Handymig tripping out - not handy !

[jedrock]

Hi
I have been using a SIP Handymig for the past 10 years without fault, no honestly !
Anyway, at the moment I am building a mini and was welding some brackets up when, the power light went off and the trip in my garage went off. Reset it and as soon as the welder sparked up, it tripped again.
Any ideas ?

 

[shenion]

Most likely one of the rectifier diodes has gone out.

 

[madkayaker]

sounds like its dead. When you say trip what do you mean MCB or RCD? And welcome from just south of the haggis line

 

[jedrock]

MCB. Sometimes it trips as soon as it arcs, but last night I tried it and it welded great for a minute or so, then when I stopped and started again it tripped straight away !

 

[madkayaker]

that's the inrush from the welder sounds like you need to upgrade the supply

 

[brightspark]

MCB. Sometimes it trips as soon as it arcs, but last night I tried it and it welded great for a minute or so, then when I stopped and started again it tripped straight away !

what size breaker have u thats tripping eg a 16 amp or a 20 amp also what type is it. a- b type or a c type .and what is the input current rating of welder ps there is the posibility of the trip being worn and on its limit

 

[Wozzaaah]

that's the inrush from the welder sounds like you need to upgrade the supply

It's a Handymig MK, not a 300A industrial set.
He also says he's been using it for TEN years without any problems.

 

[madkayaker]

but has he been using it on that supply for 10 years. A mig could and would trip a breaker

 

[jedrock]

Correct ! Started to suspect the supply so took the welder to the house and plugged it into a socket on the same line as the garage with a 32a mcb and hey presto, welds fine The mcb in the garage is only 16A, well 32A from this afternoon !, and all is good. The garage has only been built for a year, but even so, I have done 7 months resto work on a mini project with no probs. Just been right on the edge all this time I guess.
Anyway, the handymig lives on
Thanks for the help

 

[madkayaker]

have you checked that the cable is suitable to take a bigger breaker? would be really bad to have worked out how to get the welder to work and then burn the garage down!

See Woz i do know electrics

 

[Wozzaaah]

That's got to be a dodgy MCB then surely? A diddy little handymig wouldn't draw much on full power, let alone the low settings you'll be welding a tin-foil mini on.
Remember that the fuse at 13 amps is a weaker link than a 16A MCB....unless the plug top doesn't have a fuse in it for some unknown reason but has something else where the fuse used to be?

 

[brightspark]

Correct ! Started to suspect the supply so took the welder to the house and plugged it into a socket on the same line as the garage with a 32a mcb and hey presto, welds fine The mcb in the garage is only 16A, well 32A from this afternoon !, and all is good. The garage has only been built for a year, but even so, I have done 7 months resto work on a mini project with no probs. Just been right on the edge all this time I guess.
Anyway, the handymig lives on
Thanks for the help

there was a 16 amp in garage but now u have changed to a 30 amp if the cable size to your socket that u plug welder into is only wired in 2.5mm cable u can only uprate the breaker to a 20 amp . if its wired in 4.0mm then u can uprate to a 30

 

[Wozzaaah]

See Woz i do know electrics

I know you do MK.....I just wasn't sure if you knew handymigs!

 

[madkayaker]

there is different characteristic between a fuse and a breaker. E.g. my 3.3kva transformer has a run current of 10a but on start p will trip a 16B. that is due to the inrush current required to excite the transformer as it s a inductive load.

 

[brightspark]

I know you do MK.....I just wasn't sure if you knew handymigs!

the thing is whats the rating of the welder. great running on a 30 if the ratings only 16 to 18 amp

 

[Wozzaaah]

I still wouldn't expect a welder that small to trip a healthy 16A mcb though would you?
Do you see many MCBs fail? I don't imagine they last forever though you do see some quite old ones still in use.

 

[Wozzaaah]

the thing is whats the rating of the welder. great running on a 30 if the ratings only 16 to 18 amp

I think around 11A maximum draw BS. They're very small machines, I think only about 80 or 90 amps output.

 

[madkayaker]

i have only ever come across one. My stick set is rated to 3KW but that will occasionally trip a 16B. If there was excessive VD to the garage that ill increase the current used by the mig. I have seen old style breakers weld on then catch fire.

 

[brightspark]

I still wouldn't expect a welder that small to trip a healthy 16A mcb though would you?
Do you see many MCBs fail? I don't imagine they last forever though you do see some quite old ones still in use.

i see the odd one not many but i dont know the current draw of his welder all i would do is use my clamp on ameter check inrush current and running current to confirm what the problem is

 

[Robotstar5]

Do you see many MCBs fail? I don't imagine they last forever though you do see some quite old ones still in use.

Not seen many MCB's fail, recently had periodic inspection done at work and 4 RCD's failed on trip time