50a Welding Outlet - Vote Which Wire

[HamAndEggs]

Details here:

First time welding - Electrical questions

I've been wanting to get into welding for a long time, I've been reading the pro's and cons of each type, the best welder yada yada yada, but I never end up with a welder. So I just bit the bullet and ordered a Titanium Stick 225 Welder. For better or for worse, that will be my welder. The...

www.garagejournal.com

I'm looking for your vote if I should use some old copper 6/3 Wire. Its NM wire, not NM-B Wire. I will strip the jacket and run in conduit. Its rated at 60c

Install will not be inspected

Per the NEC, the lowest wire gauge I could go with this welder would be #14 because of the duty cycle. But that's obviously the cheapest way

 

[Knight511]

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[Walkers]

How long is the run?

 

[Terry D]

Is this circuit just going to be for that welder, or do you want to plug a EV charger in there also. That will tell you what size wire. I would not use the old wire.

 

[KenC]

Just so you know, inspection or not, stripping cables and using the individual conductors is not code compliant. For a lot of reasons, I'd go with 10ga THWN. Or be sure the THHN is dual rated as W also.

 

[pattenp]

Wire it as a general purpose 50A outlet using #6 NM-b or #8 THHN in conduit.

 

[gtae07]

Wire it as a general purpose 50A outlet using #6 NM-b or #8 THHN in conduit.

+1
Build in the extra capability. You never know when you might want to plug something else in there. I wound up using my "welder" outlet to run an old electric range so I could bake parts. And the ine in the attached garage will probably wind up with an EV charger one of these days.

 

[TractorJeff]

6ga. Only because you NEVER KNOW what will get plugged in there later!
Or a BIGGER Welder!
I Know because I started out with a 20% Duty Cycle on high range full output and ended up with a 60% on high range full output but 100% in the ranges you would typically use.

 

[Noltz]

#6 THHN can carry 60A and is spec'd for most EV's biggest chargers. Currently wearing a Nema 14-50 plug, but likely will put it into a sub-panel now.