Welder Wiring (1 Viewer)

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Feb 8, 2002
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Got my wiring circuits in for the welders this weekend and thought some would like a look. Good exuse to use ma star and get rid of the 'you need to post something' automatic forum notice.

First pic is just the receptacle to a welder, the second is a extension cord receptacle whose drop is not shown, but is at the end toward the buildings door. The last is just so you can get an idea showing the machine groupings with corresponding power drops. fwi
PM255  plug.JPG
extension cord receptacle.JPG
drops to welders.JPG
 
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Looks nice! Is this for a welding school or anything? Nice assortment of welders for a home shop!
 
Looks nice! Is this for a welding school or anything? Nice assortment of welders for a home shop!

Thanks.
Home shop, and have been doing some upgrades to it this winter, the wiring was one of the improvement projects

It used to have only one outlet for the arc welding equipment, and that is something I hated for awhile.
smaller pixel welder wiring run.JPG
landcruiser in bay.JPG
 
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Just curious how you did the wiring...do you have each of these ran to their own breakers?
 
Just curious how you did the wiring...do you have each of these ran to their own breakers?


No, there are only two circuits. A 70 amp breaker and a 50 amp brkr from power panel. Two of the machines are hardwired on the 70amp run and the rest are fed through receptacles (6-50r) on the 50amp circuit.
 
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Nice shop.


Quick hijack- how do you like the prefab steel building? Do the arched walls noticably cut down on interior space? I see the advertisements all over, but don't know of anyone who actually has one.

end of hijack.
 
Nice shop.


Quick hijack- how do you like the prefab steel building? Do the arched walls noticably cut down on interior space? I see the advertisements all over, but don't know of anyone who actually has one.

end of hijack.


It came with the property, I would think of it more as a fancy shed thats real cold in the winter and real hot in the summer. But its good for welding type activities, minimal worries about sparks.

With this style you can get close to the wall up to about 3' stuff taller like with shelving that is taller than 3' the top will touch the wall before the sides touch. This will waste floor space because they will have to kick out toward the interior.

Currently I have 3 shelf standing storage racks, these and the stuff on them will be moved out've the Quonset hut So essentially anything that is not work in process or tooling that contributes to working in there, will not be in there.
 
Do you know that NEC requires a separate circuit for each 220V receptacle?
 
Do you know that NEC requires a separate circuit for each 220V receptacle?

fj40charles, I am not qualified to quote Nec code violations, best I can do is provide a link from my 'favorites'.

http://www.mikeholt.com/index.php?id=homegeneral

'
For who will read this thread; fj40charles's statement is not accurate, however I am not going to do the work required to 'disprove', times way to short to bother, and doubtless Fj40c was just trying to be helpful.
If people want to learn about electricity do the required work dont pass on erroneous information you picked up on other forums, because likely they were passing on something they 'heard'...eventually making a 'fact'
 
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that is tight, is this for a hobby or do you build things for work? i know is at your house. Lucky
 
No, there are only two circuits. A 70 amp breaker and a 50 amp brkr from power panel. Two of the machines are hardwired on the 70amp run and the rest are fed through receptacles (6-50r) on the 50amp circuit.

{note:perhaps not visible in pics, but every jbox is bonded with a grnd wire, and must be because the boxes contain splices}

Looks good.

I have one question though, are those going to become leak points where you fastened the strut to the building? I've never done work in a quonset hut style building.

So long as your circuit capacity satisfies 630.11(B), you're good to go. You can have a group of welders on a single circuit.

Your installation is clean, and the taps are excellent, someone could interpret your taps as being too long, but there are other arguments to offset that. There's tons of loopholes inthe NEC. Welders have their own rules anyhow, they're not like any other piece of equipment that you'll ever wire up.
 
'
For who will read this thread; fj40charles's statement is not accurate, however I am not going to do the work required to 'disprove', times way to short to bother, and doubtless Fj40c was just trying to be helpful.
If people want to learn about electricity do the required work dont pass on erroneous information you picked up on other forums, because likely they were passing on something they 'heard'...eventually making a 'fact'
Bit harsh there IMO. So you're telling us that you can have one 230v/208v breaker ran to multiple outlets, and that will pass electrical inspection? I can't say I've read anything where it specifically says you can't do that, but from everything I have heard (yes I know 'heard') and had people tell me (who were electricians) you could not do that. Now, that was in a residential setting, commercial could definetly be different.

This has came up several times because people have wanted to run two 230v outlets in their garage so they could move their welder, etc...and in each case what I was cited was basically "any circuit more powerful than a 120v 20A circuit must be ran to only one outlet, so that outlet is dedicated"...

You are correct, most of what all of us know is what we have 'heard', and hearing it from several sources leads one to believe it. So if you know forsure about the multiple outlets on a 230v ciruit, please share, as many would love to have their garage setup that way and have it pass any inspections, etc.

:cheers:
 
Bit harsh there IMO. So you're telling us that you can have one 230v/208v breaker ran to multiple outlets, and that will pass electrical inspection? I can't say I've read anything where it specifically says you can't do that, but from everything I have heard (yes I know 'heard') and had people tell me (who were electricians) you could not do that. Now, that was in a residential setting, commercial could definetly be different.

This has came up several times because people have wanted to run two 230v outlets in their garage so they could move their welder, etc...and in each case what I was cited was basically "any circuit more powerful than a 120v 20A circuit must be ran to only one outlet, so that outlet is dedicated"...

You are correct, most of what all of us know is what we have 'heard', and hearing it from several sources leads one to believe it. So if you know forsure about the multiple outlets on a 230v ciruit, please share, as many would love to have their garage setup that way and have it pass any inspections, etc.

:cheers:

The short answer is: there is no place in the code restricting you from having multiple outlet locations on a given circuit.

There are some caveats however. I'd consult your local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction, or electrical inspector)

For motor loads, there is a calculation to have multiple motors protected by one OCPD (over current protective device; a fuse or breaker) The same principle applies to welders, using the NEC reference I put up earlier.
 
"that is tight, is this for a hobby or do you build things for work? i know is at your house. Lucky" Camcruiser

Thank you. Hobby I guess.

"I have one question though, are those going to become leak points where you fastened the strut to the building? I've never done work in a quonset hut style building." gummi bear

I dont think so, but dont know yet for sure.


"Bit harsh there IMO. So you're telling us that you can have one 230v/208v breaker ran to multiple outlets, and that will pass electrical inspection?" -Mabrodis


Sure.

No, I am just showing what I did and trying to anwser any questions, but of what I know, nothing else. For the rest I gave the Mike Holt link. Also the pictures of the two electric books in the other recent electric thread.

I would like to suggest to any that care to learn more about residential electricity. Start with something fundamental like understanding the difference between 'grounded' and 'grounding'. Its like the gate-way drug of electricity.;)
 
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The short answer is: there is no place in the code restricting you from having multiple outlet locations on a given circuit.

There are some caveats however. I'd consult your local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction, or electrical inspector)

For motor loads, there is a calculation to have multiple motors protected by one OCPD (over current protective device; a fuse or breaker) The same principle applies to welders, using the NEC reference I put up earlier.

I personally have wired all of the 230v receptacles on a separate circuits in my shop. I don't want to take a chance of the breaker amp rating being too high (for each device) so it does not trip and protect my equipment. 230V receptacles are very specific for my use. If I need another receptacle, I will run more conduit and install another circuit.

For example: 30 amp circuit for my 60 gallon air compressor
30 amp circuit for Miller 210 welder
50 amp circuit for Miller 200 welder

I talked to some licensed electricians at work. They said the NEC code is the minimum requirement. Most cities/towns will have a more restrictive electrical requirement.
 
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Local code here requires a separate circuit if the plug accepts devices that can consume 50% or more of the rated circuit capacity. You can have more than 1 outlet if the total capacity is less than 80% of rated capacity for continuous use.

Two 70A devices on the same 70A circuit would be a no-good. Doesn't mean it won't work; it just isn't code, so you can't get it approved and your insurance company won't pay you if you have a problem.
 

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