I bought a lincoln 180c mig welder. I have a range outlet on the other side of my garage wall . It's easy to get at. I'm confused on what is what. The range outlet has 3 prongs . 2 are on an angle and 1 goes straight up and down. 2 black wires and 1 red wire. The welder outlet I bought has 3 prongs also. Looks like a big 110v outlet except one of the prongs is bigger than the other one. Guys I'm sorry .... I feel stupid because I know NOTHING about the 220v stuff. Plumber not an electrician. So I can't even say the terms right. It's in emt conduit so that is the ground. Are all the wires hooked up to the new outlet or is one capped off.??? Who is an electrician around the south suburbs of Chicago??? Looking for an easy side job????
220v confusion
- Thread starter pipehack
- Start date
http://content.lincolnelectric.com//pdfs/products/navigator/im/IM890.pdf
NEMA 50A/250V/3 prong/type 6-50P
needs a 40A breaker w/TD
NEMA 50A/250V/3 prong/type 6-50P
needs a 40A breaker w/TD
LoneGunman
Well-known member
Just because it's in EMT does not mean it is the ground, it can be. I'm not sure what you are asking? The range receptacle ground is going to be the wire on the straight up and down blade, the angled ones are your hots. The 50a outlet you purchased should have instructions, the ground is going to be the same blade as if it was a regular receptacle.
If you have two blacks and a red and all three are landed on the range receptacle then someone didn't use the proper colors. Open your panel and find the conduit that the range circuit is in and see where the wires land in your panel.
If you have two blacks and a red and all three are landed on the range receptacle then someone didn't use the proper colors. Open your panel and find the conduit that the range circuit is in and see where the wires land in your panel.
baugie
Well-known member
A good piece of advice......do with it what you want.
If I interpreted your post correctly, you want use or tap into the existing stove plug for your welder...DON'T DO IT!!
Run a separate a 6 gauge 3-wire cable for the welder and connect it to the panel with a 50-amp 220 V breaker.....buy a female plug that will fit your welder plug and mount that to the wall. Remember that when electrical wiring is being done....work backwards.....i.e.. from the plug to the panel.
If I interpreted your post correctly, you want use or tap into the existing stove plug for your welder...DON'T DO IT!!
Run a separate a 6 gauge 3-wire cable for the welder and connect it to the panel with a 50-amp 220 V breaker.....buy a female plug that will fit your welder plug and mount that to the wall. Remember that when electrical wiring is being done....work backwards.....i.e.. from the plug to the panel.
nadogail
Well-known member
I will be the first to admit that I am not the smartest guy that contributes to this forum. I use a 50 amp range socket in my garage, that is fed from a 50 amp breaker. I use this same receptacle to power my table saw or the welder, it depends on which one gets plugged in. There are three conductors in the cable that feds this receptacle from the main panel, two are conneced from the breaker to the slanted blades, the straight blade is connected to the neutral bus which is where all of the ground wires connect. I called Hobart, the manufacturer of my welder and asked if changing the plug on the welder would violate my warranty, I was assured that it would not.
I have made an extension cord from 8 Awg SO cord with both male and female 50 Amp ends to allow me to weld anywhere in my garage or driveway. It works, looks good, and I am comfortablie with it. I am promising that someone will not find fault with it, but to the best of my knowledge and belife, it is okay.
You may respond if you wish.
I have made an extension cord from 8 Awg SO cord with both male and female 50 Amp ends to allow me to weld anywhere in my garage or driveway. It works, looks good, and I am comfortablie with it. I am promising that someone will not find fault with it, but to the best of my knowledge and belife, it is okay.
You may respond if you wish.
sberry
Banned
That machine is fine on a 50A breaker, but it sounds like he has a 3 wire range outlet, if this outlet goes back to the main service panel all is fine and it must as all the commons and the grounds are landed on the same buss.
Lincoln really has some mush in those manuals as do some of the other welding machine companies, the language is written for those well versed in code and NEMA. These small MIG's run well from a 10 wire 30A circuit, any of them 210 and under especially running short circuit like is used in most small garages.
Lincoln really has some mush in those manuals as do some of the other welding machine companies, the language is written for those well versed in code and NEMA. These small MIG's run well from a 10 wire 30A circuit, any of them 210 and under especially running short circuit like is used in most small garages.
timgr
Well-known member
pipehack, do you understand why the range outlet has 4 pins and the welder has 3?
The welder only uses 220, so it has two hot wires and a ground. You can think of the two hot wires as -120 and +120, with the difference giving you 240V (same as 220).
The stove also uses 110V for the clock and controls on the stove. In this case, you need a 4th wire, the neutral, which is nominally at the same potential as the ground. So, you can take one of the two hot wires and return via the neutral and get 110V for the controls.
I'm not an electrician, so I won't contradict the advice given above. However, I'd think if you never want to operate a stove from that outlet again, you could (or have an electrician) replace the 4-lug outlet with the proper 3-lug outlet for your welder. Leave the neutral wire floating (ie, not connected to anything and unused). That's assuming the circuit has a proper ground wire.
(edit) Rereading the above, the welder has a 50A plug ("NEMA 50A/250V/3 prong/type 6-50P") so you can replace the 4-lug stove plug with the proper 50A 3-lug receptacle.
The welder only uses 220, so it has two hot wires and a ground. You can think of the two hot wires as -120 and +120, with the difference giving you 240V (same as 220).
The stove also uses 110V for the clock and controls on the stove. In this case, you need a 4th wire, the neutral, which is nominally at the same potential as the ground. So, you can take one of the two hot wires and return via the neutral and get 110V for the controls.
I'm not an electrician, so I won't contradict the advice given above. However, I'd think if you never want to operate a stove from that outlet again, you could (or have an electrician) replace the 4-lug outlet with the proper 3-lug outlet for your welder. Leave the neutral wire floating (ie, not connected to anything and unused). That's assuming the circuit has a proper ground wire.
(edit) Rereading the above, the welder has a 50A plug ("NEMA 50A/250V/3 prong/type 6-50P") so you can replace the 4-lug stove plug with the proper 50A 3-lug receptacle.
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bigdav160
Well-known member
OP
timgr:
Seems like reading skills are lacking today.
timgr:
Seems like reading skills are lacking today.
timgr
Well-known member
timgr:
Seems like reading skills are lacking today.
Doh. Never mind.
I'd guess the old range plug is not grounded then, and it has two hots and a neutral. Either that or the plug uses ground as a neutral return. Neither are acceptable now, according to my sources.
nadogail
Well-known member
Check your private messages.
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
Doh. Never mind.
I'd guess the old range plug is not grounded then, and it has two hots and a neutral. Either that or the plug uses ground as a neutral return. Neither are acceptable now, according to my sources.
stoves and dryers used to be that way. I've had to run new wiring for both. I even ran it for the welder and air compressor, although the wire isn't used, and it's the normal 3 prong outlet. If things change on equipment, it's a simple matter of a new outlet and hooking a wire up, though.
nadogail
Well-known member
Another thought, go to the Local Welding Supplier (where you bought the machine) and ask if they know anyone who will do side jobs to get you hooked up. Chicago is outside of the area I am willing to service. Private messages are handy.
sberry
Banned
If the wire to the range is no lnger used simply change the outlet.
nate379
Banned
I'm not sure what the issue in this thread is actually.
Change the outlet or change the plug... All a welder really needs to run is 2 120v legs, though a ground is a good idea.
Is your breaker panel not in the garage? I would run a new line off that instead of messing with the range wiring.
My oven is gas but it's still wired for 240v in case an electric one would be put in. Same with the dryer, it's wired for eletric and also plumbed for gas.
Change the outlet or change the plug... All a welder really needs to run is 2 120v legs, though a ground is a good idea.
Is your breaker panel not in the garage? I would run a new line off that instead of messing with the range wiring.
My oven is gas but it's still wired for 240v in case an electric one would be put in. Same with the dryer, it's wired for eletric and also plumbed for gas.
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