Quick electrical question

[l_bilyk]

The subpanel in my garage is on a 40 amp breaker with 8/3 running to it

The welder that i just got is a 175 and they suggest using a 40 amp breaker with it

Should I leave the panel as is and just put in a 40 amp (not really a great idea) or run 6 gauge wire and upgrade the panel to a 60 amp. It's a small house so the main is 100 amp.

 

[D KRAGER]

Option 1 :if You Have Space, Run A Separate Line (40a) From The Main Breaker Panel In The House To The Welder Outlet. Then You Can Leave Your Other 40 Amp Panel For The Rest Of The Garage.

Option 2: Would Be The 60 Amp Panel Upgrade

Option 3:if You Don't Have Anymore Space In Your House Breaker Panel..... You Could Just Slap In A 40amp In The Garage Panel, As Long As Your Not Going To Be Using A Lot Of Other Power While Welding It Should Be Ok.

I Think Option 1 Would Be Your Best Bet If You Have Anymore Open Breaker Spaces In The House Panel.

 

[l_bilyk]

No room in the main panel There was no room for it to begin with so just to get the sub panel breaker in there we had to move the outdoor plugs so they run from the sub panel.

I wish I had the room because I have a good spool of 8/3 I could use to run the dedicated 40 amp line

 

[flesburg]

Ask an electrician to give you a quote on the following:

Upgrade your main house panel to 200 amps if the cable coming to your house meter from the transformer will support it.

This would in all liklihood give you the long term system you need. And it may be money well spent. Then you could upgrade your garage sub-panel to 125 amps.

If that is totally out of the question, think about two new subpanels. One for the house, say 40 amp and rewire some of the house circuits to it to give you room in your main panel for an additional 200 volt breaker, and a second 40 amp panel in the garage which would only have the welder hooked into it.

Even with some lights on in your garage you may trip a 40 amp circuit everytime you start your welder, it you put a 40 amp breaker in the existing 40 amp panel.

 

[jayc]

I've got the same configuration in my garage right now. 40a service to the panel in the garage. Welder is on a 40a breaker. Welder is a linconln 180a 240V unit, and calls for a 40am breaker. I have no problems with it, with all the lights on. I think the welder only actually uses 20a@240V.

Our electrical code here allows the upgrade to a 60a breaker while still keeping the 8/3 in the house if you are running a lot of motors ... etc that have a high startup load in the garage.

But if you aren't having a problem ...

 

[markb1]

I've got the same configuration in my garage right now. 40a service to the panel in the garage. Welder is on a 40a breaker. Welder is a linconln 180a 240V unit, and calls for a 40am breaker. I have no problems with it, with all the lights on. I think the welder only actually uses 20a@240V.

Our electrical code here allows the upgrade to a 60a breaker while still keeping the 8/3 in the house if you are running a lot of motors ... etc that have a high startup load in the garage.

But if you aren't having a problem ...

You can install a 50amp breaker in your main panel feeding the sub because #8 is rated @ 50amps

 

[Aceman]

You can install a 50amp breaker in your main panel feeding the sub because #8 is rated @ 50amps

Not #8 Romex, you must be thinking THHN.

Personally, if it was my garage I'd up the panel size to at least a 60 amp. But if you want to do it cheap, throw a 2 pole 40 amp breaker in that subpanel and run the welder off it. This will probably get you by if you're only welding thinner metals and don't have the welder cranked up all the time. If you'll be maxxing the welder out, upgrade the panel.

 

[markb1]

see next post

 

[markb1]

Not #8 Romex, you must be thinking THHN.

I dug into the code and found my mistake
Thanks Mark