Wire size for feeding welder?

[Flatland Dave]

I have a piece of 10-3 G Non Metallic shielded cable type NM 600V that is almost long enough to where I would like to put my welder in the shop.

Two questions:

Is this wire suitable for this application?
Can I have multiple (2) receptacles on this circuit?

 

[sberry]

No multiples with that wire, you may be able to run 2 wires from the same breaker under some circumstances.

 

[Flatland Dave]

Thanks. Dang wire is about 10' too short. What's another $100...

Plenty of space in the panel.

 

[Strouty]

What size welder are you planning on running? 10-3 is only good for 30 amps if I remember correctly. The further from your panel you go the larger the wire you will need.

 

[Zeke]

I run a couple of welders on 10 Ga. wire, one is a 180 amp TIG and the other is a Lincoln buzz box. I don't run either way up on amperage because I don't need to. I don't weld 1/2" plate.

You can run what you have into a junction box and then continue to your location with another piece or you could use a short extension cord; same difference with a little more utility on the cord.

AFA a second outlet, 30A circuits are supposed to be dedicated but if you are using the 2nd outlet as a secondary welding station to be used in lieu of the first and you label them, I think you can do this. Might not pass code, but if's safe enough.

You just can't have another device like a heater running of the same circuit. The breaker won't hold if both are in continuous used. That's the spirit of the code — why build something that won't work? Therefore, you can't according to the code.

 

[sberry]

If you used a number 6 wire with a 50A breaker you could overload it and it would trip the breaker. You could do it from 1 or 13 outlets similar to a 20A general 120 circuit. No matter how many heaters got plugged in even in different locations or further down the line the 20 would trip.

We in theory could splice 2 number 10 to a number 6 and apply a calculated load and not overheat the 6 or it would trip the breaker first. Under sized wire can be used with a dedicated outlet to specific equipment like the welder. A buzzer draws a little over 40A using 1/8 electrodes. Its rated in at out is 48.5 @ 20%. All my years never turned one up that far. Put meters on them a few times back in the day, new services are a couple volts hotter than they were. This loads a 10 wire to 85% or so at limited duty cycle, I don't know how long it would tske to feel a heat in a 10 cable,, a long time.

 

[sberry]

Thanks. Dang wire is about 10' too short. What's another $100...

Plenty of space in the panel.

You only need 2 current carrying or "ungrounded conductors" and a grounding conductor.

 

[sberry]

If you are running 200 class feeders, the compacts there is really no reason to put a breaker larger than a 30 on. Only reason for a 50 would be it would allow for a buzzer on occasion. If you don't plan on that then it doesn't matter.

You just can't have another device like a heater running of the same circuit. The breaker won't hold if both are in continuous used. That's the spirit of the code — why build something that won't work?

The breaker not holding isn't generally the concern but the potential to overheat the wire before the breaker trips on thermal.