10/2 wire question

[ampa]

I'm just going to change out the 15amp breaker for a 20 amp like I had planned and using the exsisting receptical that is already wired with 14/3 wire beside the main panel....it's the normal two plug in type....it was installed there for use in the small workshop area that the past tenent used with an extention power bar to run his electric power tools or whatever he had....I didn't use this receptical when I first tried out the 110 volt 125 Lincoln...it may not have tripped the 15 amp breaker....I don't want to use my 110 volt Lincoln mig welder down this basement cause it makes too many sparks...and makes burn spots on the cement floor...I could use it as is with the 15 amp breaker and just change out the exsisting 2 plug in to the single one I bought for it as the exsisting part with two plug ins.... one is cracked where someone before me has probley just yanked out a power tool at sometime.....the landlord told me he had that installed there for a small work area....If only I was able place pics of what I'm tryin' to do it would clear up a lot of this mystery.....but I don't know how ....my old trailer had 15 amp and 20 amp breakers and the whole trailer except the air conditioner was wired with the normal 14/3...this house has 3 or 4 15x2 = 30 amp....looks like they run up to the kitchen and maybe the bedrooms are heavy wired to use an air conditioner......which I have used one for the last two summers without any interruptions......so guys don't mention funneral homes and all that other stuff.....I know I mentioned my lady gets water on the basement floor but I don't have anything plugged into this receptical I'm mentioning of using for this welder of mine....and when and if I do....she's not allowed to use the washer and dryer when I'm doin' something in this so called basement workshop.....yes the past tenent built and left a couple of crude work benches for me to use....I'm in the process of makin' a steel work bench if I can get this welder to work outside.....so this is my story.....and I'm stickin' to it.......Ampa

 

[Diamondpilot]

20 amps is too much for 14/2 wire. 15 amp max. Get a electrician or someone who knows what they are doing before you burn you place down.

Chris

 

[ampa]

Hi Steve.....the red plastic coverd insulation 10/2 wire Lowes sold me on my recent trip only has the black and red the bare copper the main ground....like others have mentioned plus my electrician buddy just mark either the red or black with white tape to use for the normal white/neutral and black on the standard 15 amp 14/3 guage wire....I guess what you mean with usin' this welder outside on an extention it needs the ground fault...okay now I get what you guys are talkin' about..... the single plug in I bought is the round type combination T that is for a 15/20 amp application....no I'm no electrician.....my eldest son paid a licenced electrician to completely wire his new house....the guy left the bare boxes for my son to connect all the plug in recepticals....I'm gonna' get a licenced electrician over to do the same....and if he tells me I can't use what I have.. guess I have no other option than chop off the 15 amp plug on the Lincoln even though they knowlingly equip them with the wrong plug and wire.....I also guess doin' this will void the 3 year warranity.......Ampa

 

[Transit]

20 amps is too much for 14/2 wire. 15 amp max. Get a electrician or someone who knows what they are doing before you burn you place down.

Chris

If anything goes wrong, no one has fire insurance. Worse yet, someone get killed and YOU ampa see jail time.

 

[jenkinsph]

You can use white tape on each end to mark the wires but I recall the electric code does not allow this practice on wires smaller than 6 ga., so for a 10 ga. wire it should be white to start with.

Better to call an electrician than to burn down property that belongs to someone else.

 

[BobRip]

Where have I seen the .... before along with confusing answers and questions?

 

[aczlan]

Where have I seen the .... before along with confusing answers and questions?

Perhaps a frequent poster in a thread which thoroughly explored the subjects of 100mpg "carbies" and pickups with tractor motors getting 50mpg?

Aaron Z

 

[AchingBack]

ampa, here is what you need. http://www.groverelectric.com/pdfs/19_How_To_Wire_For_Electric_Welder.pdf

 

[bitternut]

Never saw cable that had a red wire, a black wire and no white wire. Guess it must be some kind of special wire huh.

 

[gemini5362]

if this is a legitimate post and if I understand it right. He is going to replace a 15 amp breaker that is going to a receptacle that has 14/3 between the breaker and the receptacle. He is then going to replace that breaker with a 20 amp breaker and use a welder that needs a 20 amp breaker. I here about that happening all of the time. Usually when they talk about what caught the house on fire. Bottom line if you are doing the things you said in the post you have been given very excellent advice. Get a professional electrician in to wire it and get the right wire. With the scenario that you have provided the least likely thing to happen is that no one will get hurt. Your landlord wont be able to collect on his fire insurance because you have modified electrical circuits and you are not an electrician and the landlord will sue you for a lot. From the least likely scenario things get bad in a hurry. The chances of you not having a house fire are small. The most basic of thou shall not break rules are not to use a breaker than can handle more current than the wire. When you do that you have no protection at all against the wire getting hot from too much current and catching on fire. But once again if this is a legitimate post.

 

[Mace Canute]

Hmmmm not too sure if I post this in this section....but since it still refers to gettin' my Lincoln up and runnin'.....I guess it should be okay....now the question !....I bought 10/2 wire......and it turns out to be 230 volts.....a red a black and the bare copper.....which is fine for my 30 amp breaker...I just curious do I treat the red or the black as the neutral....the bare copper to inside the panel box...to the receptical.....I didn't realize the difference till I peeled back the tough insulation...I hate working with high voltage....but in a sense I'm not....just the same as wiring a couple or so wall recepticals to the hydro panel....which I've done lots of times....mind you I shut the mains off and double check my work to make quite sure everything is hooked up proper before switching the main back on....I had installed another adittional smaller 2 breaker 230 volt panel that I used only for 110 volt in my old 32' trailer....I was getting a little tingle from the receptical...decieded to call a buddy that was a licenced electrician to check it out....told I done an okay job...just didn't tighten the bare ground enough....and it was bleedin' through a bit....after that no more tingles.....I always check and retighten all my connections after that ordeal....thanks in advance the correct advice I'm needin'.....take care.....Ampa.....

[rant]There is no way you should have gotten a "tingle" from a receptical even with loose connections. I have to think you hooked it up wrong, and with that in mind, I can only tell you what everybody else is..GET AN ELECTRICIAN TO DO THE WORK! It is obvious you haven't a clue what you are doing and you will probably end up getting some poor innocent third party hurt or killed. [/rant]

 

[schmism]

3 please get an electrician, even simple stuff can be dangerous.

mike

ooooohhhhh i love these kind of responses.....

you know so dont go swimming or use fireworks or stand on the top rung of a ladder, dont drive your tractor with the rops down.....

hel might as well just not get out of bed in the morning after all "even simple stuff can be dangerous."

 

[Transit]

ooooohhhhh i love these kind of responses.....

you know so dont go swimming or use fireworks or stand on the top rung of a ladder, dont drive your tractor with the rops down.....

hel might as well just not get out of bed in the morning after all "even simple stuff can be dangerous."

At least have the wisdom to know when you are over your head.
The first maneuver my flight instructor taught me was to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed.
#2, no mater how long the runway is, it does you no good if it is all behind you.
# 3 JP fuel is clear and av gas is Red, Green, Blue.

 

[Transit]

Never saw cable that had a red wire, a black wire and no white wire. Guess it must be some kind of special wire huh.

Have I got news for you. Cable also comes, Black [L1], Red [L2], Blue [L3], White [N], Green/Green-yellow/Bare [Ground]

 

[AlbertaDan]

ooooohhhhh i love these kind of responses.....

you know so dont go swimming or use fireworks or stand on the top rung of a ladder, dont drive your tractor with the rops down.....

hel might as well just not get out of bed in the morning after all "even simple stuff can be dangerous."

I have been a safety officer for about 6 years. Before that I have over 20 as an electrician.

ALL of the accidents i have investigated have been caused by SIMPLE stuff. Broken legs friom going to get a drink of water. Workers falling and breaking ribs from not taking time to sand an icy patch. Not using a spotter to back out of tight area. I have never seen a worker get hurt moving 200,000lbs +structural modules into place.

The reason is simple. We are ALL complacent aboutthe simple stuff. The simple stuff bites us in the A**because we usually don't see the hazard.

AMPA needs to find an electrician. I am one and I'm confused about what he wants to do. He talks about 20amp on a 14/3 and 120V then about 50A on 120V using a SOW cable.

Here in Canada SOW is not allowed to be usd to for permanent wiring. Our code is based on the NEC so I doubt its allowed in the US either. The reason is that SOW or extension cord insulation gets brittle and falls apart over time. Read: [B]MAJOR FIRE HAZARD

 

[dqdave1]

Glad he is not renting my house! Rewiring; welding in basement!!!

 

[Transit]

AldertaDan, confused? I though it was only me. :confused2:

 

[captaincrab55]

The only other thing is why CSA/UL allows these wire size descrepancies unless the cord is some finer wound wire with a slightly higher current carrying capacity than regular #12 wire.

Steve

Steve, Keep in mind that finer wire (or stranded as it's called in the Trade) is a plus, but it's more about the type of insulation used on the wire and the listed use of the cable or cord.... Rubber cords are often listed to carry more Amps then cables listed to be concealed in walls. Keep in mind that cords can dissipate heat better in the open. That same cord installed in an insulated wall can build up heat and create a fire hazard... One should also consider wire size, load and distance to prevent Voltage Drop...

 

[Steve_Miller]

Steve, Keep in mind that finer wire (or stranded as it's called in the Trade) is a plus, but it's more about the type of insulation used on the wire and the listed use of the cable or cord.... Rubber cords are often listed to carry more Amps then cables listed to be concealed in walls. Keep in mind that cords can dissipate heat better in the open. That same cord installed in an insulated wall can build up heat and create a fire hazard... One should also consider wire size, load and distance to prevent Voltage Drop...

I had to get one shot in at the regulators, thats par for the course isn't it?


Steve

 

[captaincrab55]

I had to get one shot in at the regulators, thats par for the course isn't it?


Steve

Steve, I like your Post and I hope I cleared that up for you..

btw, I think the Topic starter should start a new Topic with the right facts and hire a Master Electrician...