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bigdaddyjak

welder install

bigdaddyjak
16 years ago

I recently purchased a small welder. It came with no plug for the power supply. It shows a pic of the wire and says use a 3 prong, 220 VAC , polarized, twistlock plug. That part is not a problem . I have to run about a 20' wire. its says to use a 20amp breaker. Will I be OK using 12-2 for this considering 12-2 is rated @ 20 amps , this is a fairly short distance, and it is a small welder ?? Also The wire coming out of my welder has 3 wires , a black, white and green wire, the green has a tab around it with the letters PE on it ? I dont Know what the PE stands for ? My next question can I run the white and black from the 12-2 to each of the breakers (for 220)then the bare to the nuteral bar ? Then the Black and green from the welder to the black and white from my 12-2 , and white to the bare wire that runs to the nuteral. Thanks ahead of time. Im not totally stupid, I have wired my dryer and range and do some stuff around the house, I just dont want to fry my new welder. Again thanks.

Comments (5)

  • cobraguy
    16 years ago

    Does the welder have the option of being 120V or 240V? I'm wondering if that is why they have a black and white wire from the welder. I'm also not sure what PE means. This is what I know...and I'm not the definitive answer here. A 20A circuit with 12/2 for that short a run from your main panel should be adequate. I don't believe the bare ground wire goes to the neutral bar. It goes to the grounding bar. A 220V circuit like this doesn't use a neutral. Then you just hook up the black and white wires from the 12/2 to the same from your welder.

  • brickeyee
    16 years ago

    Just use a 20 A 240 V plug and receptacle.
    You do not need a twist lock (and they are pretty expensive).
    #12 is fine on a 20 amp circuit.

    "I'm wondering if that is why they have a black and white wire from the welder. "

    The black and white are the 240 V hot legs, the green is the safety (groundING) conductor. Just like running any other 2 conductor (plus ground) cable for permanent wiring.

    "I don't believe the bare ground wire goes to the neutral bar. It goes to the grounding bar. "

    In a main panel neutral (groundED) and ground (groundING) bars are exactly the same and wires may be landed on them as you wish.

    In a sub-panel the ground bar and neutral bare ARE separate and the conductors must be landed on the correct bar.

  • bigdaddyjak
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    yes, you guys are rite, I meant the ground bar. That was what I was thinking brickeyee,just a 20 220 receptacle. as long as the wires I hook from the welder go to the same wires that run to the breakers and to the ground correct? A main concern, Is should the green and black from the welder go to the breakers, and the white goto the ground, ????? Again Thanks guys.

  • normel
    16 years ago

    The BLACK and the WHITE should go to the breaker and to the blades of the plug. The green should go to the grounding bus and to the "D" shaped part of the plug. The white should be remarked with a marker or tape to signify it is hot.

    I would double check that the welder is indeed 220V and not 120V.

  • dozer
    16 years ago

    I have found 2 refereneces to "PE". One was "potential earth" and the other "protective earth". Doesn;t really make a diff; both are references that make this a "grounding" circuit.

    I have seen this designation before and it is definately a "grounding" conductor. The last machine I saw it on was a german turret lather. I suspect it is a European standard designation.

    If you have a continuity tester or ohm meter, it would be good to check continuity between "PE" and the machine chassis. That would assure you that it was wired correctly (at least for that part) at the factory. I have seen mistakes in both literature (most common) and in the actual wiring of machines in machines from overseas.