Welder Extension Cord.

[ToolBoxTavern]

Its 240 volt

Um.... 230 volt.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

I agree it was really more of a look what I did, discuss thread.

Sure it'll work. but for how long.

Honestly probably would have been alot easier just to commonize plugs in my opinion.

True. Thanx for the reply.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

its often not the individual who put it together that ends up getting injured from a contraption like this.

True. So what should I change on it?

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

The answer to that is in the better posts above. I'm NOT a licensed electrician, but I do my best to always follow code.

If I were you I'd either dump the second box, or do the proper pigtails at an absolute minimum. But the answers were given as requested...

What is the proper way to tie them together?

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

I've built leads just like that, minus the double-ended contraption.

In a working shop, they are no good for the reasons already stated. Without a proper cable grip on the box, the wire ends WILL pull out of the back of the receptacle. I had one go overnight for no reason at all. Examined it the next morning, an entire conductor had come undone. I figure it got loose during the day and the stiffness of the wire itself was it's undoing in the night. But it only takes one individual strand. Those boxes also admit quite a bit of grinding dust and slag.

And those plastic male plugs are not without flaw either, if the built in cable clamp is cheesy plastic, the cable will eventually loosen and then it's only being held in by the set screws holding the conductors. The individual strands begin to fray, and then one day when you go to pull the plug, pop!

Been there, done that. Pass.

In industry we do it because it's expedient, and we can get away with it because your typical industrial environment is designed to tolerate such laziness. The wiring is large gauge, in metal conduit. The buildings are usually metal and intended to contain chaos such as welding, and the work spaces are usually clear of immediate fire hazards.

A typical home garage has none of those inherent advantages and will not tolerate much with regards to fire and electricity.

Would it be okay for a home shop? Maybe.

Do people do it and not have any problems? Sure.

Would I do it in my own home shop? No. If ever something DOES happen, any homeowners ins. will be void the second it's discovered. No thanks.

What do I use? Hubble twist locks. Yes, expensive. But you can get generic 30A twist locks for about the same money as the bladed connectors and have a connection that is better in multitude of ways.

Wow. Well said.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

+1, if you ever have a fire better get in there and get rid of that before the inspector shows up. It is possible to plug 2 devices into your cable at the same time and I know you said you wouldn't ever do it but it is possible. The proper set up where I am requires a tran$fer $witch that you have to throw to switch from one plug to the other. Much easier and cheaper to commonize your plugs and just unplug one and plug the other in when you want to switch as has been stated.

I may get rid of one female, but I'm not sure that would make anyone here happy. What is the difference between this and a homemade 115v with 4 plugs on the end of a cord? I havent done that, but I know some people.

 

[PT Doc]

What this design fails to do is protect from 2 devices being plugged and in and being turned "on" at the same time. The maker of this cord might say that he would never have both on at the same time but it is physically possible with this setup to actually try to run both at same time.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

What this design fails to do is protect from 2 devices being plugged and in and being turned "on" at the same time. The maker of this cord might say that he would never have both on at the same time but it is physically possible with this setup to actually try to run both at same time.

Well said. Thanx for the reply.

 

[mrb]

I may get rid of one female, but I'm not sure that would make anyone here happy. What is the difference between this and a homemade 115v with 4 plugs on the end of a cord? I havent done that, but I know some people.

get rid of one female. Replace the box with a FS box or at a minimum weatherproof box. Use a stainless cover. Replace the romex clamp with a proper cord grip. A couple inches back from the receptacle strip off a 1/2" section of the insulation on the ground wire. Use a crimp sleeve (copper color made by ideal, found in lowes/hd where the small packs of wire nuts are hanging. model 412 i think. its crimped with the crimp die at the bottom of some linesman pliers) to attach a #10 green jumper. Put a ring terminal on the #10 jumper and put it under the box's grounding screw.

edit: the 4 receptacles on the end of a cord is not ok either, unless its a proper pendant box. Boxes with knockouts on the end of a cord = no.

 

[mrb]

What this design fails to do is protect from 2 devices being plugged and in and being turned "on" at the same time. The maker of this cord might say that he would never have both on at the same time but it is physically possible with this setup to actually try to run both at same time.

that doesnt matter. you can even buy wye adapters. its up to the operator to not run both at once.

 

[Outlawmws]

I may get rid of one female, but I'm not sure that would make anyone here happy. What is the difference between this and a homemade 115v with 4 plugs on the end of a cord? I havent done that, but I know some people.

Glad to see you are rethinking some of this.

Leaving the box type out of it, with several receptacles it is in code to have several outlets on one CB as the code people know you won't run them all at once, (generally) and most of those will draw a fraction of what it is rated for.

220/230/240V is a different animal.

Usually a heavy draw device is required to be on dedicated circuit. your 2 outlets on the end of that extension violates that.

Take a look at your home's CB box. one CB for the range, one for the dryer, only ONE outlet for each...

If you have a Spa lets say, that will also require a dedicated circuit, and the draw of the one device will max out its capacity. The driver id it's intended use. Drawing a parallel to another low level use is apples and oranges.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

get rid of one female. Replace the box with a FS box or at a minimum weatherproof box. Use a stainless cover. Replace the romex clamp with a proper cord grip. A couple inches back from the receptacle strip off a 1/2" section of the insulation on the ground wire. Use a crimp sleeve (copper color made by ideal, found in lowes/hd where the small packs of wire nuts are hanging. model 412 i think. its crimped with the crimp die at the bottom of some linesman pliers) to attach a #10 green jumper. Put a ring terminal on the #10 jumper and put it under the box's grounding screw.

edit: the 4 receptacles on the end of a cord is not ok either, unless its a proper pendant box. Boxes with knockouts on the end of a cord = no.

Great information. Thanx for the reply.

 

[ToolBoxTavern]

Glad to see you are rethinking some of this.

Leaving the box type out of it, with several receptacles it is in code to have several outlets on one CB as the code people know you won't run them all at once, (generally) and most of those will draw a fraction of what it is rated for.

220/230/240V is a different animal.

Usually a heavy draw device is required to be on dedicated circuit. your 2 outlets on the end of that extension violates that.

Take a look at your home's CB box. one CB for the range, one for the dryer, only ONE outlet for each...

If you have a Spa lets say, that will also require a dedicated circuit, and the draw of the one device will max out its capacity. The driver id it's intended use. Drawing a parallel to another low level use is apples and oranges.

So if I had one female and not two this would work?

The only thing code says to me is to protect the home owner from the work done and the company from the home owner.

 

[mrb]

220/230/240V is a different animal.

Usually a heavy draw device is required to be on dedicated circuit. your 2 outlets on the end of that extension violates that.

Take a look at your home's CB box. one CB for the range, one for the dryer, only ONE outlet for each...

more made up code..... none of this applies to the OP's application. Voltage doesnt matter, if utilization equipment (appliance, welder, machine, whatever) is fixed in place and draws more than 50% of the circuit ampacity then it has to be on a dedicated circuit. Portable equipment has no such requirement.

 

[Outlawmws]

more made up code..... none of this applies to the OP's application. Voltage doesnt matter, if utilization equipment (appliance, welder, machine, whatever) is fixed in place and draws more than 50% of the circuit ampacity then it has to be on a dedicated circuit. Portable equipment has no such requirement.

I said usually; a welder WILL draw more than 50% of the circuit; and IMHO a welder is not generally "portable". Sorry, not seeing your point in this case.

 

[mrb]

I said usually; a welder WILL draw more than 50% of the circuit; and IMHO a welder is not generally "portable". Sorry, not seeing your point in this case.

unless its a big stationary welder that cant be moved its portable. in the OP's case, he is using an extension cord to a welding cart that is obviously portable.

for example: an air compressor thats bolted to the floor, or sitting in one place, hard piped to the building and never moves is stationary and needs its own circuit. An air compressor on wheels with a hose is portable and doesnt need its own circuit. In your kitchen a built in 1500w microwave needs its own circuit, but a 1500w microwave sitting on the counter does not.

 

[Outlawmws]

unless its a big stationary welder that cant be moved its portable. in the OP's case, he is using an extension cord to a welding cart that is obviously portable.

for example: an air compressor thats bolted to the floor, or sitting in one place, hard piped to the building and never moves is stationary and needs its own circuit. An air compressor on wheels with a hose is portable and doesnt need its own circuit. In your kitchen a built in 1500w microwave needs its own circuit, but a 1500w microwave sitting on the counter does not.

OK, point taken, however the welder is still going to draw more than 50% off the circuit.

And I think a realistic view has to be taken (regardless of "legality") on what is portable. For example, my compressor is on wheels. This is NOT a 20 gallon Sears compressor. It is an 80 gallon horizontal tank, and is intended to be bolted down, no matter if I stuck shopping cart wheels under it... (True story) At my old hose, it was plumbed into a piping system in the garage, I didn't hard pipe it, I used a flexible whip. Technically it doesn't need a dedicated circuit? The electronics are in fact identical to your stationary air compressor example.

I see a welder the same, an AC/DC buzz box is pretty portable, a 120V Mig is portable, Anything much bigger, and you are getting into "fixed status" even with wheels under it. Even my 120V Mig should have a dedicated 20A circuit (says so right on the welder), as if anything else is on, it will pop the circuit breaker. Hell, I've popped it on a dedicated circuit

The Codes are there to guide you and set forth minimum requirements, but the electrician is still expected to do what's right, even if it is "technically legal"... True?