reducing wire guage

[benchracer1]

Hey guys, i am in the process of wiring my new shop for the welders. I want to put in 3 guage wire for the possibility of down the road installing a 100 amp breaker for high amperage welding. for now i am going to use a 30 amp breaker (in all likelihood ill never need anymore than this but I want to have the heavier wire installed just in case). What would i use to reduce the 3 guage down to say an 8 or 10 to fit the 30 amp breaker?......Steve

 

[LXCam]

https://www.hubbell.com/burndy/en/P...erminals/Pin-Terminals-and-Adapters/c/2146657

 

[tyme2par4]

https://www.hubbell.com/burndy/en/P...erminals/Pin-Terminals-and-Adapters/c/2146657

That was my initial thought as well, but they don't go down to a #8 pin size.

Why do you want to use a 30A breaker if you are using 3AWG wire?
A new breaker probably isn't going to cost you much more than the required connectors to adapt #3 to #8 wire.

If you are set on the 30A breaker, you'll need a reducing splice.
http://ecat.burndy.com/Comergent/burndy/product/BISR2

There are compression options for reducing splices as well if you have the required tooling.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The pin reducers take special crimpers, with the correct dies to do the job.
These only take a screwdriver, about a foot of the right wire to fit the breaker lugs,and some tape to insulate them.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blackbu...rier-Wire-Stop-2-Pack-ASR0214-B2-10/100172350

 

[matt_i]

I would suggest putting in the 2" conduit right now (which you will definitely need later)

Pull in #10awg for now.

When the need shows up, then you can pull your #2/3awg, using the #10s as pull-strings more or less.

 

[benchracer1]

i want to stay with the 30 amp for my mig welder. The manual calls for 30 amp. I generally use my tig welder at pretty low amperage as well. Just given the chance that i may need to do some higher amperage stuff at some point I would like to have the heavier wire in place and if needed i could stick a 100 amp breaker in place for the job then return to the 30 amp...Steve

 

[The Cobbler]

do it once, install a 100 amp breaker .

 

[benchracer1]

i guess i was concerned about having protection for my mig welder, thus the 30 amp breaker.....steve

 

[The Cobbler]

the protection for the welder is the breaker in the garage that serves that circuit

 

[benchracer1]

Exactly. Thats why i want to protect that circuit with the 30 amp breaker but have heavy enough wire that if i ever do need the 100 amp in place its there. ....steve

 

[mike93lx]

Unless you are doing really specialized things or have an incredibly long run, you will never, at any point, need a 3 gauge feeder for a welder. That is just ridiculous.

 

[benchracer1]

the tig welder calls out for 100 amp breaker. I assume this is for operation at max. output. what size wire would be adequate for a welder in this configuration? I have no problem going with a bit smaller wire. i was just going by the ampacity charts. I have about a 40 ft run from box to outlet. ....steve

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Welder circuits have special allowances that are dependent on duty cycle ratings of the welder.

Which model welder do you have?

That is what to start with then use table 630.11A to size the wire.

https://www.ecmweb.com/qampa/code-qa-45

 

[benchracer1]

i have the miller synchrowave 250. Unfortunately i dont have the specs with me. Im on the road for a few days.....Steve

 

[benchracer1]

I just reread the miller manual and from what i can see it looks like #6 wire will support the 100 amp breaker if necesary. i guess that is what ill go with. Thanks guys

 

[rlitman]

I just reread the miller manual and from what i can see it looks like #6 wire will support the 100 amp breaker if necesary. i guess that is what ill go with. Thanks guys

No, it won't. Not in your situation.

You're running power to an out-building, which will have an electrical panel. The wire supplying that panel does not follow the requirements that can be used for a welder.

Now, if the wire you were running were dedicated to the welder, then yes, a 6AWG wire could have that 100A breaker, BUT then you wouldn't be able to tap into it and put in things like lights.

So, instead, if you were to run a 6AWG wire, it would get something like a 50A (or 60A depending on the wire) breaker. However, if you chose to run 3AWG wire to the garage panel, and used a 100A breaker for that, you COULD then run 6AWG wire to the welder, and use a 100A breaker for that too.

 

[benchracer1]

I'm sorry if I confused things. The subpanel is 125 Amps supplied by 1/0 wire. The welder circuit is indeed a dedicated circuit.

 

[rlitman]

I'm sorry if I confused things. The subpanel is 125 Amps supplied by 1/0 wire. The welder circuit is indeed a dedicated circuit.

Oh, excellent. Then you're spot on. 6 AWG would be just fine for the welder.

 

[sberry]

Run 2 circuits. Once you size a breaker for a heavier machine it's no good for the smaller one that is limited to 50A. The manual is slightly confusing. The 30A is when the minimum of 14 wire is used, 12 or better may actually use 50,,,, the max breaker is the plug that comes on the machine. The 30 won't hurt anything, would limit it's use for small ****** stick if that mattered.
Having said that an ideal circuit for the little one is a 10/30. It gives them all the help they can get from the circuit and leaves some room for a breaker change if needed.
Another thing,,,, and I am aware there are other ways but,,, run separate pipes if it's practical for welders especially for undersize wire. The minimums are for single circuit in pipe, it's way less confusing and I agree,,,, run a circuit for the machine you have, leave means for future speculation. Most of the future proofing I ever did never really worked out, plans changed. Even technology changed.

 

[sberry]

Not all 100A in welders allow 6,, they are specific. Lower duty machines do, some allow 8, some 2. Save all this mental ************, wire what you need now, cross that other bridge IF or when you come to it.

 

[benchracer1]

I guess what im going to do is run the 6 wire as per the miller recomendations and go ahead and put the 100 amp breaker in there. 90 % of the time im using the tig anyway

 

[sberry]

Ok, that is a dedicated circuit for that machine, not smaller welders that are limited to 50A circuits.

 

[PT Doc]

This company should have a connector. This is not the connector you need just wanted to show you the brand.

https://www.zoro.com/polaris-insulated-multitap-connector-112-in-w-it-4ab/i/G4081813/