Electrical question

[53 hemi]

Hi all -

Ok, I rent a garage in the city. It's pretty run down, but the price is right.

I don't seem to have enough amperage to run my 110v welder ( draws electricity from a neighboring apartment ).

There is a single 220v outlet that has a separate 30amp breaker.

Landlord says just use that; make a new outlet if I need to.

I'm not really informed with electricity. Is there something as simple as a plug adapter I can use? If not, can I really swap that outlet for a 110v? That doesn't seem right.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[koditten]

Your 110 welder will not run on 240. I really want to push you to talk to the pro's. This is scaring me and it should scare you too. It is good that you are asking questions.

 

[pattenp]

You most likely cannot use that outlet as a source to even get 110V because there isn't a neutral available in the outlet box. There is no easy adapter you can use. Do not rig the 220 outlet to plug in your 110V welder.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Talk to a pro.

It could be cheap and easy (under $200 parts and labor) or maybe not, depends on what kind of outlet and wire are there.

 

[53 hemi]

Thanks for the responses- no worries; I'm not looking for a Darwin award. My brother is a professional electrician - I've just been waiting for him to get off work.

 

[djjsr]

How many holes are in the 220 outlet?

 

[Ironhorse]

Hi all -

Ok, I rent a garage in the city. It's pretty run down, but the price is right.

I don't seem to have enough amperage to run my 110v welder ( draws electricity from a neighboring apartment ).

There is a single 220v outlet that has a separate 30amp breaker.

Landlord says just use that; make a new outlet if I need to.

I'm not really informed with electricity. Is there something as simple as a plug adapter I can use? If not, can I really swap that outlet for a 110v? That doesn't seem right.

Any help is appreciated.

Yes you can make that into a 110volt plug for your welder. If you know where the breaker is I will assume you can get to the panel. You will need to buy a 20amp breaker single pole, take out the 30 amp breaker 2 pole. Install the 20 amp single pole, The two wires you just took off the 30 amp breaker use one for your new breaker the other one ( if it is long enought goes to your neutral bar (all the white wires) in the panel) if it is not you will need to extend it with a #10 wire and wire nut. Leave your new breaker off!! Go to your recpt. take it out and leave all three wires ( I hope you tell which one is the ground at ths point it will be bare copper or a green wire) sticking out of the box and touching nothing just air between them. Go back to the panel and turn on your breaker. With a simple volt meter see which one has power out of the two, remember that one will be your black wire or hot one, go back to the panel and turn off your breaker. Wire up you new 20 amp recpt, the wire that had power goes on the gold screw, the other one goes on the silver and the ground to green ) if you want to get proper buy some white tape and mark the other one as your netural with the white tape, make sure to buy a cover plate for it. put it all back together and start welding...This will pass code and you have oversize wire for a 20amp breaker...great for welding.

 

[53 hemi]

Thanks - that's what I was looking for!

 

[pattenp]

Yes you can make that into a 110volt plug for your welder. If you know where the breaker is I will assume you can get to the panel. You will need to buy a 20amp breaker single pole, take out the 30 amp breaker 2 pole. Install the 20 amp single pole, The two wires you just took off the 30 amp breaker use one for your new breaker the other one ( if it is long enought goes to your neutral bar (all the white wires) in the panel) if it is not you will need to extend it with a #10 wire and wire nut. Leave your new breaker off!! Go to your recpt. take it out and leave all three wires ( I hope you tell which one is the ground at ths point it will be bare copper or a green wire) sticking out of the box and touching nothing just air between them. Go back to the panel and turn on your breaker. With a simple volt meter see which one has power out of the two, remember that one will be your black wire or hot one, go back to the panel and turn off your breaker. Wire up you new 20 amp recpt, the wire that had power goes on the gold screw, the other one goes on the silver and the ground to green ) if you want to get proper buy some white tape and mark the other one as your netural with the white tape, make sure to buy a cover plate for it. put it all back together and start welding...This will pass code and you have oversize wire for a 20amp breaker...great for welding.

Duh.... good solution. I didn't think about switching out the DP breaker with a SP breaker. Couldn't see the forest for the trees.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you have 4 wires coming from the main panel to the 240V outlet (not likely with old wiring, but possible), you could actually install a 4 circuit load center.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Duh.... good solution. I didn't think about switching out the DP breaker with a SP breaker. Couldn't see the forest for the trees.

Well, like me, you probably assumed he could not get to the breaker.
Yeah, if there are 4 wires going to it, he could probably make a little sub panel from it, but there are probably only 3, with no true neutral.
Then there are different rules if it (The Garage) is attached to the apartment or not.

 

[53 hemi]

Hey - job is finished; Alls well. Thank you. Welder acts like a different machine.

 

[Zeke]

Hey - job is finished; Alls well. Thank you. Welder acts like a different machine.

You didn't tell us how you did this?

115v welders are sensitive to voltage drop.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

To all who are saying he couldn't do it if there's no neutral or because it's a 240v outlet, it IS still possible either way.

What he could do is tape white either one of the hot legs on both ends, connect it to the neutral bar in the panel, and swap the DP breaker for a single. Then connect the non-taped leg to the new breaker. Swap the 240v outlet with the outlet he needs.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

You didn't tell us how you did this?

115v welders are sensitive to voltage drop.

The wire is oversized for the circuit size(#10 if I remember right) so I doubt voltage drop will be much of an issue!

 

[53 hemi]

I removed the two pole 30a breaker and replaced it with a 20a single pole breaker. I connected the white wire to he neutral bar ( all the other white wires ) and reconnected the black wire to the new breaker. I then replaced the outlet with a single 20a outlet. The oversized wires were a little difficult to fit onto the new receptacle, but no problems in the end.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

To all who are saying he couldn't do it if there's no neutral or because it's a 240v outlet, it IS still possible either way.

What he could do is tape white either one of the hot legs on both ends, connect it to the neutral bar in the panel, and swap the DP breaker for a single. Then connect the non-taped leg to the new breaker. Swap the 240v outlet with the outlet he needs.

I think that was said already.
just saying.
Many were saying Nay, because we did not think he could get to the breaker panel.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I removed the two pole 30a breaker and replaced it with a 20a single pole breaker. I connected the white wire to he neutral bar ( all the other white wires ) and reconnected the black wire to the new breaker. I then replaced the outlet with a single 20a outlet. The oversized wires were a little difficult to fit onto the new receptacle, but no problems in the end.

good job.

 

[Zeke]

Could he have gone with a 30a SP breaker given the #10 wire?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I think that was said already.
just saying.
Many were saying Nay, because we did not think he could get to the breaker panel.

I see that. I typed my response but before I hit submit, I had to do something and then others beat me to it!

And thinking he couldn't access the breaker would be assuming! And u know what assuming means!

 

[pattenp]

Could he have gone with a 30a SP breaker given the #10 wire?

Not with using a 15A or 20A outlet.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Pics don't load for me!

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Pics don't load for me!

don't know why? Working OK here.
What browser? IE? Firefox?
When did you last re-start your computer? Or are you on an I-phone?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

don't know why? Working OK here.
What browser? IE? Firefox?
When did you last re-start your computer? Or are you on an I-phone?

I'm on a crapberry and the pics just show a hosting site logo. If I try to download them it goes toa hosting site! Of course, the post with the pics has now been removed.....:/

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Are you talking about the Op's pictures Right?
They are still there,
These ones?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

There was a post before mine on 9/22 that's now gone.

Man what a messy, sloppy panel!

 

[mrbreezeet1]

There was a post before mine on 9/22 that's now gone.

Man what a messy, sloppy panel!

Oh, OK, those I posted are `kind of big, should I delete them?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

No, they're fine. I was just making the point that the previous post with pics is now gone!