Connecting my new welder to supply

[DevilDriver]

Just bought a butt load of workshop equipment, a new Compressor and spraying equipment, Clarke MIG etc and im dying to get started.

The mig is a Clarke MIG160TM Turbo, it came with no power supply (just a bare 3 core lead). It stated that you cant just use a standard household 13A plug which is no surprise and also suggested an RCD. I would ideally like to have the welder to be relatively mobile to use it at various locations around the yard. Outside we have a round 3 pin weatherproof outlet (the type of connection you would see at a caravan park), could I just wire in a caravan plug and connect it to this? What about the RCD side of things?

Any info is much appreciated. Cheers.

 

[brightspark]

Just bought a butt load of workshop equipment, a new Compressor and spraying equipment, Clarke MIG etc and im dying to get started.

The mig is a Clarke MIG160TM Turbo, it came with no power supply (just a bare 3 core lead). It stated that you cant just use a standard household 13A plug which is no surprise and also suggested an RCD. I would ideally like to have the welder to be relatively mobile to use it at various locations around the yard. Outside we have a round 3 pin weatherproof outlet (the type of connection you would see at a caravan park), could I just wire in a caravan plug and connect it to this? What about the RCD side of things?

Any info is much appreciated. Cheers.

your round pin outdoor socket should be wired to a 16 amp mcb or fuse back at the distribution board . if u havent got an rcd device fitted just break the cable in the line and fit either a 30 amp or a 60 amp double pole rccd with a 30 milliamp trip with enclosure .there only about 20 quid or less

 

[chunkolini]

I ran mine on a 13amp fuse for about 6 years with no problems

 

[madkayaker]

The RCD is an **** covering statement as the risk from welders is quite low as the output is isolated from earth. However any power tool used outside should really be RCD protected. My advice would be to get one of these http://cpc.farnell.com/jojo/521935/in-line-rcd-unit/dp/PL02597?in_merch=Products From This Range (I know it says 13A and the plugs are 16A but I don't see that being an issue unless you start running multi things through it) and make an adaptor that plugs in to the socket then you plug into the output of this and get in the habit of using all tools through it!



Of course the best opting is to get a spark in to fit RCD to all outlets but that's going to get costly I bet

 

[DevilDriver]

Ok let me get this straight in my head, I have a lead made up already, it connects to the outdoor caravan socket at one side via a male round 3pin outdoor plug, and then has a standard three pin plug socket at the other end. Its safe enough, i have ran compressors, grinders, drills etc off it in the past and it works perfectly. If i buy that in-line rcd shown above could i split the cable near the socket side and patch it in, and then fit a standard 3-pin plug to the welder and connect it this way?

 

[madkayaker]

That's it.

 

[keith19]

That should be fine. If you are welding too long at the top end of the range either your rcd will trip or your 13 amp fuse in the plug will blow.
When this has happened to me it's usually the fuse that has blown, so keep a few replacements handy.

If it's a long lead you're using, 2.5mm cable (blue caravan cable) is better than the thinner 1.6mm which is usually sold as extension cable. You can just fit the 2.5 cable into a 13 amp plug. Get a good-quality 13 amp plug if you can, and same with the 13 amp fuses. Cheap fuses seem to blow more quickly than top brand ones, even though they are supposed to be the same spec.

 

[brightspark]

the rcd will only trip if there is an earth fault present.even if u use 16 amp plugs u still plug in to a 13 amp socket so 13 amp is the top end of power supply . so in other words u might as well plug it in to any 13 amp socket

 

[DevilDriver]

Thank you so much, i'll bosh that together tomorrow.

Cheers lads!