first things first - what type of plug

[rootesmaneuver]

Morning
hopefully a fairly easy question first thing in the morning

I recently got a parweld 171 and have got my gas turning up this morning and i have some time off from the kids so I want to have a bit of a go setting up my new toy.

There's no plug on the leccy lead and I'm not sure whether a standard household 3 pin plug will be ok. The lead is about twice the thickness of a normal household appliance. I've got a transformer 3KVA and was thinking I could use a 16a 'big yellow plug' (trade name?!) to run the welder from.

It's mainly going to be used for car bodywork so I wont be using it on full power but for the sake of a couple of quid for the 16a plug I thought it'd probably mean less trips to B&Q to buy new plugs and less time unsticking melted sockets.

Cheers
Jim

 

[gavuk]

I run my 180A thernal arc on a 3 pin plug ,not had a fuse blow yet ,i intend to change the plug eventually ,but blue is the normal colour for 240v ,yellow is normally used on 110v,i'm sure some proper sparks will be around later to give a more informed answer

 

[rtbcomp]

What Gav says, if you've got a big yellow transformer with a big yellow plug on it then it will be 110v.

In any event, using a transformer will not reduce the load on the mains.

What I've done for mine is to run a shower cable from a dedicated MCB in the consumer unit to the garage and fit a blue 16A plug on it.

You should be OK with a 13A plug on lower currents, but it's still not ideal as you won't be able to clamp the cable properly.

The 16A/32A type of plugs are better still because they're not fused and so less connections in the circuit. Fuse holders are notorious for failing under heat on high currents.

 

[rootesmaneuver]

Yellow = 110v
Blue = 240v
3year old super hero talking at me constantly since 6 am = dazed and confused

let's try again...
A heavy duty (shower or cooker ?) cable from its own MCB in the consumer unit running to a 240v (blue) hardwire socket fixed to the wall. Then a 240v blue plug on the welder leccy cable. Then either just plug and play or else get another longer cable to let me weld outside if it's not too windy or I can make a windbreak.

Although I suppose if I just had the shower cable running to a blue plug rather than one fixed to the wall I would have more freedom to move the welder around. Just thought of the wall mounted plug to keep it away from little hands.

jim

 

[Barking Mat]

The blue plugs are good, but if you have a trailing lead, and a three year old, watch out as there is no 'gate' like you have in the british 13amp plugs, my daughter was in the workshop t'other day and was fascinated by a female 3 phase plug, and fingers will fit in it. SAFETY FIRST. All my female sockets are not well out of reach of little fingers.

 

[Wozzaaah]

You can get interlocked switched Ceeform sockets. It's impossible to remove a plug without turning it off and impossible to turn it on without a plug inserted.

 

[madkayaker]

grey twin and earth must not be used for a flex cable. you want a bs4343 plug and socket socket fixed to the wall

 

[rosco454]

Taken from weldequips shop;

"it will operate from a 13 amp fused supply up to number 5 of it's 6 voltage settings. On the highest setting 6 it will blow a 13 amp fuse and requires a 16 amp supply"

I was looking at getting one (but found a barely used portamig for sale) and planned to run it from a 13 amp supply until I get round to getting a sparky in.

Cheers Ross.

 

[rootesmaneuver]

All this cos I did latin and not physics at school cos the teacher freaked me out!!

Think I'm getting there now though...
If I get a sparky (not me obviously!!) to fit a '16 Amp 240V 2P+E Socket Outlet (Female)' or even a 32amp one to the consumer unit on it's own mcb(fuse?) using some suitable cable, then all I have to do is put a '16 Amp 240V 2P+E Plug Inlet (Male)' or 32amp on the power cord of my welder and then plug it in. And then that should work? And be out of the way of little fingers.

I thought I'd run it from a 13amp plug when i ordered it but the cable is twice as thick as i was expecting and has connectors on the ends of the wires so I figured I'd just skip to getting a 16amp supply sorted straight away.

And I can't even speak a word of latin either
Cheers
Jim