Arc welder on 13amp plug

[wonderweld]

I have bought a 160 amp arc welder for occasional use at home.

The problem I have is that as soon as I exceed 100 amps or so, the 13 amp fuse in the plug blows after about an inch run of welding.

I have read that you can use up to 130 amps on a standard household plug, but that's not working for me.

Can I increase the fuse loading in the 13 amp plug without putting the house wiring at risk, or do I need to have a commercial socket fitted at the meter board?

Thanks for any help with this.

[Wyoming]

130 amps on a regular household plug...you've been reading some mighty bad information. 15-20 amps max on a typical 120v outlet. You should be able to run a 130 amp welder off a 120v outlet though. Sounds like your breaker may be getting old and popping off on you at less than its regular setting or you have some bad wiring connections in the run.

Do yourself a favor and spec the wiring for the welder to a fully rated run for your welder...including the proper breaker, outlet and wire gauge. Its an easy enough owner performed job and you'll be able to use your welder to its full potential without worrying about the consequences.

[usmcpop]

Fuse, in a plug? 13 amps? Don't be upgrading anything until you tell us more about your voltage, wiring fuse/panel and "plug". What are the welder specs?

[wonderweld]

Thanks for the reply - but I'm in the UK, so on 240v.

I'm not sure what difference that makes though.

[Wyoming]

Alright, UK with decent power right out of the gate!!! Still need to know your welder's electrical specs. I'd also still say go to the rated specs with your wiring run, plug and breaker/fuse and be done with the drama of it all. It is sounding a bit more like you may have some corrosion problems in your wiring if you're popping a breaker on a 220 circuit with a 160 amp welder. Maybe a can of electrical contact cleaner and torquing down on the wiring lugs would get you up and running.

[wonderweld]

It's the fuse in the plug on the welder lead that keeps blowing, not the trip at the meter board.

Sorry, it sounds as if I have asked on the wrong board.

But thanks for trying anyway.

[usmcpop]

Gotcha! I see about the 13A fuse about halfway down on the page here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring_(UK)

[fjk]

It's the fuse in the plug on the welder lead that keeps blowing, not the trip at the meter board.

Sorry, it sounds as if I have asked on the wrong board.

But thanks for trying anyway.

Nope -- the folks here can help. But most all of us
are from the US or Canada, so a few extra questions
should be expected...

Anyway, the most important part ... what are the specs for your
welding machine? How much current is it supposed to draw? This
info should be in the manual, stamped on the machine someplace,
or available at the manufacturer's web site.

If that says that the machine should draw less than 13a at 240v,
then you seem to have a problem someplace. There could be
a fault in the machine someplace, or a fault in the fuse or
plug. Check to see that the fuse is truly a 13a fuse (or did
someone put something else in at some point in time?).

If the machine's specs say that the machine should draw more than 13a
then you need to do some house re-wiring :D

DO NOT put a larger fuse in the plug unless you know with certainty
that the wiring can accept the load ... and from your question, I'd
say that you don't know...

You could install a new socket for the welding machine - but
install it where you weld. But I'd do this only if the existing
sockets end up being inappropriate. If you do, make sure that
you follow all the appropriate codes and regulations.