Welding extension question 110v

[Desert Bred]

Have a 140hd Lincoln welder that if like to use only that I need it 160ft away from the nearest 20amp outlet.

Instead of using 10-2 romex with plugs on either end, AND because it's a one time job and in could use 12-2 wire...

Is it possible to run 2x 12-2 wire instead ?

 

[Soundguy]

are you asking if you can parallel 2 strands of 12-2 for higher capacity / lower loss? or are you wanting to know somehting else?

 

[k0ua]

Just make sure when you double up the wires you don't "cross polarity", otherwise you can test the "big bang" theory..

 

[Desert Bred]

Ok. Keeping polarity yes.

Higher capacity/lower loss... Not really. It's just the options are (keeping in mind it is a one off job)..
A) instead of 10-2 wire, using 2x 12-2 (so that, on one end for example, white and white / black and black/ ground and ground - attach to three respective terminals of a plug (male or female). Other end the same except opposite ***
Why? Because 500' of 12-2 can be utilized afterward for whatever application more than say 250' of 10-2 (at least around here).

B) using THHN cable 500', cut into 3x 150 feet. Positive, negative, ground.
I'm no electrician and wonder if that kind of cable can be wired into a regular 110v plug so I can plug it into a standard outlet (20amp).

Why? Well I learned that at 150', using a regular (maybe 14 gauge extension) to connect the welder, I could only get away with light tacking to keep up the gates I'm trying to weld.. And Im looking at alternatives to buying a 10gauge extension 2x @ 100' each and $100 each

 

[Inspector507]

It would really help to know the current draw of the welder. If, lets say it draws 10A, you would have a 4.23% voltage drop and you'd have 114V at the end of your "cord". If the welder draws 15A then you get a voltage drop of 6.35% and voltage reading of 112V. I figured 20A just for kicks and the voltage drop is 8.48% and voltage of 109.83V, outside of what I'd consider acceptable.

 

[Desert Bred]

Lincoln 140hd says using a 20 amp breaker is ok and I haven't popped it since using that breaker. And will be welding same type of metal and .35 wire. I'm shooting for the thhn wire 10 gauge, cut into 3 pieces for each : +,-, and ground. I can get 500' for 50$ I'm about to run the voltage drop online now



How are my settings ? Don't understand the phase so kept it at single

 

[blueriver]

How about a generator ??

 

[Desert Bred]

How about a generator ??

thought about that. Doing metal pickets 300 feet or so would be a pain starting stopping the generator but I'd do it if I could get one for less than 200

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Keep in mind as your volts drop your amps will go up significantly.

 

[Inspector507]

How are my settings ? Don't understand the phase so kept it at single

You don't have three conductors in parallel. You have single #10's. Changes it considerably.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Harbor Freight has a sale on their gensets now. It wouldn't take much generator to run a 110v welder on a 20 amp circuit, 3000 watt should do fine and would be within your budget.

 

[Soundguy]

i won't comment onthe suitability of THHN cable for your application.. however it's insulation appears rated at 600v from what i can find. Not sure what specs of the specific cable you ae intending to use though.

 

[Desert Bred]

Harbor Freight has a sale on their gensets now. It wouldn't take much generator to run a 110v welder on a 20 amp circuit, 3000 watt should do fine and would be within your budget.

ok single set of conductors drops me 6.19v down to 113v do-able? Also the generator .. 3000 watts will do you think?

 

[Inspector507]

In my opinion anything greater than 5% is questionable.

 

[newbury]

ok single set of conductors drops me 6.19v down to 113v do-able? Also the generator .. 3000 watts will do you think?

Just be sure your welder will run on an inexpensive generator, some fry.

 

[k0ua]

Lets see how this looks with 20 amp load and 155 feet one way distance:


Result
Voltage drop: 6.19
Voltage drop percentage: 5.16%
Voltage at the end: 113.81
OK this above is for No. 10 wire. Hot/black Neutral/white and Ground/bare


Now lets look at running 2 sets of No. 12 wire in parallel. So two black's together two white's together and two grounds together.

Result
Voltage drop: 4.92
Voltage drop percentage: 4.10%
Voltage at the end: 115.08
Please note that the result is an estimation based on normal condition. The actual voltage drop can vary depend on the condition of the wire, the conduit being used, the temperature, the connector, the frequency etc. But, in most cases, it will be very close.

So it looks to me you would be a bit better off to run 2 sets of No. 12 wires in parallel than the single No. 10 set.

 

[k0ua]

Here is what you do, find the center of your 310 foot of No. 12 wire and carefully open up the insulation, and carefully wrap your no. 12 wires as a loop around the plug screws. Then put an outlet box on the welder end, and you will be able to wrap under both sets of screws of a normal outlet in your box. Now you have a 155 foot extension cord, that will handle your load pretty well.

 

[yomax4]

Look at good quality used generators. Obtainable for a few hundred.

 

[Soundguy]

is this the point in the thread where it's ok to bring up a pto genset to keep it tractor related?

 

[Desert Bred]

Ok.i just read the conclusion of 2x 12-2 romex would be better. Then could've used it after the job to wire the stalls. Anyway, got in my car earlier to pick up some wire.sat there . Read some more replies about generators and looked on Craig's. Found one (UST (5500W) for $350. Got down to $250. Went down there wouldn't start. Gave him 200. Got it home and it purrs and powers the welder. Thank you guys for the insights and knowledge. You rock.