about the electric bill simply buy a new or used gas or diesel engine powered welder. Most electricians are going to charge you $1000.00 and up to run a new circuit. The engine driven machines provide superior welding frequencies and are less taxed in doing it than many of the cheaper "buz boxes".

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I think the Millermatic 180 draws 22 amps at the highest setting so you should be good.

Kevin

 

[Gusb]

Thanks for all the knowledgeable feedback!
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TLCHopII - sorry but I think my comments on the "dryer" setup were confusing. The dryer outlet is currently 230, 30 A. I think my friend is saying the welder should have 230, 50 A. breaker. I just meant the outside main breaker seems to be 100 A (the main outside power source). Thanks again for all your helpful info.
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Pin_Head - downloaded the Millermatic 180 manual as you suggested - it says:
Input Voltage 230
Input Amperes At Rated Output 21.7 (is this the 22 A Kevin referred to?)

Max Recommended Standard Fuse Rating In Amperes
Circuit Breaker, Time-Delay 25
Normal Operating 30

Does all that mean the current "dryer" setup would probably work with the 180?
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Are there (welding related) negatives to getting the 230 V over the 115 V setup (other than cost and portability to other locations that only have 115 power available)? In other words, isn't the 230 V always a bit better in general, not just for thicker materials?

 

[Pin_Head]

Does all that mean the current "dryer" setup would probably work with the 180?
??

Yes

Are there (welding related) negatives to getting the 230 V over the 115 V setup (other than cost and portability to other locations that only have 115 power available)? In other words, isn't the 230 V always a bit better in general, not just for thicker materials?

The only negative is that the 230V is slightly less portable in the sense that you need a 230V outlet. The 230V is more versatile, as it can weld thicker materials in a single pass. When it comes to welding sheet metal they will be about the same.

 

[Gusb]

Thanks Pin_Head. We put in a 230 V, 50 A breaker and a wall mount 230 V, 50 A receptacle (that matched the plug pattern on a Lincoln welder at the hardware store) today. Seems to be the same receptacle/plug pattern in the Miller 180 manual diagram (the existing "dryer" receptacle is different/rounded). My electrical friend insists this will save money (230 V) over time and provide a safer power source (50 A breaker) for the welder.


Thanks again everyone,
Gus

 

[TLCHopII]

Glad to hear it all worked out for the best. You'll like that machine. It is just about perfect for our obsession!

 

[Pin_Head]

My electrical friend insists this will save money (230 V) over time and provide a safer power source (50 A breaker) for the welder.

Only not using the welder will save you money. It is power (watts) that makes the meter spin and power is power, whether it is 115 or 230V. The 30A circuit would be plenty good and safe, but now you can have a dryer too.