Topic: hooking up a 220 V welder

[CJDavis]

Trying to hook up a lincoln welder.  I believe that it's a 220V welder and it draws 42 amps.  How should I go about hooking it up in my house?  Its not the normal dryer plug, its got both | | , and the dryer breaker is only 15 amps.  I was told that I could put a 40 amp breaker in the dryer's breaker spot, buy an adapter that converts the welder plug to the dryer type plug, and just plug it in the dryer plug.  Will this affect the dryer?  How should I go about this correctly?

[snowshoebrue]

if your dryer is on a 15 now, then you need to check the size of the wires before you put a 40 on it.  Also if it draws 42 then you need it on a 50amp breaker. Ideally you want your electrical load to be only 80% of the breaker size.  it won't affect the dryer, you will just unplug it and plug the welder in.

[CJDavis [OP]]

How would I wire up a 220v recepticle?  I understand that's the best way to go.  Is it difficult, if so, how much would it run me to get it done by an electrician?  No wiring experience....

[emsvitil]

You can buy an male electric plug/wire that matches the drier plug, then a female socket that matches the welder male plug.     

Essentially a homemade extension cord/adaptor.......

The 42 amps would be the highest the welder draws.    At lower settings you can get away with less on the circuit breakers.  (you'll just trip the circuit breaker if you goto high on the welder)


A 15amp drier circuit only sounds like 110v for the tumbler (gas for drying).

A 220v electric dryer is usually at least a 30amp dual-pole breaker.

[79coyotefrg]

How would I wire up a 220v recepticle?  I understand that's the best way to go.  Is it difficult, if so, how much would it run me to get it done by an electrician?  No wiring experience....

where are you located??

[86bobbedtoy]

post a pic of  your dryer plug.

[CJDavis [OP]]

el paso, tx

[lucky7]

Does it have 4 or 3 slots?

[CJDavis [OP]]

the welder has 3 plugs, don't know about the dryer...

[lucky7]

Just match the dryer you'll be cool and build a 6-3 so cord extension cord at the depot.

[CJDavis [OP]]

6-3 has 2 live, 1 neutral and 1 ground right, what do I do with the extra wire at the welder plug end of the ext cord?

[79coyotefrg]

  you shouldnt have an extra wire at the welder  

2 live, 1 neutral, and a ground

[79coyotefrg]

OH, the dryer plug only has 3

the ground at the welder,  drive a steel stake into the ground close to the welder and attach that to the steel stake, it needs to go 3-4 feet deep

[lucky7]

the dryer has no neutral

[86bobbedtoy]

post a pic of both the pluga
then I can tell you what to do.

[82 HiLux]

for my lincoln 220v i bought a welder recepticle at ace hardware and mounted it next to my dryer plug and wired it off of the dryer plug im not an electrician but it works great. ive used my welder all the way up many many times and even one time with the dryer running at the same time! oops! it didnt blow the breaker tho, i never have blown that breaker with my welder. then i put a 30 foot cord on my welder so i can use it anywhere in my garage

[toyotaboy]

the dryer has no neutral

true, it has two stingers making your 220 and a ground. check each stinger to ground and you will have 120 a piece.

[junya92toy]

I hooked up a 220 outlet in my garage for my 3000$ tig machine. I hooked the wires to the plug, it doesnt matter both are power and the 3 is the ground, ground goes to the middle plug. I then ran the wires to the breaker, then plugged the break in to the panel. That way the whole thing was "cold" until that last step