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Introduction and my new Syncrowave

ngray

Active member
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
25
Greetings! I've lurked for a bit, and it seems like my kind of place... I've been fitting out my garage as a shop over the course of the past few years, and finally got serious this year. I've reloaded .40 and .223 last year, but have upgraded my shop from general woodworking and automotive up to more metalworking stuff.

I now have a lathe, a mill, and just last week, a new-to-me Miller Syncrowave 250, which as of tonight, I am actually sure it works :)

I do have a few questions that I'd like some help with:
1) Right now, my welder is connected directly into the panel, into it's own 100A breaker via 6/3 stranded cable, which is exactly what the manual recommends, aside from a disconnect. I need to chase the cable through a hole and clamp still, it's just tucked behind the panel cover right now. My question is, 3 wires or 4? The syncrowave manual for my serial number ONLY shows 3 wires for a hardwired 220 connection on the hookup diagram. The only thing 'grounded' is the disconnect to the panel, but does NOT show the welder grounded to the disconnect. OTOH, the RF/shop grounding diagram, does show the chassis grounded, along with everything else metallic in the shop. What to do?

2) I'm building a cooler, and right now have a pump and bucket system recirculating. Works fine. My question is this. If the torch lead is in contact with the water, and the water goes to a tank, and the tank is sitting on the welder, and the welder, you know, ever touches the workbench, and the workbench is clamped to the ground, isn't that bad? That would be a complete circuit, assuming the water is even slightly conductive, and is the path of least resistance. Miller's coolant is 'low conductivity', implying that it is 'slightly conductive', and if I were to put in distilled water, in a year, it would be slightly conductive as well, just from the torch and fittings contaminating it. Just seems like bad juju. What am I missing?

I'll save my other questions for other threads and other days, these are the safety ones.
 
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kevin47

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2013
Messages
383
Location
Concord California
Your building a cooler...? What happened did you run out of money...? I don't get it ...about this torch lead coming in contact with the water...

I ran the two wires thru the breaker and grounded the grn to the box...
 
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zkling

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Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
16,939
Congrats on the purchase, those are great machines. I have an early 90's model.

1.) 3 wires is fine for this machine, two legs and a ground on 220v. You can do an additional "chassis ground" but you really won't gain much. I have mine on a 50amp breaker with a NEMA6-50 plug and receptacle. Some folks also ground the chassis for high frequency reasons.

Does your model have the power factor correction caps on it?

2.) You are over thinking it. Power is supplied from the water out line of the torch. What pump are you using to build the cooler?
 
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ngray

Active member
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
25
Congrats on the purchase, those are great machines. I have an early 90's model.

1.) 3 wires is fine for this machine, two legs and a ground on 220v. You can do an additional "chassis ground" but you really won't gain much. I have mine on a 50amp breaker with a NEMA6-50 plug and receptacle. Some folks also ground the chassis for high frequency reasons.

Does your model have the power factor correction caps on it?

2.) You are over thinking it. Power is supplied from the water out line of the torch. What pump are you using to build the cooler?

Ok, glad to hear that about the grounding.

It is not a pfc unit, and it draws up to 107 a rated.

You are both right, I could buy a cooler, and I am over thinking it. Seeing as they are about 600, and I can do one for about 200, and this is just a hobby, it's an easy call for me. That is, assuming u can do it safely!

I guess the question still remains though, how do commercial units ever work if the cooler chassis contacts the secondary ground?
 
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