Intro welders and 220v questions

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Which model number did you order? Some of those 110 models often need a 30-amp circuit.
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TOOLIOM 135A Gasless Flux Core MIG Welder 110V​

Model on the welder itself says “TL-135m pro”

The welder isn’t going to get to me for 3-4 weeks, so if I need to cancel the order I have time. I didnt see anything online about it not working on 20amp breaker but I could have missed something.
 
so by that does this mean it won’t work at all on a 20amp breaker? Or that the machine outputs 32.5amps?
 
This is what I get off that label:
In the MIG setting, it outputs 20.7V at 135 amps.
The bottom line appears to show U-1 (input voltage) 50-60Hz 110VAC , and I-1 (Primary amperage draw) at 42A max and 32.5 A eff(?). I am guessing eff is the normal or efficient draw???

Their 135 stick-only unit draws 25.5 amps. I finally found one place where they gave the amperage of te 135 gasless as 19.5amps. That would require a 25 amp breaker.
 
I have been seeing mixed things in reviews about it running on 20amps. Some people say it works fine just with short duty cycle, some say it trips their breaker.
 
Input current on that welder is 19.3 amps per the manual. They're made to run on a 20A 110V circuit. It'll work. Just make sure your circuit is actually wired for 20Amps, not just a 20amp breaker. A 20amp plug looks like the mirror image of that 20Amp220 you showed. I had a short 20Amp stub right off the circuit box with the proper outlet wired into my garage to handle the Miller 110. It worked fine. Bear in mind, too, how far you are from the breaker. If you're a long run from that breaker, you'll heat that wire up and pop the breaker all the sooner.
 
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fitzo said:
Input current on that welder is 19.3 amps per the manual. They're made to run on a 20A 110V circuit. It'll work. Just make sure your circuit is actually wired for 20Amps, not just a 20amp breaker. A 20amp plug looks like the mirror image of that 20Amp220 you showed. I had a short 20Amp stub right off the circuit box with the proper outlet wired into my garage to handle the Miller 110. It worked fine. Bear in mind, too, how far you are from the breaker. If you're a long run from that breaker, you'll heat that wire up and pop the breaker all the sooner.
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I’ll double check my outlets in the morning.
 
running bird said:
I have been seeing mixed things in reviews about it running on 20amps. Some people say it works fine just with short duty cycle, some say it trips their breaker.
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Wouldn't that depend on what amperage the welder is set to run? Max setting would require max amp breaker, while a lower setting of perhaps 70 amps welding requiring less amperage from breaker?
 
I double checked every outlet in the garage again. They all look like standard 15a 110v outlets (except for the 20a 250v outlet). At least I have a total of 11 double outlets all around the garage.

I might consider just talking to the landlord and seeing if she would be ok with me paying to have an electrician (or an electrician she trusts) install a dedicated 20a outlet close to the breaker box on its own circuit. I imagine it would not be too expensive considering there is lots of wall space around the breaker box and there’s no dry wall in the garage just studs. The breaker box looks like it has 2 slots not being occupied by a breaker that are free.
 
As another option would it be possible to use an up&down converter on the 20a-250v outlet to run the welder off of? Stepping the voltage down to 110v but still with the 20amp fixture and breaker. Or is something like that not safe to do with a welder?
 
You need to check the wire at the fuse box to know what you can do with the 220 outlet.
If the 220-volt breaker is wired with a 12-gauge cable with a neutral wire and ground ... you can convert the outlet to a 110V-20A circuit. If so, follow these instructions:

WITH THE BREAKER OFF - Remove old 220V receptacle. Cap off one hot wire. Using the remaining live wire and neutral and ground, install a 110V-20A socket and you are done. The circuit can later be changed back to 220V in minutes. The new receptacle should be a NEMA 5-20R, IIRC.
You may have to change the plug on your welder to a 5-20P.

If any of this does not make sense, ask an electrician friend to help you.
 
If he goes that way, the breaker needs to be changed to a single pole. It’s against code to run 110 off a double pole breaker. You can do it but if something were to happen it’s on you not your insurance company.
 
bladegrinder said:
If he goes that way, the breaker needs to be changed to a single pole. It’s against code to run 110 off a double pole breaker. You can do it but if something were to happen it’s on you not your insurance company.
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I’m not sure if it’s double pole. There aren’t any linked breakers on the Garage’s breaker box. I could be wrong though as there are a few switches on the breaker that aren’t labeled. I checked the outlets with a little live wire checker and it lit up in every outlet in the garage (including that 220v outlet) just to make sure everything was actually connected since I haven’t used some of these outlets yet.

Is there a possibility that outlet is still double pole even if its two breakers’ switches aren’t linked? (My imgur link on page 1 should show the breaker box as second picture)
 
Anything is possible, there’s no telling who did what over the years. Ever heard of putting a penny behind a screw in fuse? I actually saw this years ago, I was working on a panel at an old timers house and unscrewed a blown fuse, there was a nickel behind it. This guy was blind and said his son must have done it.
 
Runningbird - you would likely have to remove the cover plate over the breakers to see if it is a single or double pole.

Bladegrinder - You are correct. Code says you should remove one hot leg at the breaker and cap it off and change the breaker to a single pole 20 amp to meet code.
Depending on the local code about wire colors and what is in the breaker box ... If needed, the removed wire could be tired to the neutral buss and used as a neutral if the old circuit was only 220 with ground. Again, any electrician would quickly determine what can and can't be done.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Runningbird - you would likely have to remove the cover plate over the breakers to see if it is a single or double pole.

Bladegrinder - You are correct. Code says you should remove one hot leg at the breaker and cap it off and change the breaker to a single pole 20 amp to meet code.
Depending on the local code about wire colors and what is in the breaker box ... If needed, the removed wire could be tired to the neutral buss and used as a neutral if the old circuit was only 220 with ground. Again, any electrician would quickly determine what can and can't be done.
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Ok cool! thank you

If it turns out to be double pole I’ll talk to the landlord first about an electrician since poking around in a breaker box I technically don’t own probably isn’t the best idea.

If it’s single and I can just swap out the outlet I’ll see if she’s ok with me doing it since I at least know how to hook up wires to a 110v outlet. Shes been fine with me working on other stuff around the house so I don’t think she’ll have a problem with that one. I’ll take a closer look at the wires running to that outlet next time I’m in the garage, from last I checked it all seems to be 12ga but I’ll try to be 100% sure first

Thanks for explaining this stuff guys, its making more sense to me now
 
runningbird,
Your statements about the breaker and wiring tell me you need someone else to help you. If it is a 220 breaker, it isn't a "single". Before doing anything at te outlet you need to do things at the breakers.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
runningbird,
Your statements about the breaker and wiring tell me you need someone else to help you. If it is a 220 breaker, it isn't a "single". Before doing anything at te outlet you need to do things at the breakers.
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Got it, I’ll leave the breaker for a professional then. When I looked in the breaker for the house yesterday I saw that the larger amp breakers were joined. In groups of 2. I figured that mean they were the larger voltage breakers. I didn’t see that in the garage breaker box for this 220v outlet. I guess that’s where I confused myself.
 
One of the double pole breakers in the house might feed the panel on the garage, but like Stacey said you don’t sound to sure of yourself around electricity. You best be careful and sure of yourself, you might find a retired electrician on Craigslist that would be happy to get you squared away at a reasonable cost.
 
Just an update. Checked the garage breaker box this morning using my voltage detector on all the outlets. Mostly since I don’t know what half these switches are even sending power to. The bottom switch on the left side of the panel controls that 220 outlet.
 
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