How To Wire A Welder? Electrical Wiring Tips

[XBeat]

If u were able to measure the input current using a clamp meter (usually electricians have those) while you were testing the welding unit; it will be really help full to decide the actual load current. The required breaker capacity can be selected accordingly

[Scooter]

Rip, the leather gloves are a must. Good to hear about the HK eye protection. Apart from that you can get away with a long-sleeved flannel shirt and some daggy old jeans........they will definitely get holes in them and you will also utilise some new swear words as the arc splatters! Other things, a cheap little chipping hammer to clean off the slag and you've got the grinder to clean up the welds. All will be looking forward to some pics of your first project.

PS And SL electrics, remember standing in a shower in Kandy on my first ever visit and looking at the BARE wires leading into the overhead water heater and thinking "OMG get me outta here safe and unfried!"

[Sylvi]

Ripper,

Please inform your location as I visit once in three days to Jaela because I have some buildings there,.

Will come and check up your system as I have all testing equipment for electrical testing I will come with my electric welder unit too try out.

You can email me [email protected],[email protected]

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[Ripper]

Ripper,

Please inform your location as I visit once in three days to Jaela because I have some buildings there,.

Will come and check up your system as I have all testing equipment for electrical testing I will come with my electric welder unit too try out.

You can email me [email protected],[email protected]

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Thanks Sylvi.

I live in Wattala. Hendala area to be exact.

Thank you very much for the offer. I wouldn't want to be a burden and be a hassle for you.

i wont be able to weld much until the auto dimming welding helmet arrives as i bought one off ebay. So by the time that comes in, should have the wiring issue sorted since now i know it's to do with the breaker switch.

Thanks again. Will let you know if i fail to sort it out myself

[kaju]

Ripper,

This site showed up on my RSS feeds. Might be useful for you and some of the guys.

"This is a website that collects and points to how-to tutorials on the web from folks making their own tools. They range from simple hammers to complex lathes. The site is just a clearing house with not much of its own activity. The list of homemade tool instructions also vary in quality, but it’s a great resource if you make your own tools — and you should."

http://www.homemadetools.net/

Cheers.

[Ripper]

So finally i got some time to play with the wiring in me garage.

Hooked up a dual pole 40A breaker switch straight off the mains after the meter and ran it through a 32A dedicated breaker.

Now it's welding fine got a bit of time in the morning to do the final connections and i welded up 4th setting. Was getting burn through the pipe i was testing on so dint go beyond that power level.

My auto dimming welding mask has finally landed in SL according tracking site so hopefully once i get that to me hands...will do some proper welding

thanks everyone for the support

The problem has been my main distributor box and switches that were only 20A. Dint see that until last evening...

[Sylvi]

Ripper,

Glad to hear you have sorted out your problem.

Hooked up a dual pole 40A breaker switch straight off the mains after the meter and ran it through a 32A dedicated breaker.

That is the correct way to wire a high amperage drawing equipment. I never use with a earth leakage breaker because it will to go off some times when the welding is going on I have a separate very good ground earth rod. With clamped well to welder and to the rod1/2 Inch copper tube onside a ribbed steel iron rod for to keep the copper tube in place. Put in to water level about 2 feet in water of my ground. The water level at my place is at 16 feet below the ground level.Magger tested and found 100% safe earth less than 5 Ohms. Earth rod is total length is 20 feet.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[XBeat]

Ripper,

Glad to hear you have sorted out your problem.

Hooked up a dual pole 40A breaker switch straight off the mains after the meter and ran it through a 32A dedicated breaker.

That is the correct way to wire a high amperage drawing equipment. I never use with a earth leakage breaker because it will to go off some times when the welding is going on I have a separate very good ground earth rod. With clamped well to welder and to the rod1/2 Inch copper tube onside a ribbed steel iron rod for to keep the copper tube in place. Put in to water level about 2 feet in water of my ground. The water level at my place is at 16 feet below the ground level.Magger tested and found 100% safe earth less than 5 Ohms. Earth rod is total length is 20 feet.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Main purpose of Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker is to prevent electrocution in a situation a person touching the frame of the machine during a current leakage fault. If you have a good earth you can reduce the risk. But installing an earth with a resistance less than 10 Ohms is a costly job unless you have very good soil conditions (E.g Marshland).

If the welding genrator is not for permanent use; an alternative is to use the existing system earth and buy a very good pair of safety shoes and gloves

[Sylvi]

'XBeat',

I hope you will not miss understand me. I do not underestimate your post. There are a valuable points on your post. Specially the cost of installing a good Earth connection.To buy a very good pair of safety shoes and gloves. When a person doing welding.

I thought I SHOULD EXPLAIN: I have had training on the earth installation. And earth protection devices.

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ELCB (earth leakage circuit breaker) DURING GOOD OLD DAYS IN 1960 era, during that time, All over the world used ELCBs in all Electrical installations.

ELCB is the old name and often refers to voltage operated devices that are no longer available and it is advised you replace them if you find one.

In the 60's ELCB's came in two guises, current operated and Voltage operated,

ELCB switches are now illegal. NO LONGER IN USE.

At present no one have stocks for sale of ELCBs.

Almost ELCB switches had two earths.

Voltage operated WERE MADE TO WORK only one earth path from an installation for it to work effectively.

RCCB is best because it will detect any earth fault. RCCB only have the line and neutral connections. No Earth what so ever on the unit.

The current operated working on core balance became the RCCB (RCD) that we know today.

There is an RCCB or RCD and RCDO.

RCD Protects against a fault to earth, current ratings can vary but does not act as an overload. The main MCCB is providing protection from over load.

RCDO, A Residual Current circuit Breaker with Overload protection does both jobs. Like earth lockage protection and overload.

Residual current circuit barkers are designed to disconnect the circuit if there is a leakage current.

By detecting small, CURRENT LECAGE ranging 5–30 mill amperes.

Thereby disconnecting very quickly within 30 milliseconds,

This QUICK ACTION will prevent Electrocution. There are also RCCBs, Made in the world much quicker. Lower reaction time with advancement of electrical safety and control equipment of Electrical distribution.

Made to protect equipment or avoid starting electrical fires, but not disconnect unnecessarily for equipment which has greater leakage currents in normal operation.

To prevent electrocution, RCBs should operate within 25-40 milliseconds at leakage currents (through a person) should not be more than 30 Mill amperes,

RCCB OR RCDO has to act instantly because; electric shock can drive the person’s heart to stop.

Ventricular Fibrillation, Out of cycle and irregular contraction of the Ventricle of the heart. Which is followed by killing the person who is electrocuted.

RCD does not necessarily require an earth connection itself (it monitors only the live and neutral).In addition it detects current flows to earth even in equipment without an earth of its own.

RCD will continue to give shock protection in equipment that has a faulty earth.

Said inbuilt circuitry have made the RCD more user friendly than its previous developments.

(ELCBs) were widely used about ten to five years ago. This equipment used to monitor the voltage on the earth conductor and it gets activated.

For whatever reason voltage is there on the area which is not insulated which has to be handled by humam hands, that proves a current leakage to earth. Therefore ELCBs have to have very good earth connection; to activate if not still a person can get Electrocuted.

By this character the connected to the three pin plug, equipment get the protection and that is a pre warning to end user to attend to the equipment.

There by RCCB or RCD superseded the ELCB.

Insted a MCCB. RCDO has the over load protection. Also took over an extra protection incorporated all three necessary, important in Electricity distribution system.

At last I have to mention both are working for same, most important thing is internal circuitry has a significant improved difference, thanks to modern research and development in Electrical distribution.

Above is what I know for years as for my Electrical knowledge, There can be latest devlopments in Electricity distribution,and some erros.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[MasterDon]

OT

Sylvi sir...do you know of any good auto electricians?..I need one to do the wiring on my TR.The guy must be familiar with the electrics of old english cars and must be prepared to do the work at my house at Kelaniya.

This is for everybody else too.let me know if you have any reliable people.

Please reply to this e-mail adress.- [email protected]

Edited November 18, 2012 by MasterDon